panomphaean

Out of interest I keep pages on these bikes here:- http://john.rushworth.com/pics/tlr250r-g/index.htm Out of interest the bike is not a trail bike but a Trial sport motorcycle. Gearing for conventional trials or rather LDTs (for which it is ideally suited)needs to be reduced though. I've created a Javascript gearing calculator for that purpose. http://john.rushworth.com/pics/tlr250r-g/gearing/ I've owned and ridden many trials bikes and whilst not an HRC RTL this bike is a beautifully made machine. To make them today would be very expensive. Personally even 20 years later I think they still look good. The six speed gearbox is a welcome change from the usual 5 speed. John R

I just found the original press release for my TLR and learned what the TL in Honda meant. See:- http://john.rushworth.com/pics/tlr250r-g/p...R%20%20sale.htm I also found the gearbox ratios at last and popped them in a calculator. http://john.rushworth.com/pics/tlr250r-g/gearing/ TL bit.. Other main features ・ It designates steering wheel being cut off angle as left and right 68 degrees, shows power even with trial * sport. ・ It was superior in strength and elasticity, the TL spoke (the Tangent Located Spoke) you adopt. ・ It was superior in light weight * high rigidity, the aluminum * swing arm adoption ・ Air cleaner housing on engine top arrangement and waterproof characteristic improvement.

Pros. Yes, lighter and a bit less inertia but if you wanted faster pick up you'd alter bore/stroke and/or lighten crank/piston/conrod/valve gear etc. Along with a shorter inlet manifold and other mods but then you'd defeat the purpose of a plonker and be on tarmac. A lot of stuff 'suddenly' got made out of alloy years ago. To some extent it was faddy. It's easier to machine alloy than steel as such so in part alloy can be 'cheaper' overall. Cons. The tanged clutch plates will wear alloy quicker than steel. Still..what price a racing clutch basket... Not being into bikes of my youth these days, I can't say where to get one. A speciliast obviously but you could do worse than ask Sammy Miller's as a start. JR's views are his own...

Hey! I'm big John too you know;) Is the other one Dicko by any chance? Out of interest I made a javascript gearing calculator. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Nope I'm Big John the one and only from North Scotland. JD doesn't post on here, to my knowledge, I think he may be an inch or two taller than me now that you mention it! Cheers... Big John <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Age makes you shrink eh... Oh! Alright then I'll be plain ol JR (from central Scotland) unless ex Beamish works riders are going to come out of the woodwork. PS A Gentleman can have too many motorcycles cos he can't ride all of them at once - unless he loans them to his mates too. In which case he really is a gentleman...

Aye! Pour petrol on a cat and it goes woof;) Always did like a hot pussy...

Get in touch with an Andy Foulkes. He worked for Beamish and I think now works for Suzuki in the quad section. Or at least someone will know him. He'll date the bike. The early ones were Orange, then there was the yellow with rear frame loop and then the straight frame to rear mudguard one. There was also a red and black one 250. PS my brother is flogging his hardly used Beamish 250, for about 600 quid. He's getting a long ride Scorpa I think. I had 3 Beamishs inc a 325. Great fun. Not my cup of tea these days though. 4T man.. http://John.Rushworth.com

Where do you re-build yours? Every kitchen and living room should have one... (Thinks - must stop posting - behaving like a net.newbie that just discovered a BBS) http://John.Rushworth.com/pics/

I totally agree BTW and have been writing (digitally and on paper) and saying this for years. At last folk are waking up. I call it extreme trail riding with a trials bias. My kind of ride involves 3 by three thousand foot mountains and about 100 miles for a days ride. I have to ride on my own as few share my view. In fact it was why I started the RIDES list some ten years ago when Dicko didn't even know what the net was and a few years prior I could count the number of motorcycle sites on one hand. I remember my (now learned) mate Ian J starting Trials Action and asking if it was worth registering trials.co.uk and how to do that and no one wanting to talk four strokes:( They were right up their own 2T a**es....but TA was the original and best trials site. Well life comes round (I'm here now!)in circles, so now we have orrid new land laws - when are we all going to ride low weight, low foot print, quiet small four strokes with a seat, a tank and trials bias? No radial tyres either. Not that I'm in a mood to advertise Pirelli MT43s...but that is another story. PS that 250 4T Scorpa is gonna be about 4.5K so I'd suggest more of the 175 long rides but ideally they ought to have the TTR250 air cooled low tech motor with that all important sixth gear. We need a low first and an overdrive top as it were. Welcome to eco extreme trail riding folks. It's a rock hopping balanced world you know..... They made the bike you are looking for 20 years ago. One man's view... John R TLR250R-G

An Italjet Scott up against an RTL.....eeeek

Must gear down my TLR250R-G then if this class happens...Gawd...that means coming out of retirement:)

On that basis certainly not the Yam. Yes they werer reliable etc (I had one and loved it) BUT the Honda 1986 TLR250R-G 4 stroke six speeder mono is bombproof. Just change that XR400R type oil filter and keep the headstock air cleaner washed and ride and ride and ride. Many have over 10,000 miles on without a cover off, save for clutch springs. I'm a fan in case you couldn't tell... It's a 4T after all;) 2T Beamish..well I nipped mine up 3 times in one day on Bel Ray in the SSDT. Finished eventually witha silver though...scuse my old boy reminiscing:)

So how many folks know anything about this 1986 Honda air cooled 244 cc 4 stroke, six speed box monoshock bike? My pages are here:- http://john.rushworth.com/pics/tlr250r-g/ I'm curious about how many were made and where they are? I guess there are about 40 now in the UK. I've yet to see and hear for sure if there is a 1987 H model too. She weighs about the same as an RTL, which I've ridden. Mine is far more forgiving though and a joy to ride. The torque curve is sooo flat. Great! I have a history from Ian Smith's Motorcycle Reports on TLs's and RTL300s etc including and out of interest Shinja Kazama's ride on a TL230R up Everest in 1983 to the southern column of Pumo Ri at 23,435 ft. Further up than Annie Seel (who I rode with in Morocco) who reached Mt Everest North face 5305 m on August 17-2003. See http://www.rallyprincess.com/annie_en.html half way down page. Only TL history I may be able to get that isn't in the public domain as such would be from Marland Whaley who I haven't seen for years from the days when I rode my Beamish with him in California. Back then he was world No 10 and US number one just after his factory Honda days. He was riding a Mont when I was there. Any other TLR (G and H model) history/info appreciated.

Hey! I'm big John too you know;) Is the other one Dicko by any chance? Out of interest I made a javascript gearing calculator. http://john.rushworth.com/pics/tt600re_gearing/ Either input your ratios or view the source of the page and save as whatever.htm to disk and edit it in notepad with your own ratios. Enjoy. Oh! And whilst I'm at it I just put up a Javascript calculator which works out Piston Travel in mm vs Crank Rotation in degrees....for you techie types;) http://john.rushworth.com/pics/piston/ PS if anyone has the ratios for gearbox, clutch for my TLR250R-G then that would be great too to put into the calculator above. On 14/43 I have a top speed of 70 mph in sixth but I'm looking to lower the gearing. Just got a lovely alloy 46T rear from Talon (with pretty lightening holes and only 15 quid ex vat) and looking for a gearbox sprocket of about 12. Fitting is by two bolts not circlip. and maybe like my mate I'm going to have to get a centre out of an R-G model and use the outer from an R-F. Does the F take a 520 chain?

I meant to say ages ago... The reason for the handguards should be obvious (but then again I'm not a victim of fashion) but just in case you missed the point - here goes. Ride between sections offroad or on road for that matter. What happens if you go down and low side? I did. Black ice. No warning. If you don't have a wrap round guard the bar end may dig into the tarmac or dirt and there is a good chance - as that lovely alloy bar end digs in - that you and the bike get flipped and ouch. In a low side like that the guard allows you to slide the bar end (due to the guard) and usually not dig and flip. The added benefit is I still have a working throttle or brake or clutch lever after it and my knuckles!! Dodging between tress and bushes also keeps my ageing fist in tact....