ChrisCH

Ahh. Good old fashioned irrational emotional attachment to an inanimate object. I am sure none of us have that do we? ? I get a (irrational) pleasure from putting new parts onto something, "upgrading" if you like. So the titanium screws make perfect sense to me. (I would probably opt for steel anodised myself but that is just personal preference). If you intend to keep a bike it is not really irrational - it is an investment. My wife might not see it that way, but females have a different perspective on life I think? So mostly I upgrade her bike and we are both happy. edit I should also say that the new sprocket I fitted was a red anodised one to match the bike and was much appreciated as an improvement over the stock silver item - colour is important to lady riders........

Torridge this weekend - https://www.acu.org.uk/events/August-2020/Torridge-DMC-Ltd/Trials/Lower-Wembsworthy-Farm-HartlandBideford-EX39-6EN-ACU59464.aspx Supplemental shows spectators allowed if distancing. Not a million miles from Cornwall.

That looks a lot of work. All I managed during the lockdown was a new chain and sprocket.

I bought a Rev 3 a while back with the idea I might green lane it as well as trials. In all honesty the two are just not good mates. As a cheap trials bike they are OK but for green lanes it really is sub optimal. Mine never got ridden on a road and for that task I still fancy a CRF250. If you really really really want to do both something like a 4ride Montesa is much better (if over budget). But I still think it is a poor halfway house. Beta do/did a tank/seat unit that "converts" the bike to a green lane bike and can be removed to ride trials again if you want. Green lanes are great but you really need a comfortable bike to potter about on and maybe stop for lunch and have a nice day out. Lights and so on are really handy so you can ride a while to a good venue. (Unless you have one on your doorstep). To me the two tasks are different and need different machines.

Yes. Very much the case. We have a pair scoring system so no need for observers. Seems to work very well. Very strict on paper and a bit more "commonsense" in situ. Next ride tonight. Looking forward to it very much. I intend to very much "show willing" whether one thinks it is pointless or not.

LOL. Yes, that is very true. I am beginning to wonder why we worried about all the old people that now are quite keen to push you out the way in the supermarket as they scrabble for the cheap cat food.

Our club is (AFAIK) accepting new members and I don't feel it is any great inconvenience to have to sign up prior to rather than on the day. I am sorry to the OP if the club is not allowing renewal that sounds a bit daft. The supplementary regs for our events are club member and no more than 40mi from the trials ground. Seems to work OK. Also online event entry. Personally I prefer this as I don't ever have any cash to buy anything or pay for anything. If you can't pay by card mostly I don't buy it, whatever it is. Even the sandwich van takes car nowadays. Our event numbers are down as we don't get the 20 or so riders from neighbouring clubs who normally turn up. This makes for a more relaxed meeting and I like it. My missus is very much a fan of it and is enjoying this year's "summer series" much more so than last year. (I'm pleased to say she is riding this year and often just sat it out last year). What this does to the clubs finances I don't know - I do not have that information. Personally I would happily pay a bit extra (like the barbers). Of course this is more difficult to the casual rider who wants to turn up now and then if they feel like it. In that respect it is "discriminatory" if you like that word. I would use inconvenient. But it is not universally a bad thing. Perhaps the answer is to have more events? All for that!

You are both pretty much correct. The nose weight keeps the centre of gravity correct so that the towed equipment runs correctly behind the vehicle. If the nose weight is too little the centre of gravity is too far back and the towed equipment will "snake" (or weave about on the road). Typically you see this with caravans where the ##@# has put all the trinkets and beer supplies in the back of the caravan without thinking. Car transporters are another one as the load is "parked" too far back. You can buy anti-snake couplings (standard on most caravans to allow for the idiots that tow them). These grip the tow ball slightly to reduce the articulation. Modern vehicles attach the tow bar to the chassis in the same place as the rear collision absorber. They are immensely strong and almost certainly capable of handling far more than the design weight of the bar and the car's approved towing spec. Overloading the rack will be very detrimental to the car handling and I guess this is the area where the insurance company and police are going to concentrate if you have a problem. Like most things, you get away with it until there is a problem, then make a fool of yourself telling the copper "I've been doing this for years mate". Trials bikes are a relatively light item and so can just about be carried on a bar mounted rack like a push bike. Adding much other weight might be a problem with a light passenger car but most cars designed for a load will be just fine. A trailer lets you two two bikes and let's be honest who doesn't need at least two? ?

Gums form in petrol due to oxidisation. Newer fuels should be less inclined to do this than the older ones. (My VFR gummed up about 17 years ago IIRC) Petrol should have anti-oxidants added to prevent this happening. I think there are different levels of additives in fuels depending on where you are in the world and whether or not it is "cheap" fuel. Since all fuel is too cheap to even get stressed about in the US it could be anything. Here in the real world fuel is (relativity) expensive so we have discounted fuel at supermarkets. Even with European tax levels petrol is still cheaper than water so it is not a big issue, although the endless complaining suggests it is. For trials bike fuel consumption and cost is unimportant. Using a litre for a meeting is about average. The fuel consumption of my panel van is much more important to drive to the event. Logically - well to me anyway - if fuel was an issue trials would use Aspen or something similar. You can buy it and "race fuel" if you look hard in pretty much all of the UK. Everyone I know buys standard pump fuel. The Beta runs fine on cheap supermarket fuel (97) but I find the TRS runs better on Shell V Power which is a sort of boy-racer petrol at 99 octane and probably one of the most expensive petrols in the UK (at the pump anyway). So I buy the Shell petrol for both bikes (and the lawn mower) a 5L can is about £7 or $9 US. The road bikes run on UL95 from the supermarket. I wonder if a lot of the problems may be due to contamination and not the actual petrol? Lots of opportunities for the supply chain to contaminate fuels, particularly if under very high cost pressures. (A local supermarket here once dispensed petrol from a diesel pump - that cost them a lot of money in claims)

Yes, I had an old VFR750 that gummed up after being stood a bit over 18 months. The fuel becomes a sort of jelly. Horrible. Ride more. Interesting thank you. The advrider thread was as expected with people contradicting one another. My TRS has a keihin as does the wife's Beta and pretty much every bike at our club. Everyone runs E5 because that is what comes out the pump at the filling station. No one I know has any issues at all. I wonder if people are getting problems with bikes that have been stood up for a while? I start the road bikes and the trials bikes every fortnight if they have not been used. The Ducati particularly as the battery is hidden away in the bowels of the bike and a pain if you need to replace it. (Actually the Ducati is just a pain but don't tell her as she loves it more than me) My friend had a TRS One with the Dell'Orto I will ask him at our next trials meeting.

I am curious about this subject and sceptical about a lot of the internet noise. I am sure there are issues with the tanks like the OP which was built in a different era. However it must surely be possible to run modern unleaded fuel in nearly every bike in existence? When you say the gasket swelled up @lineaway which bike is this? Your profile is a 2016 Beta. That bike should run on normal petrol. The carb is designed and specced to run on modern unleaded petrol. If you read the manual for the 2020 Beta RR it specifies normal unleaded petrol. The carb is suited to and set for UL direct from the pump. Italian fuel is ethanol based as is all European fuel. I did some research after the post about aviation petrol. There are several articles where it is strongly recommended not to use this in any other engine as the volatile elements can attack the rubber parts in some (particularly early model) carbs. Also the lead in 100LL can foul up engines that are not low revving. This is the first time I have read anything about volatile compounds attacking "rubber" parts of carbs. Of course these parts are not really "rubber" per se - I guess they mean butyl which is a common O ring material. So now I am even more confused and curious. Lineaway can you please give us more data on the gasket? I wonder if changing these carburettor components will "cure" the ethanol issue? (Assuming there is one). As an update I found this - https://www.efunda.com/designstandards/oring/oring_chemical.cfm?SM=none&SC=Ethanol This suggests that ethanol is not a problem for the common O ring materials like butyl and also natural rubber.

I have researched a lot about this to see how it affects the Ducati. Much of what is out there seems to contradict other articles and opinions. I have also read about liners failing as @totty79 has posted. I must admit I have not taken much interest in the vulnerability of old components as our Ducati is a 2012 model. But you guys have got me googling again. I wonder if anyone has any experience with the additives? These are supposed to overcome the issues with ethanol and old pre-ethanol components such as O rings. I don't know how they affect the water absorption which is the source of any corrosion. (E60 seems to come out worse, but going from E5 to E10 doesn't seem to make much odds) Anyway there are things out there which either work or are just to take your hard-earned. Wonder if anyone has a view? https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/frost-ethomix-fuel-additive-fstz555/

I think there is a liquid you can tip into tanks to line them? (yes - https://www.rust.co.uk/product/slosh-petrol-tank-sealer-7) I have read about this for fibreglass tanks. My neighbour bought something similar to cure a leak on an old Yam 900. However he is a bit ham fisted and managed to block up the carbs but not cure the leak ? Might be worth investigation? Do please have a google round first though as I have no other experience of this type of product.

Yes, you have understood it correctly. Tow bars have a weight limit that they are designed to "carry" which is the equivalent of the nose weight imposed by the trailer. As well as the recommended capacity of the vehicle you must ensure the weight capacity of the tow bar is adequate. The tow bar manufacturer will supply this weight capacity on request. The insurance company could propose that the capacity of the tow bar is exceeded. In practice I am sure they don't bother unless somehow the claim revolves around the bike rack (ie it fell off with the bike on it) Years ago people used to fit coil spring assisters for towing to beef up the rear springs. These are still available from most trailer/caravan outlets. I am sure Dave Cooper would weld up aluminium bike racks if we were all willing to pay for them. That would save a few kilos and probably bring the bike/rack into line.

Yes, what I have read seems to suggest the ethanol can absorb water and this can cause deformation issues with plastic. Since pretty much all UK petrol is E5 it is all but impossible to avoid without the huge cost of Aspen. I have had no issues with the plastic tank. I don't know anyone else that has had issues. There are quite a few TRS in my club and everyone runs ordinary fuel from the petrol station. The main problems seem to be on the internet and not in real life. (I am sure there are a few real world examples) Some people have another agenda the same as happened when lead was first removed from petrol and a section of society had an issue with "vegetarian petrol" or other such nonsense. It is all forgotten now, but of course some old vehicles still need an UCL additive. Interestingly a huge proportion of modern vehicles have plastic tanks. I fail to understand the science that 5% ethanol is OK and 10% is not if I am honest. TRS position - none at all - is at least logical. If only the internet was not full of fruit loop conspiracy theorists we might get to the core of the real issue. Assuming there is one ?

I have never heard of any issues with unleaded and carburettor parts. I will have a google to see if anything turns up. What I am guessing is the issue is more likely to be the ethanol rather than the lack of lead. Lead is (was) an upper cylinder lubricant in older engines. In two strokes the lack of lead as best I understand it was never an issue. You can buy a lead replacement additive but I am sceptical that you need it. Ethanol can attack certain plastics and some people report issues with it and early petrol tanks. There is a lot of internet noise about ethanol and Ducati. My wife's Ducati Monster runs fine and has no issues with E5 but there is some concern as best I understand it about the new E10. As best I can see the "super" will still be E5. My TRS states "no ethanol" in the manual but it runs on E5 OK (Shell V Power) and as best I know you cannot buy ethanol free fuel in the UK unless you buy the Aspen fuel for chainsaws. - this seems to back up it is the E10 that is an issue - https://www.dandyclassics.com/welke_benzine_tanken_in_oldtimer/

First outing last night and it was OK. Probably half the people we would normally expect so it was fairly easy to show willing. Made for a more relaxed evening as well. Nice to be back although I ache this morning. Looking forward to the next one.

If it is half decent order it is a shame to waste the stuff you have. Just make sure the rubbers on the suspension are not perished. If it is not left out in the sunshine it is probably OK. The 25mm hubs are obsolete (at least as best we can find) - they have two roller bearings while the 1 inch has taper bearings. Bearings should be easy to source. Wheel nuts and studs should be OK as well so you should be able to keep the whole thing running for a while. People do totally mess up trailers for some reason. Welded on suspension is not that uncommon. Bonkers.

If they are the old wheels with integral bearings the tube is probably there to keep the old tyre inflated. They are tubeless, everything is. Old rims get rusty and don't seal and the bearing type rims are a pain to do at the roadside. We are unable to source the rims any more and advise new suspension units with the more common bolt on wheels. I would thoroughly check the suspension before you invest in the tyres. If it is OK and you change the tyres yourself it is the lowest cost option. I'd check the bearings at the same time and replace them too if they are not 100%. Once you have the old tyre off you can inspect the rim and make your decision on the tube. I'd be tempted to put in a tube if the rims are crappy. New tyres will - of course - "repair" the puncture that probably was the reason for the tube. Do you have a compressor? You can inflate a tubed tyre easily with a foot pump but often need a compressor to seat the beads on a new tyre. The new liquid latex sealants are very good and seal a puncture rather than go flat - even a tube will puncture. I run latex in the mountain bike and it is very good. Tubes increase the heat slightly in high speed applications like a trailer, but beyond that are a non issue.

You can get a T bracket (designed for two sockets for caravans) That will move the socket from where the rack is positioned. The nuisance is the need to get the wire back in and out. A better option might be the extension plate which has a cutaway in it. You can cut the existing plate as well so you don't need to touch the wire. https://www.pfjones.co.uk/witter-zeap1-electrical-plate-extension.html

We are a wholesale distributor for Franc in Southern England. They do both a single bike and two bike trailer. Our trade customer Dave Cooper does a range of his own aimed at trials bikes as well as the rear mounted bike racks he is well known for. http://www.davecooper.co.uk/trailers/trailers-for-bikes Stocks of all French trailers are low at the minute as France has been shut down the same as we have. (Dave has had problems getting suspension units to make trailers as the UK manufacturer of them has been shut down). I think things are getting better quickly though. Some of our retailers will have stock of two bike units, we have only singles in the warehouse. Erdé do a single bike trailer as well and I think there are plenty of them about. They are imported by Wilstow who sell them direct as well as wholesale to smaller dealers. https://www.erde.co.uk/product-category/erde-classic/erde-motorcycle-trailers/ Sadly Franc do not list their UK dealers - their support is not that great in terms of marketing for some reason. I can point you in the right direction for the South Coast and London areas if you want.

If anyone is interested it is possible to buy the pre-made channels for bikes. We import the French ones for Franc trailers: https://www.code-remorques.fr/rampes-et-rails-porte-moto/31-rail-porte-moto-avec-fourche-franc-tr800818.html Sadly trailers and parts are much cheaper in France and this would be nearer £80 retail in the UK. Any Franc dealer should be able to get you one. If we are ever allowed to go there you could pick one up with some cheap booze. X-Trial in November.... If you don't mind the extra ferry fare trailers cheap there too.... https://www.feuvert.fr/remorque/feu-vert-porte-motos-feu-vert--2-vehicules/p562688.html

You only need to comply with type approval with a new trailer. However it must have a weight plate and capacity stamped on it with the year of manufacture. The IVA process is mostly about lighting and compliance with the road regulations. Converting a goods trailer to a bike trailer is not going to give any real problems. There are (as above) kits sold that never get tested and there are commercially manufactured trailers that side step the process. The IVA is designed for custom trailers and very small manufacturers. The next level is batch approval and finally European Whole Vehicle Type Approval. If you buy something like an Ifor Williams it will have whole vehicle and come with a certificate of conformity. Following the letter of the law to the absolute if you modify the bodywork strictly it needs re-approval. For example converting a box trailer into a catering van. If this is done all that is tested is the modifications. Therefore modifications that do not affect the road characteristics (lighting mostly) are not part of the approval. Even the people that test them are a bit vague and unclear on the process. Our experience of the test process is that if you can you are well advised to not get dragged down into it. When type approval was introduced VOSA thought it would be a big deal and set up a lot of stations including independent test facilities (we applied to be one and were approved). Now there are hardly any test centres as hardly anyone goes through the testing. All the small manufacturers have either packed up making trailers or are producing illegal trailers. Adding a bike carry channel to a goods trailer should be OK. Do not overhang the back too much and make sure that the bike weight is over the axle. Please, please, please make sure the lights work and the tyres are OK and the general state of the trailer is good. The chances of being stopped if the trailer is in good order with working lights are tiny. The chances the coppers know towing law is even more tiny. They will know a bald tyre if they see one and ticket you (rightly so). If you weld the channel on you have modified the bodywork. If you bolt it on you have not. (No one will care I am sure). If you build a trailer from scratch it needs IVA and you will need to comply with the requirements. All the components such as lights and reflectors need E Approval and you need to supply the certificates. The responsibility lies with the person that puts the trailer on the road not the one that builds it, so the ebay kits make you wrong and the seller is OK. Do not buy them unless you want the hassle. A new bike trailer is not expensive. A lot of the camping type goods trailers get their strength from the box and are not really suited to conversion. Older better made ones are ideal. In my experience a secondhand trailer is nearly always well overpriced and a bad buy. By the time you have repaired one you might as well buy a new one.

We have an invitation only event this coming Saturday and will start the summer series in July when it is legal to do so and in agreement with ACU guidelines. You can see what is on as it is on the ACU website together with all the latest info. https://www.acu.org.uk/events/Trials/

Parcel2go quotes UK to Germany for that size and weight at £10 for economy and about £20 for fast delivery.