grindrod

I have a 2012 125 Randonne bored out to 150cc that could benefit from slightly richer pilot setting but I don't know which way to turn the adjustment, it is high up on the carb body and GG call it an air screw so my thinking is that it is adjust inwards to richen. Since it is difficult to get at can anyone confirm which direction for richen, I understand it is a PTK carb.

Just got back from watching this and it was terrific! I downloaded the routes for Saturday and Sunday and programmed the locations given for all the groups of sections into the Zumo and they were spot on! Saturday was really wet until mid afternoon and a few sections were scrubbed but all credit to the CofC who responded to the conditions and extra sections were marked out. As usual for the Isle of Man a soaking wet Saturday was followed by a hot and sunny Sunday, the only problem was getting eaten alive by midges! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, the sidecar crews really look after each other, and terrific to see so many lasses competing, finally huge thumbs up to the 3 crews riding pre-65 outfits, on some sections they showed the moderns how to do it in some style! Well done

Just my sixpenny worth but I think throttle control was the key and too many of the riders on moderns were on/off with the throttle, the youngsters are particularly guilty, bouncing round the corners as well when what was needed was steady progress, on my section it was no good stopping to make the left turn, steady non stop progress was needed!

For gearbox oil I would ask Steve Saunders, there is a good oil (I cant remember the brand) that he recommends if you have a bit of a sticky clutch. I would inspect the oil in the level window ) if your bike has one, it is easy to spot if it has changed colour or looks contaminated, on my 200 I once changed it after only 2 trials that were very wet as it looked slightly milky.

Yes indeed! About half the usual entry but all but about 5 riders finished, 3 routes; Gentlemens route, IMO an excellent idea, riders have to enter the section through the start cards and find any route they want to exit the ends cards Easy route and Hard route. There was a good covering of snow but the air temperature was well above freezing and several riders had to remove some layers of clothing! My section, 4, was a good challenge for the early riders as the snow covering hid the roots, it became less challenging as the snow was shifted although the leaves and loose soil required precise throttle control. It was terrific fun riding around Cowcombe on my Alp before the trial started, always a good venue made even better by the snow!

Electric is certainly interesting but the physics shows the problem, a gallon of petrol has an energy equivalent of about 90 kWhrs, with an engine efficiency of typically 25% that gives about 22kWhrs of useful energy, with 0.746 kW = 1 hp that is roughly 30 bhp for 1 hour for 1 gallon which seems about right. A current practical Lithium battery about the same volume as a gallon of petrol would typically be 24V at 100Ahr or 2.4 kWhrs, this is one tenth of the energy that an IC engine can produce from our 1 gallon of petrol! Also the battery will be much heavier than the gallon of petrol. I was hoping to try the Quantya off roader but even by the manufacturers own endurance figures it has the equivalent range that 1 litre of fuel gives in my Alp

Hi Pete , I do have the new Alp, it is best on a LDT where it's weight of 105kg is not a problem, I find it a bit tall and heavy for the club trials, not helped by my light weight (55kg)!!

Short history, I bought a rev3 200 3 years ago when I turned 50 to ride in the over 50 on a modern class, I also had a 200 Alp for green lanes and the odd LDT. I sold the rev3 as I found it difficult jumping off one bike onto the other, 3 years on and I would like a replacement for the rev3 as I now only do a few LDTs on the Alp as I now compete in car trials with a Beetle! I liked the 200 but I had to move the bars back quite a bit and cut an inch off both ends being dimensionally challenged ! I always felt that it would have been better if I could have moved the footrests an inch forward. I experimented with footrests on the Alp, I found with them slightly forward I could steer it better, I do have quite a stiff back that doesn't help! So what bikes should I look at? preferably with a right hand kickstart, years of kickstarting old British bikes means I can kickstart a Jumbo jet with my right leg but my left leg won't start a lawn mower!

To me it looks like the front and rear suspension aren't balanced, he is certainly having to work hard, I bet he was exhausted after that ride! If you want to sell

As an old duffer who endured a short spell on the Villiers powered contrivances I cant say I have fond memories of the brand! The bottom line is this new bike is significantly more expensive than the market leaders, they must be expecting nostalgia to play a huge part in driving sales otherwise it I can't see it selling, no sportsman is going to pay such a premium for a bike unless it is significantly better than the rest, sadly I can't see that being the case IMHO

It is a tricky issue thats for sure, I remember these debates raging from the early 1980s, when I first became involved in Pre 65 trials, then it was the oil-in-frame C15s that were the issue. The only problem with these was the fact that some top riders used them and in order to take a few marks off these guys the sections became dangerous for us wobblers. We didn't run multiple routes back then! Since then machine development has continued, I have observed a section at Mossy's Bonanza for the last few years and I was amazed at the number of different bikes with the most tremendous suspension performance, I must admit that I do admire the engineering ability of the constructors and the riding skills of the riders who can do the most amazing things with the bikes, but it is huge contrast when someone turns up on a 'standard' bike. Machine modification and fine tuning is all part of competitive sport whether its classic or modern, rules are essential for fairness but a problem arises when they differ between clubs and events, this is where the ACU and AMCA could help but I cant see it happening. In contrast the MSA that regulates car trials has a comprehensive 'Blue Book' of regulations and vehicle specifications. At least these days there are usually multiple routes available so everyone can find a level of difficulty that they are happy with!

Hi Jon, I was on section 9:- into the stream, turn left, then either up the bank and left onto the track or divert around a tree to the right for the red route. A good section I thought, the red route was hard but not dangerous, no incidents at all. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves especially once the rain stopped!! It was quite exciting riding the Alp, with a worn back tyre that I couldn't let down as it doesn't have a security bolt, back up to the start at the end of the event. I never had more than 4 or 5 bikes waiting but I understand there were a few holdups elsewhere. Did you finish OK? I packed up my section at 2:30, there were 2 riders on 3 laps that I waited 10 minutes for but they didn't appear so I guess they packed in early. It was good to see a mix of bikes being used, and good to see some of the youngsters on pre 65s and twin shocks. Next event in 4 weeks I think?! See you there!

Machine eligibility has always been, and will always be a thorny subject not just in Classic Trials but in all 'Classic' disciplines. There has always been a few who would push the boundaries, often at great expense, to obtain any advantage. There was, allegedly, an

Petrol goes off very quickly in un-sealed systems, glad you got it going!!! To make these run really well you need perfect crank seals and piston rings, they wear out quite quickly with some serious riding!! My D1 benefited from new rings every year!!

Hi gang, I have been riding a few green lanes on the new ALP to get the feel of it off-road in advance of the upcoming Guy Fawkes LDT. I am only 9 stone so I could do with softening the suspension if possible. There was no tech manual with the bike so I have no idea about the quantity and grade of fork oil. Any ideas??