woody

Yes you can use the fibreglass tank on the road. The law only applied to new bikes being sold at the time, not those with them already fitted. No lights or indicators required for MOT, they just mark it day use only but some testers seem to want a rear reflector - why? if your using it in daytime only what use is a reflector.... Speedo not needed for MOT but will be for use on the road. Continuous sounding horn required for bikes made after a certain date which I can't remember. You can buy a pushbike horn and speedo from Halfords.

Yes - drop them my way...... brilliant bikes those 200 Yams

Modern bike in Classic - Yes they should get a 5 as it is no stop but there is always going to be a bit of leeway in the marking to take into account a momentary hesitation as opposed to a deliberate stop to regain balance/composure/line or whatever. Momentary stops are always going to happen on a modern bike as they have to be ridden on the clutch/brakes to go slowly. There's a difference between this and a deliberate stop. If a rider sumps out whilst going over a log they've failed so it is a 5. Being stationary and rocking the bike to free it and carry on whilst feet-up is a 5 because the idea is to go over the log in one attempt. That's where the old anything goes rules were a joke - a rider could fail in their attempt to get over the log, hop the bike backwards off it and have another go, and another, and another until they got it right or fell off - usually the latter. Used to be like watching paint dry and seriously frustrating when you were waiting in a queue for your go whilst rider after rider performed this circus act and the queue got longer. However, depends what you mean by starting twinshock trials. Just because you're on a twinshock doesn't mean you ride no-stop. Depends on the event - see my earlier post.

The problem with rule interpretation seems to stem from the type of bike being used instead of the actual event itself. Just because you're riding in an event on a twinshock or pre65 doesn't mean you are riding to the 'old-fashioned', 'traditional', 'old farts' or whatever description you care to use, rules of no stop - ie; a 5 for ceasing forward motion either feet up or down. If you're riding one of said bikes in a modern trial, then the rules will be whatever that club employs, most likely to be stop allowed, hopping allowed (or whatever they are - I don't care) It's a modern trial so you can hop and dance your pre65 or twinshock around to your heart's content, even if there is a pre65 or twinshock class. Most unlikely you will get 2 sets of rules in operation at one trial. One seems to be causing enough confusion... (not meant as a jibe at anyone) If it is a club classic event for pre65 and/or twinshock it is up to the club what rules they run. Most likely going to be tradtional no-stop. If it is the National ACU Classic or the Sammy Miller series then the rules are most definitely the traditional no stop. Stopping and hopping definitely not in the spirit at all.

No, definitely no rule changes required - it's crystal clear. The rider's know it and it's up to them to play by the rules. All you can hope is that the observers on sections where it happens are brave enough to award the 5. I wouldn't blame them for not doing so as not all want confrontation and their decision is made even harder when a crowd of onlookers applaud a clean which has been achieved with a technique that is good to watch (to some) but nontheless illegal. Hard to give a 5 under those circumstances. It was interesting to note in yesterday's classic experts that the best ride on the section where hopping was going on, was by Dave Thorpe who just floated the front wheel 90 degrees or more around the 'bowl' of the turn and cleaned it. Brilliant, proper no-stop and much more impressive machine control than stop and hop. Line perfect and only one attempt to get it right. I still think it may be of some benefit to put notices at the signing on point and on the regs next year in the Classic and Miller rounds emphasising that it is a no stop trial and stopping and hopping will be penalised with a 5. That and reminding the observers when they sign on is about all you can do and just hope that seeing it emphasised will make riders think twice before doing it. Abusing this rule, along with the other favourite of riding out and back into a section between two blue or two red markers (ie - outside the boundary of a section) to get a better line are the two things that really wind me up.

You can run them at 2 or 3 psi without problems - they'll generally stay on the rim even when punctured. Unless there is something wrong with your particular tyre you must have just been unlucky as there is nothing else I can think of that would cause it to come off the rim, unless maybe it was never seated properly in the first place

They were quite popular in the era, our local trials shop used to run TY175's with boost bottles and reckoned they made a difference. I've never tried one so wouldn't know but if you search the forum - Yamaha or Twinshock, not sure which - there was a topic on this some time ago so you may get some answers from that. Alternatively, what about 200cc conversion. Depends how serious you are about the bike's performance and therefore how much you want to spend I guess but I would have thought that would be a better option than the boost bottle. Steve Davies runs a 200 Yam in the Classic series and it goes very well.

Thanks yes, pictures would be a great help so I can try and get one made. Or if you want to sell the mudguard I'll buy it off you as it will make getting a copy done a lot easier

Don't get too excited just yet as it may not be Rhayader that run it. It may be the Mid Wales centre as in the last couple of years

Yes indeed, another enjoyable event by the Rhayader club and it was nice to see that finally the trial is attracting the sort of entry and numbers it deserves. With 2 routes it offers a group of riding mates of varied ability the opportunity to enjoy a good old fashioned style event with sections to cater for them all. Nothing daft on the expert route but sections of a nature that you need to be line perfect to achieve cleans which is where the difficulty factor lies - and the whole point of no-stop riding, get it wrong and go off line and it will cost you marks to save a 5. Fantastic variety of bikes taking part too, another factor that makes these events so enjoyable. Some lovely pre65 bikes and finally, a good few older twinshocks being ridden which makes a change from the ACU Classic which is virtually all post 80 stuff now. Mont 247, KT Kawasaki, Honda TL250, Seeley, 76 Bulto etc. Must get the Ossa done and start using it again. The owner of the TL250 (LFS 4P no less) allowed me a quick ride on it after the trial, I was interested to try it as I've never ridden one. Only around the carpark but lovely engine and the bike doesn't feel as heavy to ride as it actually is. One thing I can't understand though, with all of these bikes entered for this trial, why is the number of entries dwindling in these classes in the Sammy Miller series. I can understand some of these riders not entering the ACU Classic events as they would find them too hard (and I don't mean that in a derogatory way at all) but the Miller series would be ideal. If you were riding the cubman route in this event and enjoyed it, you would enjoy the Miller serieis too. Give it a go.

I can see why it took three years, looks like a lot of hard work has gone into that. Well worth it though and another twinshock is resurrected to ride again. Very nice bike.

The no-stop rule is nice and simple in its logic - if the bike stops forward motion with feet either on or off the pegs it is a 5. There is no grey area for interpertation. This is the rule that was used for decades as the object of the exercise was to pass thropugh the start card and exit the end card without stopping - if you stopped you failed. Obviously there is a bit of leeway if it is a split second stop and that has always been accepted. What isn't acceptable is the issue that is the reason for this thread - deliberately stopping to either regain balance or to hop the bike into a different position and gain an avantage, usually to square a turn off where there is a danger of the front wheel washing out and costing a dab or two if the bike is ridden round the turn. It isn't a case of riders being confused by the rules, it's a case of them deliberately doing it to get out of a mess and avoid losing the marks they would do if they had to continue forward motion. I'd agree that for next year's classic series there should be large notices at the signing on point and a similar statement in big block capitals on the entry forms that stopping will be penalised with a 5. If riders continue to get away with it, more amd more will do it to level the playing field and the series will be ruined. If riders want to skip about there are plenty of modern trials that cater for that.

Pirelli MT43 performs a fair bit better on frozen or snowy ground as the harder compound bites in better than the softer compound of the others. If you can find an MT13, even better.... These are tubed tyres though. The MT73 was tubeless but never tried one of those.

Yes, should be a left hand thread on MK2 onwards which have the bigger crank assembly. MK1 has the smaller crank which is right hand thread.

Don't have a picture of that particular 330 but how about these. I would think your best bet for parts is Spain as they aren't well catered for here at all. Problem is, having contacts out there. You could try Dave Renham. Although he is Bultos, he is geting hold of some parts for Ossas now also and has contacts in Spain. He is going out there in a few weeks so you could ask him a favour to see if anyone has the parts you need when he is there. They seem a popular bike in Spanish classic eventts as they are always in the results reported on Todotrial and they look in good nick in the photos so there must be parts for them somewhere

With the demise of the British Experts trial a good few years ago due to lack of support, the Rhayader club introduced the Classic Experts trial for Pre65 and twinshock. Uses some of the sections used in the original British Experts from the 60s and 70s. Very enjoyable.

It's a road trial, starts from the centre of Rhayader, maybe about 20 miles round. Well worth doing if you can

No website, Pete Eddy is basically selling them himself, either direct or at the shows and various events that he gets to

Not sure about the latest NJB shock but the previous types aren't rebuildable.

You did well to get the Honda engine to fit so snugly into the Ossa chassis as it is a fair bit taller than the Ossa lump. Better than my attempt to get a Villers engine into one a few years back, that's for sure. Looks good and you've picked one of the best handling chassis from that era to use - not that I'm biased

OK, thanks for that. Only reason I ask is that one day, when everything else is out of the way, I'd like to have a go at building one myself (with more than a bit of help from a couple of mates who are better at that sort of thing than me) and was interested to see what he'd done. Only caught a passing glimpse of it at a trial once. Nice SWM too. Got any picutures to post of your old yellow Gripper restoration. That was a stunner as well if I remember.

Thought so, it was seeing the Mont and Ossa pics when the penny dropped. Both Miller and Classic are enjoyable series with the Classic being the more serious of the two, definitely worth the effort to try and ride some. Miller sections are (supposed to be) intended more for the generally standard or lightly modified Brit bikes so a later twinshock will make light work of them. Ideal on a lightly modified pre65 or early 70s standard twinshock. Haven't ridden many of them but those I have are enjoyable and although the sections are generally of an easier nature, whatever you're riding the events offer a good ride around the countryside and are very enjoyable. Classic can still be done on a standard 70s twinshock as there is nothing suicidal but the sections are technically harder than the Miller rounds so a more competitive bike always helps. One of the rounds was won on a TY175/200 though this year. Don't forget the Classic Experts next Saturday (11th) either. Also a good event with quite a few testing sections on the hard route. Oh yes, nearly forgot, do have any pictures of that 305 Honda copy that someone (sure it was Nixon) was riding in some Peak events a couple of years ago?

Hmmm, Mont and Ossa, Sprite, Majesty, SWM all pointed towards someone with more than a passing interest in Peak Classic club? One day I might get one of my bikes finished and put a photo on here too. Seeley may be done soon, just need to get the bashplate made, check it runs and rides ok, then strip and repaint it. Sprite looks very nice by the way.

Nice bikes. The Mont is especially stunning but I agree the Ossa is the better bike. Penny's just dropped as to who you might be - if so, have you got any pictures of the 305 copy Honda you did some work on (belonging to ??? Nixon?) that you could post. It appeared in CCN with the Ossa and Mont if memory serves.

Give credit where it's due, Hayden has been consistent all year on a development bike that has given him problems and that Honda made him ride rather then the 'proven' bike . He's never whinged about them, just got on with it and tried his best. He didn't deserve what happened to him in Portugal - why you think he 'had it coming' god knows - but he put it behind him and rode well yesterday. No-one could touch the Ducatis and after Rossi's crash he didn't have to try. Rossi threw the championship away with his own mistake, no 'outside assistance' and if that had been Hayden everyone would have been banging on about how the pressure got to him and how Rossi had 'got inside his head'. He blew it, he's had some duff races this year when the bike was no good - same as other riders have from time to time because none of them can win on a duff bike - and he has had some bad luck with mechanical problems in a couple of races - first time ever that I can remember, so it's his turn for a bit of bad luck for once. Hayden deserves it