2stroke4stroke

Given the announcement last week that it is likely legislation will require new road bikes to have either linked or anti-lock braking, depending on engine size, from 2016 can the ACU say whether the FIM intends to lobby on this to get exemption for trials bikes or will we effectively see the end of modern trials using the road, few though they may be? Or will the SSDT perforce become "classic watercooled".

Is that the ex Harry Lawson frame Ross? It did not dawn on me 'til now but you will be just too young to remember the Pathfinder in trials but thought you might have been at the ice racing as nobbut a lad. Were they any good? Well, bear in mind it's a 175 so could be expected to be a crawler on the road. When Wrighty asked Mick Wilkinson what his favourite trials bike was he said it was the Pathfinder. Further enquiry on such an unusual choice brought forth the reply, "Well, it would do 90 mph". That should tell you how good it was in the sections.

Quite nice, but just as well you're not interested in riding the Pre '65 at Kinlochleven - those forks would hank on every second rock.

Yes, in forty years riding in Scotland, Dumfriesshire has always been a trials desert. Beach racing, two day enduro and plenty scrambles, as they then were, but no trials to my knowledge. I cycle round there often and have always thought the potential for trials to be considerable.

Not another furniture designer putting his talents to use on bikes. Remember the Stark designed Aprilia?

Good of you to go to the effort of writing this up. When I made the mistake of pushing the pistons all the way in I had to pull them out again (not an easy job) as it was the olny way to get fluid in behind them to allow the brakes to function. I use silicon grease in the seal grooves and also spray it on the visible portions of the pistons (obviously without the pads in) as this lubricates the piston/seal interface and also prevents muck getting good adhesion thus helping to prevent corrosion or seizure due to dirt.

I don't doubt it for a minute and that's part of the event's challenge but, having had to assist helpless mechanicals off hills in the past, I feel that does not excuse someone, particularly the inexperienced, venturing in to what could become a very dodgy situation if the weather does its worst without taking the equipment to sort the reasonably foreseeable problems that might leave them stranded.

I'd guess the top runners carry the wherewithal to sort a puncture, even if they end up riding so far on a flat tyre depending where it happens. I would suggest it is foolhardy for the normal rider to venture on to the moors at this time of year without a basic minimum of tools as it could be a heck of a push off the hill otherwise. Given the nature of the event nobody's going to stop to assist and I don't suppose the backmarkers would be too thrilled to find someone just idly waiting for their assistance?

I had this when I fitted a new cable which was obviously badly made and i could not get all the slack out of it. I just rummaged in my tin of bits and used a split ferrule off an old throttle assemble to take up the slack. If you've only been riding a month I would ditch the QA throttle - why anyone would have fitted that to a 200 is a mystery - it must spoil an otherwise excellent beginner's (or anyone else for that matter) bike.

The cheapest furniture polish you can find - it needs to be rubbed though to give the shine.

A rare beast indeed - mine has a right hand chain.

The rear wheel looks OK apart from the chrome rim - it's no big job to replace with an alloy rim. It was common to cut away the clutch casing to prevent mud build up at the sprocket - and to kid ourselves that we were making a difference to the weight of the bike. The rest I can't comment on.

Never mind the knees, think of the marks lost when your feet slip off the rests! I have to admit to being rather fussy about keeping the footrests level and filing the serrations to keep 'em sharp and am amazed at the poor state of repair some people seem happy to suffer.

You don't see too many in use now but I always wanted one at the time as they were fairly successful. Nigel Birkett had a very good British Championship season on one and Brian Hutchinson always seemed to be winning on his. No doubt you'll be able to track one down via this site.

Have a look at the Scott sometime, you won't be doing anything worse punishment wise than that.

Hardly, it is essentially the same as it was when the model first came out years ago. For example, others now have injection without the need for a ridiculously high tickover to keep things charged up.

"I may have explained myself a bit badly. when i said im going to go trail riding, i didnt mean 8 hours down a flat fire road, i ment more single trail, hilly and technical trails. Not covering much distance but a lot of riding in a short space." All you're doing is replicating a lap or two of between section going in a "proper" trial. Just ride the thing as it is and you'll be OK.

I have to confess that my first action is to remove the light and fit a number board, and not just because the rules up here demand display of one's comp licence number.

I'm curious to know why you're bothered. There's no requirement to have lights at all and it's not as if the standard lighting set up complies with the law for use on the road (unless the rules have changed since I was bolting lights to trials bikes for evening use).

A couple of minutes about her at 19 minutes in http://www.bbc.co.uk..._Fun_and_Games/ I remember her riding Bultacos in the Scottish in the 60s. If I recall correctly she had a shop, the eponymous Sportman's Emporium, selling trials bikes.

Yes, our local dealer said at the time that the numbers were different to avoid the purchase tax. My pal bought one in two crates and there were some papers to show it had been supplied by a tv shop in Thames Ditton. Never mind, the taxman won't go back that far now.

Take out the double seat and you get one bike in. Take out both seats (a five minute job at most) and you get two bikes in. You really want to put something in the footwell though to prevent the wheel of the bike "sinking".

An undated letter of provenance? Written on a typewriter too but surely a business like that would be on to word processing by the time of reaching Bashley. And the Ossa has new Beta rear units on it! I knew someone who had what he claimed (rightly I believe) was a Bultaco originally owned by a famous personage whose name I can't now recall. He sold the registration number but could not seem to realise that it was effectively no longer "so and so's" bike but left him with just another old Bultaco.

Sounds like it has flooded. Swich the petrol off, open the throttle wide and give it a few kicks. It should start. Everyone who owned a two stroke in the Sixties knows the routine.

It can be done but why bother? It's only two nuts and as many minutes to remove the swingarm and you can grease the pivot bearings while you're about it.