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elite

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  1. Hart Village near Hartlepool. The year was 1980 and C Class was beckoning. Walked the sections with my brother and parents and remember being quite fazed by it all. I can also remember it taking what seemed like a week for the trial to start. I swear we must have arrived at about 5am for what was probably a 10am start time!

    All I wanted to do was get the first trial out of the way with as my nerves were shot to bits. Section 1 was where my TY80 Whitehawk turned in to a Sherman Tank because no matter how I rode it and how relaxed I tried to be that thing felt like it weighed about 16 tonnes. The rest was a blur, albeit a shortened one. It was a four lap trial and I only completed three. Not by choice though, I just forgot to do four!

    After that first schoolboy trial I knew what to expect and things definitely got a whole lot better after that rather nervous first step into trialdom.

    Stick at it. It gets easier/better and certainly gets a lot more fun. Confidence will come with time and remember, one step at a time. Find a short hill first, lean right back and let the bike do its stuff. Just be careful not to use too much front brake going downhill!

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  2. Thanks lads. I was told to stay away from the ATF but there are so many divided opinions out there. I filled it to between half and two thirds on the sighting window so I may just try draining it again and refilling to just about half way to see if that cures it.

  3. Hi all. Apologies if this has been covered before.

    We have had my sons 2005 125 Pro for a couple of months now and have recently done an oil change on it. I flushed out the old oil, overfilled the tank with fresh oil to give it a good swill, warmed it up and ran it through the gears before replacing it with the right amount of 75w.

    But, the clutch is dragging a bit now. Not all of the time but quite often it wants to keep moving forward. All worked spot on before the oil change. Have I used the wrong oil? If so what is the right for an early 125 Pro? Should I adjust the clutch or could there be another reason?

    Thanks in advance. I've been away from trials bikes for a few years so its a learning process once again for me too.

    Gary

  4. Agree with you about the cost at Warden. It is good for teaching my son the basics and I will use it again for that but for your average intermediate rider it soon becomes boring. The man made obstacles are good for experts but a tad dangerous if you want to go to work in one piece the next day. I'm interested in having a look at Deanacres, haven't been there for many years. I will be joining Charltons and Croft in the new year though because I have plenty of cobwebs to blow away.

  5. 1980.......1980!

    Started off on an automatic Malaguti bought from Eddie Wrights in Leeds. Learnt to ride it along with my two younger brothers "blasting" over the sand dunes on Seaton Carew beach. Progressed to a new TY80 and we practiced on that at the old quarry that used to be near Tetleys in Eaglescliffe and on some land near the Tates farm in Swainby when we stayed in a relatives caravan there.

    Moved up to a Whitehawk and C class beckoned as did my first trial at Hart with Middlesbrough club. As the legs got longer I then had a Fantic 75, big shock to the system compared to the TYs!

    Had a good year in B class aboard a TY175 and was lucky enough to travel all over the country really enjoying my trials reaching its peak in 83 with Junior Kickstart (without success). Made many good friends and memories in schoolboy trials and I'm really grateful to my parents for all they did.

    Now? I'm 45 and my son, after a few years in motocross, now rides a 125 Gas Gas and puts a huge smile on my face. I will be back competing soon on the North East/Yorkshire scene and fully intend to enjoy it as much as I did as a young teenager. I just cant decide between a 250 modern or to go down the twinshock road.

    Long live trials!

  6. Hi all. I realise this may be a bit late in the day but I have a few questions about the Middlesbrough DMC trial at Centre Farm, Battersby this afternoon.

    I want to take my kids to their first trial (I'm an ex trials rider off of the 1980/90's) and fancy this one at Battersby. Does anybody know how far the sections are from the parking area? I don't fancy a half hour walk to get to them...... :rolleyes:. Also, how compact is the trial? Can we walk the whole of the sections with an eight year old in tow!

    Thanks in advance for any info any of you can give

    Gary

  7. WOW, some memories tied up in that photo Gaz!

    Mike Lannigan always turning up at events in his Dad's Beetle. I know he's not in the pic but Roger Pinder and his Italjet.

    Clarke's M/C's is an institute. Still remember when I was 11 pushing my TY up Yarm bank to the old premises next to the Bay and then all the way back home again.

    Aaah memories

    :huh:

  8. Brilliant video!

    This one is a bit personal to me too. My Grandad served his time during WW2 as a rear gunner on the Lancaster Bombers. Unfortunately I never got to ask him too many questions about it and to be honest I reckon he didnt really like talking about it too much anyway.

    When the war finished he was left with permanant shakes due to the violence of the rear gun.

    Thanks for posting that one.

    Gary

  9. Hi all.

    I was in Hart village, near Hartlepool the other day (Raby Arms!!) and it got me thinking about the trials I used to ride there.

    My first trial as a C class schoolie was on a farm at Hart but I couldn't remember exactly where it was. I reckon it must have been around 1982 and it must have been in or around the village itself. I remember the actual trial well as I only completed three laps instead of four. I hadn't actually realised until the results came through the post and my Dad was well impressed with me, especially as he had asked me if I had done them all......... :D

    Anybody got any ideas? I can usually recall most of the venues I rode at up and down the country but this one, despite being on my doorstep, has got me stumped.

    Come to think of it, where was that place near Leeds(?) that had all the bomb holes in the field? :D

    Cheers

    Gary

  10. I rode schoolboy trials in the 80's but can t remember the place you mean, I thought you where talking about Langley Park at first which Durham County used to have

    Baldi, this is where the trials used to be held at the chicken farm. The grey road in the middle of the circle runs with the chicken farm on one side and the woods on the other. The farm is smack in the middle of the bend in the road. I cant be sure but I seem to remember having to park in the farm and then cross the road and through a gate to access the sections. The woods are a fair size, pretty much filling the triangle you can see stretching back to Hartside. I was riding B Class back in 82/83 so it was definitely used at that time.

    Can't ever remember riding at Langley Park but that place is just off to the left of the map. At most it is only about five miles from this venue.

    pity_me_trials.jpg

    Surely some of the local lads must remember this place! The only Durham names I can remember from then are Mike Lannigan (his dad towed his bike everywhere on the back of a Beetle!) and Chris Hannant. Should remember loads more but too many pints of Double Maxim since then!

    Gaz, Woodhouse Farm was a mecca but sadly lost now. They did run a few MX meetings there until a few years ago. I went to watch some MX there a while back and forgot just how steep that hill was up to the top!

  11. I may have found the venue!!!

    I was driving back from Durham to Gateshead this very morning and decided to have a detour after reading this post.

    Coming from Durham and heading for Chester-le-Street, take the small left at the Pity Me Roundabout opposite the Arnison Centre road and that leads to the Chicken Farm that is still in operation it would appear, opposite this is a Land Fill Site. I believe that the venue must have been in that wooded valley.

    Let me know if thats it.

    Good Luck

    Ants

    Sorry this took so long (7 months!!) but yes, you were spot on ants. The old woodland is on Potterhouse Lane just beside the Household Recycling place. Even from the road you can see where some of the old sections used to be. Admittedly a lot of the tracks are probably recent from "field" bikes.

    I spoke to the lady who lives in the bungalow at the chicken farm and she confirmed it all for me. Sure as hell brought back a good few memories!

  12. Thanks ants

    When you say the small left at the Pity Me roundabout do you mean the road that leads back to Sacriston (Potterhouse Waste Dump place??) or the Finchale/Prison roundabout?

    I was at the Durham Police HQ the other day and wanted to ask one of the bike cops if they knew where it was but didn't get a chance. They all clock off at 3.30pm you know...... :P ...... :thumbup:

    I'm back up there on Friday so will have a root about on the afternoon.

    Cheers

    Gaz

  13. Driving me banana's this now......... ;)

    I have some old pics taken at the venue but I dont have a scanner to put them on pc. Good old Polaroids they are. Bit reluctant to post them anyway 'cos most of them are of me dropping a TY175 on the floor (par for the course for me........but I loved it... :D)

    Thanks for looking into it Gaz. Should have thought about popping round to see your old fella really shouldn't I.

    :thumbup:

  14. I've dug out my scrapbook but there is no reference to the venue of the trials held there, just the results bit. The write-up was cut off........ :beer:

    From what I remember the actual trials were held in woodland so it might not have been a farm. I can't even remember which club hosted them.

    I did loads of Seaton Deleval, Bedlington etc events but don't have a clue who ran the Pity Me events.

    Gaz

 
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