toofasttim

Just had a look at the average UK salaries (UK salaries) 1980-GBP7585. 2009 GBP37,580 AFAIR in 1980 a trials bike would hit you about GBP1,000 or about 12.5% of your annual income. Now we have 5000/37000 or 13%. So, I was right, trials bikes are about the same price in hours worked as they were 30 years ago.

Pots? You can't push 30-40 amps through a pot*. Nah, they'll vary the duty cycle using transistors or FETS. *To be honest I have seen 400A through a "pot" but it was more of a variac than a pot. And it was rather large.

They are Dan. Not yet a championship but the FIM are pushing events like eco enduro and TTXGP It'll happen.

You have ruined what could have been an interesting thread with logic. Now go and find someone elses party to spoil

Aye, with their honda gensets in the paddock adding to "our" carbon tax

The Americans tried that in MX. Didn't work very well. If a privateer excercised the claim rule the factories would step forward with similar claims and the winner would then be drawn from a hat. Of course that meant that another facory would probably gain possession. They would then sell the bike back to the orignal owner for the claiming rule money ($3500 I think it was) without tearing the bike down (honour amonst thieves?). This detered privateers. Another thing that detered privateers was that excercising the claiming rule would rule that rider out of any possible factory ride. It did work once, a privateer claimed Marty Tripes works Honda CR250. The story is on the same website I posted earlier (Tripes CR250).

In Greece

You get a big chainsaw Actually the minimum weight thing goes back to MX in the early '70's when Husqvarna and Maico watched the works Suzukis getting lighter and lighter and thought Suzuki were using noweightium and unobtainium. Husky and Maico complained to the FIM stating that Suzuki were a) pushing costs out of reach of the Euro factories and playing a dangerous game because titanium isn't very robust in stress reversal situations like MX. Many years later the contested bike, Roberts RH72 was found and restored and guess how much titanium was on it? Answer: not very much. The low weight was as a result of clever engineering. Here's a link to that bike: Roberts RH72.

Num nums.....

Well they're right. You can't rebore a nikasil barrel. BUT you can have them replated. Try Langcourt. About the piston, if you haven't already tried Sandifords, then try Southwest Montesa. There's also a ton of Spanish suppliers. Others, I'm sure, will pitch in to add to the list. The 242 is a popular bike in the Spanish twinshock scene so there's probably a source out there somewhere. Patience and diligence should see you right. Good bike the 242. Just go easy on the gearbox. It's not the most rugged and, if you thought the piston was a nightmare, gearbox spares are non existant.

Well he certainly made a prat of himself when he tried to run a team.

Plastics/bumper repair shop?

Haven't seen it but I heard that the movie was one sided and demonised Prost when Senna was just as bad/dangerous.

I'm surprised this little gem slipped past all of you: That time has arrived gentleman.

I was always told alu is one third the weight of steel and one third the strength. Your statement above re-inforces this.

Can I interest you in some lunar real-estate?

Sorry that's not much help. Sounds like they've been resprayed. Downer: The 123 uses a 17" back wheel and a 20" front. These tyres are not available

Um, err, ah... Like you said not many folks ride their trials bike to its limit, most are quite happy riding trials that would have been possible on a Greeves Anglian. But they get the ego trip that they are riding the latest tackle. Yes sections and events at some levels have reached the point where folk could get hurt. But surely this is their option. You can, if you're not sure, ask for a 5. As far as serious injuries are concerned I think the last person to be seriously hurt in a WTC event was Martin (not Dougie, although he's had his share of injuries) when he got a SWM or Bulto (can't remember which) in his face from a ten foot drop at Watkins Glen in what would have been the late '70's or early '80's. Drop off in rider numbers? Yes very possibly but I doubt that's as a result of dangerous sections more likely its a function of the dismal economic climate. Trials has always attracted people who, after taking a cursury look at the sport, decided that it was easy and discovered that it was very difficult indeed, even at club level. These people leave the sport when they realise that their ego can't take the constant humiliation and it doesn't take long. So have the incredibly competent and ultra light bikes of today resulted in dangerous sections and a drop off in numbers? I don't think so. Not for the majority of weekend plonkers. Is the sport more expensive than it was 30 years ago? Again, I don't think so.

Dadof2, please don't take this as an attack I realise that this and my previous post could be construed as aggresive but they're not. Anyway, if those points you stated are important to you why not ride twinshocks?

AFAIK Bernie was Answers rep in Europe and he is now with Tissot doing marketing for them. See pic below for Bernie with some odd looking Italian chappie who, I'm led to believe, has a bit of talent on a road bike.

Indeed Steve. That Bernie is now probably more European than American is a source of wonder to me. But we mustn't forget that the US is a melting pot of mostly European cultures and that it isn't that big a step for Bernie to have adapted to European culture. But Fujigas! This is a Japanese man. A man form a country whose culture and language is vastly different from European culture and language who can speak three languages fluently (and they're not all germanic or latin languages) as well as adapt to the food and other things. I have a huge amount of respect for Fuji, for his riding, for his cheerful and approachable attitude and for his adaptability.

I think if you look at the price of bikes now they are pretty much what they were in real terms (hrs worked) 30 yrs ago. Seen any bikes break in two recently (Gasser s/arms by world level riders excepted )? C'mon we've never had it this good. The amount of maintenance the average rider puts into his bike is at an all time low. Modern bikes are as reliable as anvils. My 1983 Mont 349 had mag alloy side casings so nothing new or fancy there.

Its funny watching and listening to Bernie speaking fluent French but you have to keep reminding yourself that Bernies has, now, lived most of his life in Europe and is more European than American.

I never owned an SWM but spent enough time on both the Zoke and Betor equipped bikes to pick up a diffs. In my experience the zokes could tuck in under you. Not a serious problem but enough to cost marks. But this could be down to different geometry used for the Betors.

Me too but not a Jumbo. What a lumpy beast they were.