sherpa325

I'm not sure tubeless tyres are heavier, I've got a tube type rear michelin and the weight difference between it and an X11 would be negligible and the same applies to MTB tyres. Tubeless is easier to fit, no tube to pinch or rim locks to contend with and much less likely to get a flat.

What's interesting is both my Mountain Bikes have tubless front and back and don't cause any trouble at all. They have a special adhesive rim tape that covers the spokes and a sealant inside the tyre and are trouble free.

Water from the water pump, in the oil, will cause the plates to stick and it doesn't have to be much.

After having four operations on one knee and at the moment recovering from an operation on my good knee I would have to disagree with you.

14/52 for the 250 bikes using the 1/2" chain. The first 325's M92 used 13/52 1/2" chain. The later bikes up to the 198/199 used the 11/46 5/8" chain which works out to be very close to the 13/52.

If it's the Dellorto carb, I've found they start best when hot with no throttle at all

I would personally go with the bike that has the best parts supply and service. This can vary from country to country as some of the importers are small in terms of the range and volume of parts they keep in stock. I changed from two different manufacturers simply because of lack of customer service in terms of product knowledge and parts kept in stock.

Sherpas have three or four wires coming from the magneto. Green goes to earth, Black goes to the coil and kill switch, yellow is lights so just terminate that at your junction box. Some later ones have a red wire also which is also stopped at the junction box.

Is it true the E start bikes have a lighter flywheel in order to accommodate the starting mechanism? If so is it noticeable in relation to the engine performance?

There is a sleeve/spacer that is inside the hub and between the two bearings. You should be able to lever this spacer to the side with a long screwdriver, thus giving you access to the bearing from the inside, they generally require a decent hit to get them moving.

The other issue with the sliding bar type is that you would have to move the bar out with your hand and then slide it back in position when the bike started, not an ideal situation in a section. The standard type can be used entirely with your foot.

My advice would be to try and find a complete bike. Bike specific parts are getting harder to find and are generally expensive. You used to be able to find all sorts of parts on Ebay and the like but that source has all but dried up. If you can do the work yourself the cost of getting one restored and trials ready can be kept to a minimum, however as soon as you start farming work out to shops etc be prepared to pay. Check around and make sure parts are available for the bike you choose, I have Bultacos and they are quite easy to keep going and find parts for and the engine/gearbox is super reliable as the same bottom end was used on MX bikes etc. I have a couple of mates with TYs and they seem pretty good as well.

Weigh it with an empty tank

Standard Bultaco rise is 5 1/2" some people use a 6" . I prefer the lower bars, but it's personal preference

There is an OKO dealer in Australia who apparently is easy to deal with, you can also search for a Keihin PWK 28 which is what the OKO is a copy of