steve

Hi Fastbelly, I ride a 250 Gas Gas Pro in South Midland Centre (perhaps you know me, Steve Bird). I can honestly say that I don't struggle for grip on the Gas Gas it is an excellent bike but does need some finesse with the throttle, please don't despair, you have made an good choice. You may just need a couple of little adjustments - to bike and your riding technique. I personally don't like a slow throttle, nor a flywheel weight. I find the slow throttles difficult when I need to give it full beans, you almost have to take your hand of the grip to wind it full rotation. Firstly, basics. What tyre do you use and how old is it? you mention 3psi - good for straightline grip but too low for cambers etc.. the tyre will squab over and you'll also find yourself struggling to hold a line on certain sections, especially rocks. Secondly set your suspension up to suit your weight. Leave the gearing alone, second is good in the mud on most of the sections you'll ride, even third. Low comp heads are also good - I had one on my bike when I bought it but took it off once I'd got used to the Gas Gas and needed a little extra zip for an OTC. Last bit of advice - go and see a nice man called Chris Koch for a coaching session at Bayford woods in the wet - listen very carefully to his advice and practice, practice. Btw - ignore him if he tells you to buy a 4stroke beta though!!! I would be happy to have a look at you and advise if you were riding up my way, if you spot me at an event then come and say hi.

This is very difficult, if I was the rider and had honestly believed I had cleaned the section I would have looked for other witnesses or riders (sometimes spectators are not impartial). I may have replied that I'll be happy to adjust my score if the spectator can assure me he will watch every rider through the section and check their scores too. I wouldn't If the scores have been changed then it might suggest the rider had cheated and been found out, in which case the right descion was made - perhaps even a little too lenient.

The front pipe is really nice and looks very long which will bring the power in at low revs, It's quite a long pipe between mid and tail pipe though, what affect, if any, might that have?

Don't be cross, those nice people buying new bikes are keeping the Trials economy alive (just). They are taking a nice big chunk of depreciation off a bike ready for me . You should buy a nice 250 Gas Gas, make sure you look after it really well, plenty of carbon protectors and run it in real steady please. It'll need to be road registered too.

Re the water pump, I don't think you quite see the point I was trying to make - I can't spout fancy words but my simplistic view is that the engine is constanly changing speed, when the throttle is cracked open we need the revs to pick up nice and quickly. Picture it like you are pushing your hand through water, it takes a little effort to push your hand through steadily but if you suddenly try to move your hand quickly the water is resisting that movement. Is that not the same as suddenly trying to pump water round the engine quickly? whereas an electric pump will maintain a nice steady speed and the engine can speed up and slow down with no mechanical resistance. Or have I got it totally wrong and the elctrical resistance is the same as the mechanical with regards to speed change?

Blimey there is some drivel spouted on here sometimes! Can't believe how negative some people are about progress. People said lightweight 2 strokes would never beat a big heavy 4 stroke. Rear suspension was no good for Trials etc... So Fuel injection then, perfect carburation at all altitudes and whatever the weather. Works at any angle and bike can be laid flat/upside down without pouring fuel out (environmental issue there.) We've all been driving cars with fuel injection for years and seem to forget how horrendous our old cars with carbs and manual chokes were. People are berating the electric water pump and couldn't see any benefits, have a look on the Beta forums and see how many Rev3 posts you can find moaning about corroded engine cases because of the water pump. Early Gas Gas Pro also had sealing issues around the shaft I recall. An electric pump makes good sense to me - Bike will warm up to working temperature much quicker as water won't be flowing round the rad, that should help after a stop to inspect sections on a cold winter day too. The pump can run at the optimum speed at all times regardless of engine revs, Perhaps even improving engine performance as there will be no resistance when reving. The pump on the viseo is clearly a prototype, the ones pictured in Milan were barely noticeable.

It's got one of those old fashioned mechanical water pumps on it

Only just noticed it has an Electronic water pump (is that a first for a Trials bike?). If reliable I think that is a very good idea, trials bikes spend a lot of time going very slowly on low revs but still gettin very hot in mid summer, with an electric pump the coolant can be circulated at the ideal speed regardless of engine speed.

Well I think it is very nice indeed and would like to extent my congratulations to the Vertigo team. They've done exactly what said they and taken the best of all the other brands and rolled them into one bike. Fuel injection is surely the only way forward in this age (Ossa). Low centre of gravity fuel tank with large volume, high up air filter and intake (Sherco). Frame design is unique and sufficiently different to give the bike it's own identity. Clutch seems to be a nice compact diagpram like Gas Gas. Throw into the mix user selectable mapping for each gear and a really tasty exhaust (Hope it is repackable). I hope it rides as good as it looks.

Some good clues on the graphic attached to the press release

Just to add to the above, Paul would normally answer his phone (even on his honeymoon! !) But I read on Facebook that despite telling his phone carrier otherwise they have sent an upgrade out earlier and cut off the sim in his current phone. I think he can still receive email through wifi though.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Congleton Trial and was really looking forward to the next round run by Oxford Ixion on Good Friday, however I had an email today that says - Hi All, The Good Friday Trial although it is a Twinshock championship round ALL riders on ANY MACHINE are welcome to come along and ride. We are running 20 sections 2 laps with 2 routes. We will be looking for observers and you have a chance to win £100,£50,£25 in the observers draw. The closing date is this Saturday but you can enter on the day although a phone call to Gordon or Ken would be much appreciated. Regards Gordon Faulkner. I am very disappointed to see the series already accepting modern bikes, I thought the whole idea was to encourage the classic bikes that series like the Normandale had lost due to unsuitable sections necessitated to take marks from over 40/50 riders on modern machinery, those two classes now make up the majority of the entry. For me the best thing about the Congleton trial was the quality of the entry, not just quantity, by quality I mean the variety of machinery. It was fantistic to see Italjets, Ossa's, Bultacos, Honda RTL's etc...

Hello all, I am having a problem with my Armstrong CMT 250 (Hiro) and wonder if anyone may be able help. The bike hadnt been run for many years when I bought it so I wasnt too surprised that when I did get it going it sounded very lean on low revs and no amount of carb cleaning made any difference. Mains were a little noisy too so I stripped the motor and replaced all the bearings and seals thinking it was drawing air through crankcase seals. I also bought a 26mm OKO with a range of pilot jets to replace the worn Amal Mk2. However on rebuilding the motor the problem still exists. The bike has fair compression, although I havent measured it. It starts easily on choke and the motor is quiet. As soon as I take it off choke all is well on mid / high revs but let it drop and it wants to die, pulling the choke on a little brings the bike back to a better more settled tickover. I thought pilot must be too small so increased from 38 but have gone right through the set to a massive 58 pilot and it makes little difference. Main I tried 110 & 120 but Im not running on main yet anyway so as expected it didnt make any difference I have tried the Amal back on and its worse, I even grafted a Dellorto from a Beta Zero on to try in case I had 2 faulty carbs with blocked pilot drillings, but this was the same. Convinced it is lean I made bungs for the inlet rubber and exhaust port with a Schrader valve, then pumped the crankcase up to 4 psi which it held for a good few minutes so Im confident its not leaking from inlet manifold, head or base gasket. (I havent vacuum tested, only pressure) I have modified the airbox to take a REV3 filter as standard are not available but surely I could leave the filter off totally and it would be somewhere near especially if jetted slightly bigger to compensate for less restriction so doubt that is the cause. Middle box is a straight through tube with no blockages, tailpipe appears ok although its quite a big thing so could be blocked in the centre but the bike didnt sound muffled, I even took it for a blast down the road! Im not a beginner when it comes to bikes and tuning (been riding trials for 20+ years) and have a very good ear for setting up carburation having spent years repairing and tuning 2 stroke hire tools! Im also not too proud to ask for help and can only hope Ive overlooked something simple. So whats next guys? Could ignition influence it? I set the stator plate bang centre as per factory setting. HELP !!!

So if you were looking at the current brands available, what features would you take from each brand like Vertigo have? Here's mine. Ossa - fuel injection Gas Gas - Clutch, geometry and weight distribution. Honda - Suspension and build quality. Chassis, I'm torn between the looks and design of JTG and the simplistic efficiency of Gas Gas or Sherco tubular design. I like a conventional removable fuel tank which gives easy access to engine for servicing.

Sounds like a blocked pilot jet in the carb. Get a manual, watch some you tube clips and if you're still not confident, get help. Needs a thorough strip and clean throughout, possibly even ultrasonic. Worried about your inexperience, believe me you don't want a slide sticking open.

Thanks for the advice on welding, I will use my mig to do the foot peg brackets and then give the frame a quick lick of paint to tidy up, when I've ridden it a bit I'll give some serious thought to any other changes I might make but will need to enlist help from somebody skilled in tig or even brazing. Like Woody says I wonder how much of the frame is 531? I'm sure the flat plates won't be and I doubt the square sections are either, Wonder if there's anybody still around who used to make the frames, I presume they were made in house in Bolton.

I'm in the process of rebuild the engine on my 250 Armstrong so I have the rolling chassis sat empty and want to take the opportunity to move the footpegs a little. The frame was advertised as being Reynolds 531 and I always thought you could only braze 531. However it doesn't look like any of the frame is brazed by Armstrong. Does anyone know if all the frame is 531? In particular what material is the flat steel plates the footpeg brackets are mounted? I will also think about altering the steering head angle at a later date so any info / advice re welding or brazing in that are will be welcomed, thanks.

Thanks for the quick replies guys. Woody, I found that seller on Ebay - extremeimports2 - They are listing a 26mm OKO but it has something called a powerjet which i'm not familiar with. In the listing they mention blocking the pipe for jetting purposes so I presume you could leave it blocked permanently if you didn't want or need it?. Are the carbs identical in other respects? Did you buy a powerjet variant? I don't have a filter or connection for my airbox yet anyway so am waiting to get a carb before sorting that out.

Hello all, I recently bought a 250 Armstrong and I'm looking at replacing the carburettor. I know I could buy a new Amal MK2 for a standard replacement but was thinking of upgrading to something newer. I tried the Dellorto from my Gas Gas for size but the choke mechanism fouls the frame plus mounting is different diameter. I also tried a Dellorto from a Beta Zero and whilst the fitting is ok the carb is set up for RH so no good. I am therefore thinking of an OKO, (can't afford a Keihn) I saw a picture of an OKO on Woody's Armstrong plus another member was thinking of trying one on his 250cc (Bossitt??) What size would suit the 250 best? 28mm or 26mm. Any feedback on how well they work compared to the Amal and how good the fit is, any mods necessary? Also can anyone recommend a reliable Ebay supplier for these? Are there any others that might be better suited. John at Armstrong-Trials (very helpful) is satisfied with the Amal when new or in good condition but I just can't help but wonder if 30+ years of carburettor development can provide something better!! Many thanks.

Thanks for the link and picture. Shame it's not bigger, looks a really neat job.

I've only just read through this thread and there are some nice pictures of Armstrongs and love the air box on Woodys bike so thanks for posting that. I can't find the thread or picture that the original post refers to though. Could someone post a link for me or perhaps Woody could post the pictures on here, or email me the pictures in high Res :-) Thanks.

I can turn a back tyre way quicker than removing 12 or so bolts, more times bolts are removed the greater the chance they will be damaged or come loose. Things I would like on a trials bike are quick easy access to air filter, fuel gauge, and the main one for me is a re packable middle box and silencer, you wouldn't believe how many middle box's the factories use on the works bikes, so crucial to performance.

I think the link is broken, seems to be the 2011 bike?

Could anyone tell me what thread flywheel puller I need too? it's looking like the rev 50 crank may be the same as the enduro 50. Its possible this may be a minarelli crank assy.

Hi all, I have just bought a non runner that I am hoping to rebuild to get my daughter started in Trials. On stripping the head a barrel I can see the Big End has been siezed and will need replacing. I have seen some cheap cranks or Conrod Kits for the 50cc Scooters. Does anyone know if the Rev 50 has the same Crank / Con Rod as anything else that may have an aftermarket part available please? Bike is a 2005 Model Rev-50.