old trials fanatic

Thanks guys for all the help. ksithumper :agree: i was always led to believe a longer spring, if the same wire guage, would give a softer action. Actually i will come clean here. I do have a Sherpa 340 but my main concern at the moment is a pair of forks i have had done for the James. They are brand new Marzocci turned down and fitted into Norton sliders. Look it's a Pre65 thing and Yorkshire are a bit funny. You know Anyway the action of the forks is nowhere as good as the Bultaco and not a patch on the ex Ossa Betors in the B40. After measuring the springs in the new forks they are 28mm od and 500mm long. there are two springs both of the same guage the shorter one approx 100mm at the top. So what i was hoping was i could get some Sherpa springs, new ones, and fit them to my beloved 199B and put the ones out of the 340 into the new James forks. Still with me? Well basically it appears that i will have to get Pursang ones and fit them to the James instead. Hay ho got there in the end and without the help from all of you it could have been an expensive cock up on my part. So thanks and it looks like Mr Renham will get some more of the January salary cheque

Thanks for that Legs. Are the Pursang ones a stiffer spring also? Not that i want a stifer spring you see just i am led to believe that a longer spring is a softer spring given that the wire is the same. If you know what i mean

So does anybody know the length the springs should be in a pair of Bultaco Sherpa Betor forks? Just want to know if they have sagged at all. Oh yeah the bikes a 1981 340 199B but i think they are all the same forks. thanks

If my memory serves me right Spartan Engineering are the guys for trials mods for Enfields. http://www.realclassic.co.uk/enfield05010700.html

Cant comment on the swing arm idea but :agree: about the Betors. Talking to a guy the other day who was waxing lyrical about his new Falcons but i would sooner have a set of Betors and almost three new rear tyres for the price he paid for his alloy bodied Falcons. I know which option would beenifit me most in Trials. Then again i am crap and need all the help i can get

:agree: Unless the frame you have is OiF but even so it's not much better if at all. The best option is to use an "Otter" replica frame which is lighter and has better i.e. more modern angles. Not too expensive as pre65 bits go about

If it's any help On Any Sunday is based in Newton Abbot and he breaks twinshocks etc. Might also be worth calling Geoff Bungay at Mainly Spanish ex Sammy Miller employee so another good reason to use him Also Dave Renham has now diversified into covering more than just Bultaco so give him a ring. He has started In Motion that sells parts for all twinshocks so might be worth a try. When i rebuilt a 349 a while ago i found some M7 allen bolts via an agricultural parts supplier in Newark but for the life of me i cant find his details. Apparently M7 is common on the continent so might be an avenue to try down your way? If not then get some M8 ones and just turn them down a tad and thread M7 or alternatively do what a lot of local lads have done up here. Helicoil the cases to M8 ream the outers to 8mm and fit M8 ones. Just need to turn the heads down a gnats. Good luck

Must say respect to you guys. I NEVER travel more than an hour to a trial and usually 35 - 40 mins. Never need to drive more than 30 miles and can ride every week. So i really admire your dedication. Suppose we are spoilt this side of the pond

ME too

All these posts about making "it" more spectator friendly, better for the spectators blah blah blah err just remind me why do we need to? Since when was Trials a "spectator sport" ? Woodie got it right. Really p****s me off when people blatently cheat by riding sections 2 or 3 times to gain an unfiar advantage or CHEAT as we call it here :agree: Trials started as an endurance event a test of the machines endurance and ability to cope with the "trials" thrown at it. Observed sections were added to test the rider and machine. Some of the best trials i have ridden in have all involved road work. Usually a 20 ish mile lap. Great scenery, great terrain, all in all a "proper" day out. So remind me why do we have to reorganise the way Trials are run for the spectators sake?

I;m green with envy

Thanks. At least that saves me money :agree: You see what i have is a tank with a female M12 x 1.5 thread and the only fuel tap i couls get is a straight one which sticks too far down. What i wanted was a 90 deg tap that would tuck the fuel pipe out the way so i thought a Fantic one plus a male male nipple would do the trick. Would but i cant get a male M12 x 1.5 to M16 x 1.0 oh well anothe cunning plan bites the dust Thanks for the advice anyway.

:agree: Thats who i was going to buy from but i would have liked to know the thread first as if i cant get an adaptor then i will have wasted the money and will have to put it on e bay.

Does anybody know what the thread is of a Fantic fuel tap? I have a cunning plan and just wanted to know BEFORE i bought one. Cos i'm tight and dont want to waste me money

Firstly i know very little about TY80's not having kids If i did have any kids interested in trials though i would have thought it would be better for them to get used to riding a "big wheel" bike right from the start then it's just a case of learning to cope with more power from a bigger engine as they grow up? Just my humble etc but i feel that the tyres are one of the most important factors in trials nowadays. I was only having thi sconversation last night with somebody when i said i would sooner have a pair of Betor shocks and two new rear tyres than a pair of Falcons or Rock Shocks but no new rear tyre So what rear tyres do the TY80's use? Might this be one of the factors why we are seeing less of them about? I hadent thought about it till seeing this post but you dont see many now do you? Then again the sort of trials i ride i dont think many kids would want to ride with a bunch of boring old farts like us so that may also be why

Looking good Steve :agree: There was a guy riding a really nice one at the Peak Classic Trial recently at Youlgrave. Impressive performer. His bike had a front disc though. Were some fitted with discs ? Only asking as Peak are banning discs next season if not factory fitted as std. Good luck with your 330 it's nice to see something different in twinshocks

Dont know about Commerford B40's but there is a piccy of a Commerford B25 in Roy Bacons book.

OK 1. Get off his case. EVERYBODY is entitled to an opinion even if you or i dont agree with it. Personally from the post, yes read the post and comment on the WORDS not what you read into it, it sounds like he has a point. I wasnt there but a test day by definition should be that. That in this case involves riding as many bikes as possible and testing them on as much varying terrain as possible. 2. If the charge was

I once watched a few WR riders hopping and popping their front and back wheels in a very tight space to get into position for a snotty climb between some trees. Raga rode into the 'turning circle' on his back wheel at 0.1 mph, turned the bike, dropped the front wheel and rode up and out without any bother. It was only a practice session and not the trial itself but it was still very impressive Now even i would have loved to see THAT and i have no interest in the modern hop blip and bop technique. So why do i find the above skillful and acceptable nay aspirational but the hop reverse hop hop hop ad infinitum not Weird that innit :agree:

Good post :agree: Must say at the trial last Sunday, Peak Classic, i did have to ask a couple of the observers "we are supposed to be riding to NO STOP rules surely?". Response was a vage bemused look Not to go over old groumd but i blame allowing riders on modern machinery to enter classic trials The younger and some of the older element then see them playing Zebadee and start trying it on pre65 and twinshocks then the whole thing degenerates from there. Sections get tighter / dafter and the "Classic" entries dwindle and the only difference is it's a modern trial with kids on old bikes So that was the moment when Trials went into decline ? Always wondered when it was. Thanks Motosinge

Flowing sections. Rocks, banks, streams whatever but i HATE mud and greasy tree roots Nothing too tight, my bikes a bit looooong, or dangerous. I DETEST drop offs and steps, way too old and injuries take ages now to heal Suppose if i'm honest i like easy sections that require precision every lap. An inch out and you get a 1 or 3 spot on and clean. OK i'm a wuss but i can still get up for work on Monday. On second thoughts ?

Never used Sabacs but, this might be of interest to Big John following on from his Spanish sojourn, i have a pair of Mick Andrews Classic shocks on my B40 and am very pleased with them. Just collected a new pair of Classic shocks from Mick Andrews via a mate this afternoon, hes managed to get them remanufactured by another so they are available again, they really are very good with good damping charicteristics and been on the B40 for a whole season no probs what so ever

Know what you mean about Dave but i've rarely seen him stop hop the bike, roll back, hop again then carry on through a section. We all look to exploit any advantage we can but WITHIN THE RULES. When i observe i can tell the difference between a hesitation and a stop to regain balence / line up / take a breather. As i am sure can any observer. Theres a world of difference between "benefit of the doubt" and "turning a blind eye to deliberate cheating". So if you cant exclude the rider who blatantly ignores the non stop rule what do you do to put a stop to this cheating then. Or are you saying that rule breaking should be condoned and doesnt matter as long as riders keep entering and paying their entry fees?

Dale. The thread was directed at riders of pre65 and twinshock machinery in particular but if the trial held under non stop rules allowed entries on monos then they whilst entered in a trial run under non stop rules must also accept those rules. The non stop regulation applies to ALL entries in the trial no matter what bike or route they ride. Conversely if a trial is run under rules where stopping and hopping is allowed then that rule applies to all entries in the trial no matter if riding a pre65, twinshock or mono. No bigotry or aparthied just rules are rules and the non stop rule is frequently being deliberately ignored and flounted by riders to gain an unfair advantage. That was the point of the thread. I reiterate if you enter a non stop rule trial then choose to ignore the rule you should be excluded from the results. No ifs buts maybes. Period. Enjoy your rides with your mates whatever they ride.

Thanks John at least then the ACU have noted and recognised the problem. Still think the observers should be reminded on the marking sheet NON STOP RULES APPLY in VERY large letters but that is a club issue i suppose not an ACU one. Also think offending riders should be excluded and their names published as cheats.