italianstallion

Just purchased one. Recovering from surgery but will be out on it soon. Will try and give some feedback...going to be interesting having moved from 2T bikes for the first time

Airoh every day. Tried lots of brands, almost bought a shoei but opted for Airoh. £100 cheaper and far lighter

Anyone know what's happening with Raw Sports? Don't seem to be able to get trials jeans in common sizes anywhere....

Evening all. Is it me or is the front brake pad retention method on the braktec caliper a complete load of sh*t? Seems to me to be a complete faff/fiddle to get the pads out. When I did flick the clip out, it appears that you have to move one pad inwards towards the centre plane of the caliper in order for it to drop out which means forcing the other pad outwards. Am I the only one that thinks this is a crap design? Much prefer through pins normal to the pads!

Hi, can anyone tell me the torque to apply to the M8 bolts at the front of the sump guard that fasten it to the frame? Bike is a '17 TXT Racing, bolts are 12.9 Unbrako by the look of it. Cheers

Speak to Laurence at BVM over the phone, he often knows of good private bikes for sale outside of the shop. I've sold bikes like this before. Theyre not going to put their name to any old crap so it will generally be decent ?

Just done this mod on my old man's 2011 evo. Wow, just wow. Can't believe what a difference it's made. Thanks guys, doesn't jump at all when selecting gear from cold or warm, can pick neutral easy. Perfect.

Yeah I've tried Kelley Carbon before, hes not making a lot of the stuff on his site. I don't understand why you can't get many of the covers for the latest bike, especially as its been out a while now. Must be a market for it

Dave, I've seen at least 3 or 4 trials cancelled in the last month local to the Kidderminster area. If the fixture list isnt likely to be accurate, what's the point in having it? Im another that asks regular if certain trials are on. The fact of the matter is, the centre is not what it was, particularly clubs in and around the West Midlands. Nobody doubts that people are putting themselves out for us to ride, to which many of us appreciate. That said, if your hearts not in it as an organiser or not so motivated anymore then what's the point? The Midland centre could learn an awful lot from the Western Centre, many of my rides are entered via the acu website down here - this is the future, together with social media. I think the Midlands is crying out for new blood, new clubs etc. I'm fortunate I'm near Gloucester now, if I was still in the West Midlands I could see me interest waining because the likes of Stour, Bewdley, Dudley etc do not run events like they did 20 years ago.

Hi all. Does anyone know of a suitable clutch cover guard (abs or c fibre) for the 2017 bike? I can see that many are listed as being not suitable due to new water pump design. Does anyone know of anything available? Ive been reliably told the trickbits one does not fit. Cheers

Ok, so, I did get to the point where I made this work. In summary, using the stock spindle would require a large spindle spacer and would also need either the disc standing off the stock hub to reach the caliper or the brake caliper standing off the fork leg to do the same (the latter not being the best option of the two for me). I decided that this was a poor solution so went a bit further. I tried using a sherco spindle alone and found that it clamped the wheel far better but still doesn't work; you will find that when the spindle is tightened, the wheel sits considerably off centre in the direction of the disc (approx 6mm or so). In order to correct this, you will need either a new hub/wheel build or a completely new wheel suited to a tech fork. I got hold of a Jitsie one for a new Sherco (and new sherco disc as the stock disc sticks out considerably more and thus the disc bolt heads will catch the inside of the fork on rotation). Anyway, this ALMOST solved the fit issues - I found that the wheel still sat marginally off centreline. It wasn't a lot but was enough for the outside of the disc to rub on the inside of the caliper. I managed to rectify this with a custom 1.2mm spacer made from hardened steel (good fit) and then all worked perfectly. The 1mm error (in my opinion) could be down to fork pitch not being identical to the Sherco or Gasser which is ultimately controlled by the csp triple clamps I bought. Other than the clamps its a complete sherco front end so I can't see what else could influence this. Anyway, put it this way, its not a straightforward conversion, however it can be done. I'll try and post some pics in the week. Cheers

Evoalien - because I do. Why do people buy factory versions of any particular model or any other uprated aftermarket part? I don't see how this is of any use/constructive to my question especially given that it's clear I've bought the parts at this stage. It's quite normal to want better kit last time I looked even if it doesn't make me ride any better. Anyway, I'll be sure to run it past you next time.

Hi all. Looking for a bit of advice. I've recently bought some tech forks 39mm and the relevant triple clamps to run them on my 2011 evo. I've got the forks in no problem at all but when I came to assemble the wheel I noticed that the face of the threaded portion of the left fork leg that accepts the spindle is quite a bit short of where the paioli used to sit. The same can be said for the brake caliper in that I need to stand it off the fork now to reach the disc. Is it a case of just making spacers or does anyone sell a kit? Surely this has been done before? TIA

Try Bikesure, I rang a lot of the suggestions above yesterday with little joy and also learned of Carole Nash upper limit. I have just got exactly what you are looking for on my Bantam for just over a ton. You need a Sold Secure chain, padlock and anchor mind - 80 quid or so

For anyone that's interested, there were very few takers on the insurance front for the Drayton. Carole Nash have a 5k limit which is bordering on not being enough, Footman James didn't want to know, Peter James weren't interested as it deviates from the original bike, MSM agreed to quote but didn't get back to me. The only one I got any joy out of was Bikesure (Adrian flux I believe). I was able to spec absolutely everything on the policy for just over a ton. Seems reasonable to me. Stewart

Sorry to drift off topic (well it is sort of related...), who do you guys use for insurance? I dont have a road bike licence thus will only need fire and theft - it looks like this is known as "Laid Up Insurance". What concerns me mainly is how do you classify a Drayton Bantam? Is it a D14 with every modification disclosed or is there some other way round defining the bike? I'm guessing the insurer is unlikey to have 'Drayton' listed... Thanks in advance Stewart

Ok so it seems I opened a can of worms here which genuinely wasn’t my intention! The reason I asked the original question was purely down to a desire to increase my options based on the choice of trials on offer to me in my centre (modern trials alone not quite being enough to satisfy my appetite at present) – I’m not really a new comer as such and actually already ride a Beta Evo 250 being a member of Stroud Valley MC. My original plan was to have a go at the popular Twinshock series sponsored by Kia after spectating at various rounds (the latest of which attracted 170 riders). Naturally, the last few weeks I have been looking at Honda TLRs, RSs, Yam Majestys, Bultacos etc. However, after a discussion with my dad it became apparent to me that buying a British bike opened far more doors than going down the 80s Twinshock route (the BMCA being one). “Proper” bikes I think was the term he used. Looking at the offerings and having seen a Drayton or two at the Zona1 Kia round in 2015, I decided to pursue this option. I am 35 years old and starting to see the older style of bike as more appealing, appreciating real engineering and character, something that the modern bikes lack – for me the Drayton has all of this yet is still competitive (perhaps not so much in my hands) and looked unlikely to let me down (quality wise). Anyway, I have now purchased a Drayton Bantam with a D14 engine. To cut a long story short, I subsequently found out that Jim Pickering lives only two streets away from my parents after driving the length of the country to buy this bike! I’m pleased to say that the bike is a thing of beauty and I can honestly say that I am over the moon with it. This bike (for me) is still very much in keeping with the Pre-65 period which Jim deserves a lot of credit for. To add to this, Jim has since helped me get my carburation right (Amal, rather than the Mikuni that was fitted), mechanically improved my clutch, and explained various aspects of the bike to help me get started – all at short-notice. Top bloke all round. Regarding the debate that I seem to have unwittingly created, with time ticking, I personally believe that some of what we are seeing relates to new generations of people coming through and those wanting to ride bikes that they have grown up with (not in all cases granted). Twinshocks (to me) ARE older bikes from ‘back in the day’ and thus buying a Drayton was a good compromise with one eye on the Twinshock series (local to me). This shift for me is only going to gather pace (of course flagship nationals such as the Scottish may remain in the current guise) especially with time ebbing away at the number of pure 100% Pre-65 bikes out there. Talk of people of cheating for riding such bikes in Pre-65 classes seems a bit harsh, in many cases people just want to be able to ride as many trials as possible and enjoy themselves regardless of class; I really don’t see the advantage being quite as big as some are making out - a good rider on a rigid will beat me hands down every time. I’d like to think that the older guys out there see the fact that an average rider like me at my age going out and buying this rather than a new Vertigo/TRS/EVO as being a positive thing for this side of the sport. Also (as has been pointed out) where clubs struggle for entries in some of these classes (I’m talking about the average club trial) it’s hard to turn people away and inevitably impossible to cater for everyone - I went to a trial last year where 9 people turned up. Riding older bikes at club level should all be about fun and enjoyment and at the same time be an opportunity to display your pride and joy. I can understand that you may need more comprehensive rules at National level where there is something of note at stake – in these trials it’s essential that the rules are crystal clear. Just my 2-cents (for what its worth). Thanks for all the replies! Stewart

Hi all, can anyone give me some advice on the drawbacks of purchasing a Drayton Bantam? I've been given the opportunity to purchase one at a good price but heard that they aren't accepted at many of the pre65 British bike type trials? I'm thinking I may have a problem getting in at BMCA events and I guess the Scottish should I ever decide to have a go. Is this generally the case? Will I be limited? Do they hold their value as well as the purer versions as far as the investment goes? Many thanks, Stewart

Villiersprodigy from an entries dwindling perspective, I was of the same assumption until the boxing day trial at brownwesthead Park... There must have been 100 riders. I personally think that the folk are still there and tend to agree more with the running of the club/people moving on etc etc. Such a shame as I remember some of the trials as being great, notably the old mine at Kinlet, Hartlebury 2 day, Howards Wood and various up on Clee Hill ?

Does anyone know the reason for decline of trials in the West Midlands? Growing up in Kidderminster there was always a trial on somewhere, run by Stourbridge, Bewdley, Dudley and a few others. Reading the midland centre regs, there appears to be nothing on whatsoever in the period between xmas and summer. I'm now living in Gloucester so a lot more choice but would still support events back 'home'. What I don't understand is that the boxing day trial run by Bewdley was absolutely packed out so I can't believe there isn't demand...

If you can model parts in CAD then try protolabs (firstcut) in Telford

Anyone know if the trial advertised on the Midland Centre ACU pages run by Dudley Club is taking place next weekend? Cheers

Dave, am I missing something mate, it says 2015 when you go to events/fixtures....?

Where Dave? Still showing 2015 as I type? Cheers

Thanks to all. Sorted now with high temp silicone and S3 specific orings that are not listed anywhere - pretty **** tbh, but a big thanks to BVM for sourcing them! https://www.dropbox.com/s/d17lix5c27ib6q1/_20151230_214105.JPG?dl=0