jon v8

If you want some decent,rebuildable shocks at a low price - call Robin at Falcon. They build them to your exact spec,I have a pair on my Ariel,they were either £128 or £138 inc delivery.Friendly service and excellent product.When you wear them out/wreck them, they will rebuild them for you with parts from stock,or alter them for you to a different length etc to fit another bike.

You can buy many pies for £25.

From what I could see it does look like it,esp around the headstock area.I'll get onto him to check out the frame number.(When he can dig it out)

Just to add another angle to this thread.... I was at a mates place yesterday where he showed me another of his gems - a 247 Cota engine in a Whitlock plated frame.Its quite an early engine,21m 1011,the bike is incomplete but would be an easy build.I didnt know Mick Whitlock even did frames for Montesa engines,he must have been a busy chap ! I couldnt get any pics as its almost buried behind about 4 other bikes,it was difficult enough to get at the engine number.I looked through all my books last night and couldnt find any reference to it,it was apparently one of about 120 commisioned by BVM in Stroud ?

As said please post some pics - it may be my old bike which I wish I had never sold.And come and ride Bath Classic trials,you will be very welcome,as I'm sure you would be at any other classic/twinshock clubs.

You did the right thing, in those circumstances you can only hope that people will understand when its explained to them.At the beginning of our trials I give a little talk,welcoming the riders and explaining any particular things they need to look out for on the day.I know damn well most of them dont listen,but you have to try... If riders realised how hard it is to get land then keep it they might think a little more about what they are doing.Maybe Lee Harris could chime in and explain how trials works in Germany ?

Why worry about the speed limit, I was cut up by a car and trailer moving into the outside lane on the M5 yesterday..... On the subject of racks,I have done thousands of miles with my TY250 on a DC rack on the back of my Discovery,but my HT5 or AJS are just too bloody heavy to lift onto a rack.For them I have an Ifor Williams P7 trailer.I made a wooden rack that fits tight into the bottom of it that locates the tyres,its then very easy to strap it down.The trailer has been very useful for other jobs ,such as firewood etc - which is why I didnt buy a bike specific trailer.

Welcome to TC, I've had your site on my favourites list for a long time - Excellent !

Well,it is a bit of a problem here in the UK,being a basic third world country we do struggle badly keeping our bikes going.....

No,the Ariel is in dry dock wiating for a new set of wide ratio gears.(And the fitting of a brand new Jawa speedway clutch) I should have an entry on my "new" 350 rigid AJS which I'm riding at the Somerton Classic 2 day all British trial this weekend.Hopefully by tomorrow there wont be any rain left in the sky......

David,is your message box full ?

No, I take your point ! I usually work on the basis that you can believe about 47% of what you read..... (Talking to John Shirt recently about early Majesty frames reconfirmed this after reading an article that he supposedly co-wrote.) But,having said that - there does seem to be more than the usual amount of confusion over what is what with early Cota's.

Should you be telling us something ? !! Those parts diagrams and manuals would be a great help. I'm not sure when I'll get around to doing mine,the more I read about them,the more I'm confused. I thought mine was a MK1 as it has the large brakes and steel yokes etc.Reading Don Morley's book it looks like its an early Mk2.But then again there is an article in one of the VMX mags from Oz where there is a bike just like mine stated as a Mk 1 but having been delivered with Mk2 parts such as the 5spd box etc. I wondered if there was a definitive list of build dates/frame and engine numbers showing the changes. Martin,I forgot to say the "new" one I bought started first kick yesterday with a carb full of fuel.And it has a 48t rear - genuine Mont one stamped with the M logo ! If you want to borrow it to try I'll be at the Somerton Classic all this weekend on my AJS.

There are no capacities shown,cant help from there. On Ebay at the moment there are some manuals and parts books I'm watching,but that may take some time.... That Cota on Ebay sold on one bid for £650 - Bargain ! (Shame it wasnt my bid.) Someone had a real deal there. I'm going to see if the VMCC can help to get the numberplate back on mine.

Here you go; http://www.rickman-motorcycles.com/events.php

I totally agree with Woody on this,a clear and well thought out answer to a bike that only serves to wind up riders of suitable bikes.If that bike turned up at a Bath club trial it would not be turned away.What I would do though is to encourage the rider to enter in the over 50 mono class,or if the rider was younger I'd just remind them it is a classic club with clear guidelines on machine classes.As we dont give awards there is not really a problem,but if enough club members ask to run say a summer series with awards,then it would be a different matter - I couldnt see a converted mono taking an award away from a standard twinshock.

A quick look in Don Morley's book shows the final drive as being 10/48 for a Mk1 Cota - I think you mentioned buying a 45 rear today. I didnt have time to check whats on my two bikes when I got hme today as I had to drop my bike and run.Tomorrow I'll be sober and have more time to look properly.For tonight I'm just glad my Ajay did a whole trial on one plug and didnt miss a beat.

Anyone thinking of joining the Mk1 Cota club might want to look here; http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230798934323&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en Hope it stops raining for the Golden Valley trial in the morning......

Finding grip on mud is an art - Steve Saunders is a master of it,I can remember in about 1987/8 him riding his RTL up a muddy bank just outside Bath in the Knut trial.he waltzed up it like it was the M4 - I couldnt even walk/crawl up it.Masterful stuff,did make me think about giving up there and then..... Glad I didnt, and now I find great delight in flying up muddy banks on my gutless TY250,and first impressions of my rigid AJS are that it grips like hell.

Martin,are you riding the Golden Valley trial on sunday ? If the bits for my carb turn up and its OK, I'll be there on the AJS,if not my shiny Yamaha will get an outing.I'll bring me camera and take some pics of your Mont to give me inspiration.

The main thing is to practice and ride as many trials as you can - observing can really help too,watching how the better riders chose their line etc. Keep trying and set yourself goals to achieve,it really is worth it.

Its the Kingswood club; http://www.kingswoodmcc.co.uk/events.html But its ACU,so you will need to sort a licence. Just looked at the results from sunday and I see you didnt finish,wondered what happened ?

Thanks for that Chris,there is some useful stuff there.Better be careful what I buy as the kids and my wife spotted the new 247 in my workshop tonight.....

Gary Bowden should be able to do that for you,I'll pm his number to you tomorrow.(Its a bit bling for a TY175 though ? )

I find that a decent hangover from the night before is the best way to start,then several cups of tea and a bacon roll to go on with.Yesterday was a bit on the warm side so a quick break for a drink after the second lap was in order.