Thoughts on this ...?

[gasserguy]

47 minutes ago, johnnyboxer said:

Why not?

Can you not ride a Scorpa 125 in the A/C Mono class and that's from year 2000 onwards

Because the engine is not from the right period.  Simples..  You could ride it in the modern class but not twin shock class.

 That's what the rules say. ACU here,,,,,,,,

Machine eligibility criteria i Engine and gearbox must be original or the same type manufactured for the appropriate class ii Replica frames or small changes allowed. Must be suitable for the class and period silhouette of those used at the time. iii Drum brakes only, pattern or original for period iv Forks must look like the correct period but can have any internal modifications v Maximum fork diameter 35mm.

 

Edited February 11, 2017 by gasserguy

[2stroke4stroke]

19 hours ago, lineaway said:

 It looks well done till you get to the rear brake,

Looks like a "standard" way of setting up a right hand pedal to suit left hand side brake, though we can't see the pedal.  On zooming in, the front support is a substantial U section in effect.  An interesting engineering exercise but I wouldn't consider paying that price for it - I don't suppose anyone can realistically recover the cost in man hours of building something like this - but I'd like a shot on it.

I imagine the biggest problem with this one in many eyes is the sacrifice of a Fantic frame.

There's a version of this up my way which uses Gas Gas mono front and back ends on a home built frame, but it is not out often enough to gauge performance.

[cleanorbust]

15 hours ago, gasserguy said:

It may have 2 shocks but it's not a twin shock you can ride in the Kia or ACU air cooled class so what's the point!

 

Not so. Kia championship has a class for any twinshock bike regardless of age. I regularly ride trials with a twinshock class where there is no condition on age or origin of the bike, simply being a twinshock qualifies.

[collyolly]

I do not understand this fixation with classes, just ride it on the course that you feel comfortable with as a modern bike. I can't see an expert or intermediate trying to ride it on the hard routes, but it would be perfect for a novice or clubman, very light and nimble and in my eyes would not 'overbike' the rider as many bigger bikes do.

In our centre we seem to have had a dramatic reduction in school person riders, is this due to the ACU ruling regarding engine size ? I started age 12 on a Montesa 250 they are not allowed this anymore, perhaps we need more entry level bikes at a sensible price, if these engines can be purchased for £180 then surely a budget bike in kit form could be built. See the Otter web site for another angle on it and yes to comply it would have to be 125cc !

 

Edited February 11, 2017 by collyolly
£160 now reads £180

[b40rt]

2 hours ago, 2stroke4stroke said:

 

There's a version of this up my way which uses Gas Gas mono front and back ends on a home built frame, but it is not out often enough to gauge performance.

Its actually pretty good, the original carb was a bit like a switch, he's since fitted a smaller one to good effect.

[axulsuv]

2 hours ago, oni nou said:

Hey Dude hows things,to answer that one, its his hobby building specials must be an obsession as he has built stacks of them when he sells them he recoupes some of the costs /makes some money.The fun for him is building them. You should Google COTSWOLD trials motorcycles and have a look at some of his bikes.

My first impression reading the add was the seller had the bike built , but if it's the builder selling it , that I can see ... Lord knows i've lost time and money on project/passion bikes/cars/jeeps/trucks/ etc.... And life goes on

[old trials fanatic]

You could ride it at our club and you would be most welcome but on the results it would say "Ineligible machine" bit  like air cooled scorpa. No big deal though you still get to ride with your mates so whats the problem ? you just dont score points. 

[pschrauber]

I like the idea.

But:

The bike has main compounds of todays make mounted so can't be used in our (in DE) classes in either twinshock nor aircooled mono as the engine is litterary brand new. And as longer I think about it as more I feel very comfortabel about our rule.

Why hasn't the builder used a Dax 90 engine or even better a Honda Cub engine of the right time period. You get them for little money everywhere.

Then it would be no problem to use the bike im any twinshock class. The twinshock class is dedicated to classic and vintage motorcycles. Here the builder has made it for himself too easy and that to the cost of other riders still trying to keep their old engine running, (a complete engine less expensive then a top job for a Fantic 125 is a problem).

[tony27]

To play devils advocate here, what difference is there between these Honda copy motors & using a replica frame, neither is truely period & replicas rarely are 100% copies of the original

[turbofurball]

I guess the main question is, do you look to the future or the past?

 

What happens when old engines die?  Do you just keep breaking old bikes until there's nothing left?

What happens when the NIMBYs get all petrol engines outlawed off road?  Do people stick in electric motors, or just have trials bikes as museum pieces?

(and yes, I realise that looking to the future of a pastime which re-creates the past is a bit contradictory, lol)

[cleanorbust]

On 12 February 2017 at 11:11 AM, pschrauber said:

 

Why hasn't the builder used a Dax 90 engine or even better a Honda Cub engine of the right time period. You get them for little money everywhere.

 

Presumably because he wasn't trying to build a bike representative of a historical period, just making a twinshock which would be reasonably competitive from available parts, which he could ride in modern or twinshock class, where there is no requirement for bike to be of a certain age. Plenty of trials in which it would be eligible in UK, including the Kia championship as already noted.

Edited February 15, 2017 by cleanorbust