cleanorbust

This doesn't help you, but my first bike was a Dalesman. Would you mind posting a photo of the bike for old time's sake?

Thank you, very useful and unusual to get an experienced rider's view of the EM as a serious trials bike in comparison to petrol bikes.

Yes, various 3.50 x 18 trials tyres on eBay. May not work too well in the sections but might solve the problem.

Linklyfe was the nasty stuff you're thinking of.

Chain maintenance vessel

I just make mine from alloy strip from the local hardware store. You can easily make one up and make the hole at the top end extended so the arm will effectively lengthen or shorten so more adjustment can be had as the brake shoes wear.

I rode a 200 and a 240 back in the 80s, trialling every week. For me (reasonable clubman rider) I found the 200 the better trials bike. It found grip more easily and instilled more confidence. For me, one big rule applies to the 200: never assume it is underpowered, it's an excellent trials bike. It won many trials across the country and had enough grunt to be used very successfully as a sidecar bike at the time. You would definitely not go wrong with one, assuming it's in good order.

An Ossa with no brakes? Surely not.

Just wear waterproof socks, Aldi have decent cheap ones from time to time. Solved all my problems of leaky boots.

I agree, unless riding a 4rt which requires a specific idle speed to work properly, set it by feel, not a figure from a book.

If you want to try doing it, should be easy to get a piece of alloy tubing on ebay and drill holes in it yourself.

Mixture screw correctly set?

I use a non-adapted Doblo which is excellent for the purpose. I think all the adapted vehicles have a lowered floor which can be awkward for accessing start fields at some trials.

There's a Clymer manual for Montesa singles on eBay UK right now at the reasonable price of a tenner. My 247s are 1977 and 1979 but this manual still applies to most stuff you need to know.

My pal uses a Navarro to carry his Beta on a rack. As far as I know it has zero effect on driving.

I tried both 250 and 300 at Inch Perfect test day. As stated above and confirmed by John Lampkin the UK 300 is to SS spec. I found the best way to assess them was to forget engine size and just focus on how well they rode for me. In doing this, I (old timer clubman rider) found that I couldn't really decide between them. Both were soft and forgiving, no sense of the 300 being too much bike. I did find, though, that the 300 needed more beef to kick start it, perhaps a factor for a not particularly fit rider during a tiring trial.

A bit of gentle and patient prodding with your foot will get neutral eventually. Using a last would be far too violent.

Plug cap a good tight fit on the plug?

Turning up at a trial looking like a cheapskate helps me fit right in.

Or better still, van-derived car like Fiat Doblo or Citroen Berlingo: no speed limit reduction as with panel vans. I know from experience Doblo will carry one, or two, trials bikes inside. If I'm parking somewhere I'm bothered about security I cover the bike with a tarp.

..though I think they're out of stock of black atm.

Cleaned up the drum as well as the shoe surfaces?

Tried filing a taper on the leading edge of the shoes? Getting a lot of lever movement before brake comes on? If so making an alloy packing strip between shoe and cam helps.

Ah, that's not the problem then. I had trouble doing my back brake but found a really big syringe was the answer, as if the extra pressure was what was needed.

How much are you undoing the nipple?