2stroke4stroke

Well they can no longer hide behind the "Sorry it's a competition machine, too bad" excuse when something goes wrong, for a start.

There is an Ohlins for sale on the front page now - how coincidental.

There is actually a nitrogen charged area but it is normally only the air sleeve that needs maintenance attention and that is easy for any competent owner to attend to and only requires a shock pump to recharge. But you tend to be checking/adjusting the pressure every time out, at least on the mountain bike anyway. I assume you are dealing with Mojo - I was most impressed with them when I had to call on their services while on holiday this year and a couple of hundred miles away from my tools.

Ridiculously light as there is no metal spring. Didn't know they did a trials version. If they are the same as the mountain bike one then they are very easy to strip but they need to be taken apart much more frequently than trials riders are used to (which is never, in most cases) in order to refresh the oil (there is only about a teaspoon worth in the cycle one as it is only there to lubricate the main seal). The bit that does the damping is nitrogen charged so can't really be dealt with by the owner. The mountain bike guys think nothing of sending them off for an annual service but I don't think that would suit the notoriously parsimonious trials rider. That's apart from Royal Mail confiscating them if you put one in their postal system. I suspect anyone on here, including me, who had air forks in the Seventies will warn you off as any leak leaves you bottomed out. Take it from me there's no joy in riding a bike with collapsed suspension, especially if it's the first day of the Aberfeldy Two Day, or the Wednesday of the SSDT for that matter

Nice to treat yourself but best advice is don't buy new at your stage. After a few months your experience will probably see you wanting something else and you won't lose as badly on the right used bike.

I thought there was a class for three speeders - the Pre '65 class☺ Aren't the others twinshocks?

I have to admit I agree with Clean Or Bust. I have never understood why anyone would think that the comparatively recent idea of not checking anything but relying on a rider's signature would work in the event of something going wrong. "Well m'lud, Jimmy said he had a driving licence but I didn't check", would never be accepted when stood in front of the man in the curly wig in a work situation and I don't believe it would if it came to the bit with a trial. But I'd be very pleased if there is a case that shows otherwise.

You'll have seen it used when you got a new tyre on the car.

Let's face it - the rim is designed to seal without sticky stuff. If you have a new rim then you have spent quite a bit of money. Don't pennypinch using wash up liquid which causes corrosion anyway. Spend another couple of bob and get the proper tyre lubricant (which also happens to be the best stuff for fitting the tyre, strange as it may seem). I use this and have never had a problem getting the band to seat, I just push it in to place with my fingertips where it needs that little extra help. I bought a gallon of it about twenty years ago and it's still doing me. You could even sell jars of it to your pals if you don't want that much but at a tenner for 5 litres it's now cheaper than when I got it. Hope this helps.

I'd be disinclined to pay any sum for it from that seller based purely on my prejudice of what he considers good TV . Come back William Woollard all is forgiven.

OK Allan, someone's going to ask so it may as well be me - what was the best trials bike ever made?

The 200 has most of those attributes but does not need the clutching. Better all round for an old guy (I'm even older). Look at it this way - the 125 is designed to propel youngsters who weigh nothing up vertical faces at peak revs, the 200 is developed specifically for the British "clubman".

Ah well........perhaps brought about by the split single?

In this instance a key would serve no purpose as it does not matter where the gear lines up. With an ignition flywheel the key is solely to align it correctly for timing and does not bear a load, as you find out if the nut comes slack - it is the taper that holds the item in place.

Very easily with double seat folded down but I have a feeling that it will be difficult if not impossible with the seat up. You'll need to try it to see.

My MAR did have the raised bits - it appeared the front and rear hubs were the same basic casting machined to suit.

Good luck on getting a turnout in February. Is that not the meeting that tends to get cancelled due to lack of interest despite the levels of moaning about the ACU in various media?

Funnily enough I was only last week reading a two year old magazine test of one of these. The general drift was that you can pretty well forget about obtaining parts. Doesn't seem to be Beta's strong suit - year specific bits for early Rev 3s seem to have gone the same way.

The wheel being out of true would not affect the operation of a disc brake. Careless truing of a drum braked wheel could cause distortion of the drum and yes you do true the wheel like a bicycle one.

I always just used a round file but a small section square one would do as well.

I own a Doblo car and two bikes fit in easily as far as space goes. Front wheels sit in the rear footwell and it is necessary to strap the forks in the down position to get enough room to lift the front end over the raised lip to which the seats bolt, then release the pressure for transit if you're fussy. Or lean the bike over to get the clearance which is not easy for one person (but two bikes = two people). This problem probably does not exist with the van but I have not seen inside a van.

I've never heard anything that bad before. I'd suggest a check on the new bearings though it sounds like something loose and moving around.

Not confined to the cheaper models. I recall the story of a Jaguar plagued with an untraceable rattle from new. It was not until the chassis was cut open following a prang that a load of washers strung together with a note from the apprentices about how long it must have taken to find was discovered. Starting in gear was a great advantage of the Bantam but without a five speed box it would never have been a Bultaco beater in terms of sales.

Enough storage space for a glove (apparently) but whereas a trials bike presents its own limitations on use I'm not convinced this sort of bike is a good idea, there being almost nowhere to use it legally. Do we really want to be encouraging the irresponsible to buy a bike and use it "everywhere" as implied? Yours C R Mudgeon