Evo maintenance curve

[bikerpet]

I've got a 2017 Evo 300 that I've put around 80 hours on so far. So still "new" as far as I'm concerned.

I'm definitely not a serious competitor, far from it. But I do enjoy having a bike that feels nice and crisp as this one presently does. Generally I've been fairly impressed with what I've seen of the Beta build - except the rubbish front mudguard design and perhaps marginal choice of rear guard plastic/design. They seem to have a reasonably sensible "it it's not broken, don't fix it" attitude. Atypical for most Italian manufacturers!

Oil gets changed every 10 hours or so, forks get new oil regularly (on their third change), linkages serviced twice so far, impeller checked, coolant changed, steering bearings re-greased, wheel bearings replaced (rear) & greased (front).... in short I try to treat it well.

My past couple of bikes have been through several owners before I got them, and were considerably older with unknown hours on them. I found that although it wasn't too bad, they did get to the point that I was having to do a fair bit of replacement and maintenance of non-regular service parts, and some things were just not feasible to replace (forks and rear shock being big ones). Other things became a PITA (GasGas gearbox jammed requiring full split to correct).

So my question is:

How many hours do people expect from a reasonably well serviced EVO before the service time and costs start to escalate or simply become uneconomic in order to keep the bike performing relatively "as-new"?

I know it's a "how long's a piece of string" type question, but I'm guessing there are a number of people on here who've had several EVO's and have a bit of a feel for when they reckon it's time to move them on.

I love the service chart saying it's new rings, piston & reeds at 80 hours. And con-rod and main bearings at 120. I might come at rings and a gander at the piston. Water pump parts every 80 hours - that's maybe a bit more likely.

My gut feeling is that maybe 200-250 odd hours might be about the mark? Still plenty of life left, but maybe starting to get a bit tired in some of the expensive/big-job bits?

[huski]

Depends a lot on how it's ridden and maintained.For your type of riding,with your maintenance,clean air filter and a top grade oil,way beyond the quoted hours.Conversely a top rider frequently holding on the stop before dropping the clutch in 3rd and throwing it at a big step a lot les than the quoted hours.Ridden hard like that they feel tired at a few months old

[misscrabstick]

There's a huge difference between sedate clubman type use and balls out 8 foot rock steps revving and clutching, this will make a huge difference to wear levels, as for pistons and rings etc, if it rattles fix it, I do stuff like greasing linkages/bearings etc twice a year, air filter gets cleaning every ride (I run two).

[lineaway]

 If you take care of a Beta, it will easily go 4-5 years before it seems past it`s prime. I had planned on getting rid of my `16 by now, but my son decided to wait another year before he buys his next bike. I had been planning on his TRS as something new to try. Now, who know`s how long it will be before we are buying NEW bikes again.

[bikerpet]

10 hours ago, lineaway said:

 If you take care of a Beta, it will easily go 4-5 years before it seems past it`s prime. I had planned on getting rid of my `16 by now, but my son decided to wait another year before he buys his next bike. I had been planning on his TRS as something new to try. Now, who know`s how long it will be before we are buying NEW bikes again.

Thanks all.

Roughly how many hours is "4-5 years" in your picture Lineaway?

I've been averaging just 12 hours a month since having this bike - got it in winter when skiing consumes our family, then bushfires put paid to most of January, thumb injury cancelled much of Feb/March, now Corona ... At this rate I'll get a very long time out of it!

 

 

[carlos]

I have aprox 250 hours each on my 2016 4T and 2017 2T.  I used to buy a newer bike every year and half, but both are running strong and have been dialed in motor wise (jetting for the 4T and high comp head on 2T) and suspension wise (running Ohlins shocks that have been re-valved the way i like).  Think i will be running them at least another 2 years.  Only reason i got rid of my 2013 300 was because it had a false neutral between 2-3rd gear. The way you ride and do maintenance, i think at least 500-700 hours. I have bought low hour used  bikes off expert/pro riders before, and thought all 3 had not been serviced as good as you (or i) have been doing.  Huge difference between a lightly ridden trail bike and one being regularly revved to the moon, clutch dumped then thrown away and revving it's guts out after a big crash.

[retromlc]

I've done 25 hrs since 2013, I should try and get out more ?

[lineaway]

On 4/2/2020 at 4:38 PM, bikerpet said:

Thanks all.

Roughly how many hours is "4-5 years" in your picture Lineaway?

I've been averaging just 12 hours a month since having this bike - got it in winter when skiing consumes our family, then bushfires put paid to most of January, thumb injury cancelled much of Feb/March, now Corona ... At this rate I'll get a very long time out of it!

 

 

I have probably put 150 hours a year in my current bike. I rarely practice, but ride 25-30 events per year.

[huski]

6 hours ago, lineaway said:

I have probably put 150 hours a year in my current bike. I rarely practice, but ride 25-30 events per year.

It's probably less hours than that,a lot of time at a trial is spent looking at sections and waiting your turn,even though the event lasts 5 or 6 hours

[ChrisCH]

On old tractors there was a built in hours meter, rather like the mileometer on cars.  It worked by being turned by the cable on the rev counter, (tractors don't have speedometer)

I don't know if this crosses over to small two stroke petrol engines but it is pertinent.  The "hours" is dependent on the revs rather than the actual physical time the motor is running.  Tractor service intervals are therefore dependent upon the number of revolutions the engine has made rather than chronological time.  If you apply the same to a trials bike the need to service it is dependent on whether it is running at quarter throttle round sections or revving it's nuts off jumping up a huge obstacle.

My gut feeling therefore is that the service schedule of any trials (or other competition bike for that matter) bike is really guesswork.  A factory team with a big budget and a pro mechanic or two might well service the bike far more than it really needs, but at least it keeps the bike competitive.  Me, I am rubbish and usually come last so being "competitive" isn't really an issue to be honest.  Another benefit of being rubbish is never revving the bike up either.  I don't think I've ever opened the throttle past half way.

So really the need to service and to replace items like pistons is really dependent on the individual use.  Well IMHO anyway.

 

[pindie]

I’ve just gone through my 2012 front to back. I bought it on its visual condition (clean, dent/bash free). It needed tlc on bearings/grease. First job was simple stuff like wheel bearings, pads, chain and sprockets etc. These are high wear items and replaced anyway on even newer bikes if used a lot, plus a throttle cable as the old one snapped. Next was steering head and linkage strip, clean, re grease. Forks rebuilt. Clutch works fine so far but the main bearings went very noisy when it was stuck on its side revving it’s head off on top of a bank whilst I was at the bottom in a stream. Ever since then I had concerns. So....I stripped the motor and replaced them. Piston and cylinder looked good so went back in. All easy enough to do and without special tools. Just took my time. Care and read up/watched you tube how to vids. 
 

Now it feels great. No rattles or rumbles. Everything works like new and will hopefully stay that way for some time. Doing all this would cost a fortune in a shop but to do yourself is free plus parts. All parts have been genuine. Cost around £300 I reckon but the bikes so much better for it and feels like a much newer model. Get jobs done on lockdown and be ready for when you can ride properly again!!!!!!!

[huski]

Well done.Id fit a lanyard kill switch too,saves a lot of damage in an off like you had.

[lineaway]

12 hours ago, huski said:

It's probably less hours than that,a lot of time at a trial is spent looking at sections and waiting your turn,even though the event lasts 5 or 6 hours

We are a spoiled lot, we camp two or three nights per event, You just have to do two nights around a campfire with friends to make it a worthwhile trip.

[bikerpet]

Well that all sounds like it'll still be feeling pretty good for more hours than I anticipated - touch wood.

25-30 events a year! I'm lucky to get to 2 or 3. But then I practice whenever I can, even if only for 15-20 minutes (I have a little park setup a couple of hundred meters from the house, and I certainly need the practice).

I always use a lanyard switch - cheap assurance against jamming the throttle.

The bike's had it's "lockdown service", now I'm deep into the tractor. Definitely prefer working on the bike!

I'm also working away on putting together an electric Fat-E trials bike (dual suspension fat bike with electric drive) - it's turning into a more complex project than I'd anticipated due to shoe-horning a wet-plate clutch onto the motor!

[huski]

12 hours ago, lineaway said:

We are a spoiled lot, we camp two or three nights per event, You just have to do two nights around a campfire with friends to make it a worthwhile trip.

Sounds terrific,we don't get many events like that.How far do you have to go for your trials then?