woody

There was more to Eddy Lejeune winning 3 titles on the trot than just the 360 motor in his twinshock bike. That bike was the culmination of a good few years development starting with Rob Shepherd in the late 70s and it was a very special bike right through, not just the motor. And of course Eddy was a pretty good rider... When they went to the mono RTL Honda built Eddy a one-off 360 version but it wasn't successful and was only used for one year. The next year he switched to the 270 works RTL with Steve Saunders. The 360 mono wasn't at all pretty and looked a mess as well. I'm not an engineer so have no idea what the optimum size is but don't see why it has to be 250. The enduro/motocross bikes have no problem with overheating on 400 - 550cc engines so I can't see why a modern watercooled trials engine couldn't be up to 350cc if the manufacturer thought it needed that capacity. There is a lot said about the 4RT being underpowered but I don't think it is personally. I've got one and it will do far more than I am capable of making it do. More than enough power for club riders, enough to finish 2nd, 3rd in the SSDT and enough for Dougie and co. to throw a standard one up some pretty fearsome indoor sections before they got their works versions. A bit more than any national event rider would have to do. Trials isn't all about socket wrenching power unless you're at the sharp end of British Championship or WTC level when a bit extra helps... Incidentally, Lejeune never had to compete against 250 Yams as they didn't have a world Championship rider after Mick Andrews, who was the oldest rider to win a world round in '81 or '82 on the Majesty. Apart from a one-off (fluke..? home bias?) win by Thierry Girard on a mono in late 80s they haven't campaigned at world level since twinshock days. Didn't stop the TY mono being one of the best ever clubman bikes for 10 years or so and it was by no means the most powerful. And I think they sold every one. I would guess that the reason Honda went for a rideable 250 is that there are far more clubman riders out there than experts and a user friendly 250 will sell more than something with too much power. Sales in numbers is what it is all about for Honda. They provide step-up kits for hose that want more power. Yamaha probably opted for 250 as it was an exercise in economics, being cheaper to adapt an existing 250 motor than build an all new one. Obviously I don't know, just my opinion.

Anyone out there know of any C15 trials specialists I can speak to as regards engine set up - camshaft specs in particular? I know there are several around who can build nice motors but I don't know who they are unfortunately. I'm a bit lost with Beezas as I have very little BSA knowledge (shamefull I guess as I am from the home of BSA...)

I'd agree that it is almost impossible to have true no-stop at WTC now. The riders skill and the fact that the bikes are made to be danced about would make it an observing nightmare to decide if true no-stop forward motion was maintained - especially when they try and hop the front and back wheels 'on the move'. Stationary hopping or hopping sideways on the back wheel to get out of trouble is a favourite way of diguising the fact that forward motion is lost but the bike is still perceived to be moving - tough to call in the cauldron of WTC observing. On the old twinshocks this couldn't be done of course so that problem didn't arise, but you only have to see how the top guys get themselves out of trouble in the SSDT to see how they get around proper no-stop. I certainly agree that the skill shown in moving a bike around by hop and bop trick riding is amazing but I think it makes the gap between the best and the rest even bigger. Time limits can't work at club level and therefore you'd have two very different sets of rules for championships and the rest. Doesn't bother me but the consensus is that this is no good for bringing on future WTC contenders as they need to constantly ride to one set of rules. Personally I think if they are good enough they can ride any way, because they just are that good. I favour the old style no-stop as it meant a rider had to think much more about a section and pick the line and try and stay on it. If you lost it and wandered off line it would cost marks to get back on it as you couldn't stop, recover and then go again as many times as necessary, it had to be right first time as you only had one chance. I still think that if they set the rules as they are now (ie stop but no sideways hopping or reversing) and observed them properly the sections wouldn't have to be so severe. That's two trials in a row Doug has had nasty crashes and I don't put it down to him taking extra risks due to an uncompetitive bike - he was leading the championship until last week and the works 4RT has won a few rounds this year. I think it was only a matter of time before someone crashed heavily and unfortunately it was Dougie and the timing of it could well cost him any chance of the championship now. And that's why I think she will have stopped singing soon as he will struggle to pull those marks back now if the sections continue to be indoor style. But I hope so much that he can. And Hawstone if it p****s it down is a good place to start.

Those kits still come up for sale on e-bay too, usually in the US or Australia. Those TL Hondas are nice looking bikes but bloody hell they're heavy

Must admit I never get too hung up about the weights either. Weight bias to front or rear can make a bike feel heavy or light, not its actual weight. The Yam Majesty is a fairly heavy lump to lift about in the garage but to ride they feel quite light, especialy the 320 with it's short wheelbase and quick motor - no problem lifting the front end there. The lightest feeling twinshock bike I've ridden recently was a Honda TLR250 but I've no doubt this is due to it being a very well set up machine, as t-shock 250 has said, more than its actual weight.

I was quite surprised when Sherco went for the carb on the 4T as they have EFI on their enduro engines, both 450 and 250

Now that would be worth seeing! Well, he's already said he's spent 3 years fiddling with her technique so I would bloody well hope he can fire her up at the touch of a button now....

I agree 100% it should be the pinnacle of trials riding for the best in the world, the elite. The problem with it now, as I see it, is that it doesn't test the full range of their skills as it should. Infinitely varied conditions from mud, snow, ice, cambered climbs, root infested climbes etc. etc. It's just becoming the same almost every round. Rev and splat. Doesn't make any difference if the sections are made of rock, concrete, wooden crates, sleepers or whatever, it's the same technique over and over. No variance and it favours smaller lighter riders. Even the indoors from a few years ago managed to vary sections a bit but now they just use the same ones over and over. And I've never been an indoors fan, even when Dougie was winning it. I've nothing but admiration for their skill but it doesn't hold much interest for me really, certainly don't go out of my way to watch it. Same with outdoors. Last time I went to Hawstone, again the skill of the riders was awesome, I've no argument there, but the sections were so hard that if riders were marked properly they would have been given fives more often than not, and several times per section too. I just left thinking what's the point. There are rules in place but they are ignored. Bit like a golfer scooping up the ball and balancing it on the face of his wedge, walking from the tee, dropping it in the hole and claiming a hole in one. New technique, very clever but outside the rules. It seems the sport is being bottled up and promoted in a specific way now and I don't think it is for the better - but that is just a personal opinion. Ultimately it makes not one jot of a difference to my life what they do with WTC, I just think it is a shame what it is turning into. You only have to look at the once great RAC rally to see what happens when the money men get their hands on things - not allowed to run a forest stage rally in November anymore as it is too wet and there is too much mud and ice about. We want a nice clean event please so if you don't run it July you can't run it anymore in the WRC. Just about sums things up really. So I feel that for as long as sections are promoted in this way the lady can indeed stop singing. The arena type sections will favour the Spanish riders and the trophy will head off there. But I hope I am wrong as even if my interest in WTC is on a downward spiral I still want a British rider to win it.

The Scorpa 125 kicks over with minimal physical effort as it is only a 125 and it has auto decompression on the kickstart. From what I've seen and heard they don't give too much trouble firing up when either hot or cold. Best illustration I can give is of a rider who fell off near the top of a fairly steep, long bank. I had uprighted the bike for him and was about to help him drag it over the top, as to remount next to it on such a steep slippery incline and camber would have been very difficult. However, he just reached over to it from where he was crawling and started it with his hand first time. Gives you an idea of how easy they start.

Now that is funny - and no, I have nothing against nor dislike the 4T before all you owners jump on me, I just like a bit of dry humour....

I know steel doesn't anodise, what I meant was that I thought it would have no affect on the steel stem in the bottom yoke, but it 'buggers up' the process in some way so there can be no steel present in what is being anodised.

Beautiful looking job. I would guess your problem for marketing them may be that the trials fraternity is no so keen to spend money on accessories as much as the motocross guys. They look the dogs, so presentation/looks isn't a problem.

Having seen the photos and write up of the French round, if this is what the rest of the series is going to be like the fat lady can stop singing now and they may as well give the cup to Raga or Caby - I don't care which. Why has the outdoor turned into the indoor circus...???? France has some magnificent natural terrain and the best they can come up with is a load of boulders bedded into a hillside to create a load of rev and splat sections. What's happening to WTC? Are the organisers under orders to stage these kind of sections or do they just feel that is all it has become now and is what is expected. I know they need the hard standing parc ferme, telephone lines, executive boxes and all that balls, but is it really what trials is all about. They may as well just ship the indoor hazards around the outdoor venues if this is all it is becoming. The Duluth round seemed to have proper sections, although the rain spoiled things a bit..... A great pity as they looked awesome sections from the photos. If they can do it why can't the rest. That is now Spain, Japan and France who have staged indoor sections outside. Hopefully Hawstone will redress this to some extent, especially if it p****s down, although when we were there a few weeks back for a centre trial it looks as though there are at least 3 manufactured sections there too. One is more than enough - IMHO that is, being a lover of real trials and all, not the indoor pantomime. There are some things it would be nice to turn the clock back on - real sections being at the forefront.

According to a mate of mine who works at a platers/anodisers, anything with steel in or attached to it can't be done unless all steel is removed. I couldn't get my bottom fork yoke anodised unless the stem was pressed out first. Can't help you as to whether you can remove those redundant bits though

That's something else she's going to kill you for when she finds you've divulged it on a public forum.....

I can honestly say, that YZ426 I had never needed the shims doing once, so I wouldn't worry too much as the trials engine won't take anywhere near the punishment of the YZ.

The 4RT 'brain' for fuel or ignition can't be remapped. If you want to get involved in altering the power characteristics by remapping you need to buy the replacement module or whatever it that's needed.

Car exhaust fumes fed into the tank kill the petrol vapour and enable the tank to be welded. Don't ask me how, I just know two alloy welders that use this method to repair tanks and they are both still alive and have all of their hair, eyelids and eyebrows....

You've never had an ignition failure then.... I'd agree though, the smoothness of the Beta engine low down is second to none of the modern bikes. Not a hint of snatch of jekiness on the 02 I had, or others I've ridden.

You shouldn't need them with a Yamaha...... I ran a YZ426 for nearly 3 years in H & H and enduros and when we finally stripped it to put a new cam chain in we found it didn't need it. The engine was still like new inside. Couldn't fault the quality of it. Being a Yam fan for many years it's going to be hard to resist this Scorpa, especially if Mr Birkett is involved in it's development. Should be one heck of a clubman bike.

In addition to the reed spacer, retard the ignition all the way as a friend of mine did that to his and it really softened it off without any loss of 'go'.

Any news on the Sorpa 4T from French world round?

Forgot to mention about Craig as well although I don't think he has any of the smaller Majesty engine parts, mainly 250/320 stuff, but this is his website with contact details. http://www.yamaha-majesty.com

I think there is more than one piston that cab be used. Have you tried asking Shirt's as I've heard other people say they are still helpful with Majesty queries. If no luck with Shirt's try Dave Renham at Bultaco UK as the piston used in Whitehawk 200 was maybe from a 238cc Bultaco - 70mm bore I think (not the earlier full 250cc Bult) Don't know offhand if it needed a new oversize liner and any other mods or whether it was a straightforward fit. Nigel Birkett should also know if no-one on the forum knows for sure and you're stuck

I'd double check on the anodising of the hubs as I've been told that anything with any magnesium in it won't anodise, and being Honda hubs they may well have magnesium in them. I've no idea whether this is correct or not, just what I was told when I wanted some Yam hubs anodised, so just thought I'd mention it.