neils on wheels

There does come a point when if you can afford something expensive, you can afford something very expensive & so the choice between the standard 4RT & the Repsol 4RT is pretty much a choice between the second most expensive and the most expensive trials bikes on the market. This probably also explains what telecast has observed with the purchase of Future Racing versions of the 4RT. Though it does dispel some preconceived notions about Yorkshiremen & their money! In a recession the bottom of a market (cheap) and the top of a market (expensive) always fare better than the middle market.

Thanks Andy

Does anybody have any insight into the specification of the Mont Laia Sanz rode to win the women's WTC? I read it was not factory supplied but see from pictures it did have a Termignoni pipe.

http://newsroom.honda.co.uk/News/Montesa-Honda-to-Return-to-UK-With-New-2014-Cota-4RT-Models-d53.aspx The link above states availability Q3 2013 through selected Honda UK off road dealers and that it will be priced "extremely competitively"

Thank you

I'm looking to make a change from modern to Pre-65 trials. My father used to work at James so I quite fancy riding one in Sammy Miller series & similar traditional events with roadwork. I've seen some replica bikes at a few trials but do not know where to go to source one. If anyone can recommend supplier(s) I'd be grateful. I'm also interested to know if anyone builds up full bikes in the way Jim Pickering does with the Drayton Bantams.

My back would be in better shape without a hereditary scoliosis, I can't blame the Beta I ride for that, so please think before you add such a post. I do agree about the sections.

You know old trials fanatic, I do agree with you. As a 49 year old with a dodgy back, this is exactly how I've found out how much some pre-65 bikes cost!

Just take a look at Pre-65 trials, they have cable operated everything, drum brakes etc. etc. and some people still chose to invest £10k a go for a 2013 works specification Tiger Cub

Did you have a bad pint of Bitburger down the pub?

Motors TV schedule in the UK shows one hour from Motegi at 1pm on 4th May.

I agree that it is pretty ridiculous. The FIM have just gone to a practice area well suited to stop allowed sections & shot a no-stop information video. If that wasn't bad enough they invented quite a few terms and even seem confused between "observe" and "look at". It's very clever of Adam Raga to ride & observe at the same time. Perhaps the FIM are anticipating a lack of observers so getting riders used to writing their own scores on an observers board at the ends cards. I do hope no-stop trials will be on suitable terrain and set out in such a way as to promote flowing riding.

I think the question may need to be inverted; i.e. what is the latest year of Rev3 not to have this problem. I too replaced a case on a 2008 bike which was the last of the Rev3s before the Evo was introduced in 2009.

Yes, it could well have been an 80

I recall Paul Edmondson riding the Scottish, on a TLM50 I think, in the '80s

That's a rathers sad and sorry response Nigel. I'm not trying to make any arguments or influence anyone else's view, merely expressing my own personal opinion. It is an opinion based on seeing some natural sections and some very man made sections and having a prefernce for the former. I totally agree with you on Cumbria and struggle to see how a no-stop trial will work at this venue, which is the point of my opinion, that no-stop makes sense to me as part of a suite of changes. I noticed that the final Moto GP round was today, if you can go road racing in November it is a shame to me that the WTC wrapped up in July.

I've been to Scotland, the Cumbria round & also to Spain. I'd go to more if I felt there was more variety in both the style of trial and the possible result.

Personally I welcome the return to no stop trials but would really like to see it as one part in a suite of changes. I feel too many WTC events are simulating an indoor trial outdoors. I feel the best rider in the world should be able to demonstrate a range of skills on a range of terrain in a range of conditions. I see this as preferable to being the best rider in the world at riding big grippy steps with no run up. The changes I would like to see include: Introduction of a wider variety of terrain Extending the WTC season to 9-10 months rather than the 3-4 months of the 2012 season Employing more natural terrain and eliminating man made sections As a package of changes this would mean the obstacles in sections become less extreme, the population of riders that can attempt them increases and the range of skills a rider demonstrates becomes broader. I would not expect this to greatly increase the population of WTC riders, but I feel it would be more interesting and varied and likely put more riders in contention for podium places. I do believe that the best riders will, over a season, continue to win. Doug Lampkin won world championships under different sets of rules and I fully expect Toni Bou will do the same.

It will be rather ironic if WTC does go no-stop after the BTC has tried it and then half backed away. Will we see the top British lads complaining about the 3 stop allowed BTC rounds?

Ben, If you need a front light off road, have you thought about mountain bike lights, there are plenty of decent brands out there. See these Bike Radar reviews http://www.bikeradar...=&submit=Search

Hopefully they'll make a "Lampkin" edition with Hammonds Sauce written down the sleeves

We've just had a Barbour catalogue delivered at home this morning. They have a number of new jacket styles names "Colley", "Colomer" and "Burgat".

I think its plausible. I wasn't able to travel to Penrith so watched the coverage on Motors TV and when they pointed out that Dibs had kept Fajardo off the podium did wonder how that would be received. Bear in mind that they signed a two year contract with Dibs when Fajardo was off at Ossa so they were probably not expecting to get Fajardo back, but he is clearly their No.1 rider, both in results and treatment with the 2013 bike.

The question has been posed many times about how many titles Toni Bou may win or indeed who may beat him. This raises a broader of issue of how riders are developed through the Youth and Junior ranks up to WTC level. The top 5 riders have not changed in many years, with only Doug's decline from 1st to 6th changing the consititution of the top five. What is notable is that the five World Youth Champions, all who have been crowned since 2005, currently riding WTC (Challenor, Wigg, Gubian, Brown & Dabill) with Ferrer having joined them in the last round, have not made an impression on the top five. This stagnation of the top 5 & lack of progress from Youth to World level suggests that this is not the route to develop the very highest level of achievement. Maybe if riders want to break into the top five they need to progress more quickly through the Youth & Junior ranks. What do others think, would this see more variety at the top of the WTC?

It appears that many of the top riders in the BTC are against the change from stop to no-stop rules. Specifically I am thinking of Michael Brown, James Dabill & Alexz Wigg who have all made their views publicly known. I also believe the same three riders name the Scottish Six days as their favourite trial. So if the riders aren't consistent about what they want then how should we expect the governing body to be any less confused?