I have a 266 or 301 or 403 mono air cooled, drum brake fantic 1985 it got mods to the frame which are different to other similar bikes ive looked at, but a fellow member pointed out a photo that thieryy mitchaud rode one in the 1985 scotish trials I know air cooled mono are coming popular, people say its no good in than class, any ideas or shall I cut it up to make a twin shock or restore it?... thanks jon

Restore it,the day of the air cooled mono will come as twinshocks will fade - just as proper pre65 bikes have.Time marches on,converting it to a twinshock will turn it into a nothing bike.

thanks jon I thought long and hard about it,you do talk sense restoration on way

Restore it,the day of the air cooled mono will come as twinshocks will fade - just as proper pre65 bikes have.Time marches on,converting it to a twinshock will turn it into a nothing bike.

Thought your name was Jon v8, not Nostradumus ?

Thought your name was Jon v8, not Nostradumus ?

Suprising how much you know when you've sank a bottle of red... An there is no way I could ever learn to spell nostrils dameis.

Jon has a point. It's something the twinshock MX guys are suffering with presently.

As you, umm, mature you tend to look back wistfully at the bikes of your youth. Mostly those you coveted when you were 14, 15, 16'ish. Now the last twinshocks were made in about 1984 so the guys who will want to ride them are now 43'ish. When those guys reach the point when they can no longer ride twinshocks will retire to museums.

I don't realy agree with tofasttim.

I think both type off bikes have their place in history and in modern day classic competition.

There will always be enthousiasts that will like a bike, no matter what year it was build.

I am in my early 40's and at the moment as a starter in our beautyful sport i am riding a Fantic 305, that i love more every time i ride it and a Scorpa SY 250, the same story.

But for me the most beautyful kind of trials bike still is a home build pre '65 bike.

Hopefully someday i will find the time to build one myself.

As a reply to Jon V8.

The fading of the pre '65 bikes is in my opinion a problem off some riders who optimise their bike beyond what was posible in the period their bikes where build.

as a result a club will have to build the sections to suit the kind off bikes that are entering the competition.

It is no fun trying to fight your way throug a section that is challenging for a modern bike on a rigid pre '65!

I am in my early 40's and at the moment as a starter in our beautyful sport i am riding a Fantic 305, that i love

Right smack in my demographic! Except the 305 is a single shock.

I don't think they'll die. Just the support will drop.

We've reached the point where the generation ahead of me (I'm 51) who loved the pre-65's are now reaching the age where they can no longer ride so that branch of the sport is suffering because of it. But your point is valid too.

Edited July 30, 201313 yr by toofasttim

If your referring to a bike like the one at the very bottom of this page http://fantic240pro..../UkGallerie.htm , restore it !!!!

If you modify it out of what it was , you may end up with a great bike to ride , but of no value to anyone but you .... It will hold value if restored .(I hope , that's why all my fantics are what they are ....)

Glenn , Have fun with it !

(and Tim , I'm 52 and you just made me feel old !!!!)

Edited July 30, 201313 yr by axulsuv

Jon has a point. It's something the twinshock MX guys are suffering with presently.

As you, umm, mature you tend to look back wistfully at the bikes of your youth. Mostly those you coveted when you were 14, 15, 16'ish. Now the last twinshocks were made in about 1984 so the guys who will want to ride them are now 43'ish. When those guys reach the point when they can no longer ride twinshocks will retire to museums.

"Mature" not sure if that's the correct word, wouldn't worry to much about the imminent demise of twin shock / pre 65, George Greenland just had a very respectable finnish in Germany, he's 80ish.

Think George is 81 and still rides really well as well as being a super bloke, who could ask for more!

George is indeed 81, I wished him a happy birthday and shook hands with him at Golden Valley's Eurocup on his 81st.Since then he has ridden my Bath trial and as mentioned gone off to Europe on a 5 week tour with a two day trial each weekend.One of the nicest and certainly most interesting person you could wish to meet - the stories are wonderful.He and Mick Andrews are two people who need to write books....

On the subject of Pre65 and later twinshocks,both will eventually fade,I'm 48 and I only know one other rider younger than me who still competes on a rigid.Its not to do with the bikes,modified or not - its down to the people marking out trials for the very average clubman riders most of us are,not just pandering to the top 2%.Keep the trials straightforward and not scary and the entries will stay good.

i recently bought a good running 301 with the express intention of splitting it for the engine having ridden the thing though i'd frankly be mad not to spend some time and a little cash on it to make a rideable bike that will not lose a penny of value.

there are already classes to ride the thing and no water means simples, two specialised suppliers and decent interweb information means for very little money a bike can be aquired and run.