jimmyl

"TSR8 stipulates that prior to the start of each trial all machines will be examined to ensure that they comply with ACU regulations." I think that the machine examier is not certifying whether the bike is safe or not, the rider agrees to this obligation when signing on. He is only checking that it is to ACU regs and suitable for the competition it is entered for. Likewise in road trials you are not checking whether the machine is legal or safe to ride on the road, the rider is 100% responsible for that. I think the message I picked up from ACU seminars is the less you can check the less you are responible for.

Gives the rest of the world a chance, probably still beat most of us !!!!!!

Top Tip If bash plate is well bent don't try to rebend unless very carefull. I tried adjusting mine and ended up with a 2 piece bash plate, snapped across the holes in the front bend -oppps. Plate was pretty mashed anyway. Now made 6mm thick one and also longer and much better.

I have the sainz map on a 250 2005 and seems as good as anything else I have tried. Softer on the bottom end than my brothers std 2006 but come in sharp for the bigger banks and steps etc. However I would recommend a soft map for a clubman rider, also the clubman riders down here are lowering the gearing to help tractability and ease on tight turns etc. I have actually gone other way with gearing to most, not sure if it is the map or just personal preference as I ride bottom gear on most thing but hard on the throttle. Also have a 315 master clutch cyl which I think was a must on earlier bikes as it gives smoother clutch operation to std 05/06 Ta

Have had monts since 99 with 3 315s and now a 2nd hand 4rt. Build quality is superb and the reason I bought a 2 yr old 4rt rather than a brand new Beta. Have heard of no major problems. Bought mine second hand from Sandifords in Jan. At the time I was told that to date they had only sold 1 piston for a 4rt (1,000 bike out and about at the time) could be sales bull have heard no horror stories yet and mine is going fine at 2 yrs plus. Fuel injection is superb, no carb to clean, spot on carburation all the time and no Beta petrol leaking all the time, no fuel tap to turn on and off and no 2stroke to mix all the time.

PS Don't forget James' SSDT win and hopefully an Italian championship as well. Jarvis may even win UK champ on the diesel 4T Sherco!! Never catch on!!!! I wonder if Bou, Sanz and co smile as mutch as the rest of us 4rt converts when we get them on full chat?

Bod I think we all underestimate coaching, I had been riding for probably 25 years (inc SSDT several times and odd British champs etc) when we set up training here in South Wales. I learned lots in my first session and now coach and its amazing to see people get better with only a few hours training.

I agree that it is hard to tell whether it is man or machine but a couple of indicators, Where are Renault without Alonso, was the car good or was it him. What did McLaren do last year, not much. It is easy to say McLaren is the best car and making Lewis look good as everybody said when Mansell won with Williams, Schumacher won with Ferrari but if you are good you make the best of what you have. To go out and beat the world champ( who had the better over Schumacher in the last few years) in the same car I think is a bit special. His calmness and accuracy is superb, Schumacher had a lot of crashes early on before he became unbeatable, Lewis has hit the ground running faster than anybody else. Superb I think, and comes across very genuine. Todays pole was out of the bag for sure, just look at the reactions in the pits.

I think there where supposed to be a couple of 4rt entrants at our St Davids round but could be wrong. I don't think power is an issue for medium steps as the 125's can definitely get up some big steps and even the push bikers do some big stuff. I think practicing technique might be a cheaper option than big bore kits. More power and wrong technique might just mean you crash faster and quicker!!!!! What does Dougie charge for training day, bet its cheaper than a piston.

How big a step do you want to ride up, what do most of the boys riding British experts use, are they on standard sized bikes with quick map or have they increased capacity? Would be interesting to know.

I need to invest in a new sump guard for 4rt having snapped!!!!! mine trying to get it back on. Anybody got any recomendations ? I like the idea of the slightly longer ones which are supposed to protect linkage a little and also will probably go up to a 5mm thick one. Price, fit and function over blingability are my preferences. Any help appreciated

To be fair we have had lottery money early 2000's for west south wales Project 2000. I think Bryan Puckett and the clubs did lots of form filling but we did get money to help buy a van, bikes and equipment. (see welshtrial.com Project 2000)

I feel like Santa after every trial Ho Ho Ho. PS try it on a track or moor crossing -make you a real hooligan - just got to go flat out, loads of fun

Excellent post, one tip I try to pass on when coaching for Project 2000 in South Wales is to get riders into the habit of moving your weight side to side on the footrests. The ideal situation is during turning to place more pressure on the footrest on the outside of the corner (have a think about how many soft dabs you have had on your inside foot) By keeping shoulders square to the bars and weight on"the outside foot" your centre of gravity is placed over the centre of the bike and helps to stop the bike dropping in and causing you to dab. Once you get the feel of this by riding circles on small banks etc you will find it makes a big difference. Enjoy.

Into my 6th month having changed from 315 to 4rt in Jan. When I got the bike I was told to give it 6 months and this is true. You need to forget a lot of the 2 stroke tricks and learn to ride a 4 stroke. If you are a clubman rider then I think easier to learn than Intermediate or expert. You need to forget clutch and throttle technique. Ride off the throttle a lot more and quiet agressive on the throttle as well as the bike is smooth. I don't think weight of the bike is a big draw back unless you want to hop and jump all day. If you ride smooth and sensible I think the bike has lots to offer as well as bullit proof reliability. I think most 4rt riders enjoy there bikes lots more tha a 2 stroke, don't know why but I do. PS would try and make bike as smooth as possible unless you are very good, I think trying to make bike quick and jumpy like a 2 stroke is defeating the object.

Friend in work has a good condition 350 Italject that he is looking for a piston for. Any ideas?? Bike is 1981 I belive. Thanks

And we all thought cricket was daft. Top post and top sport.

If bike runs ok normally then could be that with the engine being cold the engine has missed but rather than stoping the piston has started going back and the engine was running in reverse. Should have sounded like a diesel when it was going backwards. Had a 250 Bultaco do this to me many years ago, very amusing at the time!!!!

SDC - My kind of observer To be honest if the terrain is good and and the sections are good it don't matter about the rules. Just mark things out to be ridden as natural as possible and all will have a good day. (ask 260 odd riders in th SSDT). If you like hoping and jumping then you are either too young or never ridden a proper trial

Spray paint inside the grip, slide on and then wire on using from sheathing of SY electrical cables. Have used spray paint for the last 20 years with no ill effect and cost nowt. Tip to get them off, slim screw driver up between grip and handlebar, then stick WD40 red tube up, attach to can, spray and off they come. Never used renthal glue cos too tight to buy it. PS just changed mine last night

Not sure what is like in the rest of the country but the current rules for stop permitted are actually normally observed as Stop for a while still clean, 5 or 10 secs maybe a 1, 20 secs probably should be a 1, 45 secs observer brave enough to give a 1. Hop sideways while stationary, very rarely a five Hop and drift back-wards again very rarely a five. This can make riding a lottery as the lad who tries to ride by the rules is at a disadvantage to the rider who gambles and gets away with a big hop, balance and slip back-wards as he "cleans" the section you had to dab on to keep it moving. This no criticism of the observers as marking to the rules will get you no friends at all. Especially if the C of C has marked out some sections that are tight and encourage stopping. Not sure there is an answer and maybe I am bitter and twisted as I am rubbish at jumping the back wheel all over the place!!!!!! PS I like the stop permitted rule, No stop is also OK if sections marked out correctly and the British Champ rules work at that level too.

Wouldn't need Martin's instructions down the PA, normally loudest thing around. Heres another thought, if we don't all go ship to shore would minders need to be sound tested? Maybe a lower cost version would to use mobile phones Might go something like this You are in a trials queues Dial 1 for a clean ride Dial 2 For a sproggy 3 Dial 3 to distract the observer while we move this big rock out of the way Dial 4 for oxygen and red bull Dial 5 to hope that cocky young kid whos has just made you look a tosser by blitzing the hardest section of the day goes over the bars at the next section And of course there would be the normal disclaimer. Your riding maybe video recorded for training purposes and in order to show your worst moments to a nation of gleeful other riders waiting to extract the urine.

Sanz map is brill and had no problems up to now, I think probably just bike running over rich by starting it so often and not letting it get warmed up properly.

Just spent 3 days coaching at Project 2000 3 day camp. We had a mock trial on the Sunday so spent a lot of time ridding short distance from 1 section to the next and parking the bike up to advise my pupils (or do I mean shout at the little b*****rs to keep their feet up). At the end of each lap bike start missing when revved, by the time it had a decent ride back to the first section all OK again . I am presuming that this is the plug sooting up with the continual stop start. Anybody else found this and got any tips to avoid it. 2005 with Sanz map in if it makes any difference. Ta Jimmy

I know in the late 80's my brother used to keep one especially for the snow (not much good for anything else), used to make a huge difference against an X1. Treads would stay clear. I did try once running a X1 at 7 psi in the snow and was a lot better having found letting tyre down made it worse as snow would compact in the treads. Never tried it on a modern X11.