dabdab

Sorry Copemech but I must clarify something. Firstly my 1999 Graeme Jervis special was not as smooth as other 250s I rode. Period. Dont`t know why, but it was. Having ridden a lot of the 1999 250s, I can also say there seemed to be a lack of consistency in riding characteristics. Some of them could not be ridden old style ( sans lots of clutch action ) and did not seem to hold tuning The 03 290 is just fine, after the mods, and thanks for your concern. May I bore you with the real story-I ride the Masters Games in the Over 60 Twin Shock class on a M199A Sherpa. The Masters Games is every 2 years, and in the second of those 2 years I ride the Sherpa only in Club and Open to get used to the power characteristics. The Sherco stays in the shed for that year. A week before the Games this year, the Sherpa went into dry dock. I was forced to change class ( up against a younger class ) and bike, and ride different lines in the sections. To cap things off, the Sherco had a brand new tyre, lots of grip. No time to practice ( what is practice anyway-the first lap?) I was into only my seventh section at the time of disaster. It was just a lack of concentration and lack of relevant familarity. It was not the bike mate, just the idiot at the helm

Certainly can be done. I did it back when the first 290 came out but I was never happy with the result-the modified bike just didn`t seem the same as the new 290. More power, but somehow rougher in running. I think there a few minor mods between the basic engines that Sherco forgot to mention The bike is long gone, but I still have the 250 barrel, piston and cylinder head of the 250 ( Graeme Jarvis Special ) Current bike is an 03 Sherco with later model header pipe, thicker inlet spacer, changed pilot jet, Twin Air filter and modified timing. Smooth as a baby`s bum. ( I am an old school rider after all ) despite the softening of power, the 03 290 still packs a bite as I can certify after my efforts at the Australian Masters Games, when a bit too much oomph up a creek bank left me with a wrenched right thumb tendon and bruises to body and ego.

Excuse me ,Senor Greeves, but is that village of Segovia where you found the bike named after the great guitarist or vice versa. Isn`t that a great looking 349. We never saw those in Oz.

Judging by the photos only, the insertion of a full 4 stoke motor with OHV in any conventional trials frame still,even with the Montesa & Sherco on the market today, has the problem of the height of the motor. The ground clearance on the Bultaco picture looked to be a third LESS. But good news is to hand. Has anyone seen the GasGas 4 stroke protype - it uses a SIDE VALVE ( remember them Big John ) to reduce the height issue

I too like the polished brake hub exterior. always thought the el-cheapo black paint was just a way for a financially stuffed Bultaco to save money from 1978 on I too seek a more eficient front brake. Have performed most of the fixes herein mentioned-still not that flash, as many a marking observer at the end pegs will attest. Recently got a set of Newfren shoes from Bultaco UK - will fit shortly However, my research reveals an Italian Enduro bike called a Accossato ( 80cc & 125cc) from the late 80s or early 90`s ( last drum bike before the disc ) had a TLS brake hub at 125mm X 25mm, the Sherpa size. The shoes are still in the EBC catalogue, but I can`t find an EBC dealer who has them, here or in UK If I could get a set of those shoes I would have a TLS backing plate machined up to fit the Sherpa T. front drum There is apparently one downside to a TLS front brake on a Trials bike-they are not very efficient going backwards. I know, you are not supposed to go backwards, but occasionly ambition ( or is it ego ) exceeds ability and I find myself stranded up a bank on a loose surface with a (slowly ) backwards sliding bike. A little retardation in that situation would go a long way.

You bunch of dirty rotten swines. That man in the pictures was me, the brilliant Bluebottle. I was using my naughty cardboard cut-out clipboard and string pencil thingy and wearing my special junior-kit horse hair Peter Sellars moustache. ( thinks ) Saaay Eccles - what is a bull-ticky-oh that these nasty old creaking men keep on about.

hey Senor Greeves, do you have some different tips on re-packing the two mufflers on a Sherpa T. Whats the hot set-up in Spain- any trick modifications you might care to share with us

I heard somewhere that the Bulto family withdrew the use of the Bultaco name because Sherco is, at the end of the day, owned by the French. And the Spanish have not always been keen on the French

Scaning not a problem But will someone please explain the secret mens business of posting pictures to this siteto this site

Greetings to all in the Montesticle Club ( whats your story, Big John ) Often rode my mates 348s, never liked the steering. Preferred that of the Sherpa T - you pays your money & you make your choice. In retrospect, that 348 motor felt like the big Gassers of a few years ago-gobs full of torque.. Now to the ( maybe ) good news. I own a genuine Montesa Cota 348 two-sided factory-issue brochure. When I look at the brochure , it does not mention MRR. BUT, the bike has the following items finished in gold- handlebars, head stay, rear sprocket & brake torque rods front and rear. Rear brake pedal & gearshift lever feature fold tips. The photos do not show the top of the tank. Shocks look standard to me ( I am a Bultaco man after all) with the shock body section under the black one piece springs finished in chrome. and there is a red sticker on the airbox. AND, the photo clearly shows a white paint section on the left hand side of the rear tyre with MRs autograph prominently displayed. So Senors, do I have a MRR brochure, or at least the Australian version. Sadly, there is no date.

I have noted that no-one seems to have tried the Bultaco clutch modification from Hansjorg Pfahler in Germany. Web site is www.bultaco.de and if you google that name you get the English translation of the site I have had Bultaco Kit No 1 on my M199A for over 2 years now and highly recommend it -genuine 2 finger operation. He may have changed the way he does things, but the kit includes new springs and fibre plates ( Honda I think ) and re-machining your aluminium clutch basket. You also swap the aluminium clutch cover for the older type steel type and run Fuchs non-synthtic oil. New rod length is required. Initial setup can be a pain, as the instructions are non-existant, but if you follow John Sutton`s instructions ( I actually went to the hassle of trueing the plates with a dial guage ) you get a 2 finger operation and no slippage or creep. Gear selection into neutral after stopping is as good as my Sherco. Price is now around E194 but it made such a difference its worth every cent. Anyway, if you have a twinshocker which has been restored or modified you dont ask how much it costs, and you don`t tell your wife-they just don`t understand

Hey PeterB-I too have installed a Keihn flat slide & reed valve ( Sherco) on my M199A. Runs very well. Just for comparison purposes, can you advise your carby settings - slide, Main Jet, pilot jet & needle & position

Dabster - did that frame have on trials geometry-I see it was referred to as a ' leisure bike' . I wonder, could one , if one was so tempted, slip a Bultaco motor into that frame and a set of Betor forks. Would that frame crack.

Been away for a few weeks. Suddenly, on Twinshocks, I am seeing postings which all have the words " style emotions " in a link Click on the link, and all I get is a blank page with a moving smiley face in the top left corner=NOTHING ELSE What gives?

Aha-another person who rides a twin shocker with drum brakes in amongst all the modern bikes In Australia, in C grade & Clubman, the sections are set by guys who have never ridden a drum braked bike and I have given up comlaining about the steep drop-offs or even sections with turns that require modern techniques. And I have done more than my share of section setting in the last 36 years Thats why I was really enthused by Swooshdaves response to my post asking whether or not anyone knew of Sammy Millers new shoes. I chose not to belittle myself responding at the time BUT this second query on the same issue has caused me to reply. All I can say is the sections in the USA for old bikes must be in a parking lot in the local casino-the highest hill probablely being the median strip between parking bays Old drum braked bikes need the best they can get in brake shoes if the owners want to ride with modern bikes in modern sections. Oh, by the way, thats the ONLY area twinshocks are not competive against average riders on modern bikes

Has anyone heard that Sammy Miller is suposed to be offering a new type/brand of brake shoes for Sherpas. Can`t see anything on his web site Apparently these brake shoes are supposed to improve Sherpa braking by heaps, even with the chrome liners

Woody, the crankshaft taper is the same-Sherpa to Sherco. Use the Bultaco woodruffe key. The Sherco is any model with the Ducati ignition ( up to 2003 when the Leonelli unit was introduced ). Ignition goes on as an assembly-flywheel, backing plate & coil unit ( under tank) According to my dodgy kitchen scales, Sherco flywheel is slightly heavier than genuine Femsa Bultaco Flywheel. Thats good, because most fittings involve skimming a half mm or so off outside diameter and machining a bevel off the inside rear edge to clear the inside case mouldings Worth the work, believe me. I have tried to put photos on this post, but I don`t think it worked. Send me your email address & I will provide photos

I know nothing about MARs, but if the ignition mounts on the same side as a Bultaco ( rotation etc ) and the taper is the same as a Bultaco, then, failing other options, take a lok at fitting the Sherco (Ducati) ignition. I have fitted the Ducati ignition to a M199a Sherpa & a Frontera - fantastic

Try Hugh`s Bultaco for the rubber bung and the three " sound reducing " bungs for the yop. I bought a set a couple of years ago off them

Thanks guys-will email WES & see how I go. Hey Swooshdave, enlighten me please - what is the worlds most popular vintage trials bike. And while you are at it, please define your version of " vintage "

Sorry to be back on this hobby horse of WES exhausts for Bultaco Sherpa-Ts but I really remain incredulous that WES doesn't have even a rear exhaust for the world's most popular vintage trials bike. I recently sent an email to Bob Ginder at B&J in the USA who apparently have some business relationship with WES. Bob tells me that WES told him that they don't get many requests for exhausts for Bultaco Sherpa Ts. and thats why they are not in the catalogue. I find that absolutely fascinating. Let's be honest, the rear club foot (or pregnant boomerang) rear silencer in all Sherpa Ts from the M151 (1975) onwards have all had the same rear exhaust, although the last couple of models had a bigger inlet tube to match the larger exit tube on the front exhaust. That rear exhaust is very heavy. Surely there's a market there to make a light weight aluminium re-packable rear exhaust. We need to start a campaign to get WES on the job. does anyone have the email address for WES exhausts. Secondly, those of you out there with appropriate Sherpa Ts should then email WES and demonstrate that there is a demand, because as it stands, they are apparently happy to produce exhaust for low volume bikes but not a Bultaco Sherpa T. Come on guys, let's get to it.

Never seen 3.75 recommended for a 325 or 340 Sherpa T I have my M199A set at 2.4 BTDC which was recommended to me by Reg May in a letter. He was talking about a M199, but everything I have seen since indicates its the same for the 340. Reg believed that 2.4 was the smoothest for average riders, and that anything more advanced would be to sharp off the bottom. I can say at 2.4, with a Sherco ignition and a Keihn flat slide carby, the old girl is as smooth as a butter As to the fact that Vesty never used a Mikuni, I will bet Reg May slipped on a brand new Bing every six or so weeks, because he could, just to keep it sharp. I`d do that to if there was no cost. Out here in Oz, for a bike ridden every weekend in the seventies, old Amals used to last 6 months and Bings went off after a year. The problem was, Bing parts were hard to get as the Bultaco importers of the time ( 1975 on ) claimed they could not get slides, and particularly, jets, and every one burbled around on too rich carbies. Thats why Mikunis were popular - easily available, low cost, harder slides and slide bores. Why the Keihn ? Simple, Mikuni no longer make a 28mm spigot mount carby, and the Keihn, and its parts, are readily available as an optional carby for Sherco et al. And a Keihn is emminently tunable - small changes really make a difference.

Its great fun alright, particularly for those in the section queue behind you, as you hit them and you all fall over. I had the first model of the 325cc Sherpa in 1973. The Wollongong trial here in Oz was held on a steamy sub-tropical mountainside. Basically, an un-vented magneto case use to allow the points to oxidize excessively and close up the points gap -result, timing out, and bike went backwards when started after a section inspection and rammed those behind when kicked into gear when my turn came up. The noise of other bikes around usually meant the rider could not hear it running rough as it ran backwards. Solution-vent magneto case and set the points a smidgeon wider before going to that venue. Probably did not help that the Bulty was a little oversquare

Nice !!!! Is that a modified Sherco kickstart I see. And what is that BLUE joiner on the exhaust?

PJI make two paints I use-one is a barrell paint & the other is a semi gloss for "expansion" chambers. Both work well if the metal is clean & not greasy Just a point, but before you paint that frame check the frame top tube for straightness. If you don`t know the bikes history, CHECK ! These bikes have often been used as paddock bashers . Sherpa frames can`t take too much motocrossing over jumps. If bent, take it to an expert