cleanorbust

Hi again. Screw-on nipple down at the clutch arm is normal, soldered end at the handlebars.

Good, keep at it. A few minutes every day and you'll soon click with the balance thing. Holding the front brake on helps, even though you're not going anywhere. Also you'll have a favourite side - usually turning the front wheel to the left. As you get proficient try it with the tyres blown up a bit harder, and with the front wheel nearer the straight ahead position. Sometimes you don't need access to land to practice improving your trials riding, just a bit of space in your garage.

Yes, I know what you're talking about. Would have thought a local engineering workshop could turn one up on a lathe to match your existing one with little bother.

Yes, those are the ones. They did black as well when I bought mine.

The original footrests are pretty pathetic, aren't they? I use Raceline footrests, from www.motomerlin.co.uk. They are grippy and wide like other modern footrests but fit the single fitting on the Montesa frame - other footrests require the usual U-shaped bracket. I just had to grind the back edge a touch so the footrests sit horizontally. As I recall I used the original Montesa springs. With some more modification it might even be possible to fit them down and back a bit as per the modern trend by mounting them behind, rather than over, the standard fitting on the frame.

Mine's a 42 I think (not at home to check at the moment). Wouldn't really want to go to a larger rear to lower gearing due to clearance issue on rocks, hence 9t on the front.

9 tooth on the front was the recommended alteration to make back in the day, and it's what I use now. In motion Trials do this item but of course it means pulling the old sprocket off its taper - can be difficult! I got mine off using a Pitman puller (about £10 on eBay) which I had to grind away slightly to fit behind the sprocket. Be careful not to stand directly behind the puller as you wind up the tension -when it finally lets go it can fly across the garage at high speed! Of course a bit of heat and tapping the end of the puller can help release the blighter.

There's Road and Trail in Barnsley (or is that the same place as B&B?),Splatshop in Chesterfield and Cloburn at Helmsley. Also Inch Perfect in Lancashire have a good reputation. All have websites if you do a google search. I find that dealers like this tend to have bikes up to about three/four years old, any older (therefore cheaper) and it tends to be an eBay or Gumtree search.

Nigel Land at www.tlr-transformations.co.uk should be able to help with what you're seeking.

Welcome back. You just need a bike then?

Wow, that is one historic photo. Would be great in a frame alongside Gordon Jackson's 1961 dab.

Stripping the forks should be fairly straightforward. You'll have to unscrew the allen bolt in the bottom end of each slider, holding the internals to stop them spinning as you turn the bolt. Be sure to fully unweight the front end when you unscrew the fork caps (bike on a box or stand with wheel off the ground) as they have very fine threads which can get damaged if there is much pressure on them from the fork springs just before they come to the end of the thread.

Seems to be a brilliant and good quality bike from the (limited) reports available, with good backup in the UK. Even a bit cheaper than the opposition as I recall from price announcements, just never see any.

It didn't surprise me either.

As you live near York you might want to consider joining Scarborough and District Motor Club as your ACU club. They have a fantastic practice area available to club members for an additional fee. See their website.

Yes, I have also used a bulb set-up in the past to determine when the points are opening. Probably more accurate than the paper method. As an easy first step you could try just setting the points to the correct gap when they are fully open if they aren't already and seeing how it runs then. Points can tend to close up which retards the ignition and results in poor response from the engine.

Cutting out the rear frame loop became quite the fashion on older Bultacos when the factory started producing them like that. Can't remember anyone noticing any advantage.

I don't think they went to splines until the model after this, which was a whole redesign. Obviously you'll be able to tell when the nut is removed By the way, the sprocket and flywheel nuts are left hand thread.

Raising the gearing might improve things for the use you want to put the bike to, but if you're putting on a bigger front sprocket (available from Inmotion Trials in the UK) you could be in for some interesting times as the sprocket is a taper fit on the shaft and is notoriously difficult to shift, especially if it's been there since it was torqued on at the factory nearly 40 years ago. A Pittman puller is your best bet for this, but for goodness sake don't be standing behind it as you wind up the tension - when it finally lets go it can fly several feet at high speed.

Yes the points are behind the flywheel but you can adjust them through the window in the flywheel. You'll need a depth guage (preferably the dial type for accuracy) to screw into the spark plug hole to determine the point where the points should open. These are on eBay. On my Cota 247 it's 2.5mm b.t.d.c. I've got a 0.001" feeler gauge which I use to judge when the points open as I turn the flywheel but a cigarette paper will do the job.

Check ignition timing? If it isn't spot on the bike may well be sluggish. As has been said when taking off from a standstill on a trials bike on the road you would normally zip through the first three gears almost instantaneously, unlike a road bike there is very little "range" in the low gears. Also I'd move the kickstart lever back a notch or two on its splines, it should sit closer to a 45 degree angle than it does.

General principles: Bike upright - use the steering lock to get round. Weight on outside footpeg. Pull upwards on inside bar end. Keep speed right down. Weight on front will help stop it washing out. Be as smooth as you can with clutch and throttle. Try it with knees together or splayed apart to get a feel for what works best. You'll probably find you develop a favoured side, ie turning left or right Practice.

Agreed. The eventual film will depict quite a heroic struggle if he gets through the week. Let's face it, he must be having quite a torrid time. Of the 60 sections in the first two days, he's fived 49 of them. Good on him for giving it a go.

I hope so. Without being prejudiced, it's not something we should turn our backs on.

Yes, the simplicity of old bikes can be a godsend. But if I had a bike that had poofs emerging from the exhaust when I tried to start it, well, that would be an issue on a whole new level.