stefano

I recently bought from the Giulio Mauri family the 303 fantic that was the 1988 trials bike of Thierry Michaud. Giulio Mauri, a well known trials journalist and photographer, bought it from Thierry in 1998 and Thierry certified it. Mauri also wrote a book about Thierry and his Fantics. The bike is very different from the series bike as it is the prototype of the 305. The frame has a closer fork angle and a longer swinging arm (steel, not aluminium). The small rear frame is aluminium. The silencer is (incredibily) steel. The fork legs are thinner. The engine has the cylinder that will be fit on the 305 and a Mikuni carb. The exaust is hand made like the airbox. Most of the bolts are titanium and ergal, the splinders are ergal. The bike is rather heavy on the front wheel, like a 325 sherpa. Gears are rather long. The clutch is very smooth and precise. Very good also the mono and the fork. The front brake is perfect, the rear is braking a bit too low on the pedal but it probably nedds attention. There were several sister bike like this as each national champion was given one. I know a man in Verona, Gino Franchini, that has one, probably the Miglio one.

Yes, yes...but rather than paying 350

Hello everybody, A Fantic 300 front brake plate has been recently sold on ebay for 375

Hello Wayne, Thanks for your help. Can you tell me which year was your bike and which engine had? I suppose it was not the 49 engine as your frame number is quite high (SM 452). Mine is SM268 and has a 350cc engine model 92 (1972) but this engine could be fitted at the place of the original one. I know that Sammy Miller made hiboy frames both for 4 and 5 speed and this put things back at the end of the '60. I asked Sammy Miller but no answer till now. The question is:when was sold the first hiboy frame? Thanks Stefano

Hello, Thank you very much to everybody, trials central is really a great thing! I wrote to Sammy Miller and hope I will receive an answer. The bike on ebay (item 220347140812) it is the one I bought. Thanks particulary to Swoosdave that sent very interesting pictures: in particular the bike of his pictures has the same hubs as mine (renthal?). Best wishes to everybody

Hello, I have recently bought a Bultaco with SM high boy frame; I did it not because I hope that his frame is much better than the standard one but because I believe that it is a peculiar bike in trials history. The bike I bought is rather a patchwork: engine, forks,hubs are a nice collection coming from several bikes and so the problem is: how was the original bike? Even I'm not totally crazy about each original screw of the bike (especially when prices are rising at stars) I'd like at least to have the right engine, wheels and suspensions. A fast search on the internet (this fantastic source of informations that so often provide us of good informations) didn't give me a single good picture of an high boy Bultaco. So I will be grateful if somebody could provide me of pictures and informations. In particular it would be interesting to point out when Sammy started to build these frames and with which engines (mod. 27? mod. 49? mod. 80?) and which has been the evolution of these frames in the years. The more details, the better for everybody. I will soon publish the pictures of my bike and few others but at the moment I don't know how to do. Thank you very much. Stefano

Hello, There is this bultaco on ebay, what do you think about? http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...em=120322859485 Thanks Stefano

Hello to everybody, I finally bought the bike, but there is nothing about it on the internet, I should be very pleased if you can send some pictures or magazine articles about it. You can post it to st_bianchi@hotmail.com or if photocopies I can pay for them and postage. Thank you very much for your help. Stefano

It seems so easy!!!

Hello, Thanks to everybody for the informations. I think that someone should write a book or make a site about english trials frame makers (Gollner, Whitlock, Frazer, Cheney) because there is a lack of informations about them. I also think that a huge work about trials in UK should be done. For example: vol 1: The beginning till WW1. vol 2: Between the wars. vol. 3 The 50' vol. 4: the 60' vol. 5: the 70' vol 6: the 80'. We could also make a subscription to finance it, for example 50

Hello, There is a Honda 250 tlr with modified frame by Golner. As I never heard about this bike I'd like to know if somebody knows something about this bike. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...E:B:BCA:GB:1123 Thanks Stefano

I know this bike, it is a bad work done on a fantic frame, the engine is a XL roughly modified. The guy has also trials parts at very hight prices on ebay.

Hello, I too own a Scott, it is a rare bike nowadays, it seems that only 100 were made. The engine is an Italjet two stroke (former ducati 125 two strokes, ducati sold moulds to italjet at the end of '70) to which were added pushrods, valves and the necessary stuffs. The bike is heavy and it is more a trail bike rather then a trials bike, in particular the frame is too tall, and the bike doesn't handle well, for example an honda TL250 (that I own too and made several trials with her) is better. Italjet however prepared a special racing four strokes trails bike that was in the italian championship with a good pilot, Lino della Rodolfa, that unfortunately dramatically died some years ago in a road accident. This bike, that was tested by the press, had a two stroke frame, very close to the bultaco sherpa's as you will surely know; the engine, even if larger, fits in and the bike should have been much better (but I didn't tested nor even saw her). Thinking to this now disapperead bike I started a project of replica of this bike, the problem being however the engine:but italjet (besides some variation on the scott theme like the ascot, a even more trail bike but very close to the scott) made also an enduro with this engine, it was basically the two stroke enduro (there was recently one for sale on ebay.uk) with the four stroke engine.

Yes Perce, thanks, I was looking for that!

Hello, Can somebody help me to find the montesa cota 247 frame numbers as I need to identify a bike? Thanks Stefano

Hi Martin, CAn you give me the email adress or telephone of this Bristol courier? Thanks Stefano

Hi Martin, Thank you very much for your help, I'm really happy for all th answers I received. The bike is close to Bristol. Kind regards Stefano

Hi Andy, Thanks for your help, do you have any email adress of this team?

HELLO, I'D LIKE TO BUY A TRIALS BIKE IN UK BUT IT IS SO FAR FROM ITALY!!! IS THERE ANYBODY COMING IN MILAN FOR NOVEGRO OLD BIKES FAIR ON APRIL 25-27TH ? THAT COULD BRING ME THIS BIKE? I CAN PAY FOR THIS AND OFFER BED AND BREAKFAST , I'M ONE HOUR DRIVE FROM MILAN. THANKS STEFANO

Hello, Here's a picture. I too believe that's a personal color but before painting in honda red I wanted to be sure. Thanks to everybody. Stefano

Hello, I just bought a 200 honda Seeley in Netherlands (but the bike comes from Germany) in very good conditions (frame number 12xx) but with strange colors, dark green for the tank, black for frame and mudguards. Does anybody know if by chance these are the original colors? Thnk you Stefano

The question is: why steepening the steering angle ( reducing the fork inclination )? In my opinion it is an unuseful modify. Classic bikes had very good frames that were a good compromise between maneuvrability and stability. Some, like the first MAR , were very short and turned very strict, then in the last 70 bikes frames moved toward stability (my fantic 240 doesn't turn like the MAR). When the riding tecnique began to lift the rear wheel to turn it was discovered that a closer fork inclination eases the lifting. So: if you ride with a classical riding tecnique it is much much better a classic frame, more pleasant to drive and effective too. Only if you lift the rear wheel to turn you need a closer angle but you also need a modern rear suspension, a good front brake, an a engine weighting more onwards and 10 kg less, all things you don't have on a classic trials bike. And then: classic bikes must be ridden not improved, if you want a more performing bike you must choose a more modern one (many late '80 bikes are really well performing and really cheap). I apologize for my weak english!!!

Hi, Thanks for the nice pictures!! In my opinion Nigel Birkett (pic.20) is on a Fantic 200 (157cc) not on a Fantic 240.

Hello, I'm always very careful about original colors, it's a nonsense to paint a bike with a color that's "close" to the original. For the honda TLR color it is correct the R119 flash red. I searched it in Max Meyer and Lechler but found it only in Glasurit. Unfortunately I haven't now my 2007 diary in which I noted the Glasurit mix of colors to obtain the R119 (with this you can go to a Glasurit dealer and have the paint) but as soon as I get it I will give you the mix. Glasurit paint is a very hight quality paint but 1kg paint+catalyser+thinner= 100 euro. But it's worth!