malcra

good point on the timing; to date I've done it a little by random, so any suggestions on timing points welcome

I've managed to acquire a reed block from Steve Goode and it fits my Jumbo; article here . There are the recommended carb settings the in original SWM document for with and without the block but interested in knowing other peoples settings (that work) are

Had an excellent day on Sunday and despite dropping too many (as usual), written it up here (hungerstone.net) thanks to the observers and the Mansfield Maun club, who know how to run a good trial.

excellent sunny day, good trial. All good fun and my now usual article is on the http://www.hungerstone.net web site

i have a copy of the early Clymer manual now, which is pretty good...its fires but does run for more that 10s, so some new parts here today and engine strip coming up i think

hi all, just in case you didn't get an email this evening, entry list for the Arthur Bates trial on Sunday: 1st rider away at 10h30 No. Name Passenger Town Machine Class 1 Godfrey Hannam Chepstow Ariel VCH 500 1 2 Robert Badland Birmingham Honda TLR 200 8 3 Ronald Pattenden Hailsham Jinlun 10 5 Philip Temple Blacknell Majesty 250 10 6 Gerry Minshall Alcester Honda 250 10 7 Ivan Davies Congleton Yamaha 8 9 Keith Gardner Cleobury Mortimer Triumph 225 4 10 Stephen Jones Abergavenny Bultaco 250 8 11 Colin Leese Chasetown Honda TLR 250 8 12 Alan Miles Brownhills Honda TLR 250 8 14 David Wiffen Farnborough Fantic 300 8 15 Philip Wiffen Farnborough Fantic 300 8 16 Bill Rhodes Farnborough Fantic 240 8 17 Tim Lightfoot West Haybourne Yamaha TY 175 8 18 Mark Stokes Thatcham Majesty 200 8 19 Peter Gaunt Knaresbrough Royal Enfield 4 20 Kevin Pettit Tredegar 8 21 Alan Gould Tredegar Honda TLR 250 8 22 John Hughes Shrewsbury BSA 10 23 Barry Micklethwaite Stapleford Francis Barnett 3 24 Paul Anstey Corfe Castle BSA 4 25 Dave Wood Sutton Coldfield Bultaco 340 8 26 Bob Wilson Lyneham Beta 10 27 Graham Harrison Shirley Gas Gas 250 10 28 Dave Dawson Martley Ariel 350 2 29 Russel Jones Llangollen Greeves 3 30 Brad Jones Llangollen BSA 3 31 Malcolm Herbert Allensmore Beta TR 240 8 32 Andy Pitt Hereford Majesty 8 33 Martin Gilbert Ivybridge Fantic 300 8 34 Chris Gardener Hereford Yamaha TY 175 8 35 Lester Hammond Hereford Honda TLR 200 10 36 Gavin Spencer Allensmore Honda 250 TLR 8 37 Doug Sherbourne Ludlow Fantic 10 38 Michael Parkes Stourbridge Greeves 249 3 39 Martyn Wilmore Swindon Ariel HT 500 2 40 Chris Denney Worcester Fantic 8 41 Kirby Bennett Burbage Triumph Cub 4 42 Neil Walker Rugby Francis Barnett 250 3 43 Martin Beech Congleton Ossa MAR 8 44 Steve Allen Dursley Matchless G3LC 1 45 David Morris Woodseaves BSA 185 3 46 Tim Davies Crossgates BSA 175 3 47 Peter Salt Sandbach Francis Barnett 3 48 Stephen Bisby Dronfield Ossa Gripper 250 8 49 Mike Holloway Horsmonden AJS 400 1 50 John Richardson Kingswinford Fantic 156 10 51 Steve Thompson BSA 350 4 52 Jim Pickering BSA 175 3 53 Mick Grant Lincoln Ariel 500 2 54 Geoff Muston Alton Honda 125 8 55 Steve Sell Alton Ossa 250 8 56 Bill Myers Llandrindod 9 57 Paul Cowley Walsall Honda TLR 360 10 58 Alan Cowley Walsall Honda TLR 200 10 59 Nick Woolley Bishops Castle Ariel 500 2 60 Graham Roberts Craven Arms Sprite 247 3 61 Jonathan Samuel Wrexham 8 62 Mark Samuel Wrexham Fantic 8 63 Mark Evans Tredegar Kawasaki KT 250 8 64 John McAnulty Erdingston Majesty 340 8 66 Ali Haigh Barry Pocock Daventry Triumph 500 6 67 Ian Hannam Deborah Smith Coleford BSA 6 68 Cameron Nobhound Bludge Smith Sevenoaks Ariel /AJS 552 5 69 Paul Fishlock Debbie Merrell Godalming Ariel 500 HT 5 70 Andy Abraham Laura Norma March Montesa 349 7 71 John Young Paul Young Shepton Mallet Ariel HT 500 5 72 Pete Pesterfield Keith Laker Petworth Triumph 6 73 Les Minton Ken Garfield Kidderminster BSA 350 6

recent ebay research (ermm the usual constant trawling looking for twinshocks) has shown a slightly depressed market of late (my Jumbo didn't reach reserve). Personally, any twinshock <

greetings, as its been great holiday weather in Hereford today, just putting together a Montesa Cota 123 from 1972 (article here). I've not got a workshop manual, so couple of questions as I seem to be chased by electrical issues this weekend. No spark yet, but hopefully by the end of the day. - contact gap ? - flywheel extraction, specific tool, or is it how it looks ? - best manual (there is a Clymer classic dirt bike one that includes Montesa's up to 1976) ? - any idea why I am getting voltage reading to the coil (around 0.6-0.8 volt peaks) and to the plug gap (2.5v peaks) but no spark. - no earth problems (as though its powder coated, have gone back to metal. Back to the shed later....

despite the weather (didn't we say this last year), excellent trial, sections about right and lots of fun. I missed the last 4 sections with some electrical issues (see here) but was concerned about getting the bike back across the windswept moors to the van :-) Managed to use three gears in the sections on the Beta so must be good. Anyway, talk about hard-core observers, especially those on the last group out on the top....

My usual write up is on the hungerstone.net site; enjoyable day out, though I am developing a phobia about Dovedale. Best bit of the day for me watching Steve Allen clean the last section, just, to complete a feet-up day. Given that I normally drop 20 to 40 marks, I can really comment on the bikes the guys in the top 10 are riding, but given that in the twinshock section, 1 mark made the difference, maybe the origin of the bike is important. Anyway good stuff; 8th June in Rhayader then .....and if you want a road-registered bike to compete on, let me know :-)

ah, all this talk of modifing TL125's makes me all nostalgic...er slightly. Reading the new Classic Dirt Bike magazine and the new Hi-Boy Frame (at GBP 1100 ..., cheaper than a new Majesty frame), reminding why common sense overcame nostalgia and why in the end i sold my TL125. I wrote an article on why TL125's are / are not worth the effort. For guys in the US, where they were more iconic, I can see the attraction. There are some great TL125's out there and people riding them well in classic series, but I couldn't. Having said that, I am trying to work out why I've just bought a Montesa Cota 123....ah well

not sure if the route is in the information you are sending out this week, but with Stu using my SWM 320 (poor fool :-) will need a refill at around 30 miles, will drop some fuel at Saintbury then (?) 112 entries is great, the two rounds this year in the SM series have been around the 70 mark. Looking forward to it.

entry is the post today; looking forward to it - will there any arrangements for fuel, my 2-stroke twinshock struggles with 35+ on a single tank full - will the start order be by class or by receipt of entry

Nope not dreaming and there have been a couple (or the same) one on ebay over the last couple of years, one of which may have briefly resided in a South Wales garage... Can't find a photo of it though (maybe someone needs to start collect twinshock ebay photos), only one of a 50cc ISDT bike...on the eurospares site which is great on early 70's trials special bikes

as I thought, you could ride trials for a whole year and not use the same bike twice

I thought you rode the harder route last year (yellow) as i was i think on the white. Must confess despite the crappy weather one of the better trials from last year and maybe also up for the harder challenge of the yellow route.....

last year I wrote an article about getting my SWM Jumbo road registered. I am currently getting another bike done and there have been some changes required by the DVLA. Specifically, organisations that provide dating letters, now require photographs of the engine and frame numbers. I have used Roy Bacon for my dating letters for the SWM's and he kindly contacted me regarding the change today. The updated article is now on my website.

sitting in a meeting in Midrand, and with useable internet connection, was wondering if there was a Classic Trials scene, twinshocks, in South Africa. Also love to know what bikes etc are around....

Johannesburg (and there are no trials this weekend in Gauteng AFAIK). Yes, will speak to Brian. Funnily enough, looking the production numbers, there were over 4000 Ulf Karlsson reps made by Montesa.

thanks a lot for the replies;the frame number is 28 M 833, so silver it is :-) will keep you updated on progress, though as i am current 6000 miles away from shed (and bike), progress will slow in the short term :-(

Just acquired a Montesa Cota 123 ( see here ) and need to powder coat the frame. As far as I can tell, 1972 bikes have a silver frame (and my frame is 72 i think); can anyone confirm this and that the frame's went black from 1974. The bike has 21/18" wheels retro fitted, as far as I know the early Cota 123's has 20" / 17" wheels

The next round is the Sam Cooper in May; again a long road loop (correct me Stratford Club if i am wrong), but from memory most groups (Dovedale, Weston Wood etc) are not too far from the road. Best thing is to rock up to the start and get the locations (and advice) on the best sections to watch. The North Berks club usually do a good job of that at the Downland also. Hope the knee gets better and get the Seeley (?) out on a trial. More twinshocks the better.....though there are already too many Honda's

Good trial, 13 groups and 30 sections made for a good day out. Thanks to organisers and observers. My usual View From the Back Report is now online. There are some more pictures which i will post later The results are also now on the site

Sorry to here you missed viewing a great trial on Saturday (right day?) The sections were the normal suspects and people would have been still at the start from 11h30 and as far as i know people were around all day My report on the trial is here Hope you enjoy the article. Next round is the Sam Cooper, near Stratford

Indeed, trying it sometime seems to be the point. As I can personally prove there is a lot of pleasure in riding the Miller trials without any hope of winning. Like Woody (who's been riding for a lot longer than me) its what riding trials is all about. It's taken me a couple of years to work it out and these are the trials in my calendar that don't get dropped. So; the main challenges for people riding road trials on twinshocks ? + fear of the severity / competition ? Not a problem; easier than a lot of club trials. Don't worry I am always capable of coming last + road registered bikes; I would think < 10% of twinshocks are road registered. The process to road register you favourite twinshock is easy see article here and costs around