turbofurball

Absolutely, outside of the EU nothing at all illegal moves through borders - it's the perfect fix!

Could you post up a photo? One day I would *love* an early 250 Sherpa, not quite sure why, but they tickle my fancy

A road gear would be nice on the TY, flat out it does about 30 ... the Mont flies though!

Thanks!

If it works for you, then it's better. I like moderate damping, and both the TY and Cota are squishy rather than bouncy (the Cota has old Marazocchi shocks IIRC, stock fork springs, and it all works very well).

Older Bultaco Sherpas can be found for not obscene money and have right side gear shifters. Also, they're not super light, so it would help you get in shape for your pre-unit bike to follow.

Thanks, I'm used to going to Simply Bearings etc, was just wondering if anyone knew the sizes but I'll stop being lazy and dig out my bearing puller!

What size are they? Any peculiarities to them?

The springs were the same length as standard, but offered a lot more resistance to getting the end caps on, so I guess the originals were just completely toast. I'm not planning on changing it now, as it's lovely!

Yeah, my TY doesn't feel springy, just plush ... maybe if I went to thinner oil (on 10w at the mo) or added more preload I'd see more bouncy-ness for wheelies ... it suits me like it is though The Rock Shocks are very nice, I only went for them as I wanted to be able to rebuild them and maybe change their length in the future (I went for 370mm, which is a bit taller than most people like on TYs)

Well, if it'll help you out I can come and take it off your hands ... I wouldn't even ask for money, 'cause I'm nice like that Seriously though, you can't be far off at this point!

My Gasgas TXTPro started first kick and was very easy, once I got the carb cleaned. My TY is also very low stress on my right knee (which is bad from an operation) and very low down, which also helps. The Cota is the hardest bike I've ever had to kick start, and I can only manage it standing next to the bike and using my left leg!

Sorry, I meant calves (also, not a he)

Three weeks ago, while practicing on my newly minted TY, I managed to bottom out the forks. My first thought was that I've been eating too many mince pies, but then I figured it's time to sort the front end so off to the Majesty website I went ... One week later I tackled the same spot (moderate downhill with a 18" drop, then more downhill), and the difference is night and day! It felt like I was being gently lowered down the drop by little cherubs. Now, this was during a trial, and over all the bike felt far more ballanced with the Rock Shocks on the back and it did have a big positive effect on my confidence. Less stodgy, but harder to wheelie for some reason. I love the way the TY handles now, which is a relief since when I first got it I thought I might have made a terrible mistake. Turns out, it just needed money spent in the right places

Forma Boulders have a hard sole which is good. Mine haven't worn well, but I've patched them so will get me money's worth. They're not a supportive shape, but you can get insoles with arch support which might see you right (look on the famous auction website for Orthotic Insoles), come high up on your thighs, and are pretty hard - a big plus if you fall off as much as I do

Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed watching the two episodes and it very much looks like an extended version of what I'm like on a road trial But yeah, it's not made for trials fans. Also, yes, Ross gets mad respect just for entering and walking the walk!

Yes, it is. See: Top Gear/The Grand Tour - the last time it was about reviewing and reporting on cars was about 20 years ago, and it has a huge viewership. I'd love to see the same quality of coverage, but showing more of the event - it would help me with managing road trials (planning, pace, how to approach a single lap, etc), and also just be generally interesting ... but then I'm an enthusiast about the topic at hand. For Joe Bloggs sitting in front of the telly, they don't care that much, they want to be entertained, and seeing the human interactions is what's entertaining to most people.

Yes, but they aren't being competitive, for normal clubmen just finishing is the challenge, so in the results it's national level IMO Anyway, this is going off the topic at hand ...

So, Dougie isn't at the top level of national competition skill-wise?

I use synthetic at 50:1 in both the TY and Cota, on the recommendation of people far more experienced than me. Works fine, neither bike smokes a lot.

Oh my, you're so right! I should drop everything I'm doing, because unless it's a grueling multi-day endurance test at the top national level it's completely pointless - what I thought I was really enjoying is actually boring, thank you for enlightening me! Either that or I'm not a *real* trials rider, because I took up the hobby and am learning it. Real trials riders are born into it, all others are inferior and shouldn't have access to any events. And they certainly shouldn't try to encourage others to try the thing they love doing. (some of the above might possibly be sarcasm)

Given that even ones from India cost £300, your only option is to scour ebay and ask around for a used one (I'd love to be corrected on this, though, lol)

The clutch oil filler is right above the clutch itself, but I'll have a bash once the right amounts of fluids are back in it, maybe there's a way

Urf. Would be nice if there was a dipstick or sight window ... or even if the gearbox drain plug exited on the bottom ...

Is there any trick to checking the oil levels? Or do you just have to drain them out and refill on a regular basis?