hammertight

Mostin, You asked about rigid photographs... Go to www.bmca.org.uk and look up the Easthope Wood Air Ambulance trial results. Hammertight

Hello there Mostin. The BMCA have the Midlands Air Ambulance trial scheduled for this Sunday at Easthope Wood, on Wenlock Edge. The Clubman sections will be plotted with consideration for rigids. Please have a look at the website - www.bmca.org.uk The machine will get pretty mucky and the going will surely be slippery... but car parking will be fine! You'd be very welcome and perhaps an ideal opportunity to "shakedown" the bike? And fairly local for you as well. There is also the option of riding in the Gentlemen's class - in through the Begins, then anywhere you like and out the Ends. Regards, Al Ussher

Hello there! Great to see this photograph of the late Bill Buskell in Scotland. I can tell you that the machine is still in competition. Indeed, this week's TMX News reported on the Dabbers Trials Club's New Year event at Little Lodge Farm, Santon Downham and an old friend of mine, John Chapman, took second place in the Pre70 Rigid Class on the ex-Buskell Francis Barnett. Best regards,

Hello Traf, How are you getting on with the engine?

Hi there. You'll appreciate that it's vital to keep one step ahead of the competition....and so some hard won secrets must remain just that.... but for what they're worth, here's a short list from a mainly 6E trials motor for your consideration.... and this motor has been out through the "Ends Cards" on The Pipeline.... with a wee bit of help from the size 10 Dunlop Wellies.... Anyway: 1.Cylinder head with decompressor for steep drops and kick starting. 2.6E Barrel bored to take Villiers 1H piston. Recommend using NOS rings. 3. Hammer-head crank for grip. 4.Original Villiers carb, never had a problem. 5. Three speed gearbox, slim with strong pinions and fitted with wide ratio D7283 High Gear Pinion 26T and E7287 Layshaft Fixed pinion 16T. A 58T rear sprocket is used and 2nd gear can be used given a good section run-in speed... 6. R123 high output flywheel with remote Villiers HT coil and Intermotor 33120 condenser.(Replaces Bo 1 237 330 305) 7. Remove the dome from a spare clutch front plate and "double-up" this plate over existing front plate to give extra spring preload. 8. Keep your feet up!

The Villiers 6E/8E engine is, in my experience, a good little engine for trials use. The Villiers carb is also a good instrument, and easy to tune. A characteristic of the half circle (hammer head) crankshaft assembly is it's ability to help find and maintain grip in good muddy sections..... So I'd advise building the engine carefully to standard spec. first, and see how it goes. A three speed gearbox has strong pinions and is narrower than the later four speed. The 6/8E barrels can be bored to take a Villiers 1H piston, giving a useful 225cc. These little engines in "soft" tune will pull to their last gasp.... Are Vintage two stroke class trials still your intention? Good luck anyway and hope this helps.....

Firstly, apologies to old trials fanatic and bashplate for the very poor attempt at humour previously....... Anyway,maybe neils on wheels would like to go to www.bmca.org.uk and look at the results page to see an interesting James ... and rider! A class he might like to consider.... The results of this trial show two Villiers engined rigids heading the intermediate leaderboard.......

Bejabbers old trials fanatic and sure isn't this great craic from yerself and ye've told Basherplate. aye ye have..... From the Comp.Sec. DOT Motorcycle Club

That Midlands mud has been lying in wait for you for some time, Neil.... But nearly 44 years ago, you obviously were't sinking that deep over the evil Black Water moor in the 1969 Scottish ....? A well earned 1st Class Award .... And thanks for letting me try out that mud-plugger of yours yesterday. Grand machine!

There is a real danger of exhaust gases coming into the cabin,no matter how short your journey. It happened to me carrying a trials bike in a Diahatsu Charade with the rear door open. Al

I have very happy memories of these trials and the people, and good to see old faces still in action on proper machinery. Oh, and the soup was always good too and then it was back into the sections for another four laps... Your photographs much appreciated.

This letter should be compulsory reading for every Cub owner.....

Now then, I well remember foot-slogging my way up a deep and steep mucky rockstrewn gulley, the winter rain teeming down, and struggling like a mad man to get the front spindle up the bank and through the "ends cards" before collapsing in a heap. A "good" three.... That'll be a five then, the too cheerful by far observer said. This is an AMCA trial, old lad! Don't learn my lesson twice...... get that rear wheel spindle safely through....!!! Cheers, Al

And a Very Merry Christmas to you Old Fanatic! Now then,I just happened to come across this very day, an old black and white photograph of John Surtees, competing on a Tiger Cub trialer in a proper mucky section. And judging from the big grin, he obviously had the Marzocchis well hidden...... Yes, you can see where I'm coming from..... Anyway, a serious problem has arisen when trying to fit these units into my 1955 Armstrong dampers, on my 1954 Earles type forks. It would be easier to fit the Armstrongs into the Marzocchis! But I think I'll leave well alone! After all, these dampers have been through the "ends cards" up Pipeline....... But I do appreciate where you are coming from too, so all the best and keep your feet up! Me? It's "Christmas's Past" time once again....horray! Al

Now then, now then, Old Trials Fanatic! What type of fork was used by the Cub "works" riders of the day? Best regards, Al

Hello Martyn, Don't dismantle it just yet! If you can get to the Telford Off Road show on 4/5th February, the Sprite marque is being celebrated! Frank Hipkin, founder of the firm, will be there.A good collection of Sprites should be on display. And Show Organiser Alan Wright is in fact hoping someone will contact him who has a Goldfinger model to bring along, in fairly original condition.I should point out that,according to the Classic and Twin Shock column in TMX News, the model originally had a gold finish and a "sunburst" style head. Regards, Al

Hello there. Worth finding a Villiers 1H piston (225cc) and boring the barrel out. I have a 6E with a 1H +20 thou piston. There were works James's of the day modified in this manner and so were elibible for the "over 200cc class". And I'd say keep your bob weights - they'll find you grip in the mud!!!

Hello Peter and Steve. I am the Competition Secretary for The Dot Motorcycle Club. I am very keen to hear from Dot riders world wide for my column in the Dot Club Journal, and so details of your rebuilds and events would be more than welcome. Thank you. Best Wishes.

Thank you for sight of this excellent video of those halcyon days. Takes me back to a 1966 252cc Bultaco I rode in the 69 Scottish. Reg.No FOT4D. Last known in Anglesey in about 1970. Any information would be appreciated!

Hello there! I would say don't worry about piston weights. In about 1992 I got a 1H piston from Mick Wilkinson, and an engineer in Harrogate by the name of Jepson bored the 6E barrel for me. The piston was I think 20 thou oversize, and Mr Jepson was a bit dubious about the barrel taking the bore! However, he carried on and now, eighteen years later, that piston is still going strong in that same barrel. I do replace the rings when necessary, with original old stock from Steve Gollings of Villiers Services. I might add that at that time I too was a member of the great Yorkshire Classic Club, and the 1953 Earles forked Dot with the 1H piston won the 2 stroke Championship three times in a row from 1993. ( no such thing as a vintage 2 stroke class then) So no pressure on you! As regards the bobweights,they provide grip! Ask Mick Wilkinson! I hope you get great fun with the "big engine" Best Wishes.