trapezeartist

Did I even say I am going anywhere to practice? Don't be a dick - stop jumping to conclusions.

The ACU considers trials sufficiently safe that they don’t mandate any medical cover for trials. But then tell us not to practice because we will be putting pressure on the NHS. Meanwhile walkers are stepping off pavements into the road willy-billy to maintain their 2m separation.

I find it staggering that people would sell or buy trials boots that are not waterproof. It’s like having a raincoat that’s not waterproof. Or a colander with no holes in it.

I tried a number of oils in my 2014 Evo. I've now settled on Nanotrans as it gives me the best clutch.

I loved the video too. And I thought stop-allowed combined with the time limit worked well. No-stop would be a nightmare at that level. It was a real problem at the Southern Experts last year when we were told to be super strict on stopping.

I carry one bike in a Berlingo car. Seats removed and an infill in the rear lh footwell. I put the front wheel against the BC post on the passenger side and the back wheel then needs to be fairly close to the driver's side to shut the tailgate. So one bike is easy and doesn't require any precision or fiddling about. I can see how benbeta's solution for two bikes would work, but I really wouldn't fancy driving with the front wheel of a bike between the seats and blocking the handbrake. If it really has to be a Berlingo (I understand that. Nothing bigger would fit in front of my garage.) then one bike inside and the other on a bike rack seems like the best solution.

I suppose it depends how often you wear them. My 2-3 year-old Gaerne's are standing up well. I was amazed when I came in to trials that they were the only boots that claimed to be waterproof. It seems like such a fundamental requirement. Anyway, I'm very happy with mine, my feet stay dry and warm and I only wear an ordinary pair of poly-cotton socks with them. (I would wear some thermal socks, but I should have bought the boots a size bigger.)

Let’s agree to disagree. The world would be a boring place if everyone thought the same about everything. (But you’re still wrong.?)

Tank tape on the frame triangle just in front of the air box, as advised by Beta UK in their SSDT prep document. I’ve only been doing it for the last couple of trials but it seems a big improvement. Previously the air filter was wet, muddy and had a few bits of leaf and twig every time.

Much as I usually respect your opinions Lineaway, in this case you are totally wrong. I've never had the magnet pop off, it only once got pulled off by a bush (but I now re-route the lanyard to keep it well away from stray twigs) and I really can't think of many places where an itch can appear that can't be scratched with the right hand. On the other hand I've had numerous occasions where I've parted company from the bike and the engine has dutifully switched itself off, and I've seen quite a few people do the same and have their engine screaming its nuts off because they didn't have a magnetic switch. The only downside to a lanyard switch is when you lose it (it only happened to me once). I've now split the wiring of the switch in two with a plug in between, so I can undo the plug and finish a trial if I lose the magnet.

There may be a bit of a terminology issue over "two tone". Two tone as in "nee-nah" is definitely illegal except on emergency vehicles, as is any multi-tone that plays La Cucaracha or whatever (remember them?). Two horns of different tone sounding together is legal, but not mandatory.

I tried that yesterday and it didn't seem to do much. Maybe I didn't get it hot enough.

Mechanic sorted the bleeding for a tenner. After all the hours I had put in!? The travel was still a bit long and once I started riding the brake was horribly noisy and ineffective. Riding about dragging the brake for a while solved the noise and lack of friction. By the end of the day the travel has shortened slightly so it now seems all good. I’ll show the pads and disc some brake cleaner and emery this week, just to make sure.

Welcome to the world of Beta. Clutches have given me plenty of aggro on my two Betas, but everything else has its issues too. My 250 Evo had a bit of cold stick when I got it and also was difficult to get a good adjustment of the bit point. I did the “clutch fix”, which achieved nothing. I bled the hydraulics but I don’t think there was any air in it anyway. I was also keen to lighten the action slightly so I put a washer on each clutch bolt. One washer was as much as I thought would be safe without risking touching the cover but it wasn’t enough. I’ve now removed two springs altogether and like it that way. I also tried 3 or 4 different oils and only Putoline Nanotrans made any difference. That was the best mod I did. Until this week I was using Nanotrans with whatever residual oil wouldn’t drain out. I’ve just done another oil change so should be 99% Nanotrans now. I’m hoping it might be even better.

I haven't!? I did get the pistons to push out properly in the end but I'm still stuck with the long travel and spongey feel. I tried reverse bleeding. I tried taking the whole assembly off so that I could have a nice smooth uphill run for the air to find it's way to the bleed nipple. I used a T-bar to push the m/c piston to make sure I was using the full stroke. Having reached the point where I was just about feeling something at the end of the pedal travel and I had done numerous pumps with no air coming out, I decided the air must be caught in the banjo on the master cylinder. So I cracked off the banjo bolt and gave the pedal a squeeze. Fluid came out without any sign of bubbles (it's hard to be sure) and then I completely lost the pedal again. More conventional bleeding and I got back to the spongey long-travel brake, but no further. I've now given up and I'm taking it to a motorcycle mechanic tomorrow. It seems to me the integral reservoir in the master cylinder is the problem. You only get three pumps before you have to stop and top-up. If there was a remote reservoir it would be possible to disconnect it, put a big syringe on instead and push through a whole system-full of fluid in one smooth action. I thought about getting another m/c top and aralditing in a piece of metal tube that I could then put a syringe on, but it's easier to just take the bike to someone else to do (I wish I'd done that from the start).

Possibly. I was just going on the seal kit, which came in a Braktec bag.

braktec, I think. Oh yes. The grooves were pretty crappy and took a lot of picking at with a metal scribe. Your second comment is encouraging. Depending on how it turns out, I may go to a practice ground next weekend instead of doing a trial. That way I can do the things I need to do to encourage the brake to behave rather than having to follow the route. And I can stop whenever I like to adjust the pedal and top-up the fluid.

This one just runs and runs. I got the new seals in, then had a nightmare to get it bled. Finally I think I have all the air out of it. Next problem is the massive amount of travel before the brake comes on. The bike is still on the stand with numerous bits still to be refitted so I haven't ridden it yet, but it looks as though there is too much roll back on the seals. I'm just hoping I'm wrong once I get to riding it, or maybe riding for a bit will persuade the pistons to move out a bit closer to the disc.

Sorry I can’t help, but just wondered how you like the helmet. I was tempted, but opted for a conventional Airoh in the end. The Zone 5 is about 30% heavier than the Airoh, and lots of people seemed to think that was important. I was sceptical, but decided to play safe and go with lightweight.

Americans have their fanny in a very odd place. Apparently men have one too. And you thought all the ladyboys were in Thailand! ?

Carrying a few pounds of lard might eliminate a 125 from the shopping list but I don’t think it changes the 250 v 300 debate. A 250 will be a lot more capable than you are and is never going to run out of puff. A 300 might take you to places you don’t want to go. (It’s not just a matter of 50cc. It’s the way they are tuned.)

Measuring the main dimensions is one thing. Getting the exact right profile and the right material is another. I bit the bullet and bought another kit (and some red rubber grease!).

I have just renewed the pistons and seals in the rear calliper of my Evo 250. Unfortunately I damaged one of the seals as I was putting it together. Is there a source for seals only as it seems a shame to spend another 30 odd quid when all I need is one seal?

As none of the bikes on your shortlist are 4T you’ve swerved one of the biggest sources of debate/disagreement. The other one is capacity. I would say definitely 250, unless you can find a good Beta 200. 125s are meant for youth riders and seem to be very buzzy (I confess I haven’t ridden one). Conversely 280/290/300 are intended for experts and tuned accordingly. There ability to throw you at bits of scenery goes far beyond the extra few cc. Make really doesn’t matter, except that a good local dealer for one make might swing you that way. Just buy something that is in good condition and well maintained.

The AMCA option is a bit less bureaucratic. Join an AMCA club and that's it. Around your way you've got Golden Valley and Cheltenham Hawks. (Although Golden Valley is a classic club they accept modern bikes ridden by riders over 50.) For maximum choice, I'm a member of an ACU club and an AMCA club and I have an ACU registration (they don't call it a licence).