jmo

Thanks Loonal! I love the idea of that WR250 engine (I have a WR450F already) in basically a trials chassis, but as you and Spikey suggest, I guess the packaging is the issue - especially for prolonged use? As you say, perhaps the T-ride is a better option (especially with a e-start), and perhaps try and lower the seat/tank with something more trialsy for additional clearance... Hmmmmmm.. Jx

Thanks Spikey - that was the sort of info I was after - I guess it was never designed for longer road sections, and like you say, the limitations of packaging means you get those sort of problems... I guess an earlier TY-S might be a better bet, with a long ride kit or a custom tank as I was thinking? What I'm after is a bike with Trials geometry and size/handling, but that could be ridden at 50mph between trails... I'll keep looking at options! Jx

That is true - and one thing the T-ride has in it's favour of course... What I'm looking to create is an uber-stripped-down (but still street legal, in the UK at least) machine - say with a pair of Solstice LED headlights (for night excursions x) and a simple brake/tail light on the rear... I have considered the T-ride, new Beta Alp (with removable bodywork) and even a Rieju Tango (don't laugh, it could work!), together with the even more rare Yamaha Tricker and even the Kawasaki Super Sherpa (which I love, but is heavy in comparison)... But all of those trailie bikes while street legal and comfortable on the road, would need a lot of work to reduce weight, and bulk, and would never ride in the same way? which is why I was considering a long-ride style trials bike, but with a bigger tank... Perhaps I just need to bite the bullet and keep an eye on ebay...?! Jx

Hi Spikey - Ah yes, this is quite true... but I just don't like the look of it! Call me shallow I know, but I'd prefer the lower and stripped down nature of the 'long-ride' style SY250F, I'm just thinking just with a custom tank and slightly better seat? I reckon it would be more of a compromise as a trail bike of course, but be edgier and even more nimble off road? Jx

I'm considering a 250F too, but for slightly different reasons - rather than an out and out competition 'trials' bike, I'm considering one as the basis of an 'extreme' trail bike - that is fit a much larger tank/seat unit (say 8/9 litres) and a low but comfy saddle, and use it on the trails... I'd have thought the WR250 engine would be ideal for that? A couple of questions:

Thanks guys - that is an excellent bit of investigation there Esteve! I will give that chassis number a go... I did wonder if the TL125R had the same wheels/hubs as the TLR200, infact there was a bike on ebay this week (non runner) that might have been good for parts - the rear wheel, and I actually like that pale blue paintwork... it's given me an idea... Thanks again and I'll let you know how I get on... j x

Hi Everyone, I hope you can help... I'm looking for a replacement rear D.I.D rim for my TLR project - I know I could buy a pair of Excel rims etc. but ideally I'd like the OE style D.I.D alloy rim to match the good condition front one I already have from a TLM (as part of my front disc conversion) - that is alloy anodized silver, rather than the gold of the TLR... Does anyone know where I can get one from? - I've drawn a blank so far. D.I.D do make their 'Dirt Star' rims, but these are not the same as fitted to Hondas OEM (there is also a huge waiting list I understand). I might be able to order the older style 'replacement' rim via a Honda dealer, but they will need a frame number for a TLM (to get it in silver), unless anyone knows of another Honda model that used the D.I.D alloy rims - 18" rear 36 hole, 2.15, in silver? Many thanks in advance! Jenny x ps. if anyone does have a TLM (or similar) with such a rear rim, if you'd be happy for me to use your chassis number to access the parts fiche at my dealer, then please PM me...

Thanks guys - it all sounds like good advice (I did think that some purists would get a bit twitchy at the suggestion - although would/does it actually exclude you from certain classes or not?) I'll certainly try a new cable and holding the front brake on when I tighten the front axle to see if that makes much difference - out of interest, I know people tend to recommend the OE cable (that is what is fitted to my bike at the moment) but are Venhill a good alternative? Many thanks! Jenny x

So I'm really enjoying using my TLR as a trailie-trialer, however, the front brake is still shocking [compared to a modern bike], even with new pads and an adjusted cable... I was going to try a brand new front cable just to see if it made much difference, but then I saw a 'kit' on ebay the other week caught my eye (I didn't win it as the bidding went high in the last few moments)... Basically someone had grafted on a hydraulic caliper mount to a stock TLR left had fork leg, used a Grimeca Caliper (and presumably master cylinder), plus a Fantic front wheel with a small disc... the sell said it fitted straight on with the TLR axle. So, is anyone familiar with this modification, or can recommend any other way of fitting a front disc brake to a TLR...? - I did consider using the complete front end off another bike - either something like a CG125 perhaps, and re-lace with a 21" rim [to keep it Honda], or even swap the whole front end for a more modern trials bike, as parts would be easier to find I imagine? Do I have too much time on my hands and/or is this not the 'done thing' to do to old twin-shocks? Advice and opinions please! Jenny xx

I think the [stock] 13T sprocket is the smallest? - certainly there doesn't look to be much room between the chain and the locking plate for anything smaller... I fitted an 11T and that uses the circlip method. J x

Just to say Gordon Farley was excellent - ordered over the phone and the parts arrived next day... I am now the proud owner of a noticeably lower geared TLR! - Result! J x

Excellent! - just the info I was after - thanks Bob! I'll give them a call in the morning - I'm itching to see how the bke rides with lower gearing (currently 13/44)... Many thanks! J xx

Well it certainly isn't the wrong seals - they did supply the 35mm ones, even though it shows 33mm listed for that year? and it would have been obvious if the 33s had been put in there as they wouldn't have seated properly anyway... So I really am wondering what it is? - I took them back the shop and we stripped them down again, and he agreed they felt 'sticky' around the seal area, but also possibly lower down too... The chrome is very good on my forks so might it be that they have been re-chromed and are just that little bit thicker than before - and that the brand new seals have highlighted that? They don't seem to be bent at all - we rotated them in every different way and the were no stickier that any other way, and the fork legs themselves so no sign/marks of a tight sport either... Maybe I just have to ride the little bugger a bit harder and bed those new seals in? For the record, I have refilled them with 5wt oil, and at 10floz (as per the workshop manual)... Better put it back together now and go for a ride! J xx

Aha, that makes sense! Yes the Talon sprocket has a shoulder on the inner face, but I need to source these Circlips... are they just generic, or can you buy them specifically for the TLR shaft, and where from? Sorry for sounding so lame with this - I have the parts fiche and the workshop manual, but both only show the toothed plate and bolt type of fitting... I really appreciate all the advice... J x

Thanks 4stroke - yes, there is a groove in the shaft, but I don't have a circlip, rather it uses a toothed plate and two small bolts to hold the sprocket in position (like My XR, and other Hondas I believe). I can see how a circlip would work, however, wouldn't I also need some sort of spacer between the back of the sprocket and the seal/engine casing to stop the sprocket moving along the shaft? Do you (or anyone) know where I might get these parts, before I phone round the dealers on Monday... J x ps. I saw some decompressor components on ebay, but they seem to be the internal bits that I already have, it's just the arm, brackets and cable I need... in fact if I get no joy, turns out they are still available to order new through my Honda dealer!

Hi everyone, forgive the numptyishness of this request, but I'm at a loss... I recently ordered a replacement front sprocket (Talon) for the TLR, but while my bike has a retaining plate and two M6 bolts to hold on the front sprocket, the new sprocket is just plain... Is there an alternative way of mounting this kind of sprocket to the output shaft? or can I just order the other style of sprocket? Your wisdom is, as ever, welcome! Jenny xx

Quick update: I had a great weekend on the TLR last week - nearly 200 miles trail riding! However, while the forks felt ok, they do seem to bed down and are reluctant to return... I tried adding a little air, but this didn't make much difference... So I stripped the forks off this afternoon, undid the top caps and slide the legs up and down to try and see what is sticking - and sure enough, they are very slow to compress and return, especially without the assistance of the springs... so I fear I may know what the problem is... My bike is shown on the V5 as a 1986 model, although it was previously registered abroad in 1985. The new fork seals my shop ordered were for a 1986 model - which according to an ebay listing, should have 33mm stanchions. Running a micrometer over my fork legs shows I actually have 35mm forks (of the earlier version)... So could it be as simple as having 33mm seals when they should be 35mm?! If so, no wonder they are bloody sticky! I shall update you once I've been back to the shop on Monday! J xx

Hi Tel... interesting suggestion... they certainly rebound fine when off the bike, it's just when they are bolted up in the yokes and the wheel in place that they feel like they are binding... I will investigate further... That said, they do seem to rebound ok on the bike sometimes, only other timers they feel really stiff, and then sluggish... J x

Thanks McMan... no, I'm pretty sure mine is not the Reflex, but (presumably) a Japanese spec TLR200 import - particularly as it has gold alloy DID rims and 35mm forks - with air valves in the top. The handbook suggest pre-loading the forks with approx 5psi of air, but all this really alters is the sag, rather than the rebound itself. I emptied out the 5wt and put 260ml of 2.5wt in (ie. more air gap, as suggested above), and it's better... but if still feels 'sluggish', almost if it's binding on the rebound? I guess like you say, they are old design forks, that are also 25 years old... The bike is a total hoot though - I rode the best part of 200 miles on it this weekend - trail riding all over north Wales! I'm loving it! J xx

I have just bought a Delkevic system from Trials-Direct.com, and I have to say, it is a beautiful piece of work, and so light! I fitted it on this afternoon and although I was concerned initially, all the holes lined up perfectly and it fits very neatly - it even has the little bracket should you wish to retain the OE head shield on the header... It does sound a bit louder (and raspier - is that a word?) than the stock pipe, and I can't say I've noticed a considerable change/improvement in power delivery, but I need to clean and tweak the carb settings on the bike anyway as it had been standing a while before I bought it... but it looks fantastic, weighs nothing and certainly is an improvement over the rusty old OE pipe that was on the bike! This is what it looks like fitted: Loverly! J xx

Interesting you use 10wt, if anything I was thinking of going lighter [than 5wt], as the fork rebound is rather slow, as if the front is bogging down... Or maybe I'm just not used to 25 year old fork technology?! J x

Hi everyone... I've finally got my recently purchased TLR on the road this week, having had to do a few jobs to get it through the MOT - one of which was replacing a leaking fork seal... so I took the opportunity to flush the fork oil and refill too... I used 5wt Putoline oil, and the [workshop manual] recommended volume of 295cc/10fl.oz However, they now feel rather stiff, and slow to rebound - nice and stable on the road, and not really a problem at trail riding speeds, but not really 'plush' enough for slow speed stuff... so I am wondering if the oil weight was too heavy and or the volume too much? I'd be interested to hear what other people are running, and what you would recommend... I have some 2.5wt oil that I can easily replace the 5wt with for example... Jenny xx

Aye, I'm very fortunate living in North Wales - there are some beautiful trails up here... Infact, I thought I should put a few more miles on the TLR this afternoon - so went for a ride to test out my new kick-start modification... it performed perfectly, right up to the point that the bike fell over on a particularly windy hillside - and because there is no spring on that footpeg, it shattered the magnet when it hit the frame... doh! So, having got home, I come up with a far simpler (and some might say more appropriate?) solution for a 24 year old bike: A rubber donut washer fitted perfectly around the peg shaft, and provides just the right amount of tension to keep the peg up when I need to start it (and at the same time should stop the peg flopping upwards due to having no spring)... it is also my intention to cut a little rubber square to fit in the magnet recess, to lessen any impact between the peg and frame should the bike tumble over on it's side again...