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What? More solid than a Gasser? More watertight than a Sherco? With more reliable electrics than a Beta? Cheaper than a Honda? Cleaner running than the Beta? Better starting than the Sherco 4T? Are you mad? Just crazy talk, you're a hard task master

MRS are advertising one on their website for the Sherco's. Down South this year from memory.

Welcome Sam - there's probably plenty of posts out there discussing this sort of thing, but....I may as well start you off and others will no doubt add on to it. Depending on the age of your bike, you'll have tubeless rear, tubed front, or for the older ones tubed front and rear. The things that look like valves but aren't are security bolts - they grip the tyre to the wheel to stop the wheel spinning without the tyre - not a great problem on the front, but used to be a big problem on tubed rears. Could easily rip a valve out when water/mud lubed the tyre up. Changing the front is similar to any push bike you might have done, other than the security bolt if there is one - just take the nut off and carry on as normal. Changing the rear is the thing that's alien to people who've not been in trials for years or have only done push bikes. The tubeless tyre has a bead which holds it pretty tight to the rim, and even with no air in it, that seal is almost unbreakable without some kind of tool. Sometimes you can get away with using a shovel along the edge of the rim - basically you have to push the tyre away from the rim to break the seal. Various people have various tricks. I used to use a couple of bits of wood wedged up against a block of wood on my garage wall to get the leverage. There are tools called 'bead breakers' out there which make it really easy but at 30-40 quid you might decide to take it to a dealer, especially when you learn that to get the tyre back on, the easiest way is with a 'beader' - between 15-20 quid. It's like a ring of rubber slightly smaller than the wheel which fills the gap between the tyre and the rim so that you can get enough air in there to get the tyre back 'in the bead'. Then you pull it out carefully as the tyre expands and pushes out to the rim. Most of the rest of it, is good old tyre levers in the same way as any other tyre, but I'm sure people will throw in some handy tips and tricks to help you along the way. Good luck!

It'd be an interesting test. I reckon at some point, going pint for pint my riding ability could overtake Dougie Lampkin Mine would no doubt get better for the fist 5 or 6 pints, then level out at pi** poor for another 5 or 6 pints, then probably go downhill from there.

I'm thinking it's gonna take a while to get a lorry trained (errr tuned) up?

Come on Glen, surely most of those years were on solid rubber tyres? Was it Rudge or Sunbeam?

I'd imagine that the price of the VW Transporter puts people off, and I know it's very shallow, but the Vito looks so much better than the Citroen. I'm only guessing here (so sorry if it's not true) but I'd imagine the German's will top the French for reliability and durability. I've got a thing against French cars as my old man ran Renault's for years despite them falling to pieces under him, so maybe i need to get over it if they're better now. Whatever you say about practicality or reliability, most people would choose the Transporter then the Vito for looks (and to most of us, no matter what we say it does matter )

Cheers I'll watch out for that one. Christ yeah - I forgot Les was your uncle. Great bloke, lives about 100 yards from them, I noticed still got his mint condition VW Caddy, must be about 25 years old now. Les used to do half our push bike repairs and upgrades when we were kids - for all the local trials kids. Sometimes we'd have to wait two weeks to get things done till he came back off the rigs poor chap Not sure what's happening this weekend - still fighting change control at work - so everything could be cancelled and I might be up the road tonight. Wouldn't mind getting to the Scott, not sure if we'd manage trial on Sunday, struggling for time now.

Cheers Paul, you're a star. Yep, old folks (Barry and Dot) still live in Yarm. Old man in his 70's now, healthier these days after a few setbacks but still taking it too easy to get out to too many trials other than vintage club. I've said I'd get back up there for a trial for years now, but never got round to it. One day we will. I did nothing but trials as a kid and it was a lot of the East Yorks courses still ridden. I still remember every inch of Harwood Dale, Lazenby Bank, Charltons, Birk Brow. Would be great to have another go, despite me riding far worse than I could nearly 25 years ago :-)

Cheers Paul - will have to get TMX, although my work may have scuppered any plans, as I may have to work through Sunday night now. I was sort of thinking of coming up to watch the Scott, and ride a trial on the way back with my lad. I guess there would be no Youth C class or similar at this Hull one? I rode a few trials round Rosedale as a kid, but can't say I remember the names.

Sounds strange - I know how good Kev is, so hardly feel worthy of questioning it, but why wouldn't evaporated fuel be replaced, when the floats go down and more fuel is allowed in? A mate of mine has an 05 GasGas which I love - he's had it for years on top of the bikes which him and his son have every year - at the moment I think 07 and an 08. It tends to get loaned out to various people for various trials, all of them having some trouble starting it, and I always jump on it and goes first time. I know yours may well be different problems - I always start with no throttle and a very big leg. Just thought I'd mention it in case just knowing that can make you give it an extra welly first time and maybe avoid some of your problems. I'm 'bigger than the average bear' so it helps. The 05 was the last Gasser I could ride due to the lightened forks on the 06 which I just can't get to grips with (yet) - seems to flick under me too often.

ust out of interest - what's on up your neck of the woods? I know the Scott, but what's on Sunday?

That's a good point, but the 16 year old rule cuts in on his birthday, whenever it is. For Fred, not a problem for next year as his lad's 16 now, but rule would still apply for the rest of this year (as he's past his 16th birthday).

Forget about the kids, tell your good lady the kids burnt the carpet so you've sorted it - had them taken in to care. Job's a good 'un. You'll save a fortune, very expensive kids are!

It's me answer above I promise Yep, they're dead right - up until 16 no flexibility, even if you're upgraded you still need to ride the bike applicable to your age. Will be the same in all ACU centres, it's an ACU ruling. Once he's 16, he can ride as an adult in an adult event, with their rules entirely. The separate question about parental consent is an ongoing one which John's looking in to (John Collins). The ACU registration proports to be the parental consent for the year, but it's not absolutely clear. Not a problem for Fred I know as he's just as keen to be out there anyway.

Are you talking about the exhaust or the silencer? I did my exhaust with caustic soda, same method they use for kitchen stuff. Watch your fingers For the silencer I was searching for my previous post but can't find it. Here's what I've done to mine and my lads a couple of times. It really does clear it out if it's the loud crackle you're trying to get rid of. 1. Remove silencer from bike 2. Remove the rubber O ring from the front of it. 3. Pour fuel inside - fill it up if you want. 4. Leave for a few hours to soak 5. Pour more fuel inside, then DRAIN IT ALL OUT, just drip dry for a few seconds 6. Move to a VERY safe hardstanding with plenty of room 7. At arms length plus a bit (or even better at someone else's arms length) light the silencer - dont stand in line with it 8. Once the initial flames start to subside, blast a compressor in each end to provide oxygen. 9. Enjoy your very own jet engine. 10. Relight until it won't burn. 11. Repeat once. Note. start from step 5 - if you find you need to start from step 1 you've got problems 12. Wait to cool 13. Get your autosol out, it'll be a bit black but will clean up easily.

Was going to mention that, I'll have to have a dig in the garage to see what I used, but I uprated mine last time I replaced my fork seals. This could be totally wrong (I need to have a hunt around), but on my lads bike I seem to remember mixing 5 and 10 wt oil, but on mine I went with the full 10 wt oil, and it did slow the action down a little. I've got other questions to ask, but I won't detract from the thread until Fred's got some more answers.

Hi Fred - As the ACU handbook is the only book I've read (that's only just joking) I feel like I can answer. At 16 years old you can enter adult trials and forget all about the Youth rules, so he can ride a 250 totally legally for instance. What he won't be able to do is enter a youth class on the 250. If he enters a youth trial/class at age 16, the youth rules all apply including the cc limit. I'm not just guessing at that, I know your bike purchase could be based on it, so I wouldn't even guess if I wasn't sure. For example, he could legally enter our Adult Novice class on a GasGas 250 at age 16. More than happy for people to add to this to give Fred a warm feeling

If it's more of a crackle these days than a healthy sounding burble, it may need burning out. Have a search of the forums for ways to burn it out. I've bored people with it a couple of times Out of interest, what age group are we talking? I don't want to be encouraging teenagers to set fire to themselves or their house. It's a little dodgy to say the least, so you've got to be really careful if you do try it. I've done it quite a few times, but please proceed with caution.

You could always shove your 9 grand away in the bank and in 50 years time it could be worth ........errrrr.........errrrrrrr........about 450 quid if the bank is still in business. OK - you might have a point

It costs about the same as a tank of fuel, so although I don't change as often as Dabster, I would say every 3 or 4 months I put a new one in and throw the other away. Saves the hassle of a dead plug.

We're looking pretty popular on these programs. I've never been at a trial where we've needed an ambulance or an air ambulance, but no doubt it's only a matter of time. We've had a few charity trials for the Mid Wales Air Ambulance. Makes me think we should all be thinking about doing a few more of these sort of charity trials. Would take a good few trials to pay for one air ambulance call out I'd imagine.

Don't worry about it - Larry Hagman's a fine looking chap - and anyway she'll grow out of it

I've not got a 4t (or had one) but ridden a fair while. I found in mud that i knocked it up to 3rd and 4th to get more feel. I still fancy a 4t, but never sure they sorted the warm starting for sure. Let us know how you find it.