woody

As said, not much needs doing really. If the Bing isn't worn then they run perfectly well on these, no need to change it, just make sure it is set up correctly. Brakes with stoppy/front endo power aren't really needed in classic trials as there is nowhere that you have to turn on the spot and disappear back up the path you've just come down. If the chrome has pitted badly it will wear the shoes out quicker but steel linered hubs are available on an exchange from Bultaco UK if you really need them. I really wouldn't bother trying to alter the steering. Yes, Bultos are a bit long compared to other bikes and you either like them or not, but classic sections these days are nowhere near as hard as the sections being ridden when the bike was new so there is nothing that it can't be steered around. You could try 10mm longer rear shocks to quicken it slightly - Falcon do different length shock top mounts that allow a bit of experimentation. Electronic ignition is personal choice really. It won't give the bike any more power but you can forget about failing points and condensors. Mine and my mate's Bultos are on points and no problems with any of them. Just get everything set up as it should be, forks working well (I find them under damped) shocks, carb, timing etc. and the bike will perform well. One of the best trials motors the 325 Bulto, big flywheels let it drop to nothing in the first three gears and the power will easily let it pick up again without slipping the clutch. Pulls like a train. Luvverly

You can still get Michelin tubed but they are no longer the X11, unless you can find someone who has new old stock. The Michelin tubed is now called the Trial Competition and is based on the old X1. They are not supposed to grip very well at all in mud, a mate of mine tried one and can vouch for that....

I'm at the Nostalgia trial on Saturday (I hope - no confirmation of entry yet) and it is my club's 2 day this weekend as well, so I am setting sections out for that tomorrow and will be there on Sunday, so no Miller round for me this time - look forward to your usual report though.

You can't torque them as they aren't screwed down tight. Tighten them down until they just bottom out, don't overdo it, then back them off three to four turns each. You should be able to go four turns for a lighter clutch lever action if the springs and plates are good. At four turns there may be some very slight slipping on the kickstart but that's normal, although if you get it onto TDC and push rather than kick you probably won't get any slipping at all. The spring tension is a bit of trial and error. Try starting it a few times before you refit the clutch cover just to make sure there is no excess slipping, as you can't get at the nuts to make any adjustment when that is back on.

Have you guys had confirmation that you're entered then? I've entered but had nothing back so far. I think my cheque may have been cashed, but I can't check until tomorrow.

You may have problems with the mono rear hub. I think it is 32 hole which restricts you to the newer type Morad tubeless rims, earlier rims were 36, so they're going to be expensive. Or an earlier flanged rim off a Beta techno which are 32 hole. The biggest problem may be getting spokes to fit due to the mono's Z spokes meaning that conventional spokes won't fit. You may be better off looking for a different hub to lace a tubeless rim to. Whichever way, tubeless rims are crazy money now.

I don't think Ossa's numbering system was documented accurately because I have a couple of bikes whose numbers are missing from the ranges shown in the ID charts too. One for a '75 350 MAR which starts 43 and one for a Green '80 250 which starts 700. Both are genuine numbers that the bikes were registered with and the engine/frame numbers match. Maybe yours is another range that is missing from the chart. If it is definitely a '76 model it could be either a 250 or 350. Assuming it no longer has its original decals (green for 250, red/green for 350) they look identical other than the cylinder fins in the 350 have cut-outs machined into them, the 250 fins are solid. It should have angled (like a Majesty) as opposed to upright rear shocks. If it's an early '76 model it will have a short chrome front pipe that goes straight up and over the head. Later '76 has a longer pipe that comes round the side of the frame before going over the head and it will also have a longer tail pipe. Difficult to guess what you have really, have a look at this site which has brochure pictures of some models and see if you can recognise yours (although it lists the '75 350 as '76) Brochure pictures Or this one which has a correct picture of the '76 bike - select the Ossa Gallery link in the Pictures and Links section Ossa site

Yes, that big clubfoot rear silencer is a spark arrestor. It is packed with wadding for the first few inches then there are about 7 baffle plates in the rest of it.

Came accross this video of Narita whilst looking at his SY200 video. Just playing for the camera on a Techno with some amazing riding. What's nice about it is that there is very little stopping and hopping, it's all action and the way he hits some of the rock sequences no stop as opposed to breaking them down individually is pretty spectacular. The flow of rider and bike is brilliant. Don't know if it's been posted before, never seen it if it has, but entertaining stuff. Narita - youtube

I think Japanese home market TY250 Yams didn't have engine numbers stamped on the cases, so if it has been brought in from Japan at some stage that may be the reason for no engine numbers.

Yes, I'd agree that the frame looks like a model 80, 1970-72. Crankshaft oil seal carriers on the early models only had a paper gasket, on later models the seal carriers were shaped differently to take a large O ring instead of the paper gasket. All models use the smaller O ring inbetween the crankshaft sleeve and the main bearing on the clutch side.

At least you cut a thread - I tried that once and stopped the lathe dead and something somewhere made a very bad sounding clunk. I also gave up, thoroughly deflated, well beaten and accepting that I have no 'nouse' for teaching myself engineering. My grandad must have been spinning in his grave to see his treasured equipment suffering at the hands of a butcher.

You must have a reason and this probably sounds like a daft question, but what's wrong with replacing the piston with the standard Scorpa/TYZ piston?

Probably Shirty himself and Sam Brownlee who posts on here occassionally

Yes that's the one. I have seen a few twinshock TLRs, both 200 and 250 fitted with the same Golner one piece tank/seat unit so as you say, that may be what you're thinking of. I think the mono conversion I saw at the show still had the standard tank and seat unit fitted.

Gollner Hondas were TLR250 converted to mono, unless there was something else he did that I've forgotten about. If we're talking about the Gollner mono, they are rare and usually expensive, but what would you ride it in. It's no longer a twinshock so twinshock class is out and as an air-cooled mono it's way down the scale in terms of competitiveness. However, If you aren't bothered about being competitive or what class you ride in and want a Gollner because you just want one to enjoy riding it that's a different matter and good enough reason to have one. Be a struggle finding one though. I'd start with wanted ads all over the net etc. There was one for sale a Stafford show last year that didn't sell.

Here TY Offroad

Welsh Retro is AMCA, nothing to do with ACU Westmoreland event also had no trail riders, that's nothing to do with the other events. Entries are down generally for Miller rounds, especially Pre65 classes, the very bikes it was created for and I don't know why. The trials aren't too hard for Pre65, there are 2 routes to choose from so standard trim bikes can run on the easier route. Twinshocks are on the increase but they are generally riders who don't contest the ACU Traditional as that is a step up. Maybe riders now think that the Miller sections are for twinshocks but that is definitely not the case, they're perfectly suitable for Pre65 of all types with the 2 route format. Maybe there's a transition coming here, Miller series evolving into what the old Sebac/Falcon used to be - 2 routes for Pre65 and twinshocks. Traditional series becoming populated with mainly modern 'Over whatever' classes with just the few die-hards on Pre65 and twinshocks taking in most of the rounds. Whatever, one of the fundamental requirements these days has to be two routes. The range of machinery and ability of riders is too far ranging now to run on one route unless the terrain allows it over natural sections - Scottish, Bootle, Lancs County etc. If people are going to travel distances these days with the costs involved (nearly

I've been told the Nostalgia trial has closed already due to a full house. Nervously waiting to see if I've got in or not. Cumberland County sounds just the job based around the caravan park. Looking forward to another rocky trial. Last punctures I've had have been on grass fields.... Sunday I punctured right by the sign-on at the end of 1st lap. The Yam rim won't take tubeless tyres, they fall off the rim, so I'm restricted to tubed on that and out of the two tubed type available IRC are far better than Michelin tubed which wear out quicker and spin like a slick in mud. So I'm stuck with IRC on the Yam until I can get another wheel or rim sorted. Has the Cumberland got road work in it or all off-road?

That's the one, I've been trying to think which club organised it and what time f year it was. Never done it but intend to this year - with a few spare rear wheels too.....

I've just fitted some Barnett plates to my Ossa and although I haven't given it a good panning yet, there is a noticeable difference in some areas straight away. Putting it into gear for the first time I thought the selector shaft had disengaged from the drum. I kept pushing the lever down but there was no click as it engaged. This was actually because the clutch had disengaged so well I couldn't fell it go into gear - there was no click or feel to it going in. When riding and pulling in the clutch the disengagement was absolutely instant. Normally I'm lucky if it's disengaged by the next trial... That's about all I've tried, I haven't caned it yet so I don't know what it will be like firing the bike off the clutch with revs in 2nd or 3rd gear, or how smooth the take up will be with constant slipping in tight stuff. Impressive so far though. Enough for me to want to try some in the Bult (got but not fitted yet) and Yam (on order - hopefully) neither of which have the best clutch action.

Not all tube type rims will seat a tubeless tyre successfully. Can't get them to stay seated on a TY250 t/s or mono rim. As soon as the pressure is down to about 5 - 6psi a section drops off the rim. Happened every time I've tried it. They'll stay on an Ossa/Bultaco rim ok. The Michelin tube type tyres that are available here at the moment provide about as much grip as oil on glass. At least those that a mate and I had did. Apparantly both Michelin and IRC are going to one tyre only that is supposed to work on both tubed and tubeless rims. Can't see how that will work when they both have different bead profile for the different rims. Getting tyres to fit tube type rims may start to become a problem if you have the type that a tubeless tyre won't seat properly on. I tried the 'cut off the edge of the bead' trick on a tubeless tyre once to make it fit a tubed rim. Never again....

Anyone out there converted a pre65 or twinshock to tubeless rear rim and if so where did you get the rim from and what price are they? I've never been bothered about doing this before as I don't feel there's any performance advantage from one or the other, however, I am sick to the hind teeth of puncturing what are fast becoming next to useless IRC tubed rear tyres. The sidewalls are now ridiculously soft and give even with 5psi. Any lower and I can't ride the bike across a camber as it rolls down it and at 5psi grip is being lost to a degree. The carcass is very thin also and the punctures now seem never ending. The tubed Michelin that's available is like having a slick fitted and Dunlop no longer do one, so the only option now is to go tubeless. Tubeless tyres won't work on all tubed rims so fitting tubeless to tubed rims is not always an option, therefore next time I have a wheel rebuilt I want a tubeless rim on it. Last time I enquired around the dealers few sold them and those that did were quoting stupid prices, a complete rear wheel from Haven at the time was only a few quid more.... Central wheel don't sell tubeless so I'm stumped as to where people are getting them from. Any ideas anyone? edit - I'm asking about new rims, I know second hand tubeless rear wheels come up on ebay now and again but I'd prefer a new rim.

It's possible to have a Godden style sumpguard on the Yam frame if someone has fitted one, so that won't help identify the frame. If it's a Yam frame it will have a toolbox built into the frame at the top of the front downtubes. Godden frame doesn't have one. Also, the frame is cut and reshaped under the tank on the Yam frame to clear the spark plug cap. Godden frame is a different design so doesn't have this. Frame number is on the headstock. Yam frame will begin 493xxxxxxx, Godden will begin 81 or 82 for example, which is the year, next two numbers are the month (I think) and the next three the actual production number. You should be able to tell which it is from that. However, doesn't matter which frame it is, the Yam framed bike is just as good.

For a manual try TY Offroad, he may have one for the early bike. Later bikes had different clutches and bigger carb but they are pretty much all the same apart from that I think TY Offroad