02-apr

It is undeniably true that you will never suffer fan motor failure, casing corosion, failing thermostats, worry over which coolant to use or the like on an older air cooled bike. However I think that is balanced by the fact that you can almost ignore the modern brakes between events whereas it really is necessary to take the wheels out and dry drum brakes every time (in my experience) if you want to maintain a consistent level of braking. Note I don't say an excellent level; adequate for its day but borderline for a lot of what you are expected to ride now. Just about all you absolutely have to do every time now on a modern bike is clean the air filter - the Fantic twinshock had the best trials filter set up ever put in to production. While we were glad to have the increased reliability of the Bulto and Mont over the general Villiers level of the day we were even more glad to get the reliability levels introduced by Yamaha and those still available, to a reasonable extent, from the current European manufacturers. When you take the weight difference in to account it is much easier on old backs like mine. Pick the right bike and a modern should be better. You are right about the achievement level though; a lot of modern trials seem to go round the rock steps we put Bultos up 40 years ago.

99p for Elbow Grease at Semi Chem and it cleans oil off clothes as well. But trials riders never get oil on good clothes by just seeing a wee job as they pass the bike in the garage and starting in at it do they?

Exams no problem. The trial went by my school and I could sit in the exam hall and hear it going past on the way to the Bridge. Or watch out the library window if revising and pick out such as Gordon Farley by the distinctive headgear.

If my old brain cells are working correctly I recall the timing figure being 1.8mm BTDC measured with a dial gauge down the plug hole. I can't imagine it would run at 14mm. Worth checking very frequently. I did both silencers and the difference in smoothness, from memory, enabled the use of one gear higher on the right section.

Yes. A fairly skilled enduro man too, but no moustache. www.birchy.co.nz

I'm sure Martin Lampkin used to ride one of these, believe it or not.

I remember that round too but the biggest impression was left by the observer who was eventually forced to deal with an overly abusive minder, not impressed with good Scottish observing and who got violent, by means of applying his fist to said minder's nose. It certainly worked. Don't suppose anyone would get away with that this year.

Diversification is the thing nowadays but the production of bits for such intimate cosmetic surgery seems to be going a bit far.

Even if it is genuine it is not the bike that Yamaha issued in 1986 as it has had too much done to it to change it. Nice bike but could have been produced from any YZ of the day?

You could be lucky or not, that's what they are saying. The one thing you have to do is get it hot today as stated by Big John or, by the time you look inside, bearings could be beyond saving due to corrosion.

I assume you are not getting a spark. I don't mean to insult you but have you checked the kill button? It seems to work across a pretty high voltage and may be "leaking" - I did once see someone with a problem of the wire to the kill button passing voltage through what was thought to be adequate insulation.

Many years ago I was highly delighted at how Hylomar solved recurring head gasket leakage on a four stroke. Until I read an article about how excess squeezed out in to the bore breaks off as hard flakes and can eventually block the oil filter (there was a photo to show the blockage on the bike that had died as a result) or block an oilway. On checking my filter I found some bits and stopped using it. Clearly you won't get this problem with a gasser but there may be potential to damage the bore or get in to the coolant system. You may want to consider an alternative. It's surprising how ordinary silicon seal can survive where it really shouldn't, I've used it on exhaust joints before now. I believe high temp silicon is available for repairing ovens.

I imagine you might be fording the occasional river in which case the new Sherco's very sensible air filtration system puts it well ahead of anything else for the type of use you envisage.

Trials bikes don't necessarily have the wheels running on the same centreline so you may find the clearance differs from side to side though they are parallel. If you want a good straight edge use a couple of fluorescent tubes.

As far as I can recall ACU rules say the helmet (for any trial) must be of a type approved for motorcycle use on the public highway in the UK hence no need for an ACU sticker. I will not comment on how well or otherwise this is enforced. A bicycle helmet, of any sort, will not have such approval.

Nice to know she's taking you to the Scottish!

The Bulto valves would stick but are easily cleaned out. As for the caps with Schraeder valves you pays your money and you takes your choice - these have been advertised in different eras as improving fork sealing (1) due to allowing pressurisation with a pump thus forcing the seals against the stanchion and preventing oil passing and also (2) by allowing release of pressure build up which would force oil past the seals. Marketing man strikes again.

Except it's not the same of course, the logic of which I have commented on before. The route marking system existed long before the blue/red section marking system and, unaccountably, in the early seventies the system where, in the sections, blue means go to the right and red means go to the left was formulated.

I would guess that, at that age, one year can make a difference to the buyer (are they both Evos?) whereas once over that age the market regards them as just another old bike with condition mattering more than age. I ride a perfectly good 03 which must be regarded as just about worthless by many but is worth a lot to me as it saves me spending

My medium answer is that it depends on your mechanical sympathies. If you don't like listening to detonation when running across the rough then spend the money, I do. I really don't know if the performance is any better as it is so long since I used the normal stuff but the bike runs well (a 200) and at two to three average events from a can of petrol the cost really is not a factor compared to the other expenses.

A small clue as to what the bike is might help people to assist with which year it was? The Trentham Gardens show ran for a number of years.

East Midlands must be well off for ground if clubs have been running more than 7 events, not to mention willing organisers.

I seem to remember Don Smith, Mark Kemp and Richard Sunter riding all-black engined "450s" in the Scottish, they had a very large triangular silencer if memory serves. I wonder where they are now.

Correct. And he didn't have a sister but the joke remark about a sister Gerty was made at a trial years ago and, well, us trials riders never seem to grow up so it still amuses on occasion.

I seem to recall Manuel Soler riding one but don't have access to my programmes to confirm. Over to you BJ?