Yes, does look rather slack. The top run of the chain appears to be drooping. After adjusting remember to check the chain tension when someone is sitting on the bike as that takes up some slack.
Oni nou describes with precision how to restore the rim for tubeless use. Personally I'd just go down the tubed route. I've used a tube in tubeless rear tyre for years with no bother and, as my name isn't Dabill, can't tell the difference.
The ACU Standing Regulations for trials state that a chain guard should be fitted as per manufacturer's specification. Lots of bikes are used without the lower guard referred to above, desirable though they may be.
Mind you, the same regulations state that all machines should "have a helmet and suitable boots" !
Hmm, obviously some rot there but not sure from the picture exactly how extensive.
? feasibility of pulling off the rim tape, smoothing off the surface of the rim, removing tubeless valve, recovering with new tape and running an inner tube. I'm tight, so would look at this possibility first.
By the way the event I mentioned is full, 450 entries. They have a brewery attending with a beer tent, a band , a dj and a mobile pizza company. It's a different scale altogether
In my experience of attending and riding trials in several centres in the UK over five decades, the sport in general has never really concerned itself with trying to attract new riders in, and it isn't a worry for the organisers I know any more than it was years ago, in fact it never comes up in conversation. For many years, I've heard people say we have to market the sport. By and large, we haven't done so. But here we are, the sport hasn't died or, as far as the events I attend are an example, even been injured so that anyone has noticed. Sure, the nature of trials has changed but I'm not aware of a feeling of impending doom. The average age of riders may be older than when I started, though I'm not sure about that and if it is true it's not a new phenomenon.
One issue which may have contributed to reduced entries at some trials has been highlighted in chatting to one or two long-standing riders. For years they and their mates have got by at trials using the public road by dint of a fake registration number and a scribble on the entry form to accept responsibility for being road legal when they're not. The unexpected attendance of the police during some recent events has caused them to think again and they sit out road trials, at least for the moment, to ensure they still have a licence to drive to private land trials during the rest of the year.
I make no judgement of them, but their absence affects entries to some extent.
Try an email to Richard Allen (contact details at www.allensusedtrialsspares.co.uk) as he's breaking early Rev 3s and a secondhand spring could be worth considering as a cheap way out of your problem.
Not sure if you're in UK but dkoffroad.co.uk have a complete motor for sale. Not especially cheap but they're open to offers and the postage is free! Worth a chat with them maybe?
Could be worth the risk if you can get it for a good price. I think the fi Ossas took quite a hit in value when production stopped, so you should be careful not to overpay even if you like the look of it. Could be a bike which you get stuck with when you want to move on to something else.
Just getting out on the bike and acquiring a feel for how each gear drives will probably teach you more in half an hour than reading about it. If you get the chance to watch experienced riders, you'll probably be amazed to start with at how they are apparently working the clutch almost constantly, whichever gear they're in: quite unlike any other form of motorcycling you may be used to.
Yes, your 90w for the gearbox should be OK (300cc). I use ATF in the clutch case (200cc).
Ethanol-free fuel is the ideal answer but it's rare and expensive here in the UK. 91 octane should be fine. I use regular unleaded, 50:1.
I think I run my kick start lever one spline back (anticlockwise) from where yours is.
Looks like the standard chain tensioner, so the 520 chain shouldn't be a problem.
The original footrests are a bit pathetic, being too small and smooth. I got a pair of modern style Raceline footrests from Motomerlin in England, which fit the U- shaped bracket on the frame with a little grinding of the rests so they sit at the correct angle. Most modern footrests are unsuitable because of course they fit the single bracket design of modern bikes.
Looks as though your bike doesn't have the second plug hole to the right hand side of the head, which is handy for fitting a decompressor, a useful addition for some sections and a foolproof way of stopping an over-revving motor. Cylinder heads with the second threaded hole are regularly available on eBay.
Looks like you found a decent original one. Secondhand parts come up on eBay pretty regularly.
Would be worth checking the ignition timing - should be 4mm btdc for this bike.
There was a good handbook for all Montesa offroaders published by Clymer in the USA in the 70s, you may well be able to find one. It'll guide you through a full strip down if you ever need it. Good advice re the 9t sprocket: Inmotion do them but you could be in for some fun removing the original - it's a taper fit. A Pitman puller works best, along with lots of determination if it's been there for the last 40-odd years.
I'd check under the fork gaiters for rust on the stanchions. If they've been left covered for years there could be a horror story beneath.
Your biggest problem could be the fibreglass tank, which modern petrol will destroy. Lots of discussion available on the net on using sealants to protect the inner surface of the tank, but I'm glad my '79 model has the separate alloy tank under fibreglass cover.
PS: make sure the kick start lever isn't fitted too far forward, if it is the shaft can punch a hole in the casing. If you post a pic of the other side of the bike we can advise if it's OK at the moment.
It'd be nice if there was a quicker way to sign on for events; eg. turn up and book in on your phone (using an app that knows your details), pay through paypal, and just collect your number.
Also, if you have a listing that just says something like "Farmer's Wood" and the postcode on an events page, it's a bit offputting. Having a photo or two of previous events there, maybe a link to a video, gives people an idea of what to expect and might help encourage those who are on the fence about going.
Few clubs appear to have an online guide for newbies (like, here are the nearest loos, the stages are usually around this area, you can park over there, etc etc), or an introductory video about the club ... that's the sort of thing new riders would appreciate regardless of age.
These suggestions seem sensible. They are also light years away from how most clubs seem to operate, which in my area is pretty much how they did things in the 1970s, when I started. Come to that, it's often the same people putting in the organisational effort as did so all those decades ago. I'm very grateful that they do so.
Not a grey area. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives widespread access to land provided that right of access is exercised responsibly. The use of a motor vehicle (except a powered vehicle designed for and used by someone with a disability) is specifically stated as not being a responsible action and therefore not legal.
So Electric Motion cannot look forward to an upturn in sales in Scotland based on the particular access rights there.
Someone on here recently recommended Fred Adams at GL Motorcycle Tech, in Gloucester I think, for a Cota 247 rebuild so they may help with a Bultaco one. They have a facebook page.
Just done a quick search and BVM Moto seem to be about the best on price at the moment.
Reminds me that I was told that Mark Kemp, the original owner of BVM and a great national class rider then, started the company from selling tyres from the back of his van in the early seventies.
I have to admit the tyre on my twinshock is considerably older than that. I find 1993 to be a decent vintage, still surprisingly sharp but well balanced, though tending towards a smoother finish as it ages. All the better for keeping in a dark cellar for 20 years.
I was unable to find anything of note when scouring the net recently. Some places offering prices considerably above other outlets, but lowest price available was much of a muchness among several dealers. I ended up buying two or three little used X11s on eBay for less than the price of one new one.
Chain Guards
in General Trials Talk
Posted
Yes, does look rather slack. The top run of the chain appears to be drooping. After adjusting remember to check the chain tension when someone is sitting on the bike as that takes up some slack.