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Combination opportunity in the East? And which bike


Totalnovice
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Hi, 

A friend and I have done several car-based motorsport activities together but, for various reasons, would like to try trials on a combination. We won't want to do it every weekend but would like to compete with someone (even though we'll come last!). 

Are there four or five combination-friendly trials per year in Norfolk / Suffolk / Cambridgeshire? We're in Norwich but don't mind travelling. 

Also what would you recommend for a couple of beginners? Cheaper end would be good while we see if we like it. I'd like twin shock, just cos I like the look of them. 

Thanks

 

 

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There is an ACU Eastern sidecar championship, which will be run over three rounds in 2019, all being run by Southend club so will be in Essex. Norwich VIkings and I think Norfolk and Suffolk Junior MCC accept sidecar entries for some of their trials.

ACU Eastern covers Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex and information is on their web-site.

In Norfolk this Sunday (13/1)  Wymondham and District MCC are running a trial at Great Ellingham starting at 10.30 if you just want to see how things run and talk to riders, there are generally quite a few twin shocks taking part.

  

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Thanks for that reply, I'll get investigating a bit more. I hadn't heard of Norwich Vikings and, strangely, they hadn't come up on my searches. 

Do you know how well supported the class is? I've sometimes been in a class of 1 or 2 in a car event, which isn't really that fun. 

Thanks again

 

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Hi Totalnovice,

  I can confirm that the Norwich Vikings & Norfolk & Suffolk Juniors are welcoming to sidecars (I ride them when I can) and that Southend & District Mcc run a proper sidecar class and have three rounds of the Centre championship planned for 2019. They are 17th Feb, 7th April and 6th October and all are at Poles wood, Brentwood.

There are currently only three or four active sidecar crews in East Anglia at the moment. But we do get guys coming up from Kent & Sussex to the Southend trials and if you don't mind traveling we do have a British championship with a clubman & a newcomers class. There are 11 rounds in 2019 with the first one being in Surrey on the 3rd March.

 Trials sidecar outfits are like hens teeth. But if you are looking for a twinshock, you can't get better than a proper Beamish Suzuki RL outfit and if you decide that you want one built, then give me a call, as I build quite a few outfits (six last year alone) and do currently have a second hand chair in stock and I tend to know when others come up for sale.

 If you would like to try out a modern sidecar outfit, I'm in Lowestoft, Suffolk and we have a great practice ground just up the road at The Trials Park, Corton, Suffolk. First photo was taken at a N&SJ Mcc trial in Suffolk, second in the Isle of Man at the Manx two day trial.

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Edited by p@ul250
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  • 2 weeks later...

give me a call i even have a proper pr 65 trials outfit you could try i also have a spare trials chair in the barn ,i have ridden and built them for years , i am up near stalham so just come and see me  will hawkes  01692 535889  

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  • 1 year later...

Hi, original poster here!

Firstly I'd like to thank people for their helpful replies and offer my apologies for not getting in contact with Paul and Will last year despite their generous offers. My planned passenger had a sudden and unexpected change in his circumstances, then covid happened which had big effects on us both, workwise, pretty much reducing our free time to nothing.

Anyway, it has given me time to workout what I want to do! Though I'm not sure it is possible. 

I'd like a twinshock or possibly even pre'65 bike that I can ride solo or with a chair. I'd like the flexibility so that I am not reliant on someone else all the time. 

I'd really like a TY175, mainly because I had a TY50 road bike as a 16 year old and there was a 175 on the cover of the manual which I lusted after! I like older machines in general and still think TYs they look nice today. I also read that they are good for beginners and reliable. One of my classic competition cars wasn't reliable and it was miserable trying to fix it inside a week as I needed it again the next weekend and constantly being worried that it would break when I should have been enjoying the event.

My passenger and are both short (I'm the tallest at 5'6!) and light (sub 11 stone) but I think we'd still be too heavy for a 175, wouldn't we?  So might need something bigger. 

I've got an Yamaha XT500 road bike which I have decided to sell or part exchange on the trials bike. It was running when I parked it in the garage (10 years ago) and I've had it running on easy start so my next step is to get it running, MOT'd and sold. It will make a good project for someone else. Then I'll know how much I've got to spend on the trials bike / combination. 

I'll aim to find something reliable and suitable for beginners both as solo and combination. I guess I'll aim for one with the sidecar already attached, just because its easier to work from a set up that has already been developed. 

I would have thought it will be a long time before the thing holding our results back is the machine, rather than our lack of ability.  

Am I on the right lines or going down a rabbit hole? 

 

  

  

 

  

 

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From what you say it looks as if your starting point will be a used outfit of some sort.

Given the scarcity of these I think you will have to go with whatever you can find.  Waiting for TY175 outfit will be a long wait, I fear!

You could use the sidecar bike as a solo but would have to undo the changes made for the outfit.  (Stiffer springs rear and possibly front, and maybe even a swing arm extension).  You may find this a bit of a faff.

On balance,  I would go for whatever outfit you can find in your price range that takes your fancy, and a TY175 as your solo.

Edited by stu109
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On 1/24/2021 at 8:48 PM, Totalnovice said:

...I've got an Yamaha XT500 road bike which I have decided to sell or part exchange on the trials bike. It was running when I parked it in the garage (10 years ago) and I've had it running on easy start so my next step is to get it running, MOT'd and sold. It will make a good project for someone else. Then I'll know how much I've got to spend on the trials bike / combination. ...

 

The XT 500 trail bike is a modern classic and worth enough to buy you a brand new Vertigo outfit built by Paul for you.  Tidy it up as much as you can and expect a decent return on it.

If you want to sell it off for a few hundred to get a crappy old TY PM me and I will have it.

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1 hour ago, ChrisCH said:

The XT 500 trail bike is a modern classic and worth enough to buy you a brand new Vertigo outfit built by Paul for you.  Tidy it up as much as you can and expect a decent return on it.

If you want to sell it off for a few hundred to get a crappy old TY PM me and I will have it.

Sadly my XT is more at the "lots of potential" end of the spectrum. But once it's running out will be interesting to see what it goes for. 

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On 1/26/2021 at 10:10 AM, Totalnovice said:

Sadly my XT is more at the "lots of potential" end of the spectrum. But once it's running out will be interesting to see what it goes for. 

A friend sold one a few months ago for 2k, no mot. 

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