sparks2

In motion have no M80 cranks or RHS halves Regards Sparks

Thanks Woody, I'll try Dave Renham. Thanks everbody for your replies. Regards Sparks

Should have said the 325s are probably a M159 and a M199 So they are probably no go. Yes, the magneto end has a smaller woodruff key and is known to fail. But in this case it's the main drive end. I will probably have to strip the M221 down to see. Has anyone come across this problem before and is there a repair scheme? Thanks for your help. Sparks

Should have said woodruff KEY

Hi Thanks for the replies The M80 has chewed the wooduff, crank and drive sprocket. Failing the M221, I have a couple of poor 325 engines that might need new big end & con rods Failing the 325, as a final resort I have a good M49 engine. Regards Sparks

Hi I have an otherwise very good M80 slimline but with a mullered crankshaft. Can anyone tell me if the crankshaft from a 175 Sherpa (M221) will be more or less a straight swop. Thanks in anticipation. Sparks2

Yes, Hedley Cockshott did have a new Comerford Cub

Let me say from the start I'm an inveterate 'pusher in' and see nothing wrong with the practice. I use all the above techniques and more. I'm always willing to take advantage of other peoples good nature and good manners. I merely assert my status as someone who had their name in TMX in 1993. The build up begins on the Wednesday or Thursday before the event. At work the boss will ask a colleague a question, but I will answer quick as a flash. Well, it gets me noticed and on the way to that increment. In the pub, Friday night someone's giving their opinion but there's a hesitation mid sentence with a bit of verbal dexterity I leap in and finish the sentence and more, thus superimposing my opinions. Sunday morning now, on the way to the event and a complete idiot in front is driving at just below the legal maximum. The 3 and 3/4 inches between bumpers cofirm he or she is completely at odds with world progress before he finally moves over. In the signing on queue now and it's all bon-hommie and no dash cams. I'm just warming up and 'slide' down the door side, not making eye contact of course, thus cutting in front of 5 or 6 'rabbits' before offering my £50 note. Section 3 and I'm approaching a queue with 3 or 4 riders in loose formation at the back and quickly assess the situation and no, compared with my ability on a trials bike they are complete duffers and fit only to clean my boots. So I complete the loose formation by joining from the front as my status befits. That is, unless my good friend Mick Andrews is there, in which case I only progress up the line as far as MA and proceed to chat in a fawning, starry eyed manner although MA hardly knows me from Adam. That's the advantage of having 'good friends'. Section 5 and I'm into the steady routine of parking the bike at the front of the queue, inspecting and then re-joining the queue from the front, all the standard stuff. In fact it's all become more a way of life, that is until it happens to me when I become a snarling fist waving beast. The satisfaction gained from pulling out of the parking area and homeward bound when the others are just loading up the muddy bike just has to be experienced. Yes, I've been in trials a long time. Life's all about getting to the front ........... and staying in front. PS For rocky trials I use all of the above techniques but in reverse, so end up way, way, way behind everything. This gives the opportunity for the lesser lights to steamroller the rocks into submission and I can then motor round in 2nd gear without hinderance. When the others are loading up the muddy bike I'm still only half way round on my first lap. As long as I finish before it's completely dark what does it matter?

Hi BSA engine in a Bultaco frame

What are you sorry about Deryk ?? Sorry that you suggested Aintree might have been active as an airfield 1939 - 1945 ?? Anyway, Aintree was not active as any type of airfield or MU 1939 - 1945. Strangely, I cannot find any reference to a night fighter station protecting the NW. This would have been 9 Group Fighter Command. All the night fighter stations appear to be to the east - Digby, Wittering, Coleby Grange, etc (Probably because night fighter operations had to be co-ordinated with the RADAR cover on the east coast). However, in 1914 - 1918, some of the early military aircraft were built in the Liverpool area and flown off from Aintree, the grassed field as it was then. As I understand, the Aintree motor racing circuit was purpose built from the grassed area to the inside of the Grand National course in 1954 specifically to hold the British Grand Prix. In later years the inner grassed area was used for a time for private light planes coming into and out of Aintree race meetings. That is until there was a fatal accident when all flying was stopped. Regards Sparks

Hi Wrong side of the country to fly a fully loaded four engine bomber over to the continent from in 1944. Could have been a training station though. But no, Aintree was a purpose built motor racing Grand Prix track in 1954. Glad to have been able to contribute on an historical point. Regards Sparks

I agree, 26mm works well. As for barrels, I think the Marcelle (and probably Greeves) alloy 'scrambles' and trials barrels use the same porting and are essentially the same barrel. The heads do differ, a higher compression for 'scrambles' , a lower for trials.

Hi I know Post Hill quite well, so read the above with interest although I can't add much. But I can offer an explanation as to how the POW / AA (anti-aircraft) battery confusion may have come about. Towards the end of the war (1944/1945) and in the immediate post war years some of the AA battery sites around northern towns were used to house Italian and no doubt some German prisoners of war. The 'prisoners' worked on local farms during the day and were pretty much free to come and go as they pleased. After the war the process of returning POWs took some time that in many cases stretched to years. Indeed, many chose not to return, maybe they had nothing to return to, they just integrated / married into the local community and made their life here. Of course, when an AA battery site was turned over to house POWs it would cease to function as a gun site but by then the risk of raids was small. Regards Sparks

As far as can remember, Paul and Terry Brailsford are/were brothers. Paul, the elder, rode in the 70's, Terry, the younger rode in the 80's, 90's

Westy You're not wrong, my Cotton Minarelli had something like an 11 or 12 on the gearbox and a 65 on the rear wheel. And about 25mph flat out in top, but not a bad bike.