pjw123

how many holes ??

Had a MAR back in the day & bought one recently for old times sake. Brakes defy comment !!!. Rear brake especially bad. Motoplat ignition may give you problems. Amal carb very old school. Steers OK, pegs a tad high. Dished rear sprocket very rare, Most folks have gone for flat one / spacer. Later pre Gripper models had a longer more modern style front pipe & bigger silencer, which seemed to make motor a bit smoother. Ethanol (E5) fuel is a major headache, but quite easy to remove. (see You Tube). You don't need any fancy equipment. GRP tanks go to mush, & old rubber O rings swell terribly when contacted with ethanol. If you are successful in reclaiming tank, empty out fuel after very ride & let vapours flash off with cap removed. You should be OK. (Works for me) . Ethanol additives now commonplace, & we (UK) reportedly going up to E10 (10% instead of 5%).

Agree : Get some sealskinz of t'interweb. NATO ones cheapest. Water proofing a complete waste of time for the most part, & a proper carry on, especially if out every week in the wet. I've got some A Stars & Diadora "brown" boots. None of them will ever be waterproof, but put a bit of wax around sole stitches & leave the uppers. Easy to power wash off & they air dry quicker if not plastered with clarty wax. They don't fall apart & don't need leather feeding, as you will have knocked holes in them long before they properly wear out.(Well they do up here anyway).Has worked for me since I discarded the NCB wellies for a pair of RGs or something like that around 1979 (I think). n.b waterproofing irrelevance continues, as the latest style boots barely cover your ankles, so the water will be over the tops in no time anyway ?

A common problem with older models . Water pump seal / shaft very likely worn. Shaft material poor quality. You should be able to see the wear point on the shaft & feel it with your fingernail. ***Just replacing seal won't fix it.*** You can buy a complete water pump overhaul kit .. Also worth checking out cooling fan / T'stat working OK while you have system drained, as this can be another problem child.

Straight through tube gives bike a little bit more zip. Just as quiet if packed correctly. Got my last one off Mark at H&D, very reasonably priced. Cheap hop up mod. Mitani do a longer version of pipe, along with epic price tag. Meant to be a Fuji works mod or something like that.

TFR is pretty strong stuff, not for your pride & joy IMHO. The drill is : Plug up the holes in exhaust/ airbox. Power wash bike, to get the worst off. (don't go daft , or you'll have no stickers left on it, Spray on proper bike cleaner, ( several types around), & use a paint brush to work it into the nooks & crannies & where the chain has thrown up oily deposits,. Break out the bucket of hot water / washing up liquid & give it a good clean using soft car brush & a babys bottle cleaning brush to get into the awkward bits. (You can get purpose made bike cleaning brushes too.) Don't forget to lie bike on its side for a quick clean underneath, you'll be amazed what you've missed. Final rinse with power washer. Blow all water off with air blower. (Your DIY do it all Vac cleaner can usually be reversed to blow by swapping the hose to the vent port.) Final spray with water displacing fluid, duck oil, etc. Airbox / filter/ chain/ carb/ brakes / maint still to be done. Here's another tip. : Wheel bearings don't last 5 minutes if you are in the water every week, (well, in the UK they don't). They are supposed to be sealed & greased, but in reality they don't have much in them. So...... While bearings are still quite new, pick off the outer bearing seal with a stanley knife blade. Easy to to. Pack bearings properly with some marine/ waterproof grease. Push seal back on. Bearings now have a fighting chance. Dried out, fully Gingered up rumblers only fit for the bin though.

Take tank down to your local pro auto paint supplier & he will match it perfectly using colour chips. Underside might not be faded. He should be able to mix you up 1/4 or 1/2 litre of 2K base coat, which can then be sprayed & clear coated with 2k clear lacquer. 2K Clear coat most important, as it provides protection from fuel spills. (same as your car). Rattle can finish : cheaper, finish questionable & won't last very long. NB, seal tank internall & only have fuel in it while you are riding it. Otherwise drain completely & vent tank when bike not being used. If you don't do this, you are risking tank going to mush with E5 ethanol fuel. (soon to be E 10 I am hearing , that's 10% not 5% ethanol)

Rickmans mostly "scramblers", No trials models to the best of my knowledge. Metisse most common, usually fitted with big British twin or single engines. "Petite" was smaller version, using Montesa, Zundapp Husqvarna, & other engines. Spares & things reasonably well catered for in Blighty by a few differing outfits.

Had a few Beta 4t's .The most important cover you will need is something for the front part of the tailpipe, as it runs far hotter than a 2 stroke. This is guaranteed to burn a hole through your riding pants when they make contact, as its right in the way & just bare exhaust metal. . I struggled a bit to find something suitable & ended up making one out of some carbon fibre sheet. Frame protectors where your legs rub is the other important area. Colour matched ones are available which look right on the bike. Fork covers are quite handy, but cheap ones don't last very long. Never really needed any other covers.

Avgas is a good idea, best cut it 50/50 with V power or similar. You can remove ethanol from petrol, the American light aircraft crowd do it. Not hard to do, a bit of a faff. Google it. Old skool O rings will swell with ethanol contact, I 've had then completely seal off a pet cock. Alloy tanks should fine with ethanol. Fibreglass tanks can be sealed, but the drill (for me ) is : use a good tank sealant. Drain after every use & leave cap off. Fill tank AT the meeting. Drain out as soon as you get home. Buy a mini workshop fuel dispenser to allow engine to be run in the workshop without resorting to filling tank. V Power or BP cut 50:0 with Avgas. Castrol lead replacement additive if running an old 4 stroke. (keeps valves/ guide in good order) a shot of Castor based race oil if running an old 4 stroke (upper cylinder lubricant)

Get a Bosi brace/ mudguard. Standard Beta could be better.

Owned quite a few Betas, all shapes & sizes. Been riding UK Yorkshire/NE trials since the 70's & haven't really stopped. 250 wins it every time. So easy to ride. A 300 can have you by the third lap, even a Super Smooth. Many tales of buyers going for a 300, then spending a tidy sum calming it all down. 200 also a very capable bike for the average clubman, but quite rare Most modern bikes can seem a touch high geared for the less able, so down a tooth at the front is a quick way of steadying things up. IMHO, 250 , you can't go wrong. Plenty out there.

Beta by far the most numerous bike out there. I've owned several & can't fault them. Currently using a TRS 250 Raga & its a great bike. Build quality top notch & no need to go out buying the usual bling, as it comes standard. Not too clued up on Sherco, but there's no bad bikes out there. If the bike is being trialled every week, with the odd practice session thrown in, then it has to be looked after properly. Preventative maintenance is a far better option than breakdown maintenance. However............. If you are buying secondhand be very careful, as its all down to the previous owners engineering aptitude(or lack of it), & a willingness to spend money keeping the bike in good order.

H&D are a good source of parts & advice. IN Motion also worth a try. 315's usually good to work on due to Honda QC / build quality.

Jotagas, more recently known as J Gas. Not sure if still on the go. Very tough gig for trials bike makers these days. Jordi T left & is now mr TRRS

For UK trials, a late model 250 is the tool. 300's for expert riders riding the harder courses. Many fall for the bigger engine, invariably find it a bit too much, & then spend a small fortune attempting to soften the power.

Looks like hard work. Just get a new one from In Motion. Decals, or no decals. Your choice. They are quite well priced. BTW, check out YowTube on how to get rid of ethanol from petrol. Not difficult,

Berlingo / Doblo van derived car a good option used by a couple of riders I know. Takes one bike easily & can be loaded without getting too much muck on you. Windows can be security tinted to put off prying eyes. Van(with bulkhead) still the only way IMHO. BTW, DO NOT apply any Alpinestars, "Trials Team knobber", Rockstar MX, "decals", "stickers" etc ,etc, etc, all over your van. Not even a small one. Might as well put up a flashing sign saying "this way, mr low life".

Racks & open trailers leave all on display, This can lead to unwelcome visitors to your home during the hours of darkness. Police will be delighted to pull you up for dodgy lights / number boards, but not in the slightest bit interested when some low life makes off with your pride & joy. Sadly, this is the world we live in. Get hold of a van !!!

Starmaker engine was primarily used for Scrambles (MX). The overall look of the bike points to that type of use. High front guard, smallish rear sprocket, etc. If you got it running, you might just find it a bit lively for trials work. There's a DOT (Devoid of Trouble) tank badge present. Lots of parts from other makes . No idea what the frame is.The lights tend to lend it to it being a one off special trail bike. Might make a useful classic scrambler. Will certainly upset the neighbours if you rode it down the street.

Yams were generally perceived as being the better bet back in the day. Beamish had lovely build quality but never quite made the cut. Strange gearing I seem to recall. Yams can be upgraded & spares plentiful. Beamish slightly more leftfield. (IMHO ?)

6mm UK number plate screws are perfect for the job. They look like they were meant to be there, & act as shear bolts in a prang, thus saving you rear guard. Easily removed & replaced . Zip ties quicker & easier, but look like sh**.

250 2t best but for starter. Buy as new as you can. GG or Beta a good option. 4RT peerless build quality, great fun to ride but a little bit heavier . 2 stroke better for competing organised events IMHO. Condition paramount. If it looks a bit rough, then its been not well looked after & there may be trouble ahead.. 300 for more experienced riders.

Try Allens performance or Motocarb. They sell new carbs all jetted & ready to go. Lesson learned : Old carbs are invariably worn out carbs.

Near (LHS ) side best location for your drum as the cable run to lever follows a progressive curved route which copes well with fork compression. (same as modern disc brakes). Most later bikes with drum brakes use this format, (Bultaco is one notable exception, just check out the strange cable bends on them).