trapezeartist

Ignoring guesswork, does anyone know why? The ACU seems to be deliberately vague.

About £10 a litre?

I agree absolutely, OTF. The good riders have improved far more than the bikes in the past 40/50 years. So the distance between expert and novice has grown ever wider. Just look at the experts on a pre-65 bike, beating the wobblers on modern bikes hands down.

That’s what everyone tells me, but if I was going to remove switch I wanted to have the warm feeling that I was leaving it in what I would call the soft setting.

I had a problem too with not being able to get an answer.

The threads on here about mapping switches show a lot of confusion and contradictory information. Hardly surprising because it looks like the writer of the handbook had had a little too much Lambrusco the day he did the electrical section. Items 5 and 6 (mapping and light switches) are labelled the wrong way round on the wiring diagram. According to the manual (2014, English) the H hard setting is to give a gentler response and S soft is for a more aggressive response! At first I thought it might be a mis-translation so I checked the Italian version and that was the same. Then I wondered if H and S were supposed to mean something else. H for humedo (wet) and S for seco (dry) perhaps? No, I think he was just pist. After pondering on the handbooks, reading all the TC threads and talking to Lampkins, I have concluded semi-definitively that switch closed is the true soft setting. So l’ve dumped the switch (which was not working properly anyway), removed most of the wiring and left short tails on the main connector block which I have permanently twisted together. So now hopefully I have a permanent soft setting and I’ve got rid of a bit of unnecessary gubbins.

I use a Berlingo too. I’ve removed both rear seats but there’s no hassle with removing bike wheels or rolling back the handlebars. The Honda Element must be mighty small if you have to do those things. One thing to bear in mind with putting a trials bike in a car is that it soon gets very dirty. My Berlingo is just for the bike and a few other purposes but I wouldn’t treat my only or main car like that.

I’ve not really noticed (I wear an Airoh) but perhaps it’s because in certain sections you will need to roll your eyes up so you don’t want to be looking at the edge of your helmet.

And our elders laughed at our flares in the 70s!

A trials bike doesn't have to be beautiful: it just has to perform. Mind you, the previous owner of my new acquisition spent a few bob on pretty bits for it, so my wife has christened it the "Bling Thing".

Do you think he's wearing that suit for a bet? And what's the thing sticking out of the side of the engine?

Cue.

Yes. Works really well in schools and colleges!

The filter is now dry, but looking pretty ratty so needs replacing. Anyway the bike is now in so many pieces that riding this weekend is not an option. I’ll take a more careful look at the splines on the output shaft this evening, hoping to find them all good. Then I’ll continue going through checking and cleaning everything, and hoping no other nasties crawl out of the woodwork. The dealer I bought it from is being good, so I’m confident he’ll provide a new air filter and sprocket. I just have to hope a sprocket change solves the problem.

I picked my new-to-me Evo 250 yesterday and just spent a couple of hours in the garage with it. Unfortunately I won’t get out to play tomorrow as planned because the air filter was filthy and has to be washed and re-oiled. Then while continuing the general check over, I found the gearbox sprocket was sloppy on the splines. Is that to be expected?

As it happens, I’ve just sold the Fantic, but not because I had fallen out of love. Being a wobbler of mature years and a beginner into the bargain, I could see that the classic clubs run the sort of trials I want to do. So I decided to get a twinshock and everyone said a Fantic 200 was the best. I have certainly had a very happy time with it: steers well, nice soft power delivery, adequate performance but didn’t want to kill me. A year on from buying it, I’ve decided to get a modern bike. If you fancy twinshock, I would recommend the Fantic without hesitation (and I no longer have one to sell ?).

I have a Blingo too. It might be a decrepit old rattle box but it was cheap and it does the job. I use it for other things too where I wouldn’t want to use my “best” car.

I started with a trials experience day too, just to make sure I was going to like it before spending proper money. Definitely the way to put a toe in the water, I think. Personally I have reservations about bike racks but lots of people love them. Look in the Transport sub-forum for some lengthy discussions. I believe Dave Cooper is the only commercial manufacturer. He also builds trailers.

I’ve not done a direct comparison but I imagine the headlining does steal a bit of space. I find my handlebars just clear when upright and straight, but as soon as I turn the steering I have to lean the bike out a bit. My headlining is not quite as pristine as it once was.?

Fiat Doblo and Citroen Berlingo are pretty much the same thing in both van and car versions. There’s also a Peugeot variant, but only a van I think. I started out looking for a van but then discovered that the same money bought me a lower mileage car, with a petrol engine, and no-one had mixed concrete in the back. I only carry one bike in my Blingo, but I think it would take two as demonstrated by the OP.

Pulling down on the suspension only compresses the springs about the same as having a rider on the bike. It's way within acceptable stress limits for the springs. Damping elements won't know you're doing it as there is no movement of the damper. Any "air spring" will only increase in pressure slightly so would be well within limits, like the spring. The block under the sump guard is fine of that's what you want to do. In my little Berlingo, it would be difficult if not impossible to lift the bike onto the block while hunched over. With a high-roof Traffic, it would be easier.

To Howard who enquired about my Fantic in the Trials Central Classifieds: sorry, but I can't find a way to reply to you. The bike is now sold (not via Trials Central), subject to payment/collection in a few days time.

I would agree with Faussy.

Huh? Ah, American, I understand. ?

Wasn’t it Martin Brundle who said “If you’ve got a £5 head, buy a £5 helmet.”?