Yes mine had a gap, before you tighten the two nuts fully on bottom of legs, gently tighten them first, and then push forks up and down too center axle then tighten, if legs are pushed in and then tightened, forks wont work properly.
I go thru the same all the time ; Even on late model stuff , OE gaskets and other maintenance bits and pieces are crap ! I'm coming to believe quality control is a lost/forgotten art ?
Hi Javier, it is ok, there is no problem really, it seems there has been some misunderstanding but everything is ok.
I think there will never be agreement on Pre65 and that there are always going to be two groups. Those that like riding the bikes in original condition and those that like to modify. There is no reason that both cannot continue. Riders themselves will decide which group they want to belong to.
I think I am right to say that in Spain, Pre65 class has only become more common in the last few years. In the UK there has been a Pre65 class since about 1975 and a lot has happened in the years that followed, so maybe if you know the history of it you can understand a bit more why the bikes have become so modified.
In the 1970s, to me the 'golden age' of trials, the 'Spanish three' were the bikes to ride. Also there were Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki, followed by the first of SWM, Fantic. There were also a few British bikes still being produced, Greeves/Puch, Dalesman, Cotton Miarelli, Wassell, DMW, CCM. But if you were serious, Bultaco Ossa or Montesa were the bikes to have in the 70s.
At some time during this period some Pre65 trials were organised, not on a national level, just small trials for a few enthusiasts. Maybe they were riders from the 50s and 60s era who were getting older and could no longer compete at the level needed to ride every week in competition (remember only one route then, no sections with 2, 3 or 4 routes) Trials had moved on and were more difficult as the performance of the Spanish bikes was far superior to the old British machines. Sections were harder than they were 10 years before.
Perhaps they just wanted to continue riding for fun and decided to recreate the atmosphere of when they were younger and decided to ride again on British bikes that had been left abandoned in garages since the invasion of the Bultaco in 1965. Therefore the cut off date of 1965 was introduced in order to keep it British bikes only. These trials took place almost unheard of until the 1980s when the Scottish Pre65 was born. Originally the idea was to have ex-factory riders take part on the bikes they used to ride back in the 50s and 60s, the most famous being Sammy Miller on his Ariel.
Within a few years the popularity of this event grew and more and more riders were entering, including some very good ex-factory riders such as Dave Thorpe. These riders were still very competitive and wanted only to win, just as they still do now... They look for every advantage possible and this is where the modifications to the bikes began, just like they had when they had factory bikes. At the same time as this - around 1988/89 modern trials were becoming very difficult and involved 100% trick riding. Fortunately a new ACU national series was introduced for classic bikes in about 1990 with 3 classes, twinshock, Pre65 unit and Pre65 pre-unit. This series had a big following and we always had over 100 riders at these trials, about 65% twinshock and 35% Pre65.
So now there were two events for Pre65 riders to look forward to, the Pre65 Scottish and the national championship (called the Sebac series) The rider to beat in Pre65 was Dave Thorpe on his Cub. Even then there were rumours of modifications to the bike that made it perform better. Other riders joined the series and the competitive level meant they were all improving their bikes looking for an advantage over each other. In 1993/4 Mick Andrews began to ride and began to develop his James.
Now we had some famous names and ex-champions and they all want to win. Therefore they continue to modify their bikes. Ordinary riders who manage to try some of these bikes like them very much as they are so much better than their standard bikes, so they begin to modify theirs as well. Rules are amended to try and prevent too much modification but some people are clever engineers and they hide new parts in old casings. You only have to watch bikes perform over rocks to see that they didn't have 1965 suspension... By now, it is still only about 1995.
So now there are two prestigious titles to be won. The Scottish Pre65 and the national Sebac championship. The bikes continue to get modified and developed and the Scottish bring in their own rules to try and stop things moving too far. But by now it is too late as many bikes have now been modified. It is decided modifications to modernise the performance of the bikes are allowed but they must retain a period look, which meant that components fitted must resemble parts from 1965 or before. Slowly but surely the bikes get better and better and specialists begin manufacturing new parts to fit to the bikes so that it is not just the top riders that can have the modernised bikes, anyone can buy the parts to modify their own bikes.
So from there, we are where we are today. A whole industry supplying parts to make your old bike perform better or even build a brand new one from new parts. It is what a lot of people want and the proof is that the specialists who make the parts are always very busy. You can't argue with that.
Hope this explains why things have reached the point they have Javier. This is how Pre65 has evolved. It is evolution due to demand.
It is clear though that unmodified bikes still have a following and I really can't see why there is a fuss about modifying the bikes. The choice is simple. Ride what you enjoy. There is no reason events cannot continue for both groups, modified or standard, either as a combined event with classes for both or seperate events. If some clubs really are going to get fussy about specials, modified or modernised bikes, the only answer is for anything that is not standard specification to go in a specials class. Modified is modified, whatever it is, if it isn't a pre65 part. No exceptions.
What must be considered above all else though is that organised trials are a competition. Some are more serious than others, no doubt, and when you get to the standard of the Scottish or Manx classic there are some good riders who are in it to win it - nothing else. These riders want the best bike possible to give them the best advantage possible. Just as they did back in the old days, just as Sammy Miller did with GOV 132. It's where it all started. If they were all happy to ride standard unmodified bikes we'd still be riding British bikes now, the Bultaco invasion woould never have happened, would it.
Triumph Trials Cub Gearbox Sizes
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Cheers and ?