sherpatensing

Good for you DaveO. Good advice from Fellonmelug. Do you have a garden and/or driveway? It's surprising what you can do with a few obstacles even in a smallish area. If you haven't done any trials before, I would suggest that you get used to standing up on the bike and just riding round in first and second gear, doing some turns etc. But as fellonmelug says, just keep using the bike and things will come naturally. Even if you are physically fit, you may get aching legs and wrists but don't give in, it gets better. Where are you DaveO because I know of a novice/easy trial coming up specifically for newcomers to the sport. Sherpatensing

Martin, Thanks for the reply. The reason I would want another one is for the nostalgia so I would not wish to pay much!! Also I think it would need to be complete and running as I suspect spares may now be getting scarce. That said, I would still have one. The memories of the vicious power delivery and trying to keep the front wheel down in the first four gears are etched in the mind. Also I still have the scars and remember the four weeks spent in hospital after the bugger spat me off. I have several decent photos of it taken in 1981 if you ever need a reference. Sherpatensing

Does anyone know the wherabouts of a MotoGori Enduro bike. I used to own one back in about 1979/80. It was fitted with a 250 Sachs engine with a seven speed gearbox. (yes seven) It was a very peaky engine and most unsuitable for enduro unless it was over a flat field! I would like to find it if it is still in existance or a similar one that may be for sale. I never saw another one nor have seen one since. Any comments would be interesting.

Majman, have a look on www.beamishownersclub.com as there was a company that could undertake the re-chroming of the Beamish Suzuki frames, so perhaps they do nickel plate also. One was AJ Calladine in Notts but I can't remember the other one. Sherpatensing.

Bike looks great. Pictures of my restored 159 and 199B are somewhere in the forum. It may not be the most competitve twinshock to ride, but, as you say, it is visually. Regarding the silencer, be careful of the quality of the Miller ones.

Why waste time and money trying to lighten it, just use it for what it is and if you want a decent twinshock, buy a late Sherpa or similar. If you want to use a light bike, buy a modern mono.

Hi Leggins, RichardS is quite right, the datatag will only help to identify the bike, should it be recovered following the theft. However as a member of a Constabulary stolen vehicle unit, I am often frustrated when off road bikes and quads are recovered and we have difficulty in identifying them as no record for them can be found and even owners have no record of frame and engine numbers. If you are unfortunate enough to have your bike stolen, always give the police the frame and engine numbers and ask for a 'police record' for your bike, to be created and put onto the PNC (police national computer). The bike does not have to be registered to do this and will be invaluable for the police in identifying your bike. Sometimes, recovered off road bikes have been severely abused, but if they were not insured for theft (as many aren't), you at least get something back and may be able to repair or even sell for spares. Hope this helps, and tell your friends, Sherpatensing.

Beg to differ here. I have had problems with one tyre dropping back into the bead in the past but not with my latest new tyre - 3 or 4psi tubeless tyre on tubed rim with 2 security bolts - no problem at all. Try leaving the tyre overnight or even longer blown up with a tube in it before you try fitting it on to the rim, this seems to force the bead out. Tried blowing it up with a tube inside before fitting, that didn't work. Fitted the tyre and left it blown up to 70psi for 24 hours, that didn't work. Cleaned everything and re fittted with no lube, that didn't work. This was on a Beamish Suzuki so I tried the tyre on a spare Bultaco (Akront) rim and still the bead fell back into the rim. The annoying thing is the tubeless Michelin fitted to my Sherpa 340 will run at 3-4psi with no problem.

Hi OTF, I would use WM2 (as indeed I have on my recently completed Otter BSA). Bultacos and my Beamish Suzuki RL325 use WM2. (Don't forget the correct size security bolts) Regarding the use of tubeless tyres on tubed rims (with a tube), this can lead to problems with the tyre bead slipping back into the wheel rim well every time you drop the tyre pressure. At about 8-10 psi the bead will drop back every time. It is becoming more difficult to obtain the tubed Michelin X11 (BVM Moto told me they are obsolete) so I now use a tubed IRC on the Beamish Suzuki and have found it very good. Sherpatensing

Welcome Sean, you have started riding at the right age, keep practising and with your obvious self motivation you will no doubt become a very good rider.

Hi OTF, nobody seems to offer any comments about the Bonanza. My only experience of it is that I won the 250cc MX in 1983 on my Greeves 24MCS. It was a fairly busy event then so it's probably well attended/subscribed now.

Thanks for the positive comments Big John. I have been unable to locate the correct handlebars for the 199B. I have competed about seven T/S trials with it since last Autumn and it is really superb to use. However it will now retire into the dining room with the others. (I'm sure you must understand BJ. and you, frontroomautos!) The 159 now has the round Sherpa T decals fitted, and correct mudguards will be bought when I can manage to prise the chequebook open (again). They are quite expensive.

Heres my 199B and 159

Welcome frontroomautos. I got round to joining last week having been a 'reader only' for a couple of months.

Hi Dabster, It was BVM who told me tubed Michelins are obsolete and supplied the tubeless one

Penno, Yes I had a 4 speed as well, with the rounded fuel tank. I wish I still had it.. I think SM's comments are probably right. That may be the only way to get the thing to fit but then you don't expect to be modifying new bits to make them fit. I seem to remember that I got mine from SM, and although the bushes all fitted, when I came to fit the swinging arm into the frame, the steel bush parts were too close in the middle and the rear engine mount would not fit in between, so they had to be relieved to get the mount fitted. In the past I have had to return bits to SM's due to the poor quality so I don't use them anymore. They are often more expensive than Bultaco UK as well due to the dreaded VAT. Is yours a 199A or a 199B six speed?

Penno, my advice would be to deal with Dave Renham at Bultaco UK and if my experience is anything to go by, don't waste your time and money with SM products

Hello Penno 350. I have recently restored a 199B and a 159 back to original show condition. I have always loved Bultacos and have a fair bit of experience in building/maintaining and riding them. Be mindful that a good rebuild/restoration is not cheap but a nicely built 199A will be an excellent bike to polish/look at and ride competitively.

I fitted a Michelin tubeless to the rear of my Bultaco Sherpa 199B (with a tube fitted) and have had no problems with the seating of the tyre. I can run it at 4psi quite happily. So I decided to fit one to the rear of my Beamish Suzuki. I duly bought another tubeless as tubed versions are now obsolete. This fitted and seated OK (at about 70psi) but every time I deflated the tyre, at about 8psi the bead kept dropping back into the well of the rim due to the slightly smaller diameter of the tubeless tyre across the bead. I have now bought an IRC tubed type. However this tyre, when deflated to 3-4psi, allowed the inner tube to creep inside the tyre. It wasn't tyre/rim movement as I marked them. So I run it at 6psi and there is no moving. The tyre is so flexible there is ample 'squash'. I will be using IRC now in preference to Michelin.

Thanks for the welcome Big John and Lee. Glad you like the name, I thought I would spell it with an 'S' (Tensing as opposed to Tenzing). I wasn't really comfortable with using Norgay either. Dartmoor is a fair travel from East Anglia so I would have to give it a miss. I certainly enjoy the bikes Big John, and yes the 159 is a 1976. It stands in my dining room next to the LeMans. As you say, a man cannot have too many motorcycle.

I have just got round to registering on Trialscentral having been reading the forum for a couple of months. I have been a trials enthusiast for about 25 years and after a long break from riding, I have started riding twinshocks again. I have a number of bikes (probably not as many as Big John though)Moto Guzzi LeMans 1, Bultaco Sherpa 340 (restored to original) Bultaco Sherpa Type 159 (restored to original) Beamish Suzuki RL325, Otter BSA, Beta Techno, Greeves 24MCS, Honda XR400, Suzuki TS100.