woody

There is a C15 rolling chassis with Susans frame for sale on ebay now (well, advertised as one, I wouldn't know if it was or not)

The OKO with no markings on the jets would be a Chinese copy, normally the chrome finish top to the carb is a distinguishing piece, there are one or two others. The jets are different shapes / style from proper OKO which uses Keihin jets and the main jet housing is different. The proper OKO is a decent carb, I have them on three Sherpas and an Ossa. All run fine. Usually they work straight from the box on most bikes and all I've done is move the needle one clip and alter the pilot as they come with a slightly rich pilot. I think all the bikes use the standard 112 main. I bought a Chinese version by mistake once and it's still on the shelf, couldn't get the Sherpa to run on it at all. Doesn't help when you don't know the jet sizes through having no markings either....

Don't know for sure, I don't think so as I never saw a new one with one fitted. We used to pile into a shop called Bruce's Motorcycles every Saturday morning. It was only a small place on the opposite side of the road from the famous Vale Onslow emporium and we'd just gawp at the selection of beautiful shiny new MARs lined up in the showroom. Never actually saw one in Onslow's but they had just about everything else you could name. Happy days Back on topic, every cylinder head I've seen has two plug holes so I guess they came like that from the factory with the second hole fitted with a blanking plug

Nothing wrong with the MK1 forks - see above. When they moved from the MK1 to the MK2 it wasn't unusual for some early MK2 bikes to still have a few MK1 parts like cylinder head and / or cylinder. Yours may even have come with those forks if it's an early model. You only have to change the legs if you feel the need, MK2 legs will go straight onto your stanchions. Just need the right spindle and MK2 only has one spacer on opposite side to brake

Have a look at the catalogue pictures here http://www.ataq.qc.ca/galerie/index.php?folder=/Mus%E9e/Ossa/ Yours has the 1972 MK1 forks, the '74 bike has the MK2 forks. Only difference really is the legs, the way they are shaped around the spindle. MK1 forks take a longer spindle too. The action is the same on both although by '74/75 the damper rod piston had a fibre seal around it to help control oil flow, earlier betor forks didn't (Bultaco was the same) The earlier piston, once worn will let oil past whereas on the later piston you can install a new fibre ring made from PTFE card. As far as I remember a Bultaco stator will fit as will the flywheel You could always send your stator to Motoplat UK for a refurb which would include new wiring. He's been doing them for years. I had two done years ago - no issues, work perfectly. http://www.uk-motoplat.com/home.html If you leave Steve Sell a message make sure you don't have your number blocked as he won't respond to incoming calls / messages with unknown numbers. He's also busy with his day job as the Ossa work is a hobby, not a job.

The stator that is ignition only has only two wires, blue and black. The stator that includes wiring for lights and horn etc has more than three wires ( five, maybe six, can't remember as never had lights wired up) So if yours has three it's more probable that it does have lighting but the wires have been cut right back behind the stator. Your bike looks like a MK2 (with MK1 forks) and from the MK2 I think they generally had lighting stators fitted. If you're thinking of buying another stator you need to ensure it is compatible with your flywheel as they changed the timing point somewhere around '74 and with the piston at TDC some stators have the timing point at around 8 (on a clock face) and later ones at around 4. By timing point I mean the hole in the stator and flywheel that have to line up with a timing pin which indicates the firing point.Use the wrong combination and your timing will be way out. Stators and complete ignitions come up on ebay from time to time. There may even be a modern full replacement ignition which Steve Sell may have (search forum for contact details) but I don't know if it would include lighting. Also worth rerouting the wires out through the front of the crankcase if not already done. The reason a lot of wires have been chopped back is that the loom is quite thick with all five wires and where it exits under the engine it was common for the bashplate to get hammered out of shape by rocks which caused it to bend upwards and squash and break the wires. It was also a 90 degree bend which didn't help and as the wires became brittle with aging they could crack and short out. Rerouting through the front of the case solves all of those problems. Search the Ossa or twinshock forums and you'll find info and maybe pictures on the mod. Bike looks nice but if you're going to use it, those mudguards are really fragile. I had two of the front mudguard stays break on mine first time out. Look great for an original build but maybe not so good to ride with.

Couldn't help but wonder what it was all about....Love to know what they're saying to each other. At one point she seems to be screaming profanities at him and then when he drops it she's over like Florence Nightingale, whereas I'd have expected her to have seized the opportunity to have turned the horse on him and trampled the tosspot into the grass. Seem to be 3 different bikes used. The bike he's 'terrorising' blondie with is different from the bike he leaves the barn on, both radial heads, and the bike we see originally parked in the barn does look like a 5 speed 27. Given his apparent riding ability they probably used three due to him scrapping two...

Thanks for the info Sparks, I knew nothing of these Miller produced bikes until now

I meant to say earlier following Cleanorbust's post - I've never even heard or seen any mention before now of a Bulto/Villiers produced by Sammy Miller. Never knew they existed. Be interesting to see one. Explains why the tank looks like early Pursang if it is a copy of a Model 49 tank

No idea what the seat unit is. If you want to properly date the bike look here: http://montesacotatials.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/247-frame-numbers.html

Tank looks very similar to an early Pursang copy in alloy

You can see pictures of the various models here http://www.ataq.qc.ca/galerie/index.php?folder=/Mus%E9e/Ossa/

I think they are only M7 on later bikes, all of my early MARs have been M6. Fork pinch bolts and bar clamps are M7 which is a pain

Not just the MK2, all bikes left the factory with fibregalss tanks but after 1973/4, due to a law change prohibiting the use of fibreglass tanks on the road, they were swapped for alloy tanks after import into the UK. Alloy were fitted to all models from then on right through to Grippers. The shape of the fibreglass tanks changed with the Verde model, as did the UK alloy version, but all of the MAR tank variants fit any MAR model The UK alloy tank for the MK2 / MK3 MAR is a different shape from the fibreglass tank so the standard decals for the MK2 / MK3 stripes won't fit, you need UK versions. MK1 had a painted green band, no decal.

Yes, it's an Ossa MAR MK1. Model year from 72 to early 74. Looks in pretty well original condition, just missing the green stripe on the tank and side panels. If the carb is mounted by rubber hose it will be a later model MK1 unless someone has fitted another cylinder, First MK1 came with a bolt on carb. Rear silencer is from another bike, probably a Montesa Cota 247 as it's been cut up a bit. Early MK1 has a peashooter style silencer (which didn't...), kater MK1 has a bullet shape. Sidestand isn't original as they bolted to the other side (not that it matters) although some MK1 didn't have the bracket on the swingarm and came without one.

MK1 and MK2 MAR had different size shock mounts top and bottom. Bottom is 12mm. Top mount is 14mm (maybe 15mm, can't remember) Sounds as though someone has left the metal inserts to the bottom bushes on the swingarm mounts. Not uncommon if they rust on and then when the shock is removed they get left behind. MK3 MAR onwards they changed the top mount to 12mm

Not sure why I read that as 5mm BTDC.... The 124 / 125 models are from '74, not '75 and the crossover gear shaft wasn't introduced until about '77 on Sherpas. Yours will have been modified which is a common mod on the Pursangs. The clutch is usually a single row chain on Sherpas with pin spring retainers until around '77, so sounds as though someone has changed the clutch too - although not inconceivable that Bultaco did some Sherpas with duplex row clutches. Not sure which shaft has been used for the gear change though, as the splines on all Sherpas are the same in my experience, the same gear lever fits the splines on all of my bikes Even with new mudguard braces, you will still get some twisting on the front - all of mine do, regardless of model

The alloy tubes at the bottom of the damper rods are just a push fit. If they've not been removed for years they will be properly stuck on. A couple of things to try. Heat them and use a blunt screwdriver or such like to gently drift them off. Or put the damper rod in the vice vertically, upside down, resting the top side of the alloy tube on the jaws of the vice. Screw a much longer allen bolt into the damper rod a few turns and then after heating the alloy tube tap the allen bolt to push the rod out of the tube. There is no standard jetting for the Bulto on the VM Mikuni so it's trial and error unless someone with the same carb can provide the size they use. No use comparing to the TY175 as it is a different type of Mikuni. A 180 main jet is too big. 130 could be right but I'd buy a 130, 140 and 150 and see which it runs best with. Not all bikes run the same with the same set up. Can't help with timing the Electrex, but it should have a standard timing mark? Standard Sherpa timing on points can be anywhere between 2 - 3.5mm BTDC depending on whether you want sharper or softer throttle response off idle. No idea what that equates to in degrees. Obviously there is no advance with the points and I'm not sure what a modern electronic advances to from what. Advancing to 5mm BTDC sounds a bit extreme to me? Be careful backing the clutch springs off as they will foul the inside of the case if you go too far, although the '74 models usually had a pin retainer for the springs rather than nuts. The later bottom yoke won't make any difference to the fork twisting as it's more to do with the mudguard brace which doesn't look as though it could provide much rigidity on yours. However, the aftermarket braces available these days don't provide that much either.

A bit conservative when a standard TLR Honda costs a minimum £2k.... I've just rebuilt a 1970 Sherpa, no fancy bits, just a straightforward rebuild, no trick alloy bits. Only concession to modern components is a tubeless back rim. Not even electronic ignition. The bike cost me £600. It needed a full engine rebuild which these days is around £500 (pistons are £150, rod kits are £150 plus rebore and crank assembly costs, all new bearings, gaskets, seals - another £120 on top of this if cylinder needs relining) Cost of bike plus full engine rebuild - £1150 so far Then new bars, wheel builds, cables, levers, tyres, frame powder coat and some polishing and re-chroming - another £500 Increases overall cost to £1650 Petrol tank repaired, lined and painted, new seat unit as original too butchered - another £200 Increases overall cost to £1850 These costs are pretty generic to most bikes if rebuilt fully. Yes a few quid can be saved by not indulging in painting / polish / re-chrome and using second hand levers / bars / tyres and not rebuilding wheels if they are solid enough, but you're still looking at around £8 - £900 for a mechanical rebuild to get it fit for use in a trial plus the cost of the bike and you can't get many bikes for £600 now no matter what condition they're in Compulsory purchase at £1500 over my dead body... I suspect you wouldn't have many entries at a trial with that in the rule book

Also make sure you have the centre spacer tube fitted between the bearings as if it is missing, or too short if it's the wrong one, when you tighten the spindle it will push the centre of the bearings inwards and that can cause them to fail pretty quickly

Frame is a MK1 as is the swingarm - MK1 swingarm has the shock mount just over the blob of weld that acts as a stop for the snail cam. MK2 had an extra 1" added to it behind the shock so the shock mount is forward of the snail cam stop. MK1 and MK2 shock position is the same, only difference is the extra 1" arm length behind the shock MK3 swingarm was the MK2 but with shock mounts over the spindle and top shock mounts by bottom screw on sidepanel so they were laid down more than on the later green bikes. Green bikes have the top shock mount lifted to the top screw of the sidepanel, reducing their angle, swingarm shock mounts still over spindle but may have been slightly shorter than MK3. If the engine is a 250, then as mentioned, the barrel is from a later green bike. Head is MK2 or 3. All 350 engines had barrels with cut-outs in the fins so could also be a 350 engine fitted - engine number will confirm. 350 top end won't fit on a 250. All 350 had stub fitting push on carbs, not bolt on. Carb is MK2 Amal which was standard fit to green 250 bikes. The picture is very grained, does it have a reed valve? Rear mudguard loop has been shortened

Not sure if it is the reason why you had to do it, but from memory, the Godden swingarm is narrower across the spindle than the TY frame

I put Montesa by mistake (writing on another forum at the same time) and didn't finish editing it - its a Yam TY wheel, Yam torque arm lug and speedo drive in brake plate Forks are Ossa

Forks are Ossa, wheel looks Montesa 247/348 You can use anything together if you can make them fit

I forgot one of the bikes is accessible so measured the spacer which is 20mm. Spindle length is hard to get whilst in the bike but roughly 23 - 24cm However, as mentioned before the spacer length won't cause your problem. If it's too long the fork leg will be pushed out, not in. Too short and the spindle will just sit further in with more thread showing the other end, the leg will be unaffected and remain in its position. As Steve said above, the missing speedo drive isn't an issue, it is replaced with a spacer Are you sure the spindle isn't picking up inside the leg and pushing it inwards? Take the wheel out and make sure the spindle pushes smoothly and cleanly right though the left side leg.