hillary

I have just sent the finalised dates to the office at Rugby and they should be on the ACU site very soon. It has taken until now to get the last few dates sorted out due to clashes, land availability and requests to change. Whilst we do not anticipate any further changes, they certainly can't be ruled out. We like to get everything finalised before the dates are published but it has been very difficult this year due to late applications, late announcements of the FIM dates and staff changes at Rugby at a most crucial time for the Trials and Enduro committee. There is a committee meeting very soon and once the dates have been agreed by the committee I hope to put them on this website.

The ACU committee does listen to comments made by riders with regard to all the championship events the ACU promotes and in the case of the Normandale series, quite a few riders over 50 found that the 50/50 mix for their class, where they had to ride some hard sections and some of the easier sections, proved to be too difficult for many of them. It needs to be borne in mind that there can be a big difference between the abilities of a rider aged just over 50 and one about to turn 60. As a member of the older category, believe me that whilst the mind may well consider that you still have the ability to tackle a particularly hard section, the body frequently finds things differently. Of course, there is no compulsion for a rider over 50 (or 60) to ride in that class. They can ride in the Over 40 class if they so wish, as can a rider over 60 take part in the over 50 category. But the main point is that the committee wanted to ensure that entries remained strong in all three classes and to make the series even more attractive, there is the new for 2017 Air cooled monoshock class, on the easier route, for riders of any age.

The picture of Birkett on the Montesa is likely to be 1978,79 or 80 but can't be certain which year.

Here we go. First pic I don't know but somebody says it's Nipper Pattinson. 55 Mike Skinner - trial unknown; 73 Rob Edwards trial unknown, Peter Cartwright trial unknown, 47 Nigel Birkett, World round at Bainbridge but probably 1982 ish Nigel Birkett in the Red Rose, probably Whitworth quarry or Back Cowm, next one is Scott Rowland on a Jack Mathews sponsored Ossa (i will see him tomorrow and check), as you say, Wilk could be anywhere, and then finally Rob Shepherd, again could be anywhere but almost certainly prior to June 1973.

For those interested, a good friend from the club who investigated on my behalf a couple of days ago, found that the 12 pin connector under the tank, which, when assembled from new, one main pin had not successfully mated with the female pin and had pushed the feed wire back out of the plastic fitting a short way, and was showing signs of arcing. Once reassembled correctly all the power was back and the lights now work as intended. So many thanks to David.

Definitely Richie Sunter, but was Alec Wright involved with Kawasaki as early as this? In answer to my own question, he may have been. Alec Wright started up Competition Developments in around 1973 with John Gazeley (his sidecar passenger when Wrighty rode in sidecar trials), when they modified Kawasaki scramblers, laying down the shocks and from there he was always involved with Kawsaki. However, there's no date on the Sunter picture and being on the bike he is riding, it could be prior to 1973, so if prior to '73 then it's unlikely to be a Wright supplied machine, but if after '73 then it could be. On a separate note, I rode KDX Kawasakis in enduros from 1984 to 1991, all generously loaned to me by Alec with a good spares budget as well. Despite any reputation he may have generated, I can only say that he was a very generous man to me and offered the loan of a bike every year without me ever asking or suggesting he might continue the sponsorship. As an appreciation of his generosity, one year I sent him a glossy coffee table style book featuring pictures of Morecambe Bay (where TMX is based) and his reply to me suggested that few riders ever sent thanks, let alone a small gift and there's no doubt he was dead chuffed to receive the present. I last met him at a Victory Reunion dinner in around 2007 and he even remembered it then and remarked upon it when we had a brief chat. Sadly, Alec passed away in 2010.

I have a 2014 Beta Alp 200 and for some reason the dipped headlamp beam does not illuminate nor does the main beam. The sidelight bulb illuminates and the main beam illuminates with the main beam flasher but I cannot understand why the dipped and main beam will not illuminate when the engine is running. It's a new problem that showed up for no apparent reason as it was fine before. I have tried new bulbs, I have dismantled the left side switchgear and re-assembled, but still no light. Is there a fuse that could have blown. Getting desperate now as the bike is due an MOT soon and no lights will fail it.

It's definitely a Richardson, it's NOT Gerald and NOT Les, so that only leaves Allan or Steve. I think it's Allan but could do with somebody else confirming it.

Yes no doubt Gerald Richardson

Easy peasy - Rob Shepherd and much later than the early seventies, more likely 1980 or thereabouts. Next one please!!

Could be Peter Gaunt or just possibly Peter Remington though I have no idea if he ever rode a Kawasaki.

Chris Myers at Orgate

Yes, Paul Dunkley, looks to me like Robinson's Rocks, but that's only a guess.

Try stripping and cleaning the carburettor first, but a nightmare to get at. Bet the Arab kids haven't attacked it.

Don't you know that a flask keeps hot things hot and cold things cold, so tomorrow I shall be taking hot tomato soup and an ice lolly in mine to the trial.

The full list which includes numerous changes is expected to be released about the end of this week, it's being held back as we, the ACU, still do not have the full, confirmed FIM world championship dates.

Good company Wulfsport, owned and managed by Bill Brown, a genuine motorcycle sport enthusiast, good rider and nice guy.

I have already sent my letter by e-mail and had an acknowledgement.

Wheel bearings from a trials dealer under the Apico brand will be quite sufficient - fairly cheap probably less than a tenner the pair, knock old ones out, clean up spacer, pick off seal, pack new ones with clean grease replace seal and tap in. Easy job and will last for a couple of years hard use.

Clubs nationally really need to get their act together to publicise events. TMX is no longer the answer because few trials riders that I know now buy it. That's not a criticism, it's a fact. Likewise, the use of social media, Facebook etc whilst great for some is not suitable for all. The older generation will not use it for its well publicised negative effect, whilst Trials Central, which is tightly moderated should well be the perfect answer for all clubs to publicise their events. And people who expect the ACU to be their publicity vehicle are living in a dream world. The ACU is the GOVERNING body of ALL motor cycle sport, NOT a publicity body. They ACU issue permits, provide the insurance, make the rules and regulations just like all other sport's governing bodies. You don't look on the Football Association's website to find out if South Shields Rangers are playing Northallerton United on Saturday, you would look at the club websites to find those details. Get my point. TC is the best vehicle we have for publicity followed by individual club websites, some of which are brilliant and some are useless.

The bonus with a Beta is that spares, sensibly priced, are readily available from John Lampkin the Beta importer, whereas quite a lot of spares for the Montesa 315 are now difficult to obtain. Of course the bulk of the spares you are likely to need are available by most dealers from after market suppliers.

There is now only one type of licence, which is now called a Trials Registration Card. You join a club, they issue you with a Unique Number which registers you to that club, and you then apply on-line to acu.org.uk and the licence department will issue you with the card which enables you to ride in any ACU event.

The programme doesn't go to press until October so there's no chance of knowing the entry much before the second week of October at the earliest.

Sorry to learn of his passing (I presume as that has not been said directly); as Sunt has said, he was a great character, very disabled, but that didn't stop him getting around as best he could in his car. I always stopped for a chat, particularly in the Cleveland where he was always at the same parking area next to a bridge. Condolences to those close to Peter.

Lanyards are only required in UK trials for youths and sidecar drivers - at least for 2016 - can't say for 2017 onwards.