2stroke4stroke

Keep us informed how it goes Glynn, I'm sure there will be a few on here keen to know.

Firstly, we do not know that the ACU was not in contact with the BBC about motorcycling in relation to the programme. If McGuinness and Co (in the audience) from a sport that the BBC does actually cover can't get a mention then trials has no chance. Secondly, the last organisation (I can't remember the sport involved) that tried to influence the BBC over Sports Personality saw that sport's "candidate" publicly bumped as a result. I don't watch the programme these days as it is utter rubbish with virtually no sport, the emphasis being on so-called personality as opposed to sporting achievement. At least when it was Sports Review of the Year you occasionally had motorcyclists involved and saw something of the previous year's activities. I gave up on it when the public was no longer allowed to vote for their choice from the year; as I understand it they can now only vote from a list of ten candidates preselected by the BBC. Given what now passes for "personality" in the media there will always be a lot more than ten numpties in line well before any genuinely worthy motorcyclists with a sporting achievement. I'm also not convinced that we want to be raising the profile of the sport, for several reasons, but where is the land to come from to accommodate a vast increase in numbers? Or do we all want to be spending ages queuing at every section. We coped with higher numbers decades ago as we weren't squeezing everyone on to a small patch of land but generally spreading them round a lengthy route, which tends not to happen nowadays.

Thanks, I can order 'em now.

Hope may be a cycling company but the Wetherill brothers were riding the SSDT years before the mountain bike became popular. That will be where the interest comes from.

What chance getting the one-off bits needed to keep the Future Trial up and running?

I am separated from the bike at the moment - does anyone know the bearing number for the 4RT front wheel?

I have to agree that, if it fits and you can afford them, the top three must be Airoh, Airoh then Airoh. Grossly overpriced but I went daft and got one as it was reduced drastically being "last year's colour".

Yeah, the first programme shows him at the "factory" where he collects his new Ariel, the second covers the trial

Well they can no longer hide behind the "Sorry it's a competition machine, too bad" excuse when something goes wrong, for a start.

There is an Ohlins for sale on the front page now - how coincidental.

There is actually a nitrogen charged area but it is normally only the air sleeve that needs maintenance attention and that is easy for any competent owner to attend to and only requires a shock pump to recharge. But you tend to be checking/adjusting the pressure every time out, at least on the mountain bike anyway. I assume you are dealing with Mojo - I was most impressed with them when I had to call on their services while on holiday this year and a couple of hundred miles away from my tools.

Ridiculously light as there is no metal spring. Didn't know they did a trials version. If they are the same as the mountain bike one then they are very easy to strip but they need to be taken apart much more frequently than trials riders are used to (which is never, in most cases) in order to refresh the oil (there is only about a teaspoon worth in the cycle one as it is only there to lubricate the main seal). The bit that does the damping is nitrogen charged so can't really be dealt with by the owner. The mountain bike guys think nothing of sending them off for an annual service but I don't think that would suit the notoriously parsimonious trials rider. That's apart from Royal Mail confiscating them if you put one in their postal system. I suspect anyone on here, including me, who had air forks in the Seventies will warn you off as any leak leaves you bottomed out. Take it from me there's no joy in riding a bike with collapsed suspension, especially if it's the first day of the Aberfeldy Two Day, or the Wednesday of the SSDT for that matter

Nice to treat yourself but best advice is don't buy new at your stage. After a few months your experience will probably see you wanting something else and you won't lose as badly on the right used bike.

I thought there was a class for three speeders - the Pre '65 class☺ Aren't the others twinshocks?

I have to admit I agree with Clean Or Bust. I have never understood why anyone would think that the comparatively recent idea of not checking anything but relying on a rider's signature would work in the event of something going wrong. "Well m'lud, Jimmy said he had a driving licence but I didn't check", would never be accepted when stood in front of the man in the curly wig in a work situation and I don't believe it would if it came to the bit with a trial. But I'd be very pleased if there is a case that shows otherwise.

You'll have seen it used when you got a new tyre on the car.

Let's face it - the rim is designed to seal without sticky stuff. If you have a new rim then you have spent quite a bit of money. Don't pennypinch using wash up liquid which causes corrosion anyway. Spend another couple of bob and get the proper tyre lubricant (which also happens to be the best stuff for fitting the tyre, strange as it may seem). I use this and have never had a problem getting the band to seat, I just push it in to place with my fingertips where it needs that little extra help. I bought a gallon of it about twenty years ago and it's still doing me. You could even sell jars of it to your pals if you don't want that much but at a tenner for 5 litres it's now cheaper than when I got it. Hope this helps.

I'd be disinclined to pay any sum for it from that seller based purely on my prejudice of what he considers good TV . Come back William Woollard all is forgiven.

OK Allan, someone's going to ask so it may as well be me - what was the best trials bike ever made?

The 200 has most of those attributes but does not need the clutching. Better all round for an old guy (I'm even older). Look at it this way - the 125 is designed to propel youngsters who weigh nothing up vertical faces at peak revs, the 200 is developed specifically for the British "clubman".

Ah well........perhaps brought about by the split single?

In this instance a key would serve no purpose as it does not matter where the gear lines up. With an ignition flywheel the key is solely to align it correctly for timing and does not bear a load, as you find out if the nut comes slack - it is the taper that holds the item in place.

Very easily with double seat folded down but I have a feeling that it will be difficult if not impossible with the seat up. You'll need to try it to see.

My MAR did have the raised bits - it appeared the front and rear hubs were the same basic casting machined to suit.