trapezeartist

Yes, the spacer is a substitute for the speedo drive but what happens on the right side doesn't affect wheel location as the stepped part of the wheel spindle just finds it's natural place and is then clamped in the fork leg. I've confirmed with Bob Wright that there shouldn't be a spacer on the left; the brake backplate just bolts up against the fork leg. I'm wondering if someone in the past history of the bike has modified the backplate to move everything over a bit, though I can't think why. At the moment my plan is to insert a washer between the backplate and the fork leg and bolt it up that way. A standard Form A washer is 2.5mm so that will get it just about exactly in place. Unfortunately it might leave me a little bit short of thread on the end of the spindle. There seems to be an internal thread in there though so I may try putting a set screw and washer in the end as a precaution. Thanks maggar. It would be helpful if you could have a look for me and tell me what yours looks like.

When I went on a trials experience day last year (just to make sure I really wanted to do it) there was a guy in the group who had never ridden a motorbike before. He got on fine, and he was your age or probably a little older.

Working, yes. But I don't know whether the wheel was offset then, and I just didn't notice.

I just bought my Fantic 200 and came across my first little difficulty in the garage today. Having done a very muddy trial the other day I took the front wheel out to check the brake and clean all the crud out. On reassembly I put it back with the spacer on the right (see bilco's post above) but the wheel is not central. The rim is about 3mm offset (30mm clearance to left fork leg and 36mm to right). Also the clearance between the brake lever and the fork leg is only about 2mm which seems uncomfortably close. I'd already worked out that the spacer is a substitute for the speedo drive (as bilco's post). On the face of it, it looks like the RH spacer should be smaller, and there should be a small spacer on the left, but that doesn't agree with bilco, nor does it seem a logical way of designing the bike. Any thoughts, guys?

But that list includes Haven Trialsport who, I understand, are no longer working with Jotagas. How reliable is that list?

That says it all really. At one point I was tempted by the Jotagas because I liked the look of them and I could buy an almost new one very cheaply. But there had to be a reason it was that cheap, and I decided I could afford to buy another make and pay a normal market price for it.

Strip the carb and clean everything with carb cleaner and (if possible) ultra-sonic. Check everything in there including float height. When you put it back, be sure that the rubbers to the air box and engine are properly seated and sealed. Try it like that. PS. Taking the carb off is a swine of a job. You'll need to remove the airbox, exhaust, the upper rear shock bolt, the ignition thingie on the right of the engine and the other ignition thingie bolted to the back of the gearbox. When you put it back together make sure that the various breather pipes are routed in a tidy manner. I've always had to use a ty-rap the keep one of them clear of the exhaust.

Never ever give an insurance company even half an excuse to wriggle out of a claim.

Hi Gwill. I've just bought one too, but I've bought one where someone else has done the hard work. I expect we'll learn together on here.

I seem to have slight cold stick but I can free it by rocking in gear. It's not nearly as extreme as my modern Beta. I also have difficulty finding neutral, but that's made worse by having the lever in a position where I can't brace my heel against anything. On the other hand, the clutch feel when slipping it around a tight turn is beautiful.

Thanks a lot, grib. That's very helpful. Your 66:1 ties in with my preliminary plan to use 80ml to 5 litres so I'm happy I'm doing the right thing. Light gear oil or ATF? Hmm, it's all down to how the clutch feels I suppose. I don't know what I've got in there at the moment but I think ATF would be fairly obvious if I let a little drop out of the level plug. The parts diagram and manual are really useful too.

Yes, Jaime's name did sound like Hy-may in the clip I just looked at, but that video was in Euskera (Basque) and Jaime's comments were being voice-overed into Euskera. I don't know enough about Euskera to comment on pronunciation but I've heard plenty of Spanish spoken by people from the Basque country (and Cataluna, Valencia and Andalucia) and the back-of-the-throat sound is always there. But all of this is by-the-by: I was very impressed by the look of the Jotagas, but they have failed to convince enough people to part with their money. It's always going to be an uphill task to establish a new marque and while everyone seems to admire their engineering, other aspects of the business have failed to make the grade.

Me too! And just to play safe, I bought it myself.

No offence taken. We're both singing off the same hymn; there was just a bit of confusion. Eh? Me parece que tomaste demasiado ron, Sr Oni.

Yes. I've downloaded the 240 one to use as a rough guide. Even then, unfortunately it doesn't include the diagrams that are referenced throughout the text. 70/80:1 fully synthetic. Or 50:1 semi synthetic. I might have guessed there would be conflicting advice . The person I bought it from was using 70:1 synthetic, and even gave me half a can of oil. I think I might go for 63.5:1 (80ml to 5 litres). I think there is a level plug for the gearbox, but I haven't found it yet. I would like to be sure I've found the right thing before taking it out, just in case it's something else important. I should be able to let a bit dribble out and identify ATF. If it's not ATF I suppose it will be guesswork.

I would have written it khi-may. It's hard to put it into anything recognisably English phonetic. In this context the j is the choking sound in the back of the throat that only exists in Arabic and Spanish. It's a little bit like a Scotsman saying "loch".

The title says it: I've just become the proud owner of a Fantic 200 in really nice condition. So inevitably I have to start with a few questions to the worthy gentlemen of this forum. What fuel/oil mix should I use? What type of oil? I know brand is a personal preference, but fully synthetic, semi synthetic, mineral? What oil, and how much in the gearbox? Is there anywhere I can get a manual? Preferably a download. No doubt there will be more but these answers would get me started. I'm hoping to do a first trial with it on the day after Boxing Day.

Don't worry for my eyesight, Suction Sweep. I'll just keep well away from any cooking programmes on the box (along with dancing, "talent" shows and DIY makeovers). You have an interesting idea for future programmes. Ross Noble could be the next Guy Martin.

S Miller Esq on an Ariel 500 in the 1970s? Are you sure?

Letter J is said "jota" in Spanish, just like it would be "jay" in English.

If you were looking for an enthusiast's documentary about the SSDT, you were always going to be disappointed. As a programme designed for a Dave audience, I thought it was extremely good. Yes, it would have been nice to see some of the front-runners cleaning sections instead of just Ross falling off, but I think we have to acknowledge the difficulty for the camera crews. There were also a few too many shots of Ross's face from the backward-facing camera on the handlebars. The Parc Ferme running gag was fine as it developed slowly and rose to a crescendo. Master Chef? I'd rather stick needles in my eyes.

A Beta looks like a Gasgas looks like a TRS? To an unpractised eye, that's true. But going back to the old bikes, a Triumph twin looks like a BSA twin looks like a Norton twin. And a Francis-Barnett looks like a James looks like a BSA Bantam. If you're an enthusiast for a particular type of bike, the differences are obvious. If you're not, they're not.

I really can't imagine a serious trials bike with electric start. Weight is critical (for marketing purposes at least, even if not so much so for performance) so why add the weight of starter + battery + solenoid wiring? Also, modern bikes are so tightly packaged. Where would you put it?

Don't dismiss a 4T. My Beta 300 4T has oodles of power, pulls like a train at the bottom end and sounds lovely to boot. When people think of a 4 stroke, they always think of a Montesa, but the Beta gets lots of admiring comments. (And yes, I am a novice on a 300. With the 4T, it works.)