jmo

Where are you Sykes? In Europe the 4-stroke TY 125 FR is a current model: Using the same built-under-licence/copied 'Yamaha' engine that the Gas Gas Randonne uses, complete with e-start. More info on the Scorpa.fr website... I understand that from 2013, the Gas Gas may be upped in cc - presumably using one of the bigger bore kits (either factory or dealer fitted) that were/are available for the old Yamaha engined bikes? - 163cc has been mooted - which I believe was the actual capacity of the old TY-F200? A pretty bike, although the Gasser might be easier to source where you are? I know they are making their way into the US at the moment... Jx

Best get in contact with the US GasGas importer, but I'm not sure it's a current model in the US yet? However, if it is going to be, then I for sure will be buying one next year for use out there! Yes, it is a fully road-legal model in the Europe: In the UK, the Randonee costs £2999... however, traditionally you guys pay dollars for pounds, so I doubt it's going to be much more than whatever the price of their small capacity trials bikes are? (The rookie 70 is the same price in the UK) Jx

I agree - perfect spec really... but you very rarely see them that recent - not sure how many were even imported to the UK in that spec? (the seller said he imported that one himself) ...and it wasn't road registered, otherwise it would have been mine! Jx

It was a post in the "which scorpa should I buy?" thread - the link is here: http://todotrial.com/ttactual/index-actual-marcototal.htm? Scroll down and there is a picture/link on the left hand side - it's all in Italian mind you! Jx

That's fair enough - there was a '08 200 on ebay a couple of weeks ago, think it went for the best part of

Just stoking this fire again... Looks like Scorpa are bringing the TY-S125 back for 2012, including e-start! Humana humana! Jx

Looks to me to be pretty much a stock 2006 model... at the end of the day it is a five year old, air-cooled trials bike, so it's hardly going to be cutting edge compared to the latest crop of trials bikes - but that's not the point, it will be a hoot to own and ride regardless of the spec? I'd snap it up at that price, and would have, but there is no mention of it being road registered, which is what I'd want... (with the original factory now defunct, I understand it is harder/if not impossible to get a letter of authentication for the engine and chassis numbers for older Scorpas - something you might want to consider?) Jx

Awesome! Looks like Scorpa's version of the 'Randonee' - complete with e-start... so do I choose red, or orange now?! Jx

Yes, I got it from ebay - it's the Delkevic system (using the original front pipe) - I can't remember the seller, but I believe they are available from a number of trials parts suppliers either on ebay or via their own online/shop. Jx

I always presumed it was a Yamaha, or at least a copy made under licence? The layout of the architecture looks very similar to the [Yamaha] engine in the Scorpa TY-S, even down to the position of the starter motor (which is not fitted to the Scorpa of course), the oil filler, the exhaust exit, the inspection holes in the left hand case for setting the timing etc. If you compare a photo of TTR125 next to it, you can see the similarities... But maybe it is Chinese like you say? Jx

Hi Nick - I'm thinking about getting one of these too - how does it ride as a trail bike? Obviously it's going to feel a little cramped (but then I'm used to my TLR), but what about it's on-road ie. 'between-lane' performance? Also - have you ridden a dedicated trails bike in comparison? How do you consider the quality of the Randonnee's suspension etc? I must say, I'm still tempted by the little fella, even if it turns out to be a bit crap! Jx

Hi everyone - having tidied up the TLR a bit (gratuitous opportunity for another photo:), I was wondering what people's opinions are on replacement footpegs? I keep seeing the alloy ones on ebay from G.R.Craft in Japan - has anyone got these and what do they think? I like the fact (they say) that they don't interfere with the kickstart lever, unlike my currently fitted Pivot Pegz which need to be folded up each time... Any advice would be appreciated - but basically what I'm looking for is a wider alloy peg, that doesn't foul the kickstart, and it appears there is only that one option? Jx

Hi Jack - that would be great! - I'm honored you'd like to include it... I'll email you a few photos and a brief background/spec. Jx

A few more photos - once the sun had come out! I trust you can see a few of the details from the photos, but I'm happy to answer any questions... The best news was it passed it's MOT on Saturday, and I had a corking day out on the trails with it! Jx

So, I was up early this morning, with the intention of finishing off the TLR... It was like Christmas opening the box from the paintshop! I also finished off fitting the exhaust, footrests (Pivot Pegz from my Tenere, modded to fit), new chain and sprockets etc. And then, it was time for the bodywork, kick the little blighter into life, and go for a test ride! Ready to go! TL inspired paintwork: Polished [original, dented] bashplate and raised front fender: Sticky numberplate - I might go black and silver, even though it's not technically old enough... Back from a successful test! - just need a front number board now! Jx

Hee hee - these days a Dakar bike is none of those things! I love the Serow (although prefer the way the Super Sherpa rides), and perhaps what your looking for will come to the States - GasGas have just built the bike I've always wanted - Google the 125 Randonee - but in a nutshell, it's the air-cooled Yamaha TTR125 engine, WITH the electric start, in a trails chassis but with a 4 litre tank, long-ride seat and full lighting/street legal... I have to have one!!! In the meantime...

Hi everyone - I thought you might be interested in a rebuild project I'm undertaking (well, hopefully nearly finishing in fact!)... I always fancied a TLR200, mainly to use as an easy going trail bike, and also to enter a few twin-shock trials, but primarily because I thought they looked fantastic - the right balance between old and new etc etc. So a little over a year ago I bit the bullet and bought a (mainly) tidy example sight-unseen from ebay - yikes! Fortunately the bike seemed to have been well looked after, started easily and ran sweetly, and the main (expensive) bits - forks, wheels, bodywork - were all in good usable condition, and the frame had been repainted too... and fundamentally it was road registered which saved a lot of messing around and meant I could use it straight away! So, here it was the day I got it home: It looked pretty much as it did in the photos which was a relief, although on closer inspection there were a few niggles that needed sorting - fork seals, holes in the exhaust, odd and missing bolts, things like that... But I cleaned it up and got it through an MoT and on the road pretty soon after: The bike was such a hoot to ride on the trails, and I had some great weekends out on my own and with friends... however, the one thing I did find was just how poor the [drum] brakes are on a bike like this, especially if you use it on the road (in traffic!)... So, despite some thinking it sacrilege, I decided to convert the front end to disc... fortunately an inmate here had a TLM220 that he wanted to convert to twinshock and drums, so we basically swapped the whole front end (fork legs, brake and wheel) as they both have 35mm stanchions, and it meant I could keep everything Honda, which was nice... However, while everything bolted up ok (thanks to sloppy forks!), it turns out the tripple clamps on the TLM were a few mm wider, and although I was able to squeeze the wheel in to the forks mounted in my TLR tripple clamps, clearly the offset was skewed to one side... (It actually looks ok in this photo, but the fork brace wouldn't fit properly, and once I'd removed the wheel and tried to reinsert it, the problem was obvious). I ended up having a shorter spacer machined to replace the original TLM speedo drive, and ultimately decided I would get the front wheel relaced to correct [as much as I could] the offset... Anyway, for most of the winter the TLR sat in the shed, mainly because I was busy with other projects, and the small matter of breaking my leg... twice. So while I've been recuperating, over the last couple of months I decided to strip the bike down, and get various parts painted and powder-coated, and yes, even polished! I picked up the frame and forks this last week, and over the weekend have been reassembling everything - and just had to share it with you! Earlier today: As you can see, I ended up getting the wheels re-rimmed and re-laced with new gold anodised rims and stainless spokes from Central Wheel - while the hubs themselves are in good original condition. Rather than go for the obvious red, I decided to get the frame and swingarm powder-coated in satin black, along with a number of the other sundry parts, and also the fork legs, triple clamps, bashplate and exhaust (I bought a Delkevic last year to replace the patchy original item) polished - all this was done by Griffs Reality Motorcycle Works in Bristol - top fellas and the finish is first rate! I then have spent most of this afternoon/evening, putting everything back together: Routing the wiring and cables neatly, and just going through everything thoroughly... I resisted the temptation to replace every bolt with new stainless/socket heads etc. as I want to try and keep the feel of the original bike, and fundamentally keep it useable - not a show piece. As such, and since the engine was running so sweetly anyway, I decided not to strip and repaint the engine, but leave it original, with the odd scuff on the cases - although to be honest from a few steps away it still looks in very good condition anyway... So, the black and silver rolling chassis probably gives a clue to what colour the bodywork is going to be (erm, along with the title of this thread of course!)... again, rather than go for the obvious, I thought I'd pay homage to the earlier generation TLs... But since it is now 1am, you're just going to have to wait until tomorrow until the bodywork is fitted! Toot toot for now! Jenny xx

Time to bump this thread... I see in TBM magazine this month that the GasGas Randonne is now available in the UK,

Aha - thank you guys, this is great info... so it's feasible that a later Beta or Montesa rear rim could be laced in, I'll start looking for one! Just to clarify - I've got the forks, wheel, caliper from a TLM220 (or might have been a 250) - but using my original TLR yokes... So now have a front brake that actually works, even if a few purists might frown - at least they are still all Honda parts x The 35mm forks fitted straight in, and the wheel did too (without the fork brace - gotta love sloppy forks eh?), the TLR yokes as I'm sure you know are quite a bit narrower, so I had a spacer machined to replace the speedo drive and line everything up properly - only now the wheels is slightly off-centre so I need to change the offset of the rim towards the disc by 4mm, which might be tricky as there is not a lot of clearance between the spokes and caliper body already... I'm sure there is a solution out there (yeah - like a set of yokes with 164mm centers instead of 156mm?!) Ideally I'd like to keep the front DID rim as it's in really good condition, but if I get no luck finding a suitable silver rear rim to match (colourwise at least), then I might end up just buying a pair of Excels or something and getting both wheels rebuilt. Many thanks, and please keep the ideas coming! Jx

Hi everyone - well I've finally got round to starting the restoration on my TLR200 - the bodywork is away being painted, and I'll be stripping the rest of the bike down to get the frame powder-coated too... However, what I am really after is a replacement rear rim for the TLR rear hub... I have a very good condition front wheel from a TLM220 (with disc brake) which is the same DID rim as the TLR, only in silver anodized instead - and ideally would like a matching rear DID rim, as it's a shame to have to replace a perfectly good front rim just to get a matching pair. So does anyone know where I might find a suitable rear DID rim (either a 2.15 or a 1.85 width) to match the front? I've tried the usual retailer channels and come up with nothing... is there another bike of a similar vintage that might have used the same spoke pattern that would work? Alternatively, is there a more modern 36h tubeless type rear rim for example, that comes in silver anodized and would lace to a drum brake rear hub? Any advice and pointers would be most appreciated... Jenny x

I understand Talon do an Excel rim that has the correct spoke offset (for the TLR drum hubs), they will even rebuild/refurbish your wheels if you send them to them (for a price of course)... I'm intending to get mine done in the spring... Jx

I agree, it's the one I bought to replace the rusty (holed!) stock pipe that came with the bike, and it fitted straight on and is very nice... bit more 'burbly' than the stock pipe, but still not offensive... Jx

I love the Sherpa! I took one on the Rubicon last year, and also to Moab for a week - surprisingly good and agile for a 'trail' bike I thought, and properly street legal of course (except in CA)... If I was to buy a bike and keep it in the US, the Super Sherpa would certainly be on my list... I'm just looking for something slightly sharper and more focused... Jx