trickymicky

I cant think of a single part which is shared by both bikes. Everything is different. Engine,Frame,Forks Wheels,all completely different. The Seeley was produced 3 or 4 years before the TLR from memory.

I'm sure he will-especially if its on a Sunday-He's nowt else to do.

I rode in '77 and remember seeing several weight saving mods on Malcolm Rathmells works 348 Montesa. One can be clearly seen in the pic- the front mudguard bracket,reduced to almost nothing!

It sure looks nice, but for that sort of money i'd be expecting the distinctive correct darker gold rims,correct exhaust etc. And the tyres,Funny Michelin X1's?? Dave Thorpe and Nick Jefferies i believe were 'works' riders. (maybe BJ knows more) I can still remember Thorpey's words 27 years on,when i asked what it was like...

For me, not riding the excellent Sammy Miller series so often is just down to cost. Everything considered, transport etc i reckon each event costs around

Well, unlike Majestyman, i've ridden an event today.Good entry,had a great time. Phoned my mates who were at another pre65 event,same again,good entry,great trial. It would seem to me that Majestyman is either too old or incapable of riding himself and is intent on trying to ruin the sport for those that do enjoy it. Constantly posting drivel in other threads, just to keep using the words British Specials instead of pre 65 is causing confusion to those who dont realise its his own,personal,stupid little joke. If things are that bad,get your Majesty on e bay,if youve got one and call it a day.

Nice to see some progress Charlie. Take care if your going to machine that barrel round though. The temptation is to hold it from the inside with a 3 jaw chuck. If your not very careful you can break the spigot off the top of the liner-like i did!

Professional Moaners, as i call them are often members of several different forums- often quite diverse. Once found out they simply concentate their efforts on another forum. As i write this theres probably a gardening forum somewhere, where they are all being told all their plants are going to die of a horrible disease...

It certainly looks that way Majestyman, i reckon youve got some pretty cruel 'mates' topping you up with duff info...

Cant let the bloke behind that pic of John Lampkin go unrecognised,Its Ted Breffitt,held the record for most SSDT finishes ,something like 26 on the trot. Rode an Ossa for many years. Teds dad was something of a legend up there too...

A dealers margin is his private business, at least it is until he force feeds you information about how little he is making, and in some cases even giving you a peep at his invoice from the importer! I've no idea how much a dealer makes on a Trials bike ,but if its the figure quoted i'd be looking for a different product to sell. Car and Commercial dealers have structures which give them cash back from the Manufacturer, giving them licence to tell half truths as to what they are really making. Take a new VW Transporter- The most discount you are likely to get is 12% (with the dealer making just 3% if the salesman thinks you look daft enough to believe it) What the dealer is less keen to tell you is that as soon as your van is registered they get a cheque back from VW for between

Its a bit like you going in with

No, The rider is MGP winner Grahame Rhodes.

The biggest disadvantage is that no inspection sections are not fair. By that i mean they favour some riders and not others. A rider who has ridden a no inspection section at an event the previous year will know what to expect whereas a first time rider wont. A good example of this is the Weighbridge section in the Cotswold Cups trial. Its no inspection but regular riders know to look out for a sharp deviation towards the top of an otherwise traditional section. Newcomers invariable ride straight up it and five it. Hollinsclough in the Reliance is another- regulars and locals know it like the back of their hand (and can quite legally ride up it the week before if they wish). Of course section plotters have an advantage as well if they happen to mark it out and ride, or if the landowner where these no inspection sections are happens to ride too....

Yes i'm going- its got better each year and Wrighty always makes sure it doesn't clash with anything. It should be a good day out.

Hi Charlie, No,sadly i dont seem to have the bike in question. Its interesting though how long a good idea can take to catch on. Even after sprung rear ends were offered, some riders still thought rigids were better and bought them in preference to springers for a while..

I reckon i might have the actual frame here. Sadly the shock has had it ,but with a bit of work i reckon a Yam one would fit.Dont suppose you kept the log book?

If only it was that simple.. For a start its not possible to police what you cant see, so even an apparently 'original spec' bike could get away with modern fork internals and modern ignitions. What scrutineer is going to spot a lightweight replica frame with just slightly altered geometry to give it the edge over the other 'original' bikes? Would period modifications be allowed? If so whose going to decide if they were pre 65 or post 65 mods? Sammy Miller's original Ariel GOV 132 has a high ground clearance short wheelbase frame with oil in it,lightweight hubs,norton forks etc. On the basis of what your proposing it would have to go in the specials class... Few would deny that the Matchless of Len Hutty would deserve a place in your original spec class and he is more than capable of winning the event at its present severity,indeed most of the sections are traditional anyway-thats what its all about...

Hi Big John, The first 348 Mont i saw was owned by Alan Blood. He rode the Scottish on it in 1976 or 1977. You may remember it, the frame snapped miles from anywhere and a working party had to be set up to go and dismantle it and bring it back in bits...

Yes, its pretty well known about the reliability issues, but some of the Van centres are hopeless- usually causing more problems than they went in with. My local one, Nottingham Van Centre have just lost the VW franchise which is a blessing, really , and i'd like to think i played a small part in helping them lose it....

If you go for the T5 Transporter be prepared for potential problems, at least if it has a 5 cyl engine. Mine spent 42 days at the dealer in the 3 miserable years i owned it. Sure, some will counter that by saying theirs has been fine. The easiest way to get a true reflection is to ask one of the mechanics at your local main dealer... When the last item failed, a driveshaft,it was on back order for 6 weeks.

Hi Kirby, Heres the settings for my 250 Cub- DELLORTO- TYPE PHBL 20 (20MM) 40 SLIDE D40 NEEDLE BZ 260 ATOMISER 9.5 FLOAT 45 CHOKE 35 PILOT (2.25 TURNS) 105 MAIN AMAL- TYPE 622 105 NEEDLE 110 MAIN 3.5 SLIDE Yours may be a PHBL 22,depending how long ago it was bought as the PHBL 20 was discontinued i believe. A 200 cc Cub may differ from these a little, but i doubt it and at least its a reference to start with. I've found the Villiers carb is superior to either of the above and if you decide to go down that route, Mick Grant sorted mine, they need altering to work correctly.