grumpyoldman

DVLA told me categorically that I couldn't deregister about 3 months or so ago. If I can, great as I can't see why you shouldn't be able to. All those track day cars and bikes, bangers etc etc surely shouldn't need SORNing every year.

I gave up on mine and SORN'd it. It was taxed and MOT'd when I bought it and my insurer just added it to my KTM and Yamaha but when it came to the new insurance year I couldn't find anyone who would insure it without a full size plate and a seat!!!!!! As I have no intention to use it on the road I've not bothered as all I really wanted was some theft insurance for a £1k bike. The trouble is, you can't de-register a vehicle so I will have to SORN it every year I keep it.

It appears that the easiest solution is to ally weld another plate on the bottom of the stand so I'll make up a cardboard template and the steel fabricators down the road will do it for me. Not going to make my millions though sadly as there is nothing to sell except the idea and I may not be the first to think of it

Hi Kevin!! I'll get him to look when he comes on 11th May. The annoying thing is he lives in Bideford so can't do any trial and error fitting without posting backwards and forwards. I was thinking about seeing if a specific or universal foot enlarger could be made up. Maybe I can make my millions and do even less work. I tried google this morning and there is nothing out there except I recall a 'Camel Toe' being sold on the KTM forum but that had bolt heads protruding on the ground side bit which was utter madness as it wrecked tarmac and gave a wonky footprint. They may have fixed it by using welded studs now.

Cheers guys. I'll get the light off and buy a number board (belonging to two clubs and with different riding numbers is a pain, even allowing for the fact there is no-where to put them if the light unit is fitted). Mine was road legal when I bought it but that's another can of worms - insurers wanted me to put a seat on it!!!!!! I've just got my brain in gear and realised it's the spring hook that fouls the tyre. It's still down to the slack on the pivot point I suppose. My mate is an engineer so I'll get him to make me a bolt on footplate when he comes a visiting next month.

Sorry to certainly drag up some old topics but...... If I just take off the headlight unit and waterproof the open connector in some way, I assume everything will work OK (except for the headlight of course ). Three prop stand questions. Why is the foot so small that it only stands up on concrete - can anything be done about it? There's not always a tree to hand. The pivot bolt fixing nut rubs on my back tyre. Should it be facing in or out? I can't get at the hex head anyway so it may be the wrong way round. Is it safe to pinch the fixing bracket together a bit to take out some of the slack or will it snap? I could always put some washers in as an alternative. Cheers David

As a newbie, I have found at 6'2 that I am getting on reasonably well with standard bar height although I did get an involuntary wheelie at the top of a slope the other day that freaked me for a moment. I had considered some risers but what has been said above is sufficient for me to hang fire for the moment. Useful info on the bar angle though - I'll check that out - thanks. My trail bike (WR450) has 30mm risers to make riding it standing up tolerable but that's a completely different riding requirement.

I downloaded a Beta owners manual from their own website but the quality is rather poor so the wiring diagram and service schedules are difficult/impossible to read. It certainly looks like one wire and an earth but I can't read the colour. Is there a decent workshop manual for these bikes?

Although I have little experience yet, my Rev 3 only needs the choke to start from cold and I need to turn it off straight away and it idles fine from then on - if I leave it on it runs as rough as old boots.

I make a fool of myself every time I ride it! Trials riders seem a very friendly and helpful bunch and do talk to us lowly beginners. I am lucky enough to have a decent sized garden and a field to ride round and also practice trying to get the front wheel more than a foot off the ground for more than two seconds. Useful for practicing slow riding and turning but not much else. The left hand kickstart on the Beta is a literal pain. I still have a hole in my leg from last June when my foot slipped off when wearing trainers in the garden. I would definitely go for right kick next time although I am getting used to the left side but it still annoys me a bit (lot). Best of luck with the search - I was lucky enought to buy a friends bike so I didn't have to go hunting.

As a beginner myself I would argue that entering competitively is the way to go. When you mess around you just mess around in your comfort zone but entering a trial, however daunting, really sharpens the mind and makes you try to improve your technique. I was really nervous at my third trial on Sunday but eventually enjoyed myself, except for the mishaps, but was given loads of support from guys I'd not even met before. (and a fair bit of friendly derision). That makes trials a good sport to take up on your own as you automatically start making friends with other competitors.

Cheers Keithns Just got the results for the three in Sportsman... Winner 3 points, me 32 with five 5's and third guy was lugging an Enfield round that gave up sparking on lap 4 (he normally rides reds and was going quite well so I would have been 3rd anyway). All bar one 5 (where I fell off) were due to getting lost so not too disappointed.

I really should learn.... Having ridden road bikes since I was 17, I started riding a trail bike 3 years ago and now, at 57, I've rather stupidly taken up trials. I got drawn into it by my neighbour, who's son lent me his old Beta for a try out last year and I got hooked and bought the bike off him. I anticipate meandering round the yellows for some time as I've already had problems remembering the routes but I have only managed 2½ trials so far. 57 means getting on a bit, having an aching back and being extremely unfit. Some of the links between sections can be difficult enough!!! I have already lurked a couple of times and extracted the info on Beta clutch drag so thanks for the members input on that in the past.