Where Are Pre-65 Trials Going?

[charlie prescott]

Hi Guys,

Hi sparks,

What are you saying then? That any bike with all modern tweaks are allowed ,in any class at YC now?

No more scrutineering?

Regards Charlie.

[charlie prescott]

The title of this thread "Where are Pre-65 trials going" gives a clue to what should or should not be eligible for this great sport of ours.

Woody's last post prompted me to respond here about the Bantams, 3 or 4 speed,,,,, can anyone definitively tell me when the 4 speed Bantams came on the market because I can't find anything before 1966,,,,, I stand to be corrected.

If I'm correct then there are a lot of trophies to be handed back !!!!!!!!!!!!

Back to the original question, I'm afraid you guys in the UK have allowed all the trick stuff in and the only way out now is to introduce more classes for them to ride in and also create events for both these bikes and the genuine classics and also, as someone else pointed out, put on suitable sections for the older riders ,,,,any volunteers ?.

I was back in the UK for two years recently and there were some old mates in the BMCA riding classics who were in their mid 70's and still riding extremely well.

I think a lot of the problem is the use of both Pre 65 and Pre 70 events, Pre 70 British allows in a host of bikes which just miss out on Pre 65 but the genuine Pre 65's have to compete against them.

Here in Australia, Pre 65 means Pre 65 (except for any carby can be fitted), I have two Cubs stored in the UK which I was going to ship to Aus but one of them has 4 stud Adventurer forks fitted and they won't be eligible in Aus so I will sell it in UK, pics available if anyone interested, contact me, twinshock2@gmail.com

Can someone respond on the 4 speed Bantam box query

Cheers

Roger RED T2 was the first trials Bantam to have four speed box fitted November 1966 OK , I can see the trophies returning as we speak!!!!

Regards Charlie. www.bsaotter.com

[old trials fanatic]

Where are Pre65 trials going ? Well I tried a Drayton Bantam at the weekend and the future is Bantam. I know the Drayton is not the most trick Bantam around but it was a revelation. Almost that good it was like cheating compared to my James. Just so damn easy to ride I don't know how anybody doesn't ride clean on one.

So anybody want to buy a James ? or a kidney ? I need a Bantam

[charlie prescott]

Hi Guy's

Look OTF if you really need more pressure in your life?? There is a Drayton frame on e-bay has we speak , you will need a good price for the Jimmy though to finish the build,

the engine is quite expensive to build as well. but you have our mate Alan , that can supply most of the bits at cost to you????

Are you going to declare the bike has not Pre 65? or are you going to run a "Three" speed box?????????

You Could wait until the "Super Cubs" come out next year, has they will probably be better than a Bantam? more Pre 65 and make the lot of the current scene obsolete!!!!

A Lot of respect Charlie!!!

[charlie prescott]

Where are Pre65 trials going ? Well I tried a Drayton Bantam at the weekend and the future is Bantam. I know the Drayton is not the most trick Bantam around but it was a revelation. Almost that good it was like cheating compared to my James. Just so damn easy to ride I don't know how anybody doesn't ride clean on one.

So anybody want to buy a James ? or a kidney ? I need a Bantam

Look OTF check on the results of the Manx Classic.

I think you will find a Drayton "Rigid" Bantam won that trial Cleean with Juan riding the bike. and Steve Colley has just won the "Twinshock" class in a IOM trial on the same bike!!!!

Regards Charlie. www.bsaotter.com

[tltel]

A "RIGID" wins the" TWINSHOCK" class, I always thought those bouncy bits at the back were just a gimmick!!

TLTEL

[sparks2]

'Where are Pre-65 Trials Going'

Thank you OTF --- Thank you

To quote OTF:-

'The future is a Drayton Bantam'

'Almost that good it was like cheating compared to my James. Just so damn easy to ride I don't know how anybody doesn't ride clean on one.'

Probably unwittingly you have given the game away

I would venture to speculate that a good proportion or even perhaps a majority of 'pre-65' riders have little

or no interest in old trials bikes or trials as they were before the Bultaco era,

they just want to ride the easier sections on the most easy to ride, barely eligible machine.

Therein lies the problem, sections get harder to test the improved machines, other riders feel obliged to follow suit,

costs go up and the whole thing spirels out of control.

Of course it's not limited to one particular club or area, it's nationwide and has been gathering pace for a long time, as long as

pre-65 has existed.

There would seem to be little point in trying to enforce a set of regulations as any rule brings forth it's own clever countermeasures

to circumvent the said rule - tubes under the engine, MK1.5 Amal, lookylikey replica frames we've seen them all. Wermacht uniforms

or rose tinted spectacles are just not going to turn the clock back.

As JonV8 has suggested, perhaps the only answer is to restrict the severity of classic and pre-65 trials thereby risking boring the

better riders on the better machines but gaining good entries from the wobblers - sort out a compromise from that.

Edited December 10, 2013 by sparks2

[wallo]

So the future of pre 65 is to buy a 2 stroke, how depressing is that :-( You turn up at a trial and during those moments when you have to queue at a section you get strimmer (sorry 2 stroke) next to you who revs and revs that annoying little engine bellowing out smoke, great.

Ride what you want, it ain't gonna make you a fortune, we're too old, it's about taking part and enjoying the crack. Hopefully the Talmag will be full of 4 stroke proper bikes, can't wait :-)

[jon v8]

So the future of pre 65 is to buy a 2 stroke, how depressing is that :-( You turn up at a trial and during those moments when you have to queue at a section you get strimmer (sorry 2 stroke) next to you who revs and revs that annoying little engine bellowing out smoke, great.

Ride what you want, it ain't gonna make you a fortune, we're too old, it's about taking part and enjoying the crack. Hopefully the Talmag will be full of 4 stroke proper bikes, can't wait :-)

Where were you on sunday ?

[wallo]

Zona 1, the van is in limp mode at the moment, not enjoyable. 40mph max at the moment :-( I will get it sorted

[old trials fanatic]

Zona 1, the van is in limp mode at the moment, not enjoyable. 40mph max at the moment :-( I will get it sorted

Whats limp mode ? are you sure that was available prior to December 31st 1964

[old trials fanatic]

Re Sparks2 post above

"I would venture to speculate that a good proportion or even perhaps a majority of 'pre-65' riders have little

or no interest in old trials bikes or trials as they were before the Bultaco era" yep I am one of them. I remember how crap the old stuff was then and in catalogue condition still is.

Don't get it myself those bikes were awful back then so was no central heating, cars, television, outside toilets, smog and almost everything else I had to grow up with thanks god all that's been consigned to the rubbish heap of time.

If there is so much demand for trials to ride these exactly as catalogue examples of why the British Motor Cycle "industry" went bust then why not just start clubs all over the country and put on events for them? You are obviously going to be oversubscribed and honestly good luck to you. Perhaps then I wont have to hear the endless droning on of usually ancient riders too old to ride bemoaning the lack of "real" trials and "real" trials bikes.

Don't forget though to get Dunlop to remanufacture that bloody useless old Trials Universal, no modern compounds or tech though, and Girling to also remanufacture those God awful shock non absorbers oh yes and good luck with the steel handlebars. On the plus side with the money you save not buying a Bantam you can just about afford a "period" Belstaff and you will also save on a crash helmet but buying the wife knitting lessons to knit you a bobble hat might use up the savings. Do they still make steel toe cap wellies?

Anyway all p*** taking apart , was I ? , go on start a club put on the events and they will come and honestly good luck to you if that's what floats your boat. Perhaps then you can leave the rest of us to carry on enjoying ourselves riding our bikes

Edited December 11, 2013 by old trials fanatic

[b40rt]

"Do they still make steel toe cap willies?"

Are you sure your posting on the correct forum ?

[metisse]

Can I just add my two euros worth from across the channel and heading south.. The Bantams , cubs and james et al are migrating too. Pre 65 has almost died here in France with only a hand full of die hards piting their big machines against the new invaders. This is almost futile as the sections have for sometime, become harder and tighter to the effect that now unless you have the latest and lightess, with the trickiest and best bits on you are making up the numbers at best, or going to hurt yourself at worse. Pre 65 is not the only casualty as the various twinshock classes have all gone up a level too, now needing a modern riding style, kickers for the steps and your mates waiting at the top of these to make sure your expensive trick bits and paint work don t get bent on the way back down. In both cases riding ability remains the same and hard sections don t need to be tight and dangerous. Big bikes can compete equally if the playing field is made to suit. How many trials do you have now where you have to even think about gear selection other than bottom. Why is one of the most sought after mods now the head angle change, so you can get round those even tighter turns easier or the perception that it may least help . Whether you can tempt people to ditch one bike in favour of another remains to be seen, however if the section plotters can at least give the big bikes a fighting chance in the face of the new generation perhaps its a start.

[jon v8]

Re Sparks2 post above

"I would venture to speculate that a good proportion or even perhaps a majority of 'pre-65' riders have little

or no interest in old trials bikes or trials as they were before the Bultaco era" yep I am one of them. I remember how crap the old stuff was then and in catalogue condition still is.

Don't get it myself those bikes were awful back then so was no central heating, cars, television, outside toilets, smog and almost everything else I had to grow up with thanks god all that's been consigned to the rubbish heap of time.

If there is so much demand for trials to ride these exactly as catalogue examples of why the British Motor Cycle "industry" went bust then why not just start clubs all over the country and put on events for them? You are obviously going to be oversubscribed and honestly good luck to you. Perhaps then I wont have to hear the endless droning on of usually ancient riders too old to ride bemoaning the lack of "real" trials and "real" trials bikes.

Don't forget though to get Dunlop to remanufacture that bloody useless old Trials Universal, no modern compounds or tech though, and Girling to also remanufacture those God awful shock non absorbers oh yes and good luck with the steel handlebars. On the plus side with the money you save not buying a Bantam you can just about afford a "period" Belstaff and you will also save on a crash helmet but buying the wife knitting lessons to knit you a bobble hat might use up the savings. Do they still make steel toe cap willies?

Anyway all p*** taking apart , was I ? , go on start a club put on the events and they will come and honestly good luck to you if that's what floats your boat. Perhaps then you can leave the rest of us to carry on enjoying ourselves riding our bikes

Ere, this isn't fair,we didn't have mains till 1973,(Lister Startomatic before that) and I've never lived in a house with central heating..... My Ariel has steel handlebars too.

Starting to feel like I'm missing out here.

And whats wrong with my avocado bathroom suite that everyone teases me about ?

Edited December 11, 2013 by jon v8