SWM

Hey guys what is up. As you can probably tell I am new here. I just picked up a 1973 SWM RS250 MC and i dont know a thing about them. But i am hoping you guys can help. The bike is in really ruff shape right now. I have been told that it runs but it doesnt have a kicker and as of right now he thought the coil or the plug were bad. Were do you guys get parts for these bikes. I would like to try and restore to as close to original as i can. down to frame color( I think it was orange). so if you guys could help me out here. I am mechanicaly inclined and have a background in bikes . I just dont know anything about this bike. Thanks again any help will be greatly apreciated.…

After all the help you lot have provided, I thought you all deserve to see some photos of an SWM on its maiden voyage on the Slickrock trail near Moab, in the desert of southeastern Utah. I spent a long weekend there, riding the TL320 on Slickrock and Hell's Revenge trails. Slickrock is a single-track trail (bicycles and motocycles only) about 12 miles long, about ninety percent solid sandstone, and ten percent loose sand. It is a very fun place to play, and to practice riding obstacles. There is no real visible trail, so volunteers mark the rock surface with white lines every ten to thirty feet so you can stay on the trail. The white lines make for an interesting "sectio…

I'm planning a trip next weekend to Moab, Utah, an area with lots of choices of trails, some of them very rough, technical trails with lots of obstacles to challenge a trials bike. I'm trying to determine which trails I can practically expect to ride without running out of fuel, but the TL320 is new to me, and I don't yet know how far I can go on a tank of fuel. How far does YOUR TL320 go on a tankful?

I need a spark arrestor to ride in all the good places nearby. Every add-on spark arrestor I could find on the market would require me to hack up my silencer, so I decided to replace it instead. At least this way, I can preserve the original silencer, should I ever decide to restore the bike. This monstrosity would look right at home on a modern trials bike, but it sure looks out of place here. Sadly, it's also a bit louder, though not oppressively so. I was hoping it would be quieter. Oddly, the bike SOUNDS like a modern trials bike now.

Those who followed my last thread re: carb jetting will recall that I opened the carburetor on my recently-purchased TL320 only to find that the idle jet was completely missing. As I looked at the following diagram, I noted that there is also an emulsion tube that is shown, (part # 9980, labeled number 5 on the diagram) apparently fitted above, and in the same passage as the idle jet (labeled #7). I ordered a selection of idle jets in various sizes, and I also ordered the emulsion tube shown in the parts list accompanying the diagram. The emulsion tube does not fit. It is far too long. The idle jets fit, and the bike runs beautifully with the idle jet in place, and no …

My TL320 ran really well when I was riding at around 4000 feet above sea level recently. When I got it home to 7000 feet, I have no power at the low end, just off idle. I tried dropping my needle to lean out the mixture. I only had one notch available to drop the needle, and it didn't make much difference. I assume I will need to change the jet(s?) and wondered if there are any high-altitude riders out there who could suggest which jets I should buy to get me close to correct mixture at 7000 to 10,000 feet, which is where I expect to do the bulk of my riding. Also, can anyone suggest a source for jets? Martin, do you carry them? Thanks for all the help you guys have b…

been thinking about it for a while, but with three SWMs in this weeks Sammy Miller round maybe its time for some SWM riding shirts ? Had a look on the Destroy Clothing website and they do a vintage style shirt (for Honda's and Bultacos for example) but they will make up an SWM logo'd shirt (the Racer style at bottom of the page) What ideally I need is; a good picture of one we can copy the style of (sure there is a picture of Danilo Galeazzi wearing a shirt with an SWM logo around the neck at the SSDT, but cannot now find it, Motosinge?). Making up 15-20 shirts will take a few quid off the price, as potentially would putting on a suppliers logo and URL (?) Anyone inter…

My TL320 was running great one day, and the next, it wouldn't start. I suspected a bad condensor, since they tend to die suddenly. So I installed a new condensor, and new points as long I was already inside the flywheel. Sadly, still no spark. So I'm down to either a stator that produces no power, or a bad coil. Presumably, I should be able to kick the bike over with a meter attached to the blue wire that feeds the coil, and measure (pulsating) power there. right? If there is no power, then I have a bad stator (or a shorted/ broken wire) If I have power there, but still no spark, then my coil is bad, correct? Thanks for all the help, gang! I'm looking forward to some…

Hi , anyone ever put a Mikuni vm 26 on a SWM TL 320? Was it better ? jetting ok? Thanks

Hi the project is started. I'd like to reline the shoes on my 80 tl 320, does anyone know the appox orginal lining thickness? We relign shoes all the time on old cars that are hard to find stuff for, plus we can get various compounds and real fast turn around from the shop we use. Price is good as well and no shipping....lol.....thanks

Shortly after I bought my TL320, I saw a website with an animation, demonstrating how the air/fuel mixture makes its way from the carb into the cylinder through the disc valve and crankcase. Now, of course, when I want to show it to a friend, I can't find it again. If anyone knows where I can find the animation again, I'd sure appreciate a link! Thanks, Ted

The TL 320 I recently purchased has no rear brake stay. The only thing that keeps the brake backing plate from rotating is the torque from the axle shaft nut. There don't appear to be any bolt holes indicating that a stay is missing, so I'm inclined to think that this is the way it was designed. Because every other bike I own has some sort of a stay to keep the backing plate stationary, the lack of such a stay on the SWM gives me concern. Is the torque on the axle shaft really the only way the backing plate stays in place? I also ask because I have some sort of drag on my rear wheel, and I wonder whether the extreme tightness of the axle shaft is causing the drag. Any t…

Howdy gang! New guy here, off in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, in Wyoming, USA. I recently purchased a 1982 SWM TL320. It has been sitting for some time, and I've begun the process of bringing it back to life. Since people always like photos, here it is: Last night I drained the oil from the transmission, and removed the clutch cover while I was at it, to get a sense how dirty things might be inside. I found oil that clearly had a great deal of water mixed in. Since the bike was running, and I had ridden it a bit in the course of the purchase, the oil and water were mixed into a thick goo that resembled a chocolate milkshake. Good to see that gone! Things were…

I would like to upgrade my footpegs on my 1980 320. Yes I could buy a weld on set, but the frame is all nicely painted and if I could just fiddle the pegs, and not the bike frame I would be happy. None of my vintage Ossas or my old Husky help . My KDX 220 is not much help either. My 02 Beta is close but the peg ears are just a mm to wide to fit between the peg ears on the SWM frame and the pin hole is quite a bit further out. Interestingly the pegs on my DR 650 are very close. Fit nicely between the ears on the SWM frame and would just need a bit of grinding to sit in close to the frame and have the pin holes welded up or perhaps just a sleve welded in to sleve them down …

I am going to look at a swm trials next week, the owner thinks it's a 1981 240, supposed to be all there except the seat, rear shocks, and kick lever, and in decent condition otherwise, what should I be looking for? are these good bikes? I have never rode a swm, I remember when Bernie and Martin were riding them in the 80's, I will probably buy it if the price isn't too high, how is parts availability for them? is there a model identification guide available?

Question for any of you SWM owners whose bikes have a nice light clutch action - How do you set up the clutch spring tension? Are the pressure plate bolts tightened right up to the end of their travel and left like that or are they then backed off so many turns. Bike in question is a Jumbo which has the lightener under the tank connected up but the clutch action on the lever is very heavy - the pressure plate bolts are screwed all the way in so I'm wondering if they should be backed off a little but as I have no manual or set up info I've no idea. I can experiment obviously but if someone knows how they should be set it would make life easier than trial and error. Alt…

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I've managed to acquire a reed block from Steve Goode and it fits my Jumbo; article here . There are the recommended carb settings the in original SWM document for with and without the block but interested in knowing other peoples settings (that work) are

Hi all new here kinda. Short version I have ridden trials since 71 and still have a vintage trials OSSA MAR 250 and vintage enduro bikes, modern enduro bike and modern trials Beta Rev. In 1980 I bought a new 320 TL, rode for several years, left for a year in OZ and sold bike to a friend. Came back he had sold it and I could not find it again....wanted it back. After a few years gave up. Bike turned up on monday on e-bay, Vinduro group mentioned it....someone was looking for a SWM enduro, this was a trials bike. But it was just 15 mins from me so I clicked on the link. Wow looked like my old bike, more I looked at it more it looked like it. About 12 hours left on the aucti…

Hi all , Am going to ride the TL 320 this weekend as was wondering which fuel oil mix to use, as i haven't riiden a twinshock for about 15 years. I will also be running the engine in for the first couple of hours of riding. I was going to use fully synthetic at 50:1 with super unleaded , i have been told to use semi synthetic at 40:1 also with superunleaded as its an older air cooled machine. I am not interested in the different oil brand debate , i just want to know what mix is best. What do you think?