old trials fanatic

Dont start Woody off about the Pre65 brigade Stable doors and bolts come to mind

If you have proof that the Sprite was purchased in 1964 then no problem. Dont confuse some club regulations with the Scottish they are a law unto themselves. Some clubs like Yorkshire Classic require gaitors or you go in the specials class if my memory serves me well but the Scottish dont require gaitors. If you want to fit them then do so up to you. One other thing i forgot to mention is you can have an Amal Mk1 or a Villiers SU but thats it. Again some clubs Yorks Classic included allow Cubs to have Dellortos fitted but all the rest of the field have to make do with an Amal. Welcome to the wonderful world of Pre65 Marzoccis should fit but i would check that the REH sliders are ok. For example two bolt Triumph sliders are ok but four bolt ones are banned in the Scottish. By the way when i say "fit" i mean haveing the sliders machined out and the Marzocci sliders machined down to fit inside. NOT a job for the home workshop. If you take that route, it's well worth it, get it done properly and i mean properly there are a lot out there that talk the talk but cant walk the walk as many on here have found out to their cost and it aint cheap. Bottoming of the shocks to quote me old mate Mick "means you are using all the suspension travel". I dont mean bottoming out all the time just on bigger drops and steps and more applicable to the rear than the front. Suspension travel = grip and you are gonna need every biy you can get in Scotland. One other thing dont confuse spring rate with preload. Your bike should have approx 1 inch of sag when unloaded as in without you on it. The PVL doesnt come with a flywheel weight. Some say it doesnt need one some say it does. All down again as i said previously to how you like your power delivery. I fitted a standard Villiers trials ring to mine and it suits me sir. I hope that has been of some use to you ?

If it's an ACU event then i doubt it as a converted mono is not elegable for the event therefore would not be covered by insurance therefore i cant see any way you would be allowed to ride on one no matter how you feel or how much you protest about just a social day out. You could always observe? they are always desperate for observers. Alternatively just build it and use it for practice riding as in non competitive

Hants off road or i think they call themselves Classic Trial will do you one see thier website for details. Dont know where you ride but perhaps some "modern" clubs will let you ride in your area but around here you would have to enter the air cooled monoshock class and ride against air cooled monoshocks which sounds ok to me after all you said "I'd like the challenge" so what would be more challenging than handicaping yourself with two shocks and still beating an air cooled mono

Good luck with your entry for the Scottish i rode it a couple of years ago and the PVL in mine performed admirably unlike the rider who finished well down the order Not trying to put a damper on anything but i would check that a Sprite will be acceptable to the organisers as i thought they were not available prior to 31st December 1964? They are very very pedantic about that date as many know to their cost. Dont know about REH forks as along with almost everybody i use Marzocci inners in Norton Roadholder sliders but would have thought they should be ok again assuming they are acceptable to the organisers. Yes they spit their dummy about forks too. Silly when you think they accepot 2009 inners in period outers oh well. Betors on the back will be fine but set them to the lowest preload on 40lbs springs. If they bottom out occaisionally no problem according to a Mr Andrews they should do. Make sure the ignition is siliconed as best you can and also plug up the stupid HT outlet at the front and take the Low tension wire to the coil through a grommet and out through the back plate. Other than that enjoy. One other tip dont spend too long looking at the sections, just one or two riders at the most, as it's very very easy to go over time limit. Oh yes and be very careful going over the moors as they have some very nasty bogs which have green grass growing on top and the first time you know youve hit one is when you are flying over the bars and i can take 3 or 4 blokes to pull the bike out you wont do it on your own. All that said it's a great event and i'm so glad i got the chance to do it. Some keep trying and never do get an entry. Good luck

Dont think theres an answer to that one as it's not just the system but the degree of static advance you set it at to start with which has a major effect on how the power characteristics motor may or may not suit the conditions as different systems have different curves programmed in. More importantly is what kind of power delivery characteristics suit your riding style? If it's purely rocky stream sections you are concerned with, however they make up only a very small part of a course usually, then you would be better looking at your suspension, riding stance and throttle control. Assuming your ignition is watertight ? incidentaly i know from experience that even if you get water in the PVL system it still works cant vouch for the others. You mention rocky streams so what is your main concern when riding rocky streams?

Now as some may remember i have this Beta TR34 stuck in the garage looking a bit unloved. The rear shock is totally and utterly bu66ered so i need another one. One of the contributors on here has very kindly offered me one which should at least make it rideable but i was just wondering should the shock have a remote reservoir or not? Some have said it should and some have told me they didnt have one? Now it doesnt take much but i'm confused now. Should it or shouldnt it?

I know quite a few people followed this thread so i thought it only appropriate to mention that at the recent ACU meeting the proposal failed as no other person or representative was willing to second or support the proposal. See sometimes they do listen and stupid ideas dont always get adopted. The moral is get involved with your local ACU because if not you cant complain if some daft proposal becomes law and adversely affects you.

FWIW i have always found Talon also most helpful in the past but i am now having serious missgivings about them. Not only are they now unable to supply 520 front sprockets for the cubs they now refuse to supply ANY gearbox sprockets for ANY of the Villiers engines. They now state "we are no longer supplying any villiers sprockets directly to customers trade or retail. For ALL Villiers sprockets you must now buy them through Villiers Services!" Will i ????? err no i wont. Think Talon are in the process of losing the plot guys

I need to find out the thread and length of the studs that thread into the crankcase on the Villiers 9e, 32a, 37a etc Want to get some new ones but i'm not sure of the thread in the crankcase, i think it's 5/16 Whit but i seem to remember the alloy barrel studs for a Greeves square barrel were also 5/16 Whit. However i have a pair of crankcases to be rebuilt into a spare engine that i feel sure are 5/16 W x 5/16 BSF which seems weird. Can anybody help with the correct thread and length?

Hi need to replace the chain and sprockets on the James. Now it's been running on a 428 chain but i've seen some on a 520. Same with cubs now most people seem to run a 420 on the cub but it seems a bit light duty to me. So what does the panel think about chain sizes? i know sprockets are a personal choice but i was wondering what people are fitting to their Pre65 bikes. twinshock is easy as most of the factory details are pretty good anyway so stick with them but the Pre65 bikes are all so modified nowadays i was just wondering what you have fitted to your Cub, C15, B40, James, Bantam etc etc etc

No its not that one mine is the same as the one in your picture. Thanks for the advice about the front brake set as i've got a caliper and master cylinder for a pinky somewhere which i bought ages ago when i had a pinky. Must have a root about in the shed

LOL yes i know what you mean. Just thought it was a cheap bike when i saw it then after looking at it in the cold light of day the reality set in. They just arent worth anything and it seems daft to spend two or three hundred doing up a bike that at best is probably only worth five Guess i'm just daft and a bit useless when buying bikes

The wintery weather has had a dramatic effect on the local Trials Calender but the Peak Classic Trials Club managed to run the final round of their Club Championship last Sunday 17/01/2010. It was touch and go with the access road virtually impassable right up to the preceeding Wednesday but the organisers held their nerve and with an eye on the sky decided not to cancel the event. Which was good news for the excellent entry that turned out. Feedback from the riders was that they had ridden a testing but enjoyable course which came as a releif to the course setter Paul Beswick as it was the first time he had laid a course out. The intention was that the course would have been a little easier but the thaw carried on through the day making some of the sections more slippery than originally intended. Ex works rider Chris Milner on his Triumph tiger cub won the Expert British Bike class with an outstanding score of just 14 marks lost only bettered by Pete Ruscoe to win the Air Cooled Monoshock Class on his Gas Gas on 9 marks lost. A truly brillient ride by Chris. Dale Shaw took the honours on the Expert Twinshock route on his beautiful Majesty losing just 24 marks from Mark Hallows and Chris Slack also both on Majesty's losing just 26 marks with Mark shaving it due to a better first lap total of cleans. Well done guys. The Club would like to take this opportunity to thank all the riders who have taken part in our events this past 12 months and look forward to your support over the next 12. Thanks must also go out to the observers who turn out round after round in all weathers without which we just could not enjoy our sport. Thank you one and all. While we are at it thanks must also go out to the unsung heros who have the often thankless task of setting out the trials. It's such a hard task to create a good balance between too hard and too easy with such a gulf existing between the riders. Well done one and all. The Club will be having it's presentation of the awards for the 2009 season after the next trial which is at Dudwood Farm on 28/02/2010 so please come along to the trial which is round 1 of the 2010 Club Championship and join in the fun at the Miners Standard Pub afterward for the presentation. Results Peak Classic Trials Club Round 12 Club Championship Bracken Rocks 17/01/2010 Expert British Bike Chris Milner Exp BB Cub 14 1st Peter Carson Exp BB James 21 2nd Martin Stanistreet Exp BB James 24 3rd Expert Twinshock Dale Shaw Exp T/s Majesty 24 1st Mark Hallows Exp T/s Majesty 26 2nd TSR22 Chris Slack Exp T/s Majesty 26 3rd Dave Wood Exp T/s Ossa 28 4th Darren Walker Exp T/s Majesty 36 5th Danny Littlehales Exp T/s Honda 40 6th Robert Mycock Exp T/s Bultaco 52 7th Andrew Weston Exp T/s Yamaha 62 8th Expert Air Cooled Mono Pete Ruscoe Exp ACM Gas Gas 9 1st Andrew Land Exp ACM Yamaha 18 2nd 50/50 British Bike Keith Gardner 50/50 BB Cub 20 1st Derek Carson 50/50 BB Bantam 30 2nd Geoff Gadsby 50/50 BB BSA 48 3rd Barry Mlethwaite 50/50 BB James 84 4th 50/50 Twinshock Robert Carson 50/50 T/s Yamaha 16 1st Simon Critchley 50/50 T/s Yamaha 24 2nd Ian Bend 50/50 T/s Ossa 39 3rd John Wilson 50/50 T/s Majesty 40 4th Anthony Sprinks 50/50 T/s Bultaco 42 5th Stephen Eyre 50/50 T/s SWM 74 6th Mark Weston 50/50 T/s Yamaha 83 7th Roger Christophr 50/50 T/s Honda 88 8th Clubman British Bike Mike Ransom Clubman BB BSA 22 1st Harry Stanistreet Clubman BB James 27 2nd Neil Walker Clubman BB F Barnett 29 3rd Vincent Price Clubman BB R Enfield 59 4th Clubman Twinshock Tony Shaw Clubman T/s Bultaco 49 1st Kev Collins Clubman T/s Fantic 68 2nd Chaz Walker Clubman T/s Majesty 117 3rd Clubman Air Cooled Mono Robert Wright Clubman Acm Yamaha 48 1st Clifford Wall Clubman Acm Yamaha 57 2nd

Bought a Beta TR34 260cc the other day and as usual when you get down to it the list of stuff that wants doing is getting longer and longer day by day. Now what i was wondering was whats parts like to source? because if you cant get the parts theres not much point in taking it further and i might just break it up? Just wondered what experiences with sourceing parts for these other people have had ? Bits needed are forks rechroming, rear shock cream crackered, front caliper, graphics otherwise everything else can be easily sorted but i've little or no idea what one is worth.

Just a note to confirm to all and any who may be wondering. The event this Sunday at Bracken Rocks, Holloway, Matlock Derbyshire is most definately still on. I am reliably informed by the "man next door" that the road is now passable and the thaw has cleared the way for the final round of our Club Championship. Start will be as normal 11.00 so see you there. Oh yes and please, please, please, pretty please bring an observer if you can

yes Charlie i did have one on my old B40 as you say, how is the old girl BTW ?, which i bought from Alan Whitton but i dont think he has any left. However the question was about a Victor tank which is a lot different to my old one. Steve Gagg will make you a tank to whatever shape you want. I was round there the other day, he only lives about 2 miles away, and he was very busy so knowing Steve it might take him a little while. Well worth a try though if you can wait.

If i remember rightly Surry Cycles used to sell a BSA Vistor style alloy tank. Might be worth giving them a call?

True but the Motorplat system was available early 70's as were systems from Japan and as Boyer had also developed electronic systems then would it really have been beyond them if they had put their mind to it? Of course we will never know. Villiers suffered the same fate as the rest of the British motor cycle industry being led by an ostritch and an overdose of apathy.

Tend to agree with Woody as usual. The ignition always let the Villiers unit down but the PVL on mine is totally reiable and transformes the motor. Nothing that Villiers couldnt have sorted if the asset strippers hadnt had their way. The reason the engine "feels" so "unsophisticated" when compared to the Spanish powerplants is because it's a long stroke unit and would have benifited from being "modernised" by changing the bore and stroke to make it more square or even a little oversquare. I prefer the motor with the full circle crank to the bob weights but that could just be me. Finally the other area that really required attention was a gearbox redesign to move the gearbox sprocket to the other side because it's ridiculous having to strip the motor just to change the gearbox sprocket. Then again the Cub, unmodified, was just as bad. Just shows how poor in some areas the British drawing offices were at the time. Overall though and a lot of results sheets prove this with some updating the Villiers powerplant can hold it's own against the Spanish competition at least.

Peak Classic Trials Club fixtures List 2010 Date Venue 28/02/2010 Dudwood Farm 21/03/2010 Youlgrave ACU Championship round 25/04/2010 Statham

Just received a general response from the instigator of the "proposal" so for those of you who are not East Midlands Centre officials but who are following this thread, just remember if things become the norm in one they tend to be adopted very quickly by all and before we know it youre stuck with it like it or not, i thought it only fair to post. As before i have deleted the e mail addresses. " Hi Brian, Thanks for kicking off the debate over our proposal to restrict Sunday trials fixtures. Firstly let me assure you that Sutton Falcons are not

Santa arrived early this year for the riders attending round 11 of the Peak Classic Trials Clubs Club Championship on 20th December in the shape of Mick Ransom who set out a challenging course which was made even trickier by the weather. The ground when we arrived was frozen and soon polished up after a few riders had been through making throttle control paramount. Thankfully the promised snow held off till after the event had finished leaving the drive home almost as treacherous as the sections. It

Very very good point and perhaps a proposal should be made to look at the centre boundaries and either revise them or even create two centres from the existing one ? Now that is something i would support. As for the Centre Championships not being well supported. Are that many riders that interested? or are they just looking for an enjoyable ride out without spending more of their hard earned short in supply at the moment cash than they need? Just not sure how many riders are bothered about Centre Championships nowadays.