jaylael

Ringo: That does it I'm gonna have to start reading cycle news! I also remember when the Williams sisters were very young. Now they are trials superstars and I get nervous talking to them. I happened to be walking a section at Oregon natl. on day 2 last year, when they were there and then I nervously rushed through the section with a flailing squid like three. They are just the coolest! I had to race ahead on the loop so I wouldn't keep flailing.

And another

Can't resist one of my favorite pics.

Steve: I noticed in looking at the diagram that red is the kill button lead coming from the handlebar switch. This would imply from looking at the diagram that red is a power supply wire from the magneto to power up the coil and has a kill button wire piggybacked onto it to pull down the power supply when grounded by riders thumb on the button. Black is the sytem ground from the engine to the coil. The green would have to be the switching signal from the lower unit which must contain a switching diode. (like points) Check for a switching signal at green wire with a test light. Would have to hook up the wires as prescribed by the diagram, backprobe the green wire with a test lamp and kick the engine over, watching for a flash of the light. This should make spark. I realize I still haven't answered your question. Just trying to help, for what it's worth. Let us know how it's going. Jay L.

Steve: I don't have a 240 Fantic to look at, but after looking at the diagram I have a couple of observations which may or may not be of help. The wires that make spark appear to be red, black and green. Focus on them. I am not an expert in Italian, but am guessing that Nero is the black wire. Rosso is red and Verde is green. Ignore the impulse to plug in all the wires. Focus on the ones related to spark. Make sure the kill button lug on the coil is not grounded. Have you tried to phone Bob Miller? He's an expert on Fantics. Proably could tell you all you need to know about this. Good luck with that. Jay

Ringo: I for one beieve you! I saw the avatar photo you had at another Trials bulletin board. California trials are rampant with ballsy sandstone climbs, so common sense would suggest that is what you do. Maybe you ought to start wearing roadrace leathers for daredevil cimbs.

I spent a half day riding sections on my friends '01 SY 250 with the "slow" setup. I loved it! What a cool bike! I was really impressed that it has lots of power. It just isn't snappy right off the bottom. The snap is not always a good thing anyway, as others have mentioned before. Alot of the differences in peoples opinion on the "need" for power are based on the traction conditions. If I were climbing 40 foot near vertical sandstone cliffs all the time I guess I'd be more worried about power. The places where I ride are mostly slippy conditions so traction is harder to come by. Wish I had the dough to run out and buy me a nice SY 250. They are dang good from what I've seen. Jay

Charlie: Perhaps the right question would be, "What's the best AHRMA legal twin shock bike? Once the rule book is read and understood, the next step is to ask yourself what sort of vintage bike really fits your physical size, riding style and captures you childhood dream and helps you to be enthusiastic about working on it. (which you will do alot) Also what is the parts availabilty for the bike you want to ride? Alot of good it does to like GRM's or something if `you can't get it running. Beyond that alot of the fun of trialing is the chance to daydream about what sort of bike you're gonna build. (or buy) Since you're pretty handy, perhaps you might want to do a custom job? Sounds like you want a light weight responsive, "modern feeling" trials bike. The old spanish iron is fantastic but they never were really very light. Also the poor brakes and slow steering make them less than ideal for trick riding. Having survived a few nationals in the seventies I suggest that in answer to your question, the bike you seek is the Beamish Suzuki. I had a chance to ride Chris Suttons WR bike at the '77 world round at Michigan, and the Beamish Suzuki was far and away the best trials bike I ever rode in the '70's and possibly in the '80's as well. Absolutely superior in weight and handling with perfect power and incredibly light weight. Much like the modern bikes of today. They even had great brakes! It's very hard to find information on these bikes. Perhaps our British friends will let us know some more about these fantastic bikes. Since these bikes are rare as hens teeth, the next best thing to do is to build a replica. That's what I'd do if I wasn't building another even cooler Hodaka. I have been working on it in all my spare time for about five weekends running. I hope to get it done in time for Hodaka days, June 25 26 and 27 in Athena Or. Rumour has it there will be an Ex Hodaka engineer form Japan and also Jody Weisel of Motocross action is reportedly planning to attend. Jim Pomeroy will be putting on a scrambles race for Hodakas only as well as a Hodaka trials and assorted other fun activities. Sorry to run off about it but I'm just so excited about vintage trials that I can't help myself. Jay

Nigel, you bring up a good point. I ain't made O money. I figure like the CRF models Honda will absorb the massive development cost, and spread it out over the run of the model, which if the current Mont. is any example will be a long run with only refinement, not complete retooling etc. Folks find a way to come up with the big coin if the bike is good enough. Witness the loads of riders with brand new trials bikes all the time. Don't know how they do it. Maybe it has something to do with not trying to ride so many different disciplines of motorcycling. Just sticking to trials, I could even afford a fancy new Hontesa. In the meantime I'll start with a brochure, and eventually just sit around gawking at Ishy's new four stroke Montesa, when he gets it, : ) while I ride the same old '01 2 stroke, happily, but with a little envy. I guess we'll see. I bet it has one of those vacum operated fuel pumps. That would preclude the need for a petcock. The current Montesa has an innaccessible petcock so I just leave it on. Would be nicer if you could reach it enough to operate it. On the new Mont, a spiffy Fuel pump would imply fuel injection of some sort. Bet it has a laptop tune-able throttle and timing map. Wonder where they stashed the ECU. This would sure take care of the four stroke cough and allow alot of tuning possibilities. I can still hear Johnny Anderson's pink TLR? reving up like a b**ch! Tech heads will love it! Must have a great big gigantic muffler too, like those old Hondas. Maybe some time during the model run they'll make a pink one again. That'd be kinda' cool. Oh, or some Metallic blue Rothmans ones. Man that'd be neat.

Gaff: I have yet to try a 300 pro, but I hear good things from the guys who have them. They sure look old school which is good. The Montesa is a great bike. I am amazed again and again that I never tire of this thing. If Montesa had more atristic styling, like the Beta, which is a piece of industrial art at it's finest, they'd be even better. Styling is where Scorpa have missed the boat with thier new 125's rear fender. It's just nice to have bike that when you polish it's body work it gives you that special feeling, that nearly makes your eyes pop out. That was my experience with my Betas. They are a dang purty bike! Be that as it may, they just don't work like a Mont. In the end I guess beauty is gonna' be in the eyes of the beholder. I know you can't see it while your ridin' it. I bet the new four stroke Mont. is gonna' be a real visual feast. One you can scrub up nice and clean, shine it all up and just set there and gawk at 'er. I am looking forward to it already.

Easy there! I am in the 3rd season of bliss with my 2001 Montesa. The '02 and up has the "factory" ported cylinder which hass more power but still not over horsepowered to the point of wheelspin. They are quite snappy but still manageable. The differences in the bikes you rode all boil down to tuning. Carb, ignition timing even gearing seem to vary after the owner has his way with it. You can have them run any way you want them. It will never be the torquer that a Scorpa/Yamaha is though. I wonder if you are one of those guys who sang the praises of the old 321 Gasser. Torque lover eh?

Spencey: This shirt is a medium. I tried it on and must say I look ridiculous in it. Kinda' tight like something Britney Spears would wear. If you are small enough to wear this, I will send it to you for $25.00 US plus shipping. It seems to be in perfect shape. Jay

Spencey: I have a like new Fantic Jersey, but it's a medium. It's vented nylon, bought from Rinkes enterprises in Oregon, (usa) in 1984. Let me know if you are interested. Too bad someone doesn't have a stash of new Fantic riding gear stashed away somewhere. How do you get your Fantic motoplat unit to spark? : ) Must be just lucky if it works. I have a couple old OSSAs that I want to restore, but If they're anything like "new" OSSAs they have a weak/poor spark. I sure wish OSSAs had been made with points like Bultaco and Montesa. Seems you can get those things to run with a little creative mechanic-ing. Nice to see old bikes being ridden. Jay L.

Now let's just kiss and make up! : ) There will be enough trials riding soon to take your minds off silly internet skirmishes. Remember why you love trials so much. Take a deep breath and picture yourself riding your favorite bike through the most ultimate section, clean. Better now? Does this all really matter? PFFFFFFFT, Nope.

Hi all you OSSA fans! Here's a link to Keith Lynas OSSA world. Providing all sorts of OSSA parts in the USA. I found this very helpful. No gripper airboxes I bet alot of other really good stuff. the address is http://hometown.aol.com/klynas/myhomepage/

Only if the rear bolts won't reach their holes without the use of force. Normally there is a slight preload on the rubber with the skid plate bolts all tight.

She's a beauty Ian! Congrats on a fine job. Let us know how your ride goes after the layoff.

Case screws abide by "murphy's law." They break off with little or no pressure if they are fractured. My fork pinch bolts on the axle had the head snap off just riding, and I decided to start changing bolts pre-emptively. Tried to remove an 8 mm allen bolt and it just fell off. Makes ya' think again about re using critical hardware. One time my nephew snapped the steering stem clear off jumping his Fantic K Roo off a six foot high loading dock. Mr. Miller of the section one trials shop told him he had never seen the steering stem snapped off on a K-Roo. I was amused.

Don't forget Gavin that we all love you, but not in a gay way. It would be terribly boring around here without you. Good luck with your bike ol' buddy.

In our club the most popular bike is the gas gas pro. Next is Montesa then sherco. There are only a few Betas and even fewer scorpas. Bike choices are quite often a case of monkey see monkey do. If our role model rides a certain brand of bike we all rush to copy him. I'm sure all the bikes are wonderful if you get used to them and take good care of them mechanically. Jay

I spent alot of time testing my '00 250 Rev 3 with no weight and with the heaviest weight offered. I found I did much better with the weight on it than without. On my bike a spacer was reguired to run the black cover where as you could fit the old silver cover on it without a spacer. I cut a 13 mm wide spacer from an old nasty looking mag cover and it worked good and looked good. The balck cover has a much nicer look to it. I think it was a five pound weight if I recall correctly. For most non world class riders the weight will help lower your score. The '00 was the most lively revver of the rev 3 series with the engine response being toned down a little more each year until it became more friendly. The newest ones probably don't need the weight as much as that potent Y2K model did. Jay

Last time this thread went around about a year ago there was a story about someone who tore open an artery on the broken handlebar stub, while flying over the front end on some sort of hairy maneuver. I layed awake nights worrying about it until I gradually forgot about it. Then one day while performing my duties as trials marshall at Jordan Creek, I had just finished my fifth 15 mile loop that day, including the terrifying descent down the "mainline" when the right handlebar gently come off in my hand while entering the car park. It would seem that someone is watching over me. There was no warning at all. That is spooky I think.

So the one at Apex is a '96 then. The '96 color scheme looks like a popsicle assortment.

Most of my close riding buddies use original eqt. Montesa handlebars. They are quite a bit thicker walled than renthalls and they come in Dougie's personal bend. Even so this bike (well used '01 Montesa)has suffered two incidents of broken handlebars. The clamp edges have been radiused. It's just all the flexing that occurs when you are big on yanking on the bars with brute force. Seems like renthalls break with alarming regularity. Those tapered bars look like the best way to go.

Sorry about the poor choice of words. It isn't meant in the "vintage" sense of the word, but in the "age zone" which doesn't have as nice a ring to it. J