mick annick

Woody The guards you saw on the machine are the originals - I took them off and fitted Miller ones and stays, which as you say are much more rounded, though these got mashed so it now has plastic. Mick

Woody I'm with you on the originality bit - the reason I've got all the bits still is 'cos they all got chucked in the back of the garage when I bought it to go trialling and fitted SM alloy guards as I used in the seventies, though I'm using plastics now. I don't ride it as often as I'd like but am going to try and get out more next year. I really was taken aback when I got it, about five years ago, it really had hadly been used - the owner was an engineer at Ford's research place in Dunton, Essex and only used it occasionally to potter round the woods on. This bike was registered the same week as the one I had in the seventies and used to ride to work on every day, and ride to and from trials at the weekend until I passed my test and got an Escort van... Mick

Woody Sorry I'm a bit slow... There'd have been even more original bits on it if I'd had a bit more notice the it was wanted - got the headlamp & speedo, steering lock keys, original invoice from Dave Bickers, handbook... You and I exchanged info on here when I first bought it and started the resto, not that it needed much, it had a genuine 400km's on the clock when I got it. Mick

Motomike If the price is right I'm for for a set. Mick

Thanks Legs, it didn't look that good when it was collected from me last week...

Couldn't make as I was away in France, but has anyone got any photos? My Ossa MAR MKII was on Dave Renham's stand.

I got a new one from David Silver spares... Mick

A few rounds of the Saturday evening T&O events were held down at Hedgerley Park, near Gerrards Cross, keep seeing it from the M40 just north of the M25 junction - from what I remember it wasn't a bad bit of land. SSTC seemed to have the most use of it at the time, I think it was the Farnham Royal lads that managed to get the odd date there. Can't work out what its used for now - no trials or MX there for sometime. Rode there a few times with the SSTC. Orson Wells used to get his bikes there, used to frequent here a few years ago I think, ace bloke... Mike

Everything Jay says is right regarding ground clearance, width and steering, I won't ride anything else (apart form my TLR occasionally...) Mike

Have a look at these... http://www.classictrial.co.uk/ Mick

There's a chap that rides in the Wilts & Dorset twinshock club who rides a Kawasaki twin powered Ossa, complete with electric start, awesomw! Mick

Hi took the Ossa for an MOT yesterday (want to do the Sammy Miller series) but got turned away because of a curver Sammy Miller number plate - rules changed last September apparently and only fully size reflective plates will pass. No mention of a reflector being needed, though the trials freindly tester wasn't worried about no stoplight, but was insistent on a continuous tone horn -which I bought six months ago and now can't find... Mick

g4321 I recently fitted a set of XR250 pegs to my TLR - 2003 MY pegs, springs and pins, I've still got the part numbers somewhere if you need them, from memory about

Jeff Nolen at VMX in the States got me a really good seat cover for my MAR, not cheap but he delivered on his promise. Can't remember his website but mail me back if you can't find it and I'll track him down. Bob Stanley at Sammy Miller rebuilt my engine for me which has been trouble free for three years now, albeit not ridden that regularly. Mick

Wos going on on? All went over my head!

Markle What bits you looking for - David Silver spares are good for a lot of genuine Honda stuff, though mudguards are apparently v. rare. http://www.davidsilverspares.co.uk Just found that XR250 footrests are a direct swop if that's any help. I'm off to Japan in March and will be looking for stuff whilst I'm out there. Mick

Boofont Try this www.enginewise.co.uk/acatalog/metal-polishing.html Metal polish impregnated tape - just the job for cleaning spokes (and my son's french horn!) - and palin tape to buff it up with afterwards. Enginewise do mail order, though I can't remember what the tape cost me. Mick

Racey / Gaff Thanks for the tips, like the sound of Hebo, I'll give it try. Mick

Bikespace I had a Dave Cooper rack on the back of my Disco for a couple of years and it was fine - very simple construction but good standard of welding - it never let me down and I sold it on when I changed to a car with a 'continental' style tow bar which it wouldn't fit. There's a post by the rear wheel to keep the machine upright and a couple of tie down points fitted, I used one strap across the rear wheel from the post to the bottom of the rack and one from the bottom of the rack to one footpeg, this seemed to keep it pretty safe. You can also strap down over the handle bars for a bit more security. I modified mine slightly as I wasn't happy with the main beam that bolts to the tow hitch - it's 2" hollow box section and I found the bolts kept work loose because of the give in this, I replaced it with some 1/2" steel plate - no give! Dave's a very amenable guy and I'm sure if you talk to him he'll make something to suit you, though I definitely wouldn'y want to hang the weight of a bike and rack on the back of a Polo - use the Vectra. Kliponoff also do a rack, nicely finished (galvanised so no rust - Dave uses Hammerite or similar) but much more expensive. Mick

Me again. I need a pair of new footpegs, the standard ones are a bit narrow (and bent). I've been told XR250 ones will fit without modification - anyone done it? Are they readily available, or is there anything else on the market that's a direct replacement? Ta Mick

No, it was fine until I changed the oil to synthetic.

Marky They should be OK - had them replaced three trials back. Mick

Thanks everyone The clutch slip with the Shell Advance Ultra (it is the motorcycle specific one I'm using) goes once the engine is really hot, but it's all but unrideable until it is. I think I'll give the Silkolene a try first, as Marky says, oil is cheap, engines aren't! Ta

Can anyone tell me the best oil to put in my TLR 250 please? Some joker told me shell ultra synthetic was the thing but the clutch slips like mad. Ta Mick

Mick Thank's for the dates dates, hope to give it a go. Did you ride Surrey Schoolboy trials in the seventies?, your name seems familiar.....