Living, Learning, Surviving, and Enjoying the GasGas TXT300 - (For Newbies Surprised by Power)

[Scottro]

I'm starting a new thread so we don't annoy the experts with our chatter and foolery...

[Scottro]

9 minutes ago, Scottro said:

 

Posted just now

THIS IS WHERE WE LEFT OFF AT THE TXT300 THREAD...

 

This is probably a newbie oriented post that might irk the purists, but I've made some progress on my Txt300 mountain goat.  I've got it geared down and added a flywheel weight and slow throttle so I can plonk along trails at a walking pace. And I'm experimenting with mounting a seat.  It's working pretty well so far, and is comfy and solid. But it needs some final finishing cosmetic touches and proper support for the mid section.  

• Butch
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Butch

• Newbie
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Posted 20 hours ago

Hey there Scottro! How ya been? I'm doing much better. Gaining strength back and just found out I'm cancer free. I will never talk again but I'm alive to ride my Gasser! I like that seat. Did you fabricate that? Looks good and I can imagine it's comfortable. I bought a Jitsie seat for mine. I also have the slow throttle. Can you please share with me what sprockets you installed and also what chain? Did you have to change the chain guide? And please can you give me a part number for the flywheel weight? Id appreciate it so much. Message me if you prefer. I bought an S3 low compression head and insert but haven't installed it yet. Bob suggested not installing it until I see that I can continue to start it. I missed the forum. I just wasn't feeling well for awhile. I dropped down to 113 pounds and really thought my riding days were behind me there for awhile. But I gained some weight. I'm 123 now and lifting weights religiously. I can start the bike now but only using the technique we discussed. And standing up on the bike with it leaning against something. That's the only way. Feels good to be back. I keep in touch with Bob. He's happy I start the bike now. I was reading some back posts that I missed and your right about the octane in European countries. Their 98 is our 92 I think I read. I'm running Sheetz or Rutters non ethanol 90 octane 70:1 with Motorex oil. It's a tad rich and I might take it to 80:1 after putting more time on the motor. My bike hasn't been run for a quite a while because of the weather. I didn't drain the tank or carburetor. Being that it's non ethanol gas do you think it will be okay until better weather? I had a heck of a time with a quad that sat with E10 gas for a few years and it was a nightmare. Had to replace the fuel pump, tear the whole machine apart just to get to the carb. Total nightmare and I don't want to go through that with my bike. I hope the non ethanol gas won't cause problems from sitting. Captain Bob rode my bike back before Christmas and he came the whole way up here to see me. Great guy! Really nice people him and his wife. He's planning to come up here to ride this season and could you be able to go too? That would be cool. Really good friend. He said my bike runs great. He liked it a lot and must have started it 15 times that day no problem. Talk later buddy 

• majest

 

 

Scottro

• Newbie
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Posted 1 hour ago (edited)

Hey Butch!  Glad to hear you're up and about and getting the bike started.  We should probably start a newbie thread in some general forum area and not clutter this thread with our chatter.  Yes. You, me and Bob should try for a meetup and ride this summer.  I'll pm you the parts list.

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Scottro
 

 

[CaptainBob]

Glad to hear you guys are up and about.  I have been practicing static balancing and although, I certainly am no expert, I am beginning to get the hang of it.  Scottro, what did you end up with for final gearing?  Butch, I am really glad to hear you are still able to start the beast.  That is awesome.  Yes, we do need to do a ride this summer, I am definitely up for it.

[Butch]

Absolutely Bob, we will get some good riding in. Glad to be back too. 

 

[Scottro]

Hey folks.   

This is the rear sprocket I got.  https://trialssuperstore.com/products/rear-sprocket-jitsie-soild  I got the 48 tooth.   Up front, I think I went from 11 to 9 teeth.

This is the chain.  I took out 4-6 links.  JT Chain JTC520X1R120DL (520 Series) Black Steel 120 Link Heavy Duty X-Ring Chain with Connecting Link https://a.co/d/8gDJF4a

The stock chain tensioner flexed far enough to work fine, but I bought an extra slider to contact the chain.

This is the flywheel weight I bought.  https://trialssuperstore.com/products/gasgas-pro-s3-flywheel-weight-idria1

A couple caveats with the flywheel weight: It comes with a spacer to give an extra 3/8" or so inside the case cover.  I had to modify the spacer with a Dremel to fit over a raised "nub" .   Also had to move the shift lever farther out on the shaft to clear the case cover.   I had to remove the bash plate to access the shift lever Allen bolt.

Edited February 9 by Scottro

[Scottro]

Butch-- Leaving gas in the machine during storage:   I've also had bad things happen to bikes and equipment.  I try to empty the tank and run the carb dry.  I can't always do that though. In those instances, I shut the petcock off, start the bike and ride or run it out of gas. Then I open the fuel drain on the carb and let whatever's left drip out. Then, I close the drain.  I also use EZero in bikes and $$$ canned fuel in most lawn equipment and chainsaws. It helps.  That said, I'm a near expert-level cleaner of gunked carbs, because there's always something I forget.

[Scottro]

I was playing around in the garage and thought I'd try fitting a DOT legal headlight to the TXT300.  Looks pretty good.  If I decide to use something like this, I'll power it with a Milwaukee 18V battery and leave the bikes electrical system out of the equation.

[Scottro]

Weather has started to turn and I got a chance to put a few hours on the bike.  Since I made the mods. (added seat, changed sprockets to lower top speed, added flywheel weight), and learned how to kick start properly, I had only ridden in the yard and hadn't gotten a chance to take the bike out and really ride it. 

I really enjoyed riding the bike along jeep trails and thru thickly wooded deer trails and single-track, and up and down steep banks thru a stream. It's very maneuverable and easy to plonk along at a walking pace and choose my lines over, around and thru obstacles. It's easy to extricate from mud. Since it doesn't stall easily, I can walk beside the running bike while it's in gear and ease it out of the deep muck.  The low weight and reluctance to stall makes it very easy. 

The seat worked well and stayed in place thru some fairly hard riding. The gearing changes were perfect for the type of riding I was doing, but for faster trails and road riding, I'd want a bit more speed. Maybe going up a few teeth on the front sprocket would give me that. Riding on rural blacktop between trails, the bike was surprisingly quick and fast, but was revving up pretty high to hit 45-50mph. I wonder just how fast this bike will go with stock gearing. It has very impressive power and acceleration on the road. 

I carried two quart-sized bottles of fuel with me in a backpack. If we stopped for any amount of time, I would top-up the tank, but I never ran out of fuel.

The "roll back" start technique is not difficult in the woods at all.  It's more of a "rock-back" method and I had no trouble doing it regardless of how stuck I was. 

The bike mostly started in 1-2 kicks, and the kicking was not difficult or tiring at all.  I screwed-up a few times (kicking without the magnetic lanyard in place) and it took 4-5 to get re-started.

I realize it's a competition bike and not a trail bike. That said, for trail riding, the kick stand could use a nub or extension to be more easily caught by my boot to extend or retract it.  Also, for trail riding, it could use a larger foot.  

As we've discussed, the bike has tremendous low end power, VERY lively throttle response, and a super-smooth, easy-turning throttle.  The riding technique I use to avoid whiskey-throttling straight into a tree is to consciously hold the throttle closed with my right wrist, when I'm not" on the gas".  I don't have to force it closed very hard, but just this action seems to have honed my wrist-to-brain connection, so that I don't inadvertently give the bike throttle when I don't intend to.  Maybe this is a skill I should have known for years, but it made no difference on lesser machines.  For me, it makes a big difference on the TXT300.

For trail-riding, the bike would benefit from a few grab handles or positions for riders to grab and pull or lift without breaking anything. Mainly, there's no place to grab and lift at the rear of the bike.  The fender is too flexible, and grabbing and lifting from the silencer is a no-no.  I'll somehow affix a nylon loop at the rear of the bike, so I can grab and lift near where the fender mounts to the stronger plastic and framework.  (Dog collars actually work pretty well for this).  Having some easier means to grab and lift the swing arm would be helpful, but I haven't figured out how that can be feasible.  

I realize I've *******ized a competition bike for trail riding. But, it's really becoming the bike I've been wanting for the type of trail riding I do. It's light weigh, powerful, and maneuverable, is capable of being ridden quickly as-needed, and doesn't mind being ridden slowly most of the time without a lot of clutch work. Nothing wrong with clutch work, but I find it nice to plonk around without having to ride the clutch.  

 

 

[lemur]

👍 Once you become accustomed to the motorcycles power and handling you can reverse some of the changes you made to tone it down.  Leaving the seat on forever would be unwise as that will never compel you to ride the pegs and bend your knees as much as you should to be riding it correctly.  To lift the rear of the bike grab a hand full of rim with your fingers between the spokes (with a glove on) that is the best way by far.  If you catch for another rider you grab the stanchion tube because that is the safest place to grab and secure a flying motorcycle.  

Have fun or you're not doing it right and before long you will be hopelessly addicted 😀

[Scottro]

I'm with ya that a handful of rim works well in the dry.  But it's March in Pennsylvania. Lol Our 3 month early mud season is just beginning. We were in some very sticky nasty mud and leaves. It's difficult to get any grip on the muddy rim and tire, and you'll be fouling gloves constantly.  A strap at the back of the seat would be very handy for trail riding. Pulling stuck bikes out of the mud happens enough. 

When I'm up on the pegs, the seat is about an inch below my knees, so it doesn't interfere a lot with my stand-up trials-ish riding. I could see it being a problem for guys actually competing in trials or doing more technical riding though.  I've got a Long way to go before I'm at a skill level where its gonna matter.

As the trails solidify a bit in June/July, I'll speed the bike up a bit. Right now, I can ride in 3rd and 4th gears and closely replicate what it used to be like in 1st and 2nd. (Cue Lynyrd Skynyrd: "Oak tree yer in my way...")

The flywheel weight takes a bit of the edge off the power delivery, but the bike still has amazing throttle response. Gasgas engineers and tuners deserve huge kudos for building a carbureted bike that responds like this.