mags

I have one with a Phillps Head No2 on the long end. It came with my Victory and sits under the left hand side cover. Maybe they are manufacturer made? That or IKEA! Mags

I'll second the the late model Cota experience! My '14 standard and I are getting quite intimate with each other. Throughly enjoy throwing a leg over her! Mags

Funny stuff!!! I decided on 4T with wife's Beta... and Bou came to me in a dream and said "the standard Cota is a great machine"... BUT, I still have 2T envy... Hehehehehehehehe Mags

Last outing saw the stand holding bike too upright, AGAIN! And the subsequent whinge to my wife resulted in her saying... "Fix it this week will ya"! So I cut the 12mm out, about 50mm up from foot, ground a bevel on each end and welded it back up. Painted it flat black for now and investigating getting it alloy ceramic coated to look like alloy instead of steel. Bike sits so much better now! 12mm seems the right chop! Mags

On our last outing we were travelling between trials areas using a smooth trail. I was leading and decided to do what I've seen a few young guys do... sit on seat and just cruise! I popped bike into 3rd and sat on tail section in the deepest part of the V... wife was following close behind. I lasted about 15 seconds and got a cramp in my hip and when I tried to straighten leg it took me off course and into the scrub... where I had to hit the skids fast and jump off bike. My wife thought I was stung by a wasp or bee or something.... I said "No... a bloody cramp from crouching down!" Hehehehehehehe Aint doing that again!! It standing at all times now!! Mags

Ahahahahahahaha! Very Good! I could buy thousands for 10K but would they be as shiny! Hehehehehe Mags

Thomas, Man! Do you have some fun times ahead!!! We started in Jan this year and there is no looking back! Throughly enjoyable and has everything, balance, a bit of fitness, teaching the brain to make new pathways, good old fashioned fun and new friends that feel the same! Mark my words... if the bug bites (and if you ride already it surely will) a weird thing will happen.... as you go to work or drive the car or just see a set of steps or hill in the distance... you will say to yourself "I wonder if I could get up that or there is a great trials obstacle!" I don't know why more people don't do it... best kept secret in the motorcycling world! Don't forget when the bike is at home and stationary you can always practice your static skills, doesn't even use fuel up!! We static inside the house!!! Hehehehe I have a few other rides as well! For the trails... WR250R, XT250, TU250, TT125R (kids), Victory Jackpot and now the trials bikes. Mags

Nice work! I did quite a bit of machining when a youngster. I hope to have these installed early next year (pics below). I am sick of not being able to buy things that could be machined easily. Like a 25mm spacer washer, 4mm thick with a 5 mm bore for example. I have two motorcycles to restore, one I've had for 32 yrs so parts are rare. The machines below are reasonably priced... cost around the same as a Montesa Repsol here, for both!!! Mags

I think Motorcycle Federations are the same in my country. We have a thing called Motorcycling Australia. It controls all motorcycling in our country including Trials. If I enter a trial I have to get a day licence from MA for around $35 or I can't participate. I can get an annual licence for $200 and an examination that I'm capable to ride a motorcycle... my open road licence covers this aspect. Now I don't mind paying at all but I'm not happy... none of the money goes back into trials that I can see... not even any promotion of trials in any way! It goes into road racing or the MotoGP. Imagine if every $35 day licence for every clubs trials comps went into a federation called Trials Australia and went back into trials! Bliss!!! Time for a revolution, maybe... Mags

I hope they don't implement non-stop here either, Ian! I have to stop and rest sometimes and its a one... don't need a five for taking a breather mid-section! Geez! Mags

Now there's a line to read... and act on!! We are heading out again this Sunday! Damn this addiction! Hi! My name is Mags... and I'm an addict. Hello Mags! Mags

Wow! The three of us posted at once! Time stamps one minute difference... Hehehehehehe! Mags

About 10 threads down is this one... http://www.trialscentral.com/forums/topic/51664-whats-your-favorite-products-and-must-have-tools/ We always set up a base with the bikes so don't carry tools whilst riding. Mags

Slicktop, She may pass me one day but she can't do the hours practice I do unfortunately. Once we do comps in Novice the dabs will tell the story! Hehehe Taffe, Too true! Might see you around Gap Creek sometime? Look for the Cota and Beta together. TAF, Best family time I can think of mate! I put a few pics of general area we ride. Property is 750 acres and motorcycles only (no 4x4's or cars) $25 a day. There are plenty of trails to ride as well as great trials areas. Mags

You got that bike clean and pretty for next comp, yet? (WaxonWaxoffWink) Mags

Another great day in our trials ground yesterday. Beautiful almost spring weather and sunny skies... trials heaven. Thanks to advice here I was able to do my first reasonable drop-off recently. In the end it was not that bad but I'm still cautious of it but improving all the time. I have changed the front sprocket on my wife's Beta 4T to 10 from 11. This has slowed the bike markedly and has enabled my wife to slow the bike. She was able to ride the bike for the first time at home after the sprocket change... she feared hitting something before! Hehehehe This will open a new world being able to practice at home like I do. We are always heading towards doing trials comps together and this is a great step towards that goal. I convinced her yesterday to have a go at one of the harder creek beds which she has never even attempted. Maybe the new confidence from the gearing change caused her to have a go?... but have a go she did! There was no way she would/could ride down the drop-off so we decided just going through the section as dabless as possible was a good start and just lower the front wheel down the drop off on front brake and move on. I was standing in the creek bed near drop-off to catch her if anything went wrong. There was fear on her face first time... pure adrenaline! She was able to get through this creek bed for the first time and is a big step for a 50 yr old girl only on a motorcycle for only 6 months... her Beta! The creek bed after the drop-off provides some great rock riding experience and she eventually went through that section for a zero on 4th attempt!!! I am very proud of her and some of the bravery she shows pushing her limits at times. Oh yeah... she did fall once yesterday and she said she was not going to today. It was attempting going down a bank at an angle and rear slide down and she fell into bank. She was fine... just sporting a bruise where handlebar dug into her thigh! A pic of her on drop-off and rocks just after it in creek bed. Mags

I talked with my supplier here in Australia last night... all his 2015 Repsols are taken and Standards filling fast! Geez! They don't even arrive until Dec/Jan!!! I was very lucky this year as I got second last one I thought...which turned out to be last one in the end. I waited 2 days to make decision! Mags

I can offer a few tips having used helicoils for years for certain applications. The primary thing with inserts is to drill and tap parallel. This is more critical when components are bolted together verses inserted like a fuel tap but still good practice. Its obviously harder to stay parallel when using a hand drill and hand tapping verses a mill bed, say. You can always make a drill guide for hand drilling with great success. It can be as simple as a small block of timber with a flat face that then has the drill you use "drilled through timber block at 90 degrees to flat surface" by using a drill press for timber guide. I've even made metal ones that get clamped to job and the block guides the drill through the thread to be repaired. You can also make another guide block for the tap and keep it parallel to repair thread or perpendicular to repair thread. Once well started you can remove guide and tap away... You are probably going into ally or maybe steel in the tank? Either way use a lubricant to tap, creates a better thread surface. Check with EZlok about compatibility with automotive fuels and the sealant used on the insert. Just in case... they may specify a different insert to standard when sealing fuels? Some fuel taps may be tapered thread? Some may be flat shouldered and have a washer to seal? I have not seen the one you have... if has sealing washer its critical you use a drill/tap guide because if you are not perpendicular to sealing surface the washer will be cocked and possibly not seal. Loctite make some great fuel union thread, sealers. One they have goes off like a two-pack epoxy and it seals good enough for high performance, off-shore, race boats. Take ya time, there is no hurry! Like my old teacher used to say... measure twice, cut once! Mags

I ride a trials motorcycle... I'll have an espresso for "section" caffeine thanks! Not a tall, non-fat, decaf, no creme, extra hot, 3 raw sugars, 2 shots of soy with a squirt of caramel... Mags

Thanks for the heads up Sportsawyer! Just had a peek... they are $130 aussie and probably about $50-70 freight. Do the covers eventually put rub marks on the tank paint? Or maybe they have rubber separators or something? Mags

Thanks Jeff! I'm not at the stage of lifting front or rear yet! Trying but its pretty hard on the back and neck so my technique is probably out. The experienced riders seem to flick it round like a feather or at least it looks that way and still amazes me! Even the young girls in trials seem to flick it round... I may need some professional trials lessons in the near future. I'm heading to the physio with back x -rays in hand to tailor a exercise regime for back and knees. Will go that way first and then might be able to try a cross fit style later. I can ride for about 30-40 mins and before collapsed disc in neck causes loss of concentration with aching. 5 minute rest with head not so tilted back and I can go again. Still not too fussed on clubs.... one even said we like to see you come for 6 months to see if you like us and we like you... then you may be offered a membership. You must also provide a 5 day notice to go to a trials meet. With our business we can really only know the day before or sometimes on the day. I assumed you could enter on the day but apparently not. So we just ride "social trials" at this stage.... and social trials is just me and my wife riding around the scrub together. Mags

Go Ben! The only tip I can give ya mate... don't let the babes cause you to stray from trials!!! Remember its Trials and Girls not Girls and Trials!! Mags

Hah! Thats nuffin Zippy! I can roll backwards on a hill for a full 5! My trials theory is... get a 5 early and then relax for rest of section! Hehehehehe Until you get chipped for not clearing the section straight away! Hehehehe Mags

Another little tip... my kickstart hits the foot peg if you use full stroke of kickstart... it scored the kickstart end before I was aware of it. I used a bit of rubber to protect it but it got chewed a little as well. Now I have a piece of thin wall stainless on boot contact area of kickstart until a better solution. I don't use the full stroke to start and it seems fine but occasionally it still hits. Mags

If you don't want to wait for the Mitani... I think these fit the 2014? From Jim Sandiford in UK ... carbon lookalike plastic was 34 pounds and carbon was 85 ish. Mags