turbofurball

One thing to note (and I say this as someone with a White Wonder) if you've not ridden trials before don't try to ride it in a competition - they are too much for a beginner in tight confines and it would be easy to hurt yourself on it. On a single-track technical trail? Riding up a mountain? Need a way to pull your arms out of their sockets in one smooth action? This bike is an excellent solution to those tasks, just not trials for a beginner. Also, they're very useful for learning how to kickstart a bike while not being on the bike

That looks good! I've got an aftermarket lever that's too high up to be comfy, since my pegs are lowered ... there's a temporary fix on there that's been in place for a year, I should sort that ...

I've had a non-magnet lanyard before, it was a bit crap but if you want one then knock yourself out ... I've had zero issues with mine this far, whereas I had a couple of drops where the machine kept running for a while because I couldn't get back to a traditional kill switch quickly. Ummm ... Also, both my bikes are registered and legal to ride on the road while in competition trim

1. Damage due to accidents is probably once in every 6 competitions for me (a low level rider on classic bikes) 2. Usually easy to repair, however parts need to be ordered and posted etc. 3. I have received bruises and a couple of grazes so far, but that's all. I'm 41 now so tend to be quite "risk averse" 4. In my opinion, making engine stop lanyards mandatory would help. Also, some knee, hip, and elbow protection in trials clothing would help with the injuries I've sustained - I've tried wearing normal motorbike armour, and it's just too hot. Full face helmets (as used for downhill mountain biking) have been proposed as being more suitable for the risks in trials, over road legal open face ones. I quite fancy getting one, but I think that again heat would be a major problem. 5. The bikes themselves do enough, but clothing could be improved in my opinion

No, because the only way I could afford to buy one right now would be to sell all of my bikes, and having a reliable road bike is more important to me than trials. If I had the money I'd be all over an Electric Motion, and would start working on converting my TY to electric power I'm hoping that in a couple more years the cost will come down

Well yes, but the question was which would YOU buy ... and that's what I would buy

I'm lucky enough to live right by a lovely trail with some trials-y bits next to it, so popping out for an hour after work would be ideal ... however I don't want to bug other local residents by riding a trials bike around the same patch every day since there's already friction from people travelling here and then riding like idiots, carving the place up, etc.

I'd buy an Electric Motion EMLite so I could enjoy the peace and quiet, play on trails as well as trials, and enjoy the lack of oil changes / chain maintenance, etc.

Yeah, they're great little bikes stock Yours looks nmice and tidy!

If you have deep pockets, get Yamaha-majesty.com to build you a new (well, 90% new) one. Converting a regular TY isn't too horrible, but having additional changes beside the original can make them feel very much like a modern bike ... my TY is partly majesty-fied, it weighs 4Kg less than stock and handles very similarly to the 2004 TxT Pro I used to have.

Tangentally related, but last night I used a proper handlebar tie-down strap (£13 off a certain famous auction website) on my other half's CBR600RR ... it was sooo easy, and I'll definitely be using it on my trials bikes in the future too! Wish I'd bought one a long time ago, now

I wonder what kind of load that's going to put on the front wheel bearings compared with tieing down to the handlebars, which holds the weight of the bike upright (but might not be the best for the fork springs

You can get similar things on ebay, the self contained ones appear to be about £60 at the mo in the UK I've heard anecdotal evidence of the wired ones working well on street bikes

I am indeed, and a dual sport is a dirt bike in my book! My point wasn't that it was a trials bike, but that the battery, recharge, and speed controller technology is moving forwards at a high rate on knots ... electric trials bikes will follow suit and come down in price as it matures

I was looking at the Zero trail bike last night, started production in 2016 and by mid 2017 the range had doubled ... worth holding on to your cash IMO! I'm still waiting for that elusive universal twinshock electric conversion kit ...

I found MSM to be no use for the TY or the Cota ... same with classic bike specific insurance. In the end I just went to compare.com and they're covered for ~£80 each with Devitt. Modern trials bikes will probably be more expensive to insure. If you want to be able to ride trails or down to the shops a twinshock is more practical since they come with actual seats and more chilled steering geometry (but are then harder work in actual trials).

I'll be doing this in an outdoor industrial area used to store waste fuel, if there's any sparks the acid will be the least of my worries! As for testing, the tank is already screwed, it'll either get better or be equally screwed ... guess I'll find out by the end of the week

I do have enough to fill it, my plan was to put it in, leave it for an hour or two, and pour it back out. I deal with lots of volatile stuff at work, so I should manage not to blow myself up!

Quick update - I left the vinegar in for the weekend, came back in on Monday to find it had eaten through the tap seal, poured out, and eaten through the epoxy floor paint. Also, the inside of the tank is now far more rusty than it was. I had checked it after 24 hours, and it hadn't appeared to do anything by that point ... The other acid will hopefully go in sometime later this week (since I need to supervise it and have it outdoors), and this tank will be an emergency stop-gap as it's now pretty stuffed

Mmm, I went and did a little reading ... an ally tank is in my future!

Thanks, in the mean time I've booked a track training day close to that date so wouldn't be able to come ... it's a shame, but I couldn't really wait longer to get my holidays booked!

Ah ok, never mind! (the Majesty style tanks are not to my taste )

That seat / tank unit looks nice, any idea where it's from?

I've got a 428 chain (lighter, plenty strong enough for a 175) and standard sprockets ... if I were to make a change, I'd want to try 1 tooth up on the front so 1st gear is more useful ... though that may then lead to having to change gear in some sections that I could otherwise have done all in 2nd ...

Depends on the electric bike in question, the speed controller has a vast effect on whether you have a smooth application of power or not (it also affects the noise the bike makes, strangely enough)