cleanorbust

I have modern and twinshock bikes and from time to time ride a twinshock in modern trials, on the easier route. This gives a moderately challenging ride, certainly harder than the videos you refer to. So with a well set up twinshock you needn't feel restricted to riding twinshock-only trials to have a decent day out.

www.lewisportusa.com/manuals/sherco

Have you tried deliberately relaxing the muscles at the back of the neck while riding? Riding with these over-tensed can lead to the pain you describe. Do the other riders in your trials suffer from similar pain while wearing similar helmets? No? If this is what's happening, the agony would occur with any helmet or none.

I know from experience that on the Cota 247, the slot in the selector mechanism which carries the spring loaded pawls is not quite central, though it appears to be. As such it's possib!e to refit that part upside down which results in being unable to select all the gears. Could be similar on your bike?

"I think this would be a good time to change sprockets. Might just go all nuts and do the chain as well." You could at least leave it till the points have rounded off a bit.

I think, from personal experience, that within the range available the weight of trials helmets is of moot importance in that you put a helmet on, get accustomed to it and get on with the job of riding the bike without thinking about it. It is, however, one of those marketing points which can skilfully be used to prise money from your wallet. Money which could otherwise be used on essentials like tyres with a decent edge or gloves with colour accents to match your bike, depending on your priorities.

Gas Girlings were the hot tip around the late 70s, they were never fitted as standard on Bultos, or any bike from memory with possible exception of some Beamish Suzukis?

A lot could depend on the trials you will be entering: if they have a class for twinshocks/Pre 65s then you would be assured of suitable sections. If not, some sections could be a bit of a stretch on a twinshock, even on the easiest route. Modern seems a wise choice if only because there is such a greater choice of bikes for sale so the chances of picking up a good one, rather than settling for something needing work, are relatively good.

Yes, I think we need hol645 to clarify what he means. Might be pitted stanchions, or deterioration of alloy sliders.

faussy posted: "Never heard a fork stanchion called a leg before in my life" Just a matter of experience I suppose.

faussy posted: "He/she means the legs, not the stanchions." How do you know? The term fork leg is used by different people to mean stanchion or slider.

In my experience a one to one chat with an expert is so much more valuable than posting on a forum or emailing. And this guy is the expert. Though I see his invitation to call has now been removed.

I understand the importance of the BTC but wonder if this is an opportunity for Vertigo to do things differently. Instead of putting all of their eggs in one rider's basket, they could sponsor one or two top line riders in each centre with a deal on a bike (say, loan of bike for a year with payment for results). This would bring the bike directly into the vision of the buying public, who would see it winning in the trials they ride as opposed to the BTC which is a different world for them. That might sell me a bike. Dabill's win in the BTC hasn't.

Can't go wrong with Rockshocks. When I bought mine they made them up to suit my bike and weight. Believe the company is in differtent hands since then but guess they will still do this.

Best advice I can offer is: If you want a trail bike, which seems to be the case, buy one. There's loads of cheap ones around. If you want to do trials, buy a trials bike. Preserve your Bantam in its original condition. Shame to spoil it by spending loads trying to convert it into something it's not.

In those days it was not unheard of for someone to turn up to ride a scramble (not, please note, a motocross event - nobody had heard of that term) on a trials bike.

Correct. And, according to the current MOT regulations, a bulb horn is still acceptable on a pre-73 bike as long as it can be heard above the noise of the engine.

Considering he could presumably get one for nowt, I'd put that down to lazy bike prep

Roller type tensioners have been used on trials bikes, but are more prone to damage which affects their function. This is avoided by using the slider type, which does the job adeqately. I wouldn't dream of running a trials bike without a tensioner.

I don't think the correct definition is at all cryptic: an off road trials bike is a motor vehicle.

I got mine from Nigel Birkett, birkettmotosportukltd.co.uk

Good to know you'll soon be up and running. Any chance of posting a photo or video for our interest?

Inner filler cap is for the gearbox, outer one for the clutch. There is a similar plastic drain plug under the engine for the gearbox, the clutch case is drained by removing the flat headed chrome screw on the outside of the casing. I use the following: Clutch: 200cc automatic transmission fluid Gearbox: 300cc 75w gear oil There is no level plug or sighting glass, just fill with quantities above. This info is for the Cota 247, which I have presumed to be the bike you have.

spen posted: "If he's anything like me he'll need help to stand back up on the footrests once he has to (and he will) sit down" 'Cept that he probably won't get into such bother so often on a modern bike.

Hillary who?