fantic240motor

If you are at an event in a section watch the other riders, see what they do and imitate it. As mentioned every situation requires different techniques but clutch in and brakes on is going to be the way on any steep decent as you'll have the rear brake on. Always good if the rear brake doesn't lock up but it often will. It'll slow more efficiently if it's not locked up skidding but this is a tricky technique to master especially on steep greasy drops. If you feel the rear is locked and starting to slew sideways release and reapply gently before you start to slide and risk the back end coming round on you. There's lots of trials riding technique videos on youtube. I really enjoy watching them and find them useful. Here's one with some descending tips...

Have you seen these options? http://www.delaytrial.com/delay/catalogo/fantic-y-clasicas/ Understand your worries on durability but I've not heard of any of the current makers of fiberglass tanks having problems with modern fuel. I believe they are now ethanol resistant but I'm sure if you contact them they'll be able to reassure you.

Clean any access glue from the plates. Check the springs are equal lengths. Check the clutch basket doesn't have any nasty ridges. If there are any gently file the worst smooth. Put it back together and fill it with 5W-30 fully synthetic oil, that's the stuff I use. I don't have a lightener and use the original Domino levers. Adjustment is tricky and difficult to advise on but you should be able to get it working nice, changing gear, not slipping or dragging and have a small amount of free play at the cable. Get the engine warm before you start. You may always have a tiny amount of drag but nothing more than a slight slowing of the engine tick over when in gear at standstill. Not jerking forward with the clutch pulled in! Once sorted they are good and reliable. Good luck and stick with it.

Nice one hope you get it. By the way I have Magicals progressive springs in my Marzocchi forks and they work nice. Nothing super special but an improvement on the old worn stock springs.

You don't get a lot of Fantic 240 for a grand nowadays!

http://www.themagicals.com/index.asp Nice SWM and well worth a grand in my humble opinion. I can't help with identifying exact year or model but I'd say it'll do exactly what you want it to. Happy twinshocking!

Had a similar experience buying of a 31 year old trials bike but no where near as bad. I should mention I'm happy working on old vehicles and have a reasonable mechanical ability. I'm sure this helps in these kind of situations. Bought it blind with only the pictures to go on. I could have made the effort and driven all day there and back to view it but after talking to the dealer I decided the long drive wasn't really worth it. We'd had a few conversations and I had made myself clear that the price was about right but only if the bike was in good ready to trial condition. To reassure me the seller said he'd get it out and have his mechanic to start it up and check it over. He assured me all was tip top with only some clutch drag letting it down. We had a deal and payment was sent and the bike delivered. Overall it was a nice honest bike but starting it up on my driveway I wasn't 100% sure it was running great. I took it for some practice and all defiantly wasn't right. Once warm it was clear it was suffering from an air leak. I was worried it was crank seals. Once home I started by taking the carb apart and found it well worn and the inlet rubber hard. I contacted the seller letting him know I was less than happy and he agreed to send me a new carb although he didn't include the inlet rubber I thought we'd agreed on. His carb arrived a couple of days later. I bought an inlet rubber and fitted both and it ran really nice. Crank seals were fine. I set about fixing the horrible clutch. I drained the oil and it looked disgusting. Disappointing he hadn't at least changed the oil giving the clutch was playing up. For the price of a bottle of oil and 20 mins of his mechanics time it would have been a nice gesture even if it hadn't have fixed it. I gave it a flush through to clean all the sludge out. I bought some new plates, gave them the "Beta" fix and a good pre-soak. Once fitted the bike was trial ready and at last fit for purpose. The moral here is always inspect before buying or don't buy.

A friend of mine was once trying to make candles that smell of Castrol R. A funny idea that might have took off. Shame he didn't manage to get it to work.

Welcome to you and your Dad. We're a little west from you but you might find the practice ground worth travelling for plus a twinshock championship. http://www.berkotrials.com/

Try these guys... http://www.bike-revival.co.uk/page1.html They don't list everything they sell and their site isn't a shop to basket type so you'll have to give them a buzz. Good luck!

Might be some info here. http://www.fanticmotor.asso.fr/r10l.htm You'll need a translation service if you don't speak French.

Someone did that to my bike on Sunday... does that mean I'm now a member???

Here you go... http://www.twinshockchampionship.org.uk/page2.html

Called Bob Wright yesterday (Friday 11.04.14) and bought a part over the phone using my credit card. Super simple! http://www.r2wtrials.co.uk/html_files/bobwright.html

Keep them coming!....

Great pictures! Thanks for putting them up.

I use 5w30 fully synthetic oil in my 240 gearbox. Works nice and can be bought just about anywhere here in the UK as it's a popular car engine oil so maybe available stateside.

Yea levers are a personal thing. I'm a Domino fan too. Not sure if my long fingers help me live with that choice. The strength the clutch takes to operate isn't over stiff and only becomes difficult if I'm riding non-stop for a long time. This only happens while practicing. On observed trials you always get a few moments rest between sections so fatigue doesn't become an issue. A slightly lighter action would be nice in both circumstances.

Thanks htrdoug. My 240 had an old home made extension kit on it when I bought it late last year but I took it off to eliminate it from some clutch issues I was having. Those are now all long since sorted with the help of the clutch fix thread and 5-W-30 fully synthetic oil so I'm tempted to give it a go again. The arm extension is about 3/4" or 18mm so not as long as some. I'll make a better cable retainer as that wasn't quite right and give it a go.

Does anyone have actual experience of a successful modification to lighten the clutch action on a Fantic 240? Many thanks.