www.retrotrials.com
Visit the Facebook page
  • Home
    • UPDATED - New + Coming soon !
    • British Riders on Mecatecno and Merlin
    • The Factory Sponsors >
      • Garibaldi general catalogue
      • The Garibaldi 1994 catalogue
    • Videos
    • The Jotagas diary
    • Links
    • For Sale
    • Memories and Feedback
    • About / Contact / Copyright
    • Items of Interest
  • Trial Reports
  • Features + Interviews
  • Bikes
  • Superstars
  • Memorabilia
  • Retro Gear
  • Retro Adverts

The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300

5/4/2014

 

Thoroughly    recommended    modification     coming     up 

As visitors to this blog will know I visited the Jotagas factory in Girona a short while ago and completed a report on it all. Well .......whilst I was down there and had the attention of the boss Josep Pibernat, I explained to him that although I loved my bike, it did pink when it got hot. If you read the previous blogs here you will learn all about it. The pinking occurred on medium to full throttle and it didn't really have to get very hot to start pinking. It would pink on the road and also pink in sections as well. I sought advice about how to cure this but none of it worked. Nope, although the carb changes made a tiny difference, it was only a very small improvement. 

When you hear your engine pinking it's not the best noise in the world and you always want to sort it out and improve things.

I was actually down in the factory when I mentioned this to the Jotagas boss. As soon as I mentioned it to him he said "Ahh yes, when you buy your Jotagas ". I replied "It was the first of the 2014 bikes into the UK". He then went over to a corner of the parts area of the room. I attempted to follow him, but  I wasn't quick enough because of all the distractions in the factory. He returned with a small package and pushed it into my hands saying, "This will fix it". I looked down and opened the bubble wrap envelope. Inside was a gold anodised cylinder head insert. Piber explained to me that this insert had a larger internal void and would reduce the compression. It was as simple as that. I thanked him and put it down, hoping that I'd remember to pick it up later. 

Luckily, I did remember to pick it up and bring it home when I returned to Blighty a few days later. I then installed it in my bike. It was pretty easy. I just drained the coolant and then disconnected the rubber coolant pipe going to the head. I then removed the red cylinder head outer water jacket and removed the existing insert.
Picture
The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300
Picture
The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300
The hardest part of the whole process was getting that rubber pipe disconnected from the head. I saw Joan Freixas applying heat and silicone at the factory so realised they were a squeeze. Any way, off it came.
Picture
The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300
You can see this was silver alloy. 
This combustion chamber was a good colour with crispy black particles, no slime. I'd rather have it a little rich than weak.
Picture
The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300
Picture
The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300
Here is the new gold cylinder insert fitted.
Picture
The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300
It's been nearly a month since I fitted the insert and I haven't ridden the Jotagas since. Shame on me. 
In fact I've been riding enduros and have only last weekend successfully demolished my KXF 450 engine when the cam chain skipped some teeth. Nice skills hey? I think not. I'm still weeping in my beer :). This bike has given me two mechanical DNF's in as many months, when the YZ 250 gave me none.

That my pals, is why one must always be on a two stroke :). Tomorrow the KXF is off to be crushed at the local metal dealers. I will only be happy when I see the petrol tank explode like a squeezed Zit and see the rest of the bike the size of a Rubix cube . :)

So anyway ......the Jotagas went for it's outing today at a local club trial. The sun was shining and it was an absolutely glorious day for a trial. Before the event started I went off for a ride to see the sections and take these pictures.
Picture
The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300
Picture
The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300
Picture
The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300
Picture
The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300
Picture
The best modification yet to my 2014 Jotagas 300
It was a great day ....and the bike ended up a great deal dirtier than these glamour shots :). 


The cylinder insert has absolutely transformed the bike. I cannot tell you how pleased I am with it. The tick over is steadier and smoother. The bike seems to be smooth through the whole rev range and it seems to rev higher, easier. And ....of course ....no more pinking ....not once ...ever in the whole days event. Zilch, nothing, not a jot. It's cured ....yipeeee !.  When before it would have pinked a good amount, now it doesn't pink at all.

Sooo, if your 2014 Jotagas 300 pinks and you have the silver insert, then you must get the gold insert. Apparently all the new bikes are coming standard with the gold inserts, but if your bike is more than a couple of months old you might have the old silver insert as the factory weren't aware of the improvement available to them. 

It's thoroughly recommended. Steve Saunders has them.

I'm so happy with the Jotagas, that I almost forgot that my KXF was sitting dead as a door nail in the garage :)  

Now ...let me introduce you to Mike Vincent on his 1974 Bultaco Sherpa 325. He's lives in the UK, but was born in New Zealand where he lived for many years and is now living in the UK. He bought the Bultaco brand new in 74 and it has followed him around the World where ever he has moved to. He is no a precision engineer and makes amongst other things, Bultaco parts for the industry.

This guy has got one huge set of Gonnads. Today there was a very hard muddy section with a stream ditch to cross. It was a slippery as hell. Everyone was crossing at the easy part and riding around the edge but failing and slipping into the ditch. None had the balls to jump it. Well, this guy on one of the oldest bikes at the trial charged at the ditch like it was his last ride ever. I'd never seen a Bultaco fly ....but I have now. He launched himself at the ditch and flew over it at maximum revs, which I know isn't much for one of those old things ha ha, but it was one hell of a brave ride. The word quickly got around that there was this lunatic on a Bultaco and all of the riders and spectators gathered to watch him do it again. It was very very entertaining and really balls out. 

Nice one Mike :)  It was quite a spectacle and put the rest of us on our new bikes to shame :)
Picture

home

2014 Jersey 2 day trial- 8th and 9th March

3/11/2014

 

click there  to see the jotagas report on the  2014 Jersey 2 day trial- 8th and 9th March

The Colmore Cup - National S3 Championship Trial on 2/3/14

3/3/2014

 
Thanks to S3 and Trials and Enduro direct for helping to make this event possible
Picture
2014 Colmore cup trial Jotagas diary
The Chairmans forward
Picture
2014 Colmore cup trial Jotagas diary
This year my aim is to compete in and complete the Normandale Championship, the S3 Championship, the SEEC Enduro Championship and the SEEC Hare and Hounds Championship. 

Well, this is the aim ha ha, but there's a problem. The dates clash and so I will be left to choose which Championship to complete. This will depend on travelling distances (against S3 and Normandale Championships) and my ability to cope with the riding conditions (everything  - ha ha).

So I've started the year with best intentions and the first round of the S3 Championship was here, The Colmore cup.

Craig Daffin and former motocross rider and I travelled up to Stratford with a 6.30 start from my home. We knew many miles of road riding was in front of us and that we would need more fuel somewhere out on the course, so we came armed with petrol cans which we could put out on the fuel truck which would go out to the furthest location away from the course.
So we pulled up in the car park and spoke to a very official guy in the car park and said "Where about's is the fuel truck please?". He replied "There isn't one". "So, how do we refuel ?" I said. He looked at me with a blank look on his face and replied "We use petrol stations in these parts mate". Ha ha, very funny :) 
So finally we found a willing mule to lug our petrol around for us, but whether we would find him, I don't know. 

Rob Warner parked next to us and was sporting the latest style in Jamaican flag beanie hats. We had a chat and he was considering some pre event maintanance on his bike but thought it was easier to pull things off his bike rather than mend them. "With 2 kids, I haven't got time" he laughed. He then climbed into the back of his mini escort style van and said loudly "Don't come anywhere near these doors, I'm going for a session on the porta loo ha ha ", and the doors swung shut behind me. Those few words left an indelible pic. Another notable face from the past was Tony Scarlet unloading his Beta 300 from the back of his pick up.

I was the last man away with my two buddies right there. Rob Warner was also starting off with with us. 

So, it was raining hard and it was cold but not so cold that it was a problem. We set off and rode to the first group 7 miles away.  I turned off the road through a farmers gate and then rode for a quarter mile across grass fields to the first section, which was at the bottom a huge huge grass hill. With the usual optimism and vigour, I parked the bike up and jogged down to look at the section. The observer said "Don't blame us, Alan Wright set out this one out". Oh no Wrighty, what have you done?. The observer didn't sound cheery. Still ..... I was fresh, clean and full of energy. The section took us around the edge of the hole turning left through a water ditch and then along the bank. Then you had to drop to your left into the bottom of the hole and then power across the mud and up out of the hole to the ends cards.
I was still optimistic, it was only the first section. What could go wrong. Kevin Nolan immediately sked for a five and rode away. "Oh  my God ", am I under estimating this?.  I dropped down into the clag and lost my leg up to my thigh. My nice new Jotagas white trousers, were black with stinking festering stagnant mud and I could feel my sock was wetter than a ferret's pocket. "Oh my God". Kevin was right, this was impossible. Craig dropped down into the section whilst I was still walking it and rode the first part easily. He dropped into the bomb hole and went nowhere. 

Another rider,  I don't know, came through and took a different line. He blasted through the mud and was up the other side with no problem. This gave me confidence - fool :)

I cruised the first part of the section and then selected third gear launching down into the mud pit, on this new "possible" line with engine revs high.  I made it 3 feet and sank :(.  I then spent the next few minutes precariously trying to maintain my balance whilst tottering around the bike, so that I could get a good purchase on it, to pull it out of the clag. I was holding onto overhanging twigs like my life depended on it ha ha. What a start. Dragging the bike out I then left for section 2, which was a breeze and a twiddle on the hillside through some twists and turns.

Section 3 was a graded hill climb. The hill was covered in slippery glass. The begins cards meant that you had to approach it at an angle .The fact that 120 riders had already been through these sections and that we've had the most rain ever recorded + this area suffered from a lot of flooding, meant that these sections were very very slimy and slippery. I set off, third gear and made it to the 2 marker before I span to a halt. 

Although I hadn't had a particularly good start, to say the least, I was still enjoying myself as we left this group and headed on.

The sections a while later, then started to get harder and harder. We dropped off the road into some woods to be confronted by some of the largest hills I've ever had to face on a trials bike. 120 bikes had been through these sections, the hillside where they were was huge, massive, monumental, but all the leaves from the trees had gone from the floor. It was a floor awash with mud and slime.

It was what can only be described as like a scene from the World War 1 battle of the Somme. Riders were everywhere, lying under and next to their steaming over heating bikes. Bikes laying on their sides, forgotten and unloved. It was a formidable, frightening and yet intriguing sight.

This is where I saw Tony Scarlet reveal a little of the magic he still has on a trial bike. The biggest section was a straight climb on mud up a straight climb which then bent round to the left. At the top you turned right and dropped down. Tony let it rip and that tractor, I mean Beta :) just would not stop. The throttle had one position and that was flat out. The Beta sounded like a Honda C90 with no exhaust :) but he made it to the top. A great ride.

The sections continued for the rest of the trial in this vein. Big 4th gear slippery climbs that you couldn't stand up on and glass like greased down hills what made you wince and think about your family back home.

It was an epic trial, one that totally outclassed me completely. My Jotagas was perfect all day. The Jotagas was excellent and didn't miss a beat. Everything worked ace. It was no longer pinking. Perhaps this was because of the colder temperature, by half way through the day the rain was coming down so hard that I couldn't even see. My glasses had a thick layer of mud on them and my wiping cloth was dirtier than the mud itself :)

I did feel that the easier sections, which I was riding had become the harder of the two sections by the end of the day. 110 riders through on the harder course cut them lines and wiped out logs whilst my sections were as snotty and nadgery as ever. But hey, I'm not making excuses. 
I met spectator Steve Saunders at one of the later groups and said to him "I'm sorry, but I just cannot believe that you rode up those hills on those old Bultaco's". He just chuckled.

As I rode around, I had one reoccurring thought. How the hell did the men, back in the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's cope with this going and terrain, here at the Colmore Cup. This is the slipperiest, slimiest and steepest trial I've ridden in a long time.  I rode this trial back in the 90's but had forgotten how hard it was. That's the problem with memory, I for one only tend to remember the good bits ha ha.

I was so cold as I left the last group on the 7 mile ride in the stinging rain back to the start. I couldn't see, I was shivering and the rain at 40mph on my face was like being tattooed ha ha. 

Well, thank God that's over. I was like a drowned rat. I got changed in the men's loo's at the football club where there was the luxury of hot water. 

As for finding our fuel in the mystery van..... I can't tell you the amount of vans we opened up on the side of the road before we got the right one :)
Just have a look through the previous winners.  Look at the amount of times Steve Saunders bounced back to win the event. He won it 10 times over 17 years. Can you believe it.  I'll tell you something.....after this weekend  ... I can't. Give me strength :)
Picture
2014 Colmore cup trial Jotagas diary

The 2014 jotagas 300  after the  trial 

Picture
2014 Colmore cup trial Jotagas diary
The home made mud flap on the front mudguard stopped the worst of the mud getting to the radiator.
Picture
2014 Colmore cup trial Jotagas diary
Whilst others were cleaning their radiator guards during the day, the Jotagas guard stayed relatively clean.
Picture
2014 Colmore cup trial Jotagas diary
Picture
2014 Colmore cup trial Jotagas diary
Born in sunny climes the Catalan baby, Jotagas 300 took everything that the worst of the British weather could throw at her and was brilliant. Shame about the rider :)
Picture
2014 Colmore cup trial Jotagas diary
Picture
2014 Colmore cup trial Jotagas diary
The riders worst nightmare - The muddy grip :)
Picture
2014 Colmore cup trial Jotagas diary
After the Wallace Cup Trial was cancelled due to a water logged course, The Colmore Cup was the first trial of the S3 Championship.
Picture
2014 Colmore cup trial Jotagas diary
A big thank you to the Stratford Upon Avon Club and all of the organisers and observers who braved the appalling conditions to make sure this event was a success, just not for me.......cos I can't ride for toffee :)

The Jotagas and the Phil King national Trial on 2/2/14

2/7/2014

 
The idea of this blog is to promote the Jotagas brand through fair and honest feedback and information. Its not about selling. Its about telling you the truth , so you can buy a Jotagas in confidence and in the knowledge that you know a guy who has one and you know all about his experiences with it. 
Retrotrials receives no benefit or favour for this blog , so what you get is the bottom line truth.
What i say ,is go get a test ride on one, because they are amazing :)

On the 2nd of February 2013 i travelled up to Colchester  to ride the 1st round of the Normandale championship . I hadnt ridden one of these rounds before .

I would be riding my Jotagas on the road for the first time. I had ridden my 2013 Jotagas on the with no issues at all , but this was a different bike.

As ive already explained in my previous posts my 2014 Jotagas 300 pinks a little when it gets hot. It does this in the sections and also on the road when the engine is under load. Its very common an perhaps happens to your bike. I had previously phoned the importer and asked them if they had found a cure. Prior to the phone call , I had heard through the grape vine that a different slide possibly cured the problem but wanted them to give me the proper guidance father then follow a Facebook post.The importer told me that increasing the size of the idle jet by one size sorts the problem out. I was doubtful that this would make any difference.They reassured me that  all the jets worked together and that this had sorted it out for him in previous reports of this to him. Now they knows a lot more than most us about bikes so i take their advice every time. 

Well, i ordered a size 36 idle jet and installed it. What can i say ? It made no difference what so ever ha ha .
The pinking was still there , however it did make the slow speed running that bit smoother which was worth the five quid i paid for the jet. Anyway , im not to concerned , its just a niggle , that no doubt everyone else has with a pinking bike. Ideally id like it cured ,but im not going to loose sleep over it.

The Phil King was an excellent trial . I ran about 3psi in the rear and i had no rubbing on the swinging arm what so ever as i had previously experienced before i modded it. 
Picture
The Jotagas and the Phil King national Trial on 2/2/14
Picture
The Jotagas and the Phil King national Trial on 2/2/14
The ground was a thick clay mud . There were some sections where the ground was a sand base The Jotagas was very impressive in finding grip , period.
It is an impressive bike , period.
It grips brilliantly. Has suspension that makes the bike feel alive and easy to hop. The engine is soft at the bottom and has worn in brilliantly. It starts first kick always.

The only issue i have , as ive explained is that as i rode down the road the bike pinked a bit on quarter throttle. As soon as i wound it open the pinking stopped. In my experience richening up the carb can cure some pinking , so this is what i will try next by raising the needle.


Pinking is a common problem on trials bikes. My Gasgas's have picked in the past as have my Scorpa's at the SSDT. I travelled up with Craig Daffin and he told me his Beta was pinking all the way round as well. It may be something that i have to live with .......but i wont give up trying to fix it , on a budget of course :).

The Jotagas got a lot of interest as always at the trial with people inquiring what its like. I tell then the truth , that im very happy with it and wouldnt swap it for anything ,other than the package of a Lancia Delta Integrale, a large house in Catalan with a nice infinity pool with long distance views.

If youve spent a lot of time reading this site , youll know who owns this place. No , thats wrong. It not the most obvious place at all. Youll need to dig around to find the answer to that one.

I dropped 23 marks and i think the winner was on 5 or so. I think i rushed my way around a bit to much and should have slowed down and worked out the sections a bit more. Hey , i enjoyed myself and came away happy. I've got a new system , that ive just worked out , as i woke up a few nights ago. It may just help me a bit lowering my marks. I'll try anything :). If it works , ill spread the word. It involved red bull and ibuprofen :). Only joking , that's my Enduro survival technique only.

One section at the Phil King consisted of riding the wall of death on a steep sided grass field. After you had done the wall of death, you then rode up the hill on a bad camber. I chose a crazy 4th gear. The Jotagas tracked brilliantly and there was no slip. Then due to my crazy speed , the front wheel slipped as i reached the brow  of the hill on the wet muddy grass. I slid and slid some more falling rearer the ground as a i did so . I fell off , but just as my front wheel spindle crossed the ends cards by 3 inches. Lucky or what  !

Next event - an Enduro and the 450 Kwacker , but i wont bore you with this ride as you trialsters only. Right ?. Anyway...ill be aching to much :)
Picture
The Jotagas and the Phil King national Trial on 2/2/14
Then , back on the Jotagas at my next trial , the first of the S3 Championship . The Wallace cup. Bring it on :)

home

Minor Jotagas modifications

1/30/2014

 
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
On Sunday the 26th of January 2014 i rode the Bognor trial at Buriton , Hampshire. It rained all day and the chalky base at first was very very slippery. As the day went on though the rain made the mud to thing that the tyres seemed to drive through to a hard bade giving good grip. Id never had predicted that.
The Jotagas ran very well  , however i noticed a few little improvements that could be made.


I have some trials coming up with road work and the Jotagas' top gear (5th) isnt the highest. With a 5psi tyre you might get 40 mph max , but it would be nice to have a little more. The standard sprocket is 40 teeth. I looked online and you cant see 38 Teeth rear sprockets anywhere. They are the same as GasGas , Montesa , Beta and Sherco , but they are not widely used . I telephoned Talon and they had a 38 in stock , so i ordered and fitted it. With the standard rear sprocket on , there are 4 rear teeth to everyone tooth on the front sprocket. So , in theory i was increasing the front sprocket by half a tooth, not that , that's really possible. 
I have had a spin around the woods and it hasnt made a huge difference , which im glad of. Im sure it will give me a few extra MPH on the road and track though , which is what i was after.
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary

before modification

In this photo you can see that the chain tensioner arm is very close to the rear tyre. If you are a muddy trial and are running perhaps 2psi , then the rear tyre rubs on the arm and will obviously sap power.
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary

after  modification

In the photo beneath you can see the problem is cured. The chain tensioner arm is a good distance away from the tyre and there will be no more rubbing. This was achieved using 2 mods

  • This is the first mod which takes 30 minutes
First remove the rear wheel and remove the chain tensioner from the swinging arm. The chain tensioner arm is 5mm thick. Reduce the thickness of the arm down to 2.5mm. It is still strong enough.When the tensioner was  removed I filed down the washer that sits up against the spring. This gives another 1.2mm . So far we have gained 3.7mm extra.
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
The 2nd mod is as follows.

This is easy and takes 5 minutes - When you undo the rear wheel allen bolt, the swinging arm expands in width by 6mm. Enlarge the sprocket side wheel spacer , by fitting a 5mm thick alloy washer . This gives you another 5mm.

This gives an extra  8.7mm clearance between the swinging arm and the tyre , meaning there is no problem anymore.


One side issue from doing this 2nd mod is that the swinging arm spindle isn't perfectly long enough and pushed through half of the swinging arm and not all of it. Having looked at the situation , this is more than adequate. I will keep a close eye on it and make sure the rear wheel is kept tight at all times.
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Another modification which i decided to complete was to raise the front mudguard by 6 mm. This was for two reasons. I have had Jotagas's for 2 years now and the front end does not clog up with mud , but i dont want a first time so this is a precaution.
Secondly i have fitted a light plastic mud flap on the front mudguard. despite it being light the rear of the front mudguard with the flap attached flaps a bit hitting the tyre. Its a tiny thing and was caused by me fitting the flap , but by raising the mudguard it will cure this -- hopefully :)
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
This is the same modification i completed on my 2013 Jotagas. The plastic radiator guards are held on with tiny plastic clips. With heavy mud sticking to the guard it has in the past caused it to fall off and i dont want this to happen again. In order to fix it discretely so it doesnt look naf i wired the guard on as in the below two photos.
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
One thing ill mention is that the carb is really easy to get off and back on again. Ok , its not as easy as an old Bultaco , but its not hard at all and can be taken off and placed back on in 5 minutes. Not bad for a modern bike. The key to success is to push the carb back to get it off. This pushes the filter back in the air box , but then you put your hand in the air box and push it all back onto the back of the carb. 
Simple and easy once you get the hang of it.
I am awaiting a size 36 idle jet which im assure will cure the slight pinking i get when the bike is hot on medium throttle. Again , its not a problem and doesn't affect performance , but i just want it perfect.  
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
On a side issue - Heres something of interest
Here is a photo of the first ever drawing of the Jotagas logo. Marc Arano the previous World wide sales manager drew this with Jordi Tarres and the JTG owner Josep Pibernat.


This is what Mark said about the logo 
"About the sign, we just wanted to support the brand name using a shell like other well knows brands such as Ferrari, Porsche, Ducati And so on ... So the idea in Its terms came from us meanwhile the design came from the communication agency. The image inside is what we call in Spain a " halcón peregrino", a fast And smart kind of eagle... Emular inf the shape of a trial bike......"
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
This made me happy .

Kev won't mind me saying this. On Saturday we went out practising. He is Kevin Nolan ,a very very good rider. He's expert level and I've never seen anyone hang off a bike like Kev fighting and waiting for grip. A truly ace rider whose mostly know for winning the Normandale last year on the impressive modified SWM.

He is a much much better rider than me. He always has been.

Any way...... he took out a brand new demo sherco 300 and I was on my Jotagas 300 14 model. We set up a simple section consisting on going down a slippery steep hill . At the bottom there was a horseshoe and then straight back back up again.
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
It was first on loose leaves with loam underneath. The Jtg went straight up for a clean. 3rd gear riding on the bottom of the revs. 
Kev tried no less than ten times on the sherco and couldn't touch it AT ALL. 

He jumped on the Jtg and was straight up for a clean. He repeated it on the Sherco and again had a big five. He could get out and had to push the bike out with me pulling. Then I cleaned it again.

The sherco was absolutely crucified in this comparison test.

Tyres were the same along with pressures.
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
We worked out what was going on. The JTG power delivery is totally flat. The sherco is soft for the first 300 rpm  them comes in with a rush and the exhaust barks. Nothing incredible. We're not talking mx bikes here , but the Sherco wanted to deliver to much power.

Kev was gutted. Everywhere he rode on it , it was spinning out.
It's no mystery. it's the power delivery. The Sherco had way more power. Great for Enduro or rocks in Spain but not mud in the uk.

Later we tried a different section requiring traction and again the Sherco didn't grip on the slippery base. Kev immediately said' Let's go' in disgust after cleaning it on the JTG. He packed up straight away and was straight on the phone to Steve Saunders for a new bike.....lol. 

Remember ... he hadn't set up my JTG at all.

So from this direct comparison with no advertisers to keep happy... straight out of the crate the JTG is much much better at finding grip .
Kev came out to practise ready to buy the Sherco. He's desperate for a new bike , but after this the Sherco went straight back.

On this one day the JTG made me better than Kevin . Nice one :). Thats never happened before. In Kev's words " You made me look like a beginner".
Picture
The 2014 Jotagas JTG 300 Diary

home

12/1/14 - A brilliant trial yesterday , but 2 little issues found on the 2014 Jotagas - tweaking will sort :)

1/12/2014

 
Yesterday  the 12th of Jan 2014  i rode the Alton Mcc club trial at Butser Hill. This was the first time i had ridden a trial at this venue as previously i had been setting it out the trials here , so it was nice to have a good blast.
You can see what the bottom on the quarry looks like at Butser. This photo was taken in December 2013/
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
This photo was taken yesterday. This just hsows how much rain weve had here. the place is completely flooded .First thing in the morning the approach slope down to water was covered in. ice. If you havent been here recently , the far left of the photo was the location of the huge chalk step made famous and filmed at the 1988 World round , when Jotagas Steve Saunders won. 
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
So it was cold  and there was a fine mist in the air . The grey clouds over head got the more experienced and aged riders promising rain ( theyre not usually wrong)

So 5 laps of 8 sections it was  , set out by long term Alton stalwart Mick Coles. 
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
                               Only the stragglers at the end of the day had their photos taken :)
Here are a few pictures i took of the day. Alton club trials dont have expert routes , and i was a little worried that some of the expert riders might have been disappointed . I neednt have worried as the section and drizzle stiffened up the sections just right. All of the sections could have taken marked off good novice riders.
Reynard Norris was witnessed falling off for the first time this decade ripping his ridding trousers from knee to hip. It didnt bother him though and he climbed back on . 


Here is a good photo of the very capable and experienced rider Peter Penton on a very tricky section indeed. Many riders on modern bikes didnt get through this at all. From the bottom you have to really hit this bank hard , and clear the furtherest blue marker in the air. It was so slippery , that if you failed to jump it far enough , you would just spin to a halt and slip back . 


Peter is on good form here ...............but 
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
he wasnt fast enough and span to a halt. To be fair he is on a 125cc GasGas and it just didnt seem to have the punch out of the bottom to make the jump.
Picture
It didnt stop here though , Pete lost traction and went backwards further. The pictures doesnt do it justice
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Here Steve Sell bravely goes on his Ossa Mar where others on their Jotagas's and Gasgas' fail :). 
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Here is another view of the same section. You can here see Sam Rolls getting some air time on his 125cc GasGas. Sam rode really well as always , but this section caused him real problems. It looks like Sam is smoking a fag , but i can assure you he isnt ha ha , its just my rubbish shutter speed. . 
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Here is Sam's dad,  90's Hamilton Yamaha sponsored David Rolls showing him how its done. You can see David really charging hard at the bank on his Montesa 315. You needed to go this fast or you just weren't up it. This was technical trials this was balls out trials.
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
This was the one of sections that got riders talking and some of them a little worried. 
First ou had to ride up Hampshire's version of Laggan lochs, then you have to ride over this greasy grassy camber onto the bank top. You then turned sharp left and went down a very very steep back to a chalky slimy path beneath. This is the 3rd lap and riders and still watching it , it was that nasty. The left lime down to the bottom would have you in the under growth. the right line down the bank would try and have you over the bars. 
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
You then turned sharp left and went down a very very steep back to a chalky slimy path beneath. This is the 3rd lap and riders and still watching it , it was that nasty. The left lime down to the bottom would have you in the under growth. the right line down the bank would try and have you over the bars. 
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
After turning on the greasy path you then turned left , up the path , then left again up the steep bank.  You can tell the steep angle by Mick Marshalls body position.
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
David had a problem here on lap and couldnt quite get up the bank. It was time to clear the Mont out
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Lets rev its some more. Im sure the old Yams used to grip best on full chat. Yes David , but they only revved to 3000 RPM , not like the Mont . The piston was knocking to come out :)
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
It wasnt all trouble. On this lap he flew up.
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Here Craig Daffin looks like a man on a mission. This year Craig is tacking the nationals , with yours truly and Kevin Nolan.  It should be a laugh. Craig's going to be my catcher on the steps :)
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
I dont know this rider's name and should do. He's a nice guy and weve ridden around twice now. Some of the climbs were 4th gear flat out with some nice air time at the top.
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Why did i take such few photos? . Because i was riding the trial. The only photos were taken of the stragglers at the end of the trial , when most people had had the sense to get out of their wet clothes and go home.


Anyway .... back to where we started. The Jotagas performed brilliantly. I had stiffened up the front and rear suspension quite significantly and really though this helped in holding a better line. The 2014 Jotagas works brilliantly. Its the lightest bike out there. It is superb quality . it performs brilliantly and it looks darn pretty. This is my second Jotagas and im converted .......


However , they can always be improved. My bike pinks slightly when hot. It always has done and it did do today. Ive fitted a mud flat to the front mudguard to stop mud getting in the radiator. (THIS IS A MUST - DO IT OR REGRET IT). Make one from an old plastic Oil bottle. Despite this and the radiator being clear it still pinked. i will raise the needle on the carb to try and eliminate this.


Secondly , the old problem of the chain tensioner arm rubbing on the tyre (at low pressures) reared its ugly head again. On muddy day like this i was running 2 psi in the rear. Well , the Spaniards dont run the tyres so low so they wont know about this. The tyre side wall rubs on the chain tensioner side arm and wastes horsepower by a fairly significant degree.
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
The chain tensoner arm that rubs is about 4m thick . It neednt be. I took mine (on my previous model ) down to  2 mm with a flap wheel on an angle grinder . this really helps with the problem. The last thing you want is the drag sapping power.
In this picture you can see how close the arm is , ans this is with a fully inflated tyre.
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Mud splattered but happy at the end of the day
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
These little things can be sorted out in the garage. If you are reading this Josep Pibernat and Paco Roldan from the Jotagas factory ( and i will make sure they see it ) , please correct these two things . Thank you :)
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
But , like us all , after a bath she is beautiful again.


Its hard to believe this is the same bike
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary
The strangest thing about the day , was when i got home  finally and opened the van , this is what i found 
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 Diary

home

Update 6/1/14 - Jotagas diary

1/5/2014

 
Since i purchased my 2014 Jotagas 300 in August 2013 i have ridden it about 6 times competitively in trials. Initially when i ride my first trial i was concerned about there being a little to much more right when you pull away. Now ... time has passed and ive got used to it . The bikes does have more power in comparison with the 2013 model and thats better for top riders , but not necessarily me.

I rode an excellent trial down at Shepton Mallet with the Blacmore vale motorcycle club. It was held in a scalpings quarry and was a real test , although to be fair i only dropped 24 on the route one down from the elite route. There was no way i could have ridden the harder route. A s a comparison national rider Kevin Nolan who i traveled down with dropped 8 marks on his fancy SWM.

So ive come home from the trial and checked the air filter which was spotless and didnt need cleaning. On a wet day there's no dust so there's very little contamination
Picture
After the trial i drained the gearbox oil for the first time. Now i know there have been gearbox modifications for this years bike. One of the reasons was that alloy parts in the 13 bikes could wear. This showed itself when swarf came out with the oil. I drained the oil out looking carefully for any swarf
Sooo i was looking very carefully.
Picture
Picture
One of the key areas to look is at the threads of the tiny allen drain bolt. Was this showing any signs of swarf --no , none , silch 
Picture
No less than Jordi Tarres told me that when refilling the Jotagas you should put in 400ml of oil . 50ml less then the total quantity , due to there being oil in engine cavities etc. So i followed his advice (who wouldnt)  and replenished the bike.

One problem the JTg is prone to is that the radiator gets the spray from the front wheel . This means it can quickly clog with mud. This showed itself at the Blackmore vale trial when my fadiator became clogged after 2 laps with sticky red mud.
Picture
 So rememberind this i complete the same mod which i had completed to my 13 bike and fitted a mud flap the front mudguard. This is an absolute must .Ross Danby fits a huge wire mesh grill over his radiator to stop the mud and grass stopping the cooling and aiding quick cleaning.
Picture
One small thing that i noticed was the small crack which has appeared in the stand mounting bracket. Im sure you can see it. Ive asked for a replacement as its is under the 6 month warranty.
Picture
The final thing that i felt i needed to do was adjust my suspenson to make it harder. This was inspired by my KXF 450 which is a new bike to me. Id previously ridden a YZ 250 two stroke motocrosser converted slightly for enduro use. I had over time made the suspension softer and softer thinking that this might help. What it actally did was turn it into a pogo stick . I only know this now with the benefit of hind sight. At the time i was doping the right thing. You know how it is, were always learning :). When i exchanged this bike for my KXF 450 the new bike had firm suspension , completely different to the YZ.  The KXF was head and shoulder better. yes i know thats enduro and this is trials , but the physics are still the same . Firmer suspensions enables to you hold your line better because your now wollowing on soft springs. So thats what im trying. Ive had the shock off and would the spring up to take the sag out. Ive would the compression adjuster on the left hadn fork leg to stiffen it up also.

We'll see how it goes.
Picture

home

2nd ride today on the Jotagas

10/27/2013

 
Today the 27th of October 2013 i rode my new Jotagas JTG 300 for the 2nd time. I rode it at a nearby Bognor Mcc club trial near Rogate.
This trial consisted on loamy leafy ground with lots of steep banks and hill with tree roots to keep you busy and on your toes. This is only the second time ive ridden the bike , as i hurt my left knee in enduro. It has taken a while to recover but seeing as im only 21 i healed quickly ;). 


Im really glad to report that i love the bike to bits. Ive fitted a slow throttle tube , and higher Jitsie bars( which i probably didnt need to fit).  I rode the bike around prior to the start of the trial and it felt good but i wanted to try the bars back a bit. I then moved the bars back from their forward position that everyone seems to ride with these days . This sealed the deal. Weight was now transferred to the rear wheel and i was getting so much more grip. The bars are in line with the forks and its just feels more neutral.  I now feel like a bit of a dork for not trying this earlier , but i was convinced the power was coming in much stronger than the 13 bike causing it to spin up on me. This isnt the case . Im chuffed to bits with it feel very happy with it. 
Picture
A couple of friends were at the trial with their 2014 Ossa 300 and 2014 Sherco 300 Caby limited edition model. We all swapped bikes to try each others out.

I swang my leg over the Ossa first. You push the red button on the bars once and this primes the ignition. The Ossa started straight away. I then rode a section on it.  The engine feels so so so so silky smooth its unreal. It carberates brilliantly and perfectly. The engine sounds raspy like the old Yamaha TYZ's which i like. The engine feels as though its a real short stroke. It runs so smoothly all the way through the revs. This definitely helps massively getting grip. Any thump thump thump of a piston being thrown down the cylinder is not there. This is this bikes major win  , its grip and smoothness. Suspension felt excellent and very firm but it was still wearing in as this was its first trial.

When you ride it , it feels as though to much of the tyre is uncovered by the front mudguard , but im sure its not. Handling felt top. It felt a real nice bike. The engine was its major trump card.
Picture
I then rode the Sherco Cabestany replica 2014 300.  It started straight away . I like the kick start movement, well out the way of anything when you swing. The engine runs great and feels powerful. The suspension is firmer and although it was bouncy stationary , when you went over roots its went firm all of a sudden. It tracked ace. The engine was nice and smooth , although not as smooth as the Ossa. This bike is very very nice and very capable . Nice light controls and the steering felt great.There was less to say about it because less stood out as being exceptional like that Ossa smoothness. Dont get my wrong , im picking hairs here, this is a spot on bike.
Picture
Picture
I only rode the Ossa and the Sherco for a few minutes so take that as you will . 


I hate it when magazines say this  , but its true. "The bikes are all very very good and its difficult to split them and comes down to personal preference ".


My Jotagas to me feels lighter. The engine is smooth and finds great grip. Everything works brilliantly. Im being impartial here.......given the choice again to buy any of the three bikes ......id honestly still by the Jotagas :)

meet    bonbon -   She    rides    an    air    cooled    gasgas   and does very well   in the    club   novice   class  . 

Picture

I shouldnt have done , but i treated myself (again) to a  new Jotagas 2014 300

8/29/2013

 
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Ok, so i didnt need to . Ok, so the 2013 Jotagas had only been ridden , lets say 15 times, You have to understand it , i had no control over anything. The little worm in my head wouldnt stop thinking about the new bike. One minute I would decide that it made no sense to get a new bike , that my old bike was only just run in , that it hadnt seen a rock let alone touched one and that the idea to buy a new Jotagas was foolish.

The next moment i had the phone in my hand calling the Steve Saunders to discover then they were going to be arriving. 
The worm just wouldnt let go . Before i knew it  i was in the van turning on the M25 droving the 80 miles to Freestyle motorcycles in Tunbridge Wells. I needed counselling. Everyone i spoke to i explained that i didnt know why i was buy a new one , but noone wanted to help me :). I arrived at Freestyle motorcycles at was incredibly impressed by the whole set up. This place is what a trials and enduro dealership is like in your dreams. Its huge , stacked with new and second hand bikes. It has a trials course right there so you can test the bike. There is a seperate coffee shop , selling proper fizz , whizz, pop, gurgle , spurt , steam coffee. There is a huge  off road clothing department , an Adventure clothing and helmet department. Its all new and up to date . It is the best dealership i have ever ever been to in this country. 
You should go there and check it out. Nooooooo ......i didnt get anything for saying this.I got a Jotagas coffee mug , but that was on my account of nagging for it and buy a new bike from them :) I dont like getting money or things from companies as you cant then tell the truth. I tell you this because its true.

Here are some piccies of this place
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Simon Bird is a nice guy as he gave me the Jotagas mug by his left hand :)
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
I part exchanged my 2013 Jotagas at Freestyle in Tunbridge Wells for the new bike . I didnt even get a chance to give it a proper goodbye. I then drove the 165 miles to Steve Saunders Jotagas UK Importship where he had 10 new Jotagas's that had just arrived yesterday. I had a chat , as you do and then drooled a little bit at the new bikes. I then loaded her back up back off to home. Well well over 120 miles later i arrived home , tired.
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
I could keep taking photos of this bike all day long.There is so much detail that is gorgeous.


 I need to be attached to my house on an elastic band rigged up to a timer. I get 3 minutes with the bike to take photos and TWANG  - i get catapulted off to somewhere else :)
Picture
New 2014 Jotagas 300 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
The crazy thing is that Simon Bird from Freestyle offered to have my bike delivered to them at Freestyle 3 days later , which would have saved myself 300 odd miles of driving and diesel  

When your desperate  and the worm is wiggling in your head , you have no choice and need it then :)

here   are   just   some   of   the   jotagas   related   links   on   this   site   -   ther  e are   many more - pls just   look   on   the   drop   down   menus    :)   
 remember to do some work or your boss will not be happy 
click here for jotagas factory tour
click here for jotagas (he designed jtg) jordi's house 
click here for steve saunders interview
click there to meet pol and francesc tarres

First ride on the 2014 Jotagas JTG 300

8/9/2013

 
Picture
2013 Jotagas JTg 300 www.retrotrials.com
About 3 weeks ago i traded in my 2013 300 Jotagas for the new 2014 model with the same engine.
 I havent ridden it all apart from a short spin on the grass in my garden . Today i rode a Bognor Trial near Petersfield for my first ever trial on the new bike. This was the first time i had ridden in about 4 weeks or so , but i cant remember exactly. Im making excuse already ha ha for my dismal performance :)
If you want your bike to keep looking as close to new as possible I thoroughly recommend that you air dry it after cleaning. Water damages metal and leaves hard water spots everywhere.
Years ago i tried this and it made such a difference , i kept doing it.

If you havent got an air line , get you wife or child to blow on it for the evening , or use a leaf blower like my friend does ( Strange but true).
Picture
2013 Jotagas JTg 300 www.retrotrials.com
In the garage before the trial i did the trick as last year and removed the steering stops with a Dremel grinding stone. This gives more lock and is better for clubman riders like me , you still faint with awe , when they see Tarres hop the front end.
Picture
2013 Jotagas JTg 300 www.retrotrials.com

Initial findings

Back in the garage i found that the footrests hangers are slightly different. I didnt feel any difference in riding position. Before the kick start would come down and hit the footrest in a certain way , which would slightly scuff the foot end of the kick start. This has changed . Its only a slight change , but its an improvement
Picture
2013 Jotagas JTg 300 www.retrotrials.com
In the garage i wound all the suspension off (front and back) to make it as bouncy as possible with no compression. Throughout the day i wound it on to 50% preload and 50% compression. This seemed to work well and i found the best compromise between firmness and the springy feel that makes me feel like im good and can hop :) - Who am i fooling !. I prefer these Tech forks. They have a nicer feel for hopping in your garage. (I cant do it in section ) 
Picture
2013 Jotagas JTg 300 www.retrotrials.com
The first impression on the bike was that the clutch lever feel was firmer that last years bike.Its still easy and the same as a Gasser but to get this back to a really really easy (lazy boy ) pull i moved the lever up the bars and adjusted it .
This firmer feel apparently is down to a stronger clutch.  I definitely  felt this. The clutch engages after a good long throw but it definitely stronger than last years bike. The clutch is perfect for me now .
Picture
2013 Jotagas JTg 300 www.retrotrials.com
The power delivery on the new bike is different. You must remember that this bike is not run in and is brand  new so the engine , the clutch and the suspension will change.
The new bike encourages you to hold a lower gear. It revs so smoothly that it doesnt break grip and is super smooth and revs all the ways to the moon.

The new engine is definitely more powerful that last years bike  , by 20%. The pick up immediately off the bottom is stronger. The rest of the power is the same. Last years bike was more docile , but then some people said they wanted more power. Well , it has it now :)


Im told that the 2014 300 bike has a higher compression S3 cylinder head (which i can see) as well as porting changes in the barrell increasing the power.

On last years 2013 bike you engaged a higher gear and let it pull. The engine wasn't so powerful that it would pull away from you. On the 2014 bike i found that it likes you in a lower gear and use the revs. This way , the speed is slow and even if you open it up a little too much you dont get the speed. 

The grip is still tremendous , but engage brain before you twist throttle on the 300 :). It has lots of power. Its more like the power you would come to expect from a 300.  
The brakes are superb. The carberation is spot on. 


The bottom line so far 


Jotagas have had a company reorganisation. They have lost Jordi Tarres after a fall out  but are fighting fit with a very very wealthy Trials crazy backer. I
Jotagas have a small work force and produce quality not quantity, thats why you wont see many around.  
They are already testing prototype parts for the 2015 model.



Am i happy with it - - -   yes i love the bike. It handles brilliantly well , looks miles better than anything else , is a little different (which i love) , is superbly built with quality components throughout.  The chassis is hand welded by a very nice lady !!


But .......does it have to much power for me ??? -------   I DONT KNOW !!


Its to early to say . It was slippy trial today  and i hadnt made many adjustments. Now im back home ive adjusted the clutch to how i like it .This will make a difference.


You will not have this problem. You will be a stronger person and a better rider than me.

Perhaps this will help me feel in control a little bit more , or more trial and less wine and pies ha ha.


The bike is 95% how i love it . I need to trial with it some more.



Time will tell :)

Alton and District Trials at Noar Hill - Selborne 

8/4/2013

 
On Sunday the 4th of August i took the Jotagas out for the Alton motorcycle club's non experts trial at Noar Hill in Selborne.
It was a nice sunny day with no rain , which was nice. The Jotagas 2013 300 that i am riding was all ready and prepared and i pulled into the car park. There was a nice old Aprilia twinshock there that caught my eye and the owner thought it was the only one in the country . It is certainly very rare and unusual.
The Jotagas performed brilliantly. In fact many of the sections were a little easy with only perhaps 2 sections really posing as a challenge. What usually happens to me when i go to an fairly easy trial is that i lose concentration and start dabbing on sections i have cleaned before.I kept true to my form and this is exactly what happened .
I spoke with a good rider who was present , Kevin Nolan who is organising something special for this website. Once it is finally arranged it will be announced.
I spoke with Mick Morris and as i ALWAYS DO , asked him when he can start riding at Butser Limeworks again. This was the location of the 1988 World trial. He was not able to give me an answer , but i know he has this in his mind and should an opportunity arise i know Mick will do the business :).
There was one muddy section which was great fun. We dropped down into a stream , turned right in the mud and them out of the stream. We then shot up the very slippery bank (which gave many riders fives) and the back into the stream and up out again and over a fallen tree. It was great fun.


Over all the whole event was great fun. It was nice to have a chat and get out on the bike. I do really usually ride expert in out club events in this area so i was expecting the sections to be a little easy. Saying that i dropped loads of dabs and didnt come anywhere close to winning :). Well done Alton 
Here is he only picture i have of the day
The Jotagas performed without fault. I rode a friends new GasGas Factory to see the differences. It was nice and it is Spanish , so could buy one...............


but the Jotagas was developed by my hero and that seals the deal.
Picture

The Jotagas Trials Extravaganza weekend 8th + 9th June 2013

6/10/2013

 
Jotagas owners and other trials riders had a real blast,  last weekend when they were invited to Zona 1 , the trials ground near Birdlip , Glos.

The weather was kind to us , which made the Spanish guests 7 times World champion Jordi Tarres and Jotagas main man Marc Arano feel more at home  There was an excellent turnout by riders and folk visiting.

There were trade stands , new Jotagas bikes in all capacity's to try out , all day Trials training sessions divided into 2 groups. They were run by ace riders Joe Baker and Simon Welch. At my age i generally dont learn a lot , as im stuck in my bad habits . The trainers gave me lots of one to one and i feel i learnt a good bit. The younger guys and kids i could see really benefited and were like sponges soaking it all up.

There were lots of the latest bits for your bike as well as some freebies. Did i mention the free chocolate cake as well - nice and moist , just like i like it . The new model bikes were there to test ride. My early 2013 is superb , but i could feel the small changes for the better on the later 2013 bikes when i rode the the same model as mine.

The highlight was seeing Jordi Tarres riding. Although he didnt do special displays , he was on an off the bikes like a jack in the box.He was helping with riders bike set up and just there for a chin wag , which everyone loved. There were some serious Tarres fans there , including one guy with a huge Jordi Tarres riding picture tattooed on his arm. Jordi showed us his vertical typical Tarres pivot turns , 270 degree flick turns. He is still so good on the bike. He rides most days in Rellinars , but not in trials.

It was truly brilliant weekend . Im a Jotagas owner and love my bike to bits. I feel really proud that this relatively new company have gone to all this effort of staging this superb weekend of hospitality. Jotagas build superb, light and reliable bikes that are proven in the SSDT . The build quality is superb , theyre light and they look superb and really classy .The company export all around the World and have production levels at a comfortable amount that is sustainable. They also have a good tight team as well as the best development rider there is , Jordi.

Its only a matter of time before they become mainstream.

This weekend was superb fun and great to meet so many other riders there as well.
Jotagas certainly feels like one big family , that's for sure. Im proud to be part of it :)

Here are some of the pictures from over the weekend.
Picture
Mark Kemp on the right talking to Jordi Tarres. Marc Arano from Jotagas is behind him. WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Ross Danby , showing us his skills WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
The trainig commenced in 2 groups This was a difficult section for me WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
The last log was quite difficult to get up over WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Sidecar riders Jon Tuck and Phil Sparkes meet Steve Saunders and Jordi Tarres WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Here they leap up 4 tyres . I couldnt do it solo ! - amazing WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Checking out our lines WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Jordi Tarres was on hand to talk with any time and offer advice or just have a chat WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
This guy is a real Tarres fan as you can see WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
A nice photo , taken by Jordi. I almost look like i know what i am doing , but no . WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Its not easy when 7 times World champion Jordi Tarres is photoing you :) WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Jordi jumps on a bike at the very start of the day .WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Now he tries the Jotagas sidecar with Steve Saunders as passenger WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Having fun WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Steve has gone all funny Jordi proves that he can still wheelie for ever WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Saturday night in the bar , Jordi trying to pinch Marc's beer :) with Anne my wife
Picture
At the dinner table , after food we presented Jordi with a cake as a token of out appreciation and thanks for him coming over to take part in this great weekend WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
After the cake , we have one whiskey because it is a tradition , not because we like it :) Jordi looks drunk but he is just playing WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
A hearty breakfast on the Sunday morning before we head back for the 2nd days training and fun WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Jordi and Marc talk with Joe Baker Jordan baker is on the right with Birdie next to him WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Joe Baker talking this super hard section WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
After the 2nd log the gap wasnt wide enough for the bike , so you had to keep going. WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
A great photo by Heath. Joe didnt manage it everytime , but he cracked it in the end WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Heath took this ace photo of the above 3 doing the section altogether WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Jordi Tarres talks to Ross Danby at the start of Saturday.WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
The Osset electric bike had a championship trial here and Jordi was kind enough to award the children with medals WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Simon Welch doing a brilliant job training us all up. WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Jordi Tarres back on the bike WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Jordi Tarres makes everything look so easy WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Jordi Tarres completes a tight 180 degree wheelie around me. I can only dream of riding that well. WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
At Sunday lunchtime all the Jotagas owners lined up for a photo WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
A close up of the line up WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
This time Jordi Tarres teaches my bike some tricks . I get back on the bike and the bike has forgotten :) WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
This log was fairly easy , but Jordi then turned left over the sloping rock. He flicked the bike around like he was 20 years old and the shot right through the markers - amazing .WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
He i am riding , making it all look very difficult :) WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
Trials freestyler Jason Finn ,with Steve Saunders , Jordi Tarres and Marc Arano WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
My wife Anne with her 2 heroes Jason Finn and Jordi Tarres . Shre carries this photo with her everywhere ;) WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM

Bognor Trial 26/5/13

5/26/2013

 
I rode another excellent Bognor trial today at South Harting. The car and van parking was on a steep hill. Anne , my wife came with me and she was very upset at the angle of the van facing downhill at such a steep angle. The trouble is that after a few minutes i was sandwiched in and just had to leave it. 
The trial itself was brilliant . 

Playing with Bonzy my boxer dog
Picture
JOTAGAS WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
The car park was set on a huge sloping field that was perfect for wheelie practice ......so thats what we all did
One of the most notable points of the trial for me was that for the first time ever , there was another Jotagas at a trial i was riding . I couldnt resist a photo of us together.
Picture
JOTAGAS WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
The trial was set on steep wooded banks thick with wild garlic. If you like garlic , like i do it was quite pleasant , but there were a few riders complaining about the smell. The garlic contained so much moisture that the sections soon got very slippery. This soon mostly dried up and there was a lot of grip. The sections were steep though with tricky camber turns . You really had to keep your wits about you.
Picture
JOTAGAS WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
I signed up for the expert route , but seeing the 1st section i scurried back and went down a route. 
The Jotagas didnt miss abeat. The suspension now seems to run in and working at its best , especially the rear shock.Its now very fast , but with slight damping. I have the shock set on the least damping setting which makes it springy. The shock now seems to be a little faster , which is exactly as i like it.
Picture
JOTAGAS WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
JOTAGAS WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Just for the record,after almost a year im still on my original chain, sprockets , brake pads and tyres. I do appreciate that sections down south dont tend to ne rocky with tyres getting ripped up .Because the Jotagas engine is dosile and grippy ,it doesnt tear up tyres. 
Picture
JOTAGAS WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
JOTAGAS WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
JOTAGAS WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Thumbs up to Jotagas
Picture
JOTAGAS WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM

Thames Trial 21/4/13

4/22/2013

 
My Jotagas 300 is going very well. All that needs improvement is the rider - me :) 
Picture
The JTG influence is everywhere in the workshop.
These days i normally ride one class down from the top. I chanced my luck and went for the 50/50 class . This is a bit unusual , but here down south its used a bit. You ride half of the sections on the b route and rider specified sections on the hard route. It made the day good hard fun and challenging. I went over the bars once on a steep down hill - ouch. Luckily it was only my pride that was hurt.
Picture
Picture
That was a nasty leap off.
Picture
Does my bum look big in this?:)
Picture
Craig Daffin and I. This is Craigs 3rd trial after a gap of 15 years . He has taken it like a duck to water and is turning out to be a really good rider capable of good centre results soon.
Picture
Left to right. Me , Jim Daffin (17 inside, 70 on the outside), Craig and Craigs father in law behind.

New Jotagas JTG 300 photos and other rides out

2/27/2013

 
Here are some photos of my 88 Merlin Fuis and 86 GasGas Halley after taking them out for a ride.
I rode the Bognor Mcc trial on 24/2/13 at Chithurst. It was my first trial ever on the GasGas 1986 Halley 325. Its without doubt the best performing air cooled mono ive got. The flat power gives great grip and like all Gasgas's the handling is great. 
Gabino. - You had it easy :) lol
The 1988 Merlin Fuis 350cc . I had a good ride and cleared the cobwebs out of the Merlin 350 a few days ago. Its very stable, grips well and is nice to ride. Best of all. .. its a bit wacky.
Picture
MERLIN FUIS 350CC TRIAL WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
MERLIN FUIS 350CC TRIAL WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
GASGAS HALLEY 325 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
GASGAS HALLEY 325 WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Ive been out riding some of my old Aircooled monos recently , so havent ridden the Jotagas in the past few weeks. Ill be out on it this Sunday though. Im really looking forward to getting back on it , after riding my older bikes. Ive had a few huge trees felled and after nearly busting my back stacking the logs i thought it would make a good back drop to some JTG photos , so here we are.l
Picture
JOTAGAS TRIAL WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
JOTAGAS TRIAL WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM
Picture
JOTAGAS TRIAL WWW.RETROTRIALS.COM

5 Months later with the Jotagas

1/7/2013

 
Ive now ridden about 12 or so trials with the Jotagas 300 trials bike and thought I'd jot down a few notes about how its got on and how I've got on with it.
Back in July 2012 I committed what some people regard as being the ultimate sin, I bought a new make of trials bike. Sure there had been a 2012 bike, but this was still a brand new marque and very few had made their way into the UK. I'd never seen one here apart from the unveiling at the classic Telford show . 

Its paid off and I haven't looked back for one second and thought I should have got another make.

These are in my opinion the best trials bikes out there. They look top quality and far more trick and up market than the other bikes you can buy. When you swing your leg over, the bike feels so light. The engine is a grunty engine. Its not zippy at all. You know its a 300 as the grunt low down is there and you can pull high gears searching for grip. And, it'll find grip easily. It always does.

On one occasion last weekend I turned a sharp right hand bend at the bottom of a bank. The whole area was covered in muddy slush. There was no grip and others had been struggling there. By mistake my back wheel dropped into a tractor wheel track and my front wheel was out of the rut, so I was crabbing along. My back wheel was in the deep mud. I was in third and feeling the clutch out gently, I gave it some revs and it gripped itself out brilliantly pulling me to the top of the climb with no bother. 
At the top other riders were watching and one very experienced and pretty handy rider said to me "bloody hell, that bike grips, I thought you were in trouble there".

I rode a newish 250 Sherco the same day in these slippy clay conditions. All day I had been finding grip with no problem. It felt great, but in the mud just off the bottom of the rev range the bike increases its revs disproportionately to the amount of the throttle I had given it. It was as if was coming on song just slightly and just a bit revvy. Well, this tiny bit of loss of control was enough to send the back wheel spinning. I noticed the difference immediately. The engine was peakier than the Jotagas and in my opinion the tuning was no where as good for intermediate trials riding which is the class I ride.

I've ridden Beta 250's and they do have a good engine and tuning, but for me I find the whole Beta brand a bit boring. This is because they are good and everyone has them, so its a compliment. 2013 250 Beta's have a flat engine that's great for finding grip. They're ace bikes but not for me.
I like my bikes Spanish and different from the crowd.
I run the Jotagas on 70/1 fully synthetic and it seems perfect. I get no dribble from the exhaust and it revs cleanly. The engine is as quiet as the day I got it. At the trial last weekend I had a motorcycle dealer come ever to me as bend down to listen to the engine. He remarked on how mechanically quiet it was. It doesn't have a bit of clutch clatter when the lever is let go of, but the Gasser has this as do the others. Contrast that to the Sherco with piston slap on the down rev (but sure it was older). The Jotagas revs well and then doesn't rev any more than you tell it to via your right hand. I'd say it doesn't rev as high as some bikes out there but this doesn't effect me at all as I'm never up there revving the absolute hell out of it on full throttle and this might only concern someone hitting 6 foot steps and splatting. Saying that, Ross Danby gets on with it and Pol did until Jotagas pulled in their reigns. This was a wise move. Every Jotagas made is taken for and sold, so what is the point of spending approx 60,000 euros each year on the WC .

Anyway - back to the bike :)
The Jotagas handles brilliantly. It is so light. It feels like a push bike. The suspension is lively but damped. It helps you bounce but Its not like a complete pogo stick, but who wants that, throwing you off line. The brakes are amazing and will stop you on a sixpence with a tiny amount of lever movement.
Picture
JOTAGAS
Picture
JOTAGAS
Picture
JOTAGAS
Picture
JOTAGAS - MUD COLLECTION AREA
Picture
JOTAGAS
There are a couple of things that aren't quite perfect. 

If your riding in sticky leafy mud it does tend to gather under the air box on the swinging arm. It doesn't stop the rear wheel turning, but you can feel the extra weight and it robs you of power. I had to poke it out once with a stick at my last trial. I'm paying some thought to this to stop this happening.

The handlebars are about 1 inch wider than I would like them. They are fine, but they are 1 inch wider than the standard Beta. When I change the S3 grips I'll cut the bars down as they don't need to be this wide and as sections are tight down south twiddling through trees, they could rob me of a mark.

On thing I should mention is that the Michelin X lite tyres are standing up brilliantly and hardly show any wear after 12 or so events. There's a bit a wear on the leading edge but hardly any. This goes somewhere to proving the bike grips and doesn't spin tearing the tyre. The sprockets have no wear and the chain hasn't stretched.

heres the jotagas after 5 MONTHS AND 12 trials so you can see the condition

Picture
SHES STILL AS BEAUTIFUL AS WHEN I GOT HER.
Picture
JOTAGAS
Picture
JOTAGAS
Picture
HOMEMADE JOTAGAS PLASTIC MUDGUARD STOPS MUD GETTING NEAR THE RADIATOR
Picture
THE JOTAGAS LOOKS NEARLY AS GOOD AS NEW AND I LIKE MY BIKES NICE

7 trials later on the Jotagas 300 - 7th Jan 2013

11/6/2012

 
I have now ridden 7 trials in England on the Jotagas. I have ridden in deep thick mud and deep water , where the observer said "keep to the right or your bike will go under". I have ridden in thick claggy mud that sticks everywhere and ive ridden in the dry.
I am extremely impressed with the bike. It is amazing and has improved my riding considerably.

Looking at the Jotagas after these 7 trials the bike still looks like new , apart from a little paint that has rubbed of the rear shock. This doesnt bother me at all. This happened in the deep muddy trial as the mud on my boot rubbed on the shock.You cant feel your boot touch the spring , but it must slightly.

The original rear tyre still has a clean crisp edge. I know ive mainly ridden on soft ground , but the excellent edge on the tyre is surely testament to the smooth power and the good grip of the bike.
I change to 400ml of gearbox oil after 3 every trials to keep it fresh. 
The bike feels so light and makes it so easy to handle The suspension makes the bike feel alive. I am about 13.5 stone and it is good for me.
The 2 tiny improvements i have listed here are easily completed at home.
If you want a bike that is pure quality , performs brilliantly and stands out from the crowd then buy Jotagas. You will not be dissapointed. 
Picture
JOTAGAS

14/10/12 Hungry Hill Aldershot

10/14/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
JOTAGAS
You can see here , that with the bike on full lock there is still loads of space between the fork leg and the chassis. The trials down south can be very tight and having a good steering is essential.In comparison with There is room for improvement here . 
In comparison with other bikes available the steering lock isnt that tight and needs to be better. 

Have a look at this pic and see what i mean.
Picture
JOTAGAS
Having had a good look at it , after careful deliberation i decided to cut down the steering locks in a gradual process rather than hacking the whole lot off in one go and regretting it.
I took off half , but there was still a large gap that i could stick my fingers through between the frame and fork legs.

I then got the dremel out and removed the stops on each side all together
The new Betas stop on the chassis. The Jotagas has a reenforced area in any case where the forks would touch the frame. the result is a huge improvement in steering lock. When i turn hard to the left on full lock the fork leg stops on the JTG rubber cable stay. When i turn hard to the right the fork legs stops on the frame. I have slightly rerouted the clutch hose by pulling it discretely to one side with a cable tie.
Picture
JOTAGAS
Here  you can see the difference. It is a huge improvement. In last Sundays trial i dropped dabs because of the reduced lock. This solves the problem with no side effects
Picture
JOTAGAS
This bike already has a good lock , but not as good as the Beta lock. Now personally i wouldnt want a Beta, but i do like theyre steering lock. bingo , job done.
6 trials - 2 mods - chain tensioner and steering lock.

You dont have to do either of these , its just me improving it for me.
0 Comments

7/10/11  - Alton and District MCC trial

10/11/2012

 
An Excellent club trial site on mainly slippery banks. There was nothing to challenging but still enough for me to make some daft mistakes. Prior to this event i made a slight modification to the chain tensioner. It was rubbing slightly on the tyre at low pressures .It wasnt enough to mark the tyre so i could have left it .It wasnt that bad but i wanted it right.
 I took the wheel out and reduced its width by 50%. The alloy was about 3.5mm thick , so it still has plenty of strength left in it especially as the force exerted on it is vertical.
In this photo you can see how close it was. Its now much further away and only took 15 mins to sort

before - when the tyre pressure is low it rubs a little

Picture
With 8 psi you can see there is clearance , but at low psi it rubs the tyre slightly

after - an improvement. I run the tyre at 3 psi in english mud and it rubs much mess 

Picture
The JTG performed brilliantly. Its just starting to bed in now and ive all of made my adjustments. Oh , i changed the engine oil for the first time time after 4 trials. The oil still had colour in it and hadnt gone black showing it still had life in it and there wasn't unnecessary friction in the bottom end. Petrol / oil - I run this 70-1.

Picture
A nice pic of my bike next to a friends 2013 Ossa.

Mudguard all recieved

10/2/2012

 
I recieved a new mudguard and decals today to replace the one that was out of shape on my bike.Thanks Steve. He also confirmed that they have all of the consumables in stock and can provide different sized rear sprockets as well for roadwork, if need be. Personally i think the gearing is spot on .

The Jotagas Diary - Bognor mcc  - The Colonels cup trial

10/1/2012

 
To put this all into perspective ill tell you about my riding experience.
I started riding when i was 15 and have been riding continually over the years and im now 43. Im crazy about bikes and ride Trials and Enduro almost every weekend.
 Ive had loads of new bikes over the years and often picked up a new one the day after i finished the Scottish Six days as it seemed like a good time to get rid of it. I ride at clubman level. At one point i was riding with the experts but i didn't enjoy it as much. Ive ridden most nationals up and down the country over the years , but never really fully enjoyed them as they were out of my league. This was when i decided to go twinshock in about 2005. I then got into the Spanish scene and  started collecting bikes amassing quite a few .
Im pretty mechanically and practically minded and can tackle most things including electrical issues - its only experience and the confidence to jump in.

The idea behind this blog is to tell you about my experience with the bike.
Im not paid by anyone advertising in money or bits and  I will tell you everything . I'm not beholden to sponsors . Ill tell you everything good or not.

I had considered buying a GasGas but hadnt test ridden one or anything else.Id have probably bought a year old GasGas to avoid the 1st year depreciation. I was really interested in the Jotagas bike after seeing it in magazines and on the internet. I was aware that , as with all new bikes there had been a few problems with a one or 2 of them , but i had heard that the rider who had this problem was a very heavy guy and the bike was just not built for his weight.I didn't see any of this i just heard it from others , like you do. So , these problems weren't putting me off.


I was particularly swayed towards to buy a Jotagas as Jordi Tarres had been involved. Being a fairly careful and cynical to boot id imagined that perhaps Jordi was just the front man  , the poster boy to sell the bikes.


Anyway ... having this website opened the doors to Jordi Tarres' house to interview him (this can be found elsewhere on this website) I saw the prototypes for the Jotagas at his house along with hundreds of Jotagas parts and some bikes. I saw his first steel frames and his secret workshop "No photos". I can tell you 100% Jordi designed and built this bike himself. It is his bike , he is 100% immersed in this project and Jotagas is full time job.


The next day, at the Andorra World trial i rode the 2012 Jotagas of former Merlin Works rider Joan Freixas. He now works for Jotagas in European development , which means he assists the European importers with any issues they have.. I was very impressed with the bike in every respect. The 2013 bike was on display  for the first time .
Picture
The 2012 Jotagas JTG 300's waiting to be ridden at the Andorra World trial
I spoke to Joan about the bike and asked him about the problems that id heard about. He told me that the rear shock was now stronger and i could see the linkage had been changed. He told me the swinging arms had been strengthened.
Here is a list of 2013 improvements  


http://www.jotagasuk.com/trial.html 


After riding Freixas's bike and seeing the Jotagas guys at the factory and elsewhere I was sold. In truth , i did not test ride the other manufacturers bikes , but this bike immediately filled me with confidence to do harder sections. It ticked all of the boxes and was something different , so i decided to buy one.

I bought my Jotagas through JAM SPORT in Farnham who are my favourite dealer of choice. They aren't a nominated Jotagas dealer , but that wont make any difference as there aren't any specialist services required for a Jotagas such as fuel injection. They're local and a good bunch of guys.


On 26/7/12 wanting to get my hands on it as soon as possible i drove to Steve Saunders premises in Gloucestershire and picked mine up as they were being unloaded from an Arctic lorry as the first batch in the country.
Mine was still in the crate and thats how it stayed untill i got home.
Picture
Beware of this man . He is highly dangerous :)
I unloaded the bike with my wife and some friends helping along with a beer on this warm evening. It was well packed , however there was a huge plastic bag placed over the bike had pulled down the rear mudguard and bent it out of shape. It was also missing the kick start. Steve told me about this when i got to his place. He told me that they would follow and that there had been a shortage at the factory. It was here shortly afterwards.
Steve kindly ordered the mudguard.
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 My bent rear mudguard due to the polythene bag pulling down on it
Other than this everything was perfect! 3 weeks later the kick start and light arrived along with the manuals.The bike started immediately and it rode really well. I applied some heat to the rear mudguard to try and straighten it and it did a fair job , but it's still out of shape . I took it practising straight away and really loved it. I was amazed by the engine and how smooth it is.It is so soft on the bottom and grips amazingly. It has a 5 speed gearbox and each gear goes a long way. You can grab a handful of throttle and the power just comes in smoothly. It is so far away from being anything im used to . I cant tell you how much it grips!. I started riding it in lower gears but as time progressed i started to go back to my usual style of pulling 2nd and 3rd and it gripped even better. This bike grips better than anything ive ridden. The front end is very well planted. It has never pushed out on the front. I have wound the compression slightly up one one fork leg and also like full rebound on the front. The Marzocchi front forks are excellent . I have wound up the spring preload on the rear and moved it to the 12 click(out of 20) on the rear shock. The click adjuster makes so much difference and on the 20th click the shock doesnt move at all. On zero clicks its very bouncy. Ive also adjusted the footrests back and moved the handlebars forward.
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 footrests move backwards and forwards slightly to your preference
My first impression of the bike is that it is so so light. Its only 64KG.Its like a push bike.
It steers amazingly and grips like nothing else. The engine is very quiet but there is some slight clutch clatter (you know what i mean) at low idle with the clutch out in neutral. As soon as you pull the clutch in the noise dissapears. The engine is much quieter than the GasGas engine.
 I am absolutely delighted with the purchase and with 4 trials under its belt it hasnt had anything go wrong with it at all ( and so it shouldnt !).


At every trials it had attracted a great deal of interest as its so new and rare.Yesterday 30/9/12 i rode the Bognor mcc  - The Colonels cup trial. The trial was at Henly near Fernhurst , West Sussex. This was an AMCA no stop trial with an entry of 90 or so riders. It was great bit of land with a nice ride around between sections. The sections were laid out on rocks , mud hills and huge hills. It was a good old fashioned trial with no need to stop and hop. 
The Jotagas was brilliant and amazed everyone with the amount of grip it had. I had many observers and riders commenting on them being amazed at the amount of grip it had. The plastic radiator guard fell off but luckily it was handed in buy a rider - thanks. Ill secure this better ,now i know.The paint has rubbed off a small area of the rear shock , but that doesnt concern me.
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 rear shock paint has been rubbed off by my right boot, but i can turn the spring around or take it off easy to repaint.
I could always turn the spring around and hide it. The whole bike was plastered in mud but it all power washed off well. The area around the front of the engine/exhaust had some mud in it , so ill fit gaffer tape around this area as i don't want to cable tie on any little protector or fit a front mudguard flap. The air filter was clean or mud , but got cleaned anyway. It can be accessed with one screw. 
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 air box
Ive attached a pipe on the carb overflow as water might get in when power washing.
The bike helped and i think i rode really well yesterday . Oh , as there was mud on the side of my boots some anodizing has been rubbed off on the left hand side of the frame about the footrest. I guess it is only microns thick. Ill put on some clear plastic to stop it getting worse.
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 frame and air box scuffing
After the muddy trial i removed the rear shock to check and clean the bearings. It took all of 2 minutes with 2 very trick bolts to undo only. The o rings on the bolts had done their job and kept the dirt out. The ease of maintenance on this bike is a big plus. The carb comes out easy after undoing to 2 jubilee clips , the air filter comes out with 1 screw and as ive said the shock is easy to get out to adjust and service the linkage.
Picture
The Jotagas JTG 300 . The shock is so easy to get out to adjust the spring compression and to clean the bearings. There is no excuse now.
Its a superb trials bike thats top quality and beautifully engineered. It looks great and is easy to work on. I couldn't ask any more.

    RETROTRIALS

    Im a new 2013 Jotagas owner. This is the first new bike ive owned in 10 years. This blog will report honest feedback on the bike.Positive and negative.

    Archives

    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright © YOUR TEXT HERE All Rights Resered
Proudly powered by Weebly