02-apr

The front brake on my recently acquired TY 175 is beyond poor, even for a "modern" drum, much worse than I recall from the day. All seems OK with plenty of meat on the shoes and careful setting up but I'm going to try new shoes. Does anyone's experience with these show that one make of replacement shoe is better than another and, if so, which is the one to go for? Thanks

The front brake on my recently acquired TY 175 is beyond poor, even for a "modern" drum, much worse than I recall from the day. All seems OK with plenty of meat on the shoes and careful setting up but I'm going to try new shoes. Does peoples' experience with drums generally show that one make is better than another and, if so, which is the best one? Thanks

Particularly spare handlebars! Lever blades handy too. And dare one say spare contact lenses if used?

Billy Bunter? I thought I was the only one who could remember him.

Given that the lights on a current trials bike do not comply with the law anyway as regards road use would we get away with battery operated LED lights for French trials do you think?

Be it four stroke or dratted stinkwheel the SACU does not use engine type as a limiting factor, only capacity, which can be seen on their website info page here http://www.sacu.co.uk/core_files/trials_info.htm By young I assume you mean sub-17 so no "bike licence" is needed. If an adult, then the rule requiring a road licence seems to have been dropped - very sensibly as you could have been a champion trials rider for ten years then told you needed a road licence to prove your competence.

Yes I wondered if there was supposed to be a cush drive. Cheers

Whilst fitting a new kickstart shaft I noticed a bit of circumferential play between the clutch drum and the primary drive gear. Has anyone experienced this and can I get away with just peening the rivets to tighten things up, though I take it some holes will have elongated. Thanks

I like the period footwear.

I would have thought that the Lambretta was old enough for the "old" size rules to apply, possibly even allowing a black plate with white letters.

Reminders go missing in the post. Do it at the post office and you get a receipt proving you have done the necessary.

But as it's well oversubscribed as it is then why bother? Vide a certain event at Kinlochleven. The pity was chopping the third lap from the first day.

A fun trial means you are supposed to accept that the rules of scoring may have been broken to the benefit of others and not complain about the results. Apparently.

Red Renthals but I suspect their revised shape (!) after use on a few bikes makes them not worth having as other than a spare in case of emergency.

It's a funny thing. It takes a while to get accustomed to a new bike when you get one but if you have a shot on someone else's it almost always seems immediately to be better than your own. I tend to avoid riding other bikes - lead us not into temptation. Any psychologists on the panel?

Headroom problem solved by a strap round the top yoke and fork bottom to compress it a bit? Works in the Berlingo.

Back in the days when men were men, rode real Spanish motorcycles in trials and only cissies wore gloves we just used insulation tape.

I remember 6 1/2 as being the highest you could get, they're still in the garage I think.

You omitted his road racing exploits - saw him at the Manx last year.

Today's date notwithstanding it would be allowed according to the Rules, just not on a British bike. Must surely be deemed "equivalent to Mk1 Concentrics" if it preceded them by a few years?

I'm not being funny but how is the top of the top yoke defined? Is it the bit beside the fork cap nut, the bit at the centre of the yoke if this is higher or the top of the handlebar clamp? How much stanchion can you have above the yoke waiting to be slipped down later?

It's all in the tickler apparently http://amalcarburettor.com/profileMark112.aspx?profileType=carburetter-Types , so easy to spot.

I had this many years ago with a Michelin, chasing the "bad" bit round the rim trying to clamp it with the security bolt to no avail. Michelin took it back as it was a faulty tyre. Give them a call.

I seem to recall just filling the inner chamber brim full and that worked okay. Make sure you get the thing well tightened back together though. My brother had one come apart the day after a rebuild and lost the spring etc. He completed the trial as possibly the first Spanish monoshock and thought it was actually better apart from bottoming out a bit too easily. I was at the same venue months later and got off route. I stopped to look for the flags and there at my feet was the spring and adjuster ring so the unit was duly reassembled.