aircooled4ever

Yep, further to all comments this website is absolute s***e! Any schoolboy working on a gcse project could have turned out a better website than this, shame on you ACU!!

It's a fantic 249 or 309 (almost last of the fantic air-cooled monos) it's not a kroo, the tank and frame were different. A shame really but was probably changed as a much cheaper fix than rebuilding the original engine. As said by others on this forum its just not cost effective to put it back to how it should be, if it runs just ride it!

Hi Lampshade, you've made the right choice getting these springs from Steve, I have both front and rear on my 09 250 evo and they certainly transform the bike for the heavier rider. Don't panic only one side has a spring on the front forks (I'm sorry it's been so long I can,t remember which side has the spring!) good luck

I agree it's a synt 80 (a schoolboy bike) it's not an alp as these were trail derived and had rear footpeg mounts off the subframe

Hi Manx man, What colour is the spring on your bike? I'm wondering if you didn't buy the bike new whether it has a heavier weight spring fitted as most fat gits like me keeping bottoming the bike out so have to go heavier rather than lighter!!! If you look at the sxs springs (from memory??!!) I think standard is black, semi progressive is white and yellow is heavy though this many vary with other manufacturers.

Hi Bobber job, I think you've hit the nail on the head, you were "given" it. Imho repair it as cheaply as possible in the easiest way possible. It's a terrible bike and you'll never make any money from it but if it gets your kids around a field for a bit of fun then happy days. I've seen people go to the trouble of putting fantic engines in these but the fantic engine is worth more than the bike. Also remember that the rtx was made in the mid 90's so not technically an authentic twinshock hence why it has no value along with poor build quality!!!!

Hi tom, yes the 305 has the nikasil coated barrel. This coach looks really tidy. It has the steel rear subframe rather than a lighter alloy one on the normal 305, which in hindsight is much better as the alloy ones were always snapping and being re-welded. Looks like you've got a new rear mudguard on it, it's just a shame that some numptys gone to the trouble of buying a new sticker kit and stuck the decals in all the wrong places, look at the 305 on images and you'll see what I mean, enjoy!

Hi all I love these posts with vintage pictures. My question is this: The outfit nearest to the camera on the right hand side (by the mk1 escort) looks like it's a mono to me, can anybody work out what it is, I initially thought bultaco(mono?!!) then fantic 301, then Armstrong? What does everyone think? And as maxi tax info suggests 1984, who was doing mono 's then?

For all you guys that are moaning about the price of trials think about this: Cost of a mountain bike enduro on forestry Commission land £45!!! And they wanted me to come up the day before and help set this up for gratis!! TRIALS IS CHEAP GET OVER IT

For all you guys that are moaning about the price of trials think about this: Cost of a mountain bike enduro on forestry Commission land £45!!! And they wanted me to come up the day before and help set this up for gratis!! TRIALS IS CHEAP GET OVER IT

So wikineon, now that the stig has lost his job following the demise of top gear, he's taken up trials riding? Good lad!!!

Hi Andy, the front brakes are always rubbish on the beamish and everyone seems to change the front wheel/brake plate combination. The rm wheel seems to be expensive and harder to get hold of these days. I went to a trial two weeks ago and a guy had used a ts50 front wheel which looked good and seemed to work well, I'm planning to do this as they are cheap to obtain, might be worth a look?

Morning all, I have a 175 sherpa in the shed (engine number starting 221) that's been there for 5 years that I feel I must do something with. It started off with the usual scenario of buying a bargain that turned out to be a wreck. Bike was stripped by me and it needs all the usual parts ie rod, mains, piston, rebore etc. On reflection I didn't pay a lot for it so it's a case of do it and ride it or chuck it on fleabay as a project barnfind and put it back into something else. I had largely forgotten about it as I have a few bikes, but what changed my interest was that recently I went to a trial and saw a guy on a blue tank 350 bulto doing really well which made me wonder if it's possible to change the top end? I understand that the 175 was a schoolboy derived bike of the time but was it just simply a sleeved down 250? What does everyone think about conversion, is it possible and what the best conversion and which parts are interchangeable? I welcome your thoughts as I'm normally a fantic man and I don't know too much about bultacos, all thoughts welcome please!!!

Mr dabster you can only claim vat back if you are vat registered and you can prove it's for business use! the general consensus being that you collect vat for the government on things that you sell or services you supply and receive relief by way of a refund through goods and services that you use for your business, ie clothing,machinery etc. If you could prove it was for business use ie you were a top ten rider who rode for a living or ran a trials school or coaching and/or hire business (you may still not get full depreciation or relief) then forget it, if you get investigated for vat fraud you will probably end up paying 3 or 4 times the amount you initially owed. It's a nice idea but people were trying this with bultacos 30 years ago and the days of doing this and getting away with it are gone I'm afraid! !!!

Bealeykay has a complete top end barell piston etc on fleabay for £55.00 !!!!