mr clean Posted August 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Searched high and low, no response form B&J racing, etc. etc. Can't find any of the two dozen Sammy Miller TL-250 Frames, (or any of the others reputed to have been made) no aftermarket lightweight exhaust systems etc. No Bling, No Fling , no Wing Ding Ridiculous price quotes to get anything made... $850 US plus shipping for an exhaust???? $5500 US for titanium frame??? $1200 US for titanium axles and swingarm bolt???? If this was a TL-125, Reflex or TLR, tons of stuff available, easy to upgrade Abandoning project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axulsuv Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 But don't abandon the bike !!!! Just always remember trials will always be a mind game ... if your comfy on and happy on your bike , you can concentrate on your technique , and a stump puller like a tl250 can make just about anyone smile while on it ! Go ride some twinshock events and apriciate the grandfather of the mont 4rt........ Just rambling , but they are great fun , top heavy or not !!!! Glenn And it's all about YOU having fun ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr clean Posted August 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Thanks Glenn, I have unloaded the TL-250. I made some $$$ on the transaction, so not all is lost. It was a very fun bike but the lack of aftermarket stuff for it made me feel nervous about spares if I ended up needing them. I was surprised at the contrast in available parts for the TL-125 vs TL-250! It looks like I can buy a brand new Lifan 200cc Honda clone engine for $300US! Supposedly the motor just slips right into a TL-125 frame unmodified, not 100% sure of this. Not sure if that motor is tuned properly or can be tuned properly and geared for Trials use. Apparantly it can be. There are a lot of kits, frames, and upgrades available for the TL-125 and Honda Reflex, as I love Thumpers, at some time in the future I may consider trying to build up a Trials bike from the ground up into a 200cc Trials Twinshock Thumper with good parts. I've never done this before, but it would be fun if I had an appropriate workshop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcman56 Posted August 26, 2006 Report Share Posted August 26, 2006 Where can you buy these clone engines? Are the transmission rations the same as a Reflex? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr clean Posted September 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Lifan 200 engine on eBay Unlikely the same as a Reflex. There are other sources too. Such a bargain for a do it yourselfer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian r Posted September 13, 2006 Report Share Posted September 13, 2006 No to be a pain but, that motor sure isn't a TL 125 clone motor. You may get it in the frame with a little notching but you'd never be able to ride legaly in a Vintage class with it. Sounds like it could make a fun play bike with electric start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Told You! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nine Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 (edited) OK, for anyone still reading this string, I will tell you how to do a lightweight TL250 that kicks _ss in competition and is a blast to ride and weighs 203lb dry with no titanium. 1st off, a stock TL250 does not weigh 218 dry, more like 225. It also has only 10 inches of ground clearance and still has a high center of gravity. BUT..It has an awesome motor, and that it why it is worth doing a custom. I have a custom TMI chrome Molly frame kit which came with a swingarm, chain gaurd, aluminum airbox and UNI filter, double layer plastic molded skid pan, exhaust, Supertrapp silencer, all for about $325 in 1980 or so. The first step on any TL250 is to get rid of the seat and exhaust. Make a seat out of sheet aluminum, even a hack like me can do it. Get some foam from a foam shop and get it covered by a upholstery shop, all easy and cheap and you save over 2 lbs, high up weight, immediately. Then take the exhaust off and sell the big boomerang on Ebay. Get some tubing from a stainless supplier, like Bassani, in a 180 bend, whatever radius you ask for, and some straight stock, and get a local welder to piece it together for you, should be less than $100 for the whole thing. Get any silencer of your choice, I have the Supertrapp with the resonator to make it quieter and use the pressure rings to tune your Throttle respnse to your liking. The SuperTrapp is not 1 pound, much heavier. I picked up an aluminum silencer off Ebay UK and will be doing a stainless short pipe with this silencer later this year. Get some Falcon shocks as they actually work, unlike the originals, and weigh about 1.5 lbs less than other steel shocks. If you have money burning a hole get the alloy ones for about $485 and take off another pound or so. Get some 6.5" Rental bars if you are over 6' , the stock steel bars weigh a ton. If you are using the stock frame then I would do the cut tube under the engine trick to increase clearance. I would take the swingarm to your best friend welder and see if he would make a chrome molly or aluminum one for you. This could cost $300 and it is lower weiight but will help your cause. If you live near a guy with a Fraser or TMI frame you could try to duplicate it at some frame fabricator but it would be costly. I almost bought a Fraser off Ebay UK last year for about $700 including freight and customs but the finished bikes look too much like stock TL250's for me. The TMI is almost exactly like a Sammy Miller Highboy, which it no doubt was based on. Since Honda refused to sell a serious trials bike in the USA, TMI did it for them. I have won many trophies on this bike and those who have ridden it say it is the best vintage bike they have ridden and that Sammy himself would be impressed. I do not have time to figure out how to add pictures of the bke to this site but I have many in digital format and would be happy to send to anyone that wishes to provide their e mail address for me. I also have a custom TLR200 (183.5 pounds dry ) and beautifull, some say the best they have seen, and an absolutley mint RTL250S with less than 2 hours riding on it. MY TMI TL250 sat in storage for 23 years so it is in great condition. I am lucky to have 3 of the best bikes of their type on Earth. Oh, I also have a TL125, in average conditon and unmodified, but I might get the urge! Pictures to those who wish. Regards, Nine PS - Don't give up on the TL250 projects, too much fun to be had! Edited February 12, 2007 by Nine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr clean Posted February 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2007 Hi Nine, Unfortunately I unloaded the TL-250. Kicking myself for that too. I miss it, it was in such great shape too. Although it was in excellent condition, I found getting spares and information on better parts a real pain. Please post those pics here! Your description is like something I had seen similar to the highly modified TL-250's so long ago. They were a great ride, totally different from the stock machine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fracy Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Hey there Nine: Just curious where and when you got your TMI-TL frame.............I was once sponsored by TMI and actually lived in Cookieville for a couple of years..........fond memories! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nine Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 Hi, I got the TMI frame kit from the Tryals Shop, back in 1979 or maybe 1980, I think from Chuck West. I always assumed the Tryals Shop actually made the frames but if there actually was a TMI entity maybe I am wrong. Anyway, you must know allot more about it than I. I have found 2 weaknesses with the frame, the plates where the shingarm bolt goes through have worn and I need to have some bushings made to tighten it up. The other weakness I am not sure of but either the swingarm is missaligned on mine or somehow bent, but I don think there is some swingarm flex as the chain used to come off for no aparent reason although this was 25 years ago. It sat in storage for 23 and I took up riding again 2 years ago. I do not know how to post pictures here and need to get up to my attic project and then off to Chicago (I live in NJ) so if anyone wnats pictures just send me a note to scottburghart@yahoo.com and I will send. Regards, Scott PS - Would like to know your opinion of the TMI TL250 since you must be familiar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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