Phoenix Motos

Phoenix Motos Phoenix Motos import project bikes from The US. We specialise in Vintage 2 stroke dirt bikes!

22/06/2026

Today’s workshop lesson came the hard way! 😬

I was kicking over a 250 when the kickstart slipped and went straight through the sole of my hiking boot.

Thankfully it could have been a lot worse, but it’s a good reminder that even when you’re just moving bikes around the workshop, the right safety gear matters.

I see people kicking bikes over in trainers, flip flops and all sorts of unsuitable footwear. The reality is that a kickstart can bite back without warning, especially on older high-compression 2-strokes.

The irony is that I should know better! 🤦‍♂️

The safest option is always a proper pair of motocross boots. They might not be the most comfortable thing to wear around the workshop, but they’re a lot more comfortable than a broken foot.

What’s the worst kickstart injury you’ve seen or experienced? Let me know in the comments 👇

19/06/2026

There were some fantastic guesses on the last video! 👏

A lot of you suggested:
🔹 Weak clutch springs
🔹 A worn clutch basket or hub
🔹 A worn pressure plate

All great suggestions and definitely things worth checking.

But here’s what made this one interesting… 🤔

The existing clutch plates all measured within the service limits, so on paper they should have been perfectly usable. However, fitting a new set of plates completely cured the slipping clutch.

My best guess? The old plates had become contaminated, possibly from running the wrong type of oil. Automotive oils and some synthetic oils can contain friction modifiers that are great for cars but terrible for wet motorcycle clutches.

It’s a good reminder that just because a part measures within specification doesn’t always mean it’s fit for service.

Have you ever had a clutch that looked perfect but still slipped? Let me know your experience in the comments! 👇

17/06/2026

This 1980 Suzuki RM250 came into the workshop with a "slipping clutch"... or so the owner thought. 🤔
The first thing I noticed was that it actually felt like the clutch was dragging – even with the lever pulled in, the bike still wanted to drive forward.
After stripping it down, I found an extra steel plate in the clutch pack. Mystery solved? Remove the extra plate, rebuild it, adjust the clutch correctly... and now it actually slips under load!
✅ All the friction plates measure within specification.
✅ Steel plates are the correct thickness.
✅ Clutch adjusted correctly.
So what's your diagnosis? What's causing this 46-year-old RM250 clutch to slip?
Drop your ideas in the comments and let's see who gets it right before the next video! 👇🏁

15/06/2026

Ever wondered why an engine can have a perfect piston and cylinder but completely destroyed main bearings? 🤔

This one had everyone guessing after the last video. The top end looked surprisingly healthy, but the bottom end had completely wiped itself out.

The reason? It had been run with straight petrol and no 2-stroke oil in the fuel.

The piston and bore can often survive for longer because they still receive cooling from the fuel flow, but the crankshaft main bearings rely heavily on that oil-fuel mixture. Once the lubrication disappears, the bearings overheat, break down and quickly destroy themselves.

It’s a great reminder that one simple mistake at the fuel can turn into a full engine rebuild.

Did you guess the cause correctly? Let me know in the comments! 👇

19/05/2026

Tonight’s engine mystery… 👀
This crank came out of a Vertigo trials bike — and the main bearings are absolutely destroyed. 😳
One of the bearing cages has completely collapsed and mangled itself to pieces.
But here’s the strange part…
The top end is almost perfect.
Minimal signs of damage.
Piston and cylinder actually look really good. ✅
Meanwhile the bottom end is a complete disaster. 💥
So what do YOU think caused it?
Lack of lubrication?
Water ingress?
Over-revving?
Bearing quality?
Something else entirely?
Put your diagnosis in the comments and I’ll reveal the answer in the next video 👇




18/05/2026

Last video I asked why this YZ144 wouldn’t idle consistently… 👀
Sometimes the idle would hang high.
Sometimes it would drop low.
Sometimes it would hunt up and down on its own.
First thing I checked was for an air leak… but the engine pressure tested perfectly ✅
After checking through the usual suspects, I eventually found THIS inside the carburettor…
The throttle slide was damaged. 😳
The bottom edge of the slide had cracked off, leaving jagged edges and preventing it from closing properly.
My theory is that this damaged slide was disrupting airflow and vacuum signal at low throttle openings, causing the inconsistent idle and making the bike extremely difficult to jet correctly.
I haven’t fitted a replacement slide yet to fully confirm it… but considering everything else checked out, I think this is very likely the culprit.
What do you reckon — reasonable diagnosis or am I about to get roasted in the comments? 😂👇




15/05/2026

Tonight’s workshop mystery… 👀
This Yamaha YZ144 came in for jetting… simple enough, right?
Except no matter what I did, I couldn’t get the idle consistent.
Sometimes it would idle high.
Sometimes low.
Sometimes it would hunt up and down on its own. 🤔
Naturally my first thought was an air leak… so I pressure tested it.
No air leak. ✅
I then checked several of the usual things you’d expect to cause an inconsistent idle… and they all seemed fine too.
So now the question is:
What would YOU be checking next? 👇
Put your answers in the comments and I’ll reveal the actual fault on Monday.




13/05/2026

Last night’s mystery… solved. 👀
First of all — fair play because there were LOTS of good answers, and quite a few of you actually got it right. 👏
A lot of people said to increase the main jet size — and honestly that IS good thinking on a really fast track. A bigger main jet helps keep the engine cooler and safer when it’s pinned flat out for a long time.
BUT…
A bigger main jet also means the engine drains fuel from the carb faster. On these ridiculously long straights, the bike was effectively starting to run low on fuel in the float bowl.
So the actual fix?
👉 Increasing the float height.
That meant more fuel sitting in the bowl, reducing the chance of it running out during those long wide-open sections of the track. Problem solved. 💨
It’s a good reminder that sometimes a bike can feel like a jetting issue… but the real problem is fuel supply.
Congrats again to everyone who guessed it correctly 👌




12/05/2026

Westmorland Motor Club on Sunday was FAST… properly fast. 😳💨
Honestly one of the fastest tracks I think any of us have raced — huge straights where the bikes were absolutely pinned for a long time.
But one of my mate’s bikes had a strange problem…
Everywhere else on the track it ran perfectly.
Out of corners? Fine.
Through the tight stuff? Fine.
But halfway down the long straights it would suddenly bog badly. 🤔
So the question is…
What would cause a 2 stroke to bog ONLY on a really long, flat-out straight… and what did I change to fix it at the track? 👀
Put your guesses in the comments before tomorrow’s reveal 👇




Spotted this today - they probably don’t realise why this is a good plate!!
12/05/2026

Spotted this today - they probably don’t realise why this is a good plate!!

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