bisby

I just use a 10--40 grade engine oil from a motor spares shop I think about 900cc I found if I used a light gear oil the clutch slipped. my ossa is a gripper I think the mar uses a bit more oil?

I would have thought they would perfect for a class PRE2005? for the Normandale champ events.

Stevem75, I have an Ossa gripper, when I was in my garage at home if my rear tyre was past its best I would sometimes have a bit of fun and put the bike in forth gear max the revs and dump the clutch and spin the rear tyre out of the garage (dragster style) and the odd thing was the rear of the bike would rise. I always thought it was an Ossa thing? And wondered if it made it grip more (pushing the tyre into the ground?) Steve.

I take all my carb to bits and then spray down the jets and carb with brake cleaner then blow through with a compressor or stirrup pump, I do it almost every trial. I use an ultrasonic for part of my job (jeweller) but I found it good but an extra pain making sure there was no water left in the carb.

Hi Glen, The guy I bought my current gripper from had a white gripper as well. I think it is possibly the only white one I have ever seen. Thanks for your post. Stephen

I wonder if his camera crew might just catch him flying over the bars when his front wheel drops into one of those hidden Scottish moorland bogs Could he be contemplating turbo charging his bike --- be the fastest rider up pipeline.

I had a brand new 250 gripper in 1981, it had steel bars painted orange but I soon put a set of Renthals on. And my chain guard was also orange but made in plastic as was the sump shield, that soon cracked so I managed to fit an alloy replacement one I think it was a flatter one. Mine had Telesco forks and shocks the springs were also powder coated orange and black bodys. I seem to remember some sponsored riders had an anniversary model 250 which had Betor forks and I think Motox fox shocks. Back in 1990 or 91 I bought the one that I still ride today, I have Falcon rear shocks. Stephen.

Plenty of different bikes there yesterday. I think we were lucky with the weather too.

Having ridden in a number of the Kia champ rounds, all I can say is bring your aircooled classic trials bikes along, they are great events set out very well and on good terrain. The two routes caters for different levels of rider ability. For me it doesn't matter which governing body is behind the events, I have an ACU licence but I also ride in Peak Classic club trials which are AMCA. Perhaps the Normandale series should put in two more classes in with date brakes of say 1990 to 2000 and 2000 to 2010 to cater for all the older water cooled bikes out there? Stephen.

I made a new brake rod for my Ossa two years back, I bought a length of steel from the local diy shop and cut a thread on one end and bent it to fit and drilled the other end and used a split pin to secure it.

Have you still got the worn shoes? You could have them reclined☺

Great photo, action shot. Pair of characters and nice scenery what more can you ask for in a picture.

My original ossa gripper had telesco shocks and the springs were powder coated orange, they did start to peel off after perhaps 8 months of use. I would think you need a flexible type of paint. Steve.

I didn't take much notice in the event, it rained most of the day and was not the usual July heat but the helmet has a couple of vent holes in the top of the helmet where the two scoops are and also near the ears. I could hear the bike engine better than when I had my old Hebo helmet.

I bought one last week from splat shop. I used it today at the Kia twinshock championship trial run by the zona1 club. I found it comfortable and a good fit. I weighed it to compare it to my old carbon fibre hebo it is 50grams heavier so very light also i had lots of good comments about it! And the price is fab. Steve

I am not sure which model Ossa you have there, my bike is an 1981 gripper 250cc. The top of the shock goes between two plates either side of the frame and then uses an M8 alan head bolt, but the bottom is different. The gripper swinging arm has a horn and a single sided boss with a thread inside. The outer diameter is 15mm so I push out the inner metal bush on the end of the shock and with the shock rubber warm (soaked in hot water) and plenty of waterproof grease I pull the shock on to the boss using a G clamp. Its a 8ugger first few times but they get easier. The threaded bolt I think bottoms out in the swinging arm boss and I use a big washer to hold the shock on, check them for tightness after a short ride one side can loosen with use. Steve.

I won the Spanish twinshocks class in the first year the acu opened up the Sammy Miller trials to twinshocks (2005) I found the sections great and the choice of bike even better especially the big bikes!! I felt like it was an honour to be able to ride with these riders. I won again in 2008 but the class had been opened up to all makes of twinshock bike and the class was becoming the biggest in the series. I few years later I had a chat with an acu official along the lines of keeping the severity of the sections for the big bikes because if they leave the Sammy Miller series where do they go for there ride? And his answer was Well that's progress, you cant stop that. I thought well what a rubbish answer, But he was dead right! Stephen.

One of my Ossa gripper engines has a double ended gear lever shaft so a right footed gear change could be fitted but there is no rear brake lever for the left and the rear wheel brake arm is on the right

I run an NGK B7ES in my 250 gripper, I have tried a 5ES once but it ran very hot and nearly nipped up. I would look at the flywheel/back plate position to top dead centre, i think from memory i have mine set at 2.5mm before tdc. Also whilst your in there change the crank seal. I once had the opposite of your problem, bike started great warm the engine up ride to the first section walk it then return to start the bike - nothing? when it cooled it would fire up it turned out to be a faulty spark plug cap. Steve.

I have a manual by Clymer its for the MAR and older but I find useful even for my gripper as the engine is very not much different. I don't know if they are still available to buy, I think I have had it since 1982. Steve.

years back I bought a Yamaha mono that had a lighter than std throttle, the previous owner had ground the spring down on a grinder reducing the diameter of the wire a bit. worked well.

I bet Gasgas owe them an amount of money which they will not get back

GREAT!! shows all aspects of the ssdt, thanks for showing us. Stephen

I don't have a speedo on my gripper but I do have a spacer the same width as the speedo drive, I made it from a bit of old alloy handlebar.

When I used to ride in the ssdt (Hamilton Yamaha days) some of the older club members would work how much time we had to get to the different section groups which we then made a mini time card which we taped to the petrol tank on the bike. This was very usefull as you could see mid way around if you were running late/early. They had an average speed for road work and a slower speed for forest tracks and much slower for moorland crossing and usually 3mins per section to walk it and then ride it. One year they found that the next days route was much too tight for time, they all recalculated and still got the same results so went to the ssdt office with there findings and the next morning all riders were given an extra bit of time for the day. Stephen.