mmmexico

I have been riding and restoring trials bike for the past 25 years. The riding has never been very serious...some sand...some drop-offs...some small ledges to climb up...some rocks, etc...Not climbing up freezing streams or anything like that...all older and smaller bikes...TLR 200, TY 175...etc... nothing modern. For the past three years I have been out of commission. I've had some medical issues including a prostate surgery and I'm in the middle of some procedures on my eyes. The day before yesterday I went out for a couple of shortish rides...in very warm weather I might say. I came home exhausted after probably 45 minutes of riding. Two days later I am still sore all over. I would have to stretch for at least 30 minutes if I wanted to go out today...At what point is it not worth it anymore? A broken hip doesn't seem like much fun...having the bloody bike fall on me is not an attractive proposition. I know that my reactions and balance are not the same as they were 20 years ago. I'm 76 right now and I've pretty much given up on tennis, but I can still jog and I get to the gym every so often...Any of you guys retired from riding? At what age? How was your physical condition when you quit. Did your physical condition oblige you to quit. do you ride at all anymore? Street riding??? Any thought from you guys would be appreciated. Mike

Thank you "feetupfun"...that's exactly the piece that I needed... Mike

I would very much like to lower the foot rests on my TLR (Reflex in the USA). As I recall, a bolt-on kit was available from one of the GB based trials suppliers. I can't find any such listing right now. Do any of you guys have a link, or do you know if this kit is no longer available? Alternatively, some brief instructions...a pattern for the mounting location..a video or really anything that I could take to a welder here in New Mexico would be really useful. Pictures? Any help would be appreciated. I just don't have the resources here in the USA to get these modifications done in a professional manner...Thanks in advance... Mike

I am a newcomer to the Pacific Northwest...Living in Longview Washington...just about 30 miles north of Vancouver, Washington. Where can I legally ride my trials bikes? Any vintage trials activities in the PNW? Does anyone in my general area know of relatively legal riding areas? Does it ever stop raining here? Any leads would be welcome... Mike

Thank all of you very much for your thoughtful answers. Having just moved to a cold, wet and snowy place it is clear to me that I'm going to have to heat and insulate my new shop. The weather here in Washington is getting me down...got to look out for S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) I can only go so many weeks without seeing the sun before I go bonkers. A warm shop were I can round off my nuts and cross thread things will be ideal. I appreciate you guys helping me out...it is nice to see this kind of support from this worldwide community.. Thanks again Mike

Thanks to all of you guys...I like the ceiling mounted electric heater in particular...and Yes...it is an excellent idea to use the nastier chemicals outside...Yes, I am a Yank (and vastly embarrassed by our recent Presidential election) and so I don't know what paraffin is...my guess is kerosene. Right??

I am not completely confident that this is the right place for this topic...but I can't find a better place to ask this question. I have never lived in a place where heat was required in my shop. I recently moved to Washington State in the United States from tropical Mexico...before that I lived in San Diego in Southern California. Now I am sitting in the fog, snow and incessant rain waiting for my shop to be finished. I have a general idea about how to heat a building, but most of the economical solutions involve an open flame...pot bellied stove burning wood or some freestanding heating unit that burns propane...that seems like a bad idea in a structure where I will be using acetone, gasoline and various solutions to clean parts...any ideas, or should I just increase my life insurance and go for it... I hope that someone has some good ideas!!! Mike

Bashplate....Dude...I am married...could not do any of my stuff without her support. I wander off to mt workshop (shed to you guys...) everyday for several hours and then usually go riding. This is our riding season...I guess that it is the same with you folks "down under"...when our summer comes, it gets pretty hot. Sometimes hot to work in the shop or go riding. I digress...I am happily married. Thanks for the interest.. Mike

I have shared with you guys many trials and tribulations over the past year...basically I have been looking for advice as I moved through the build of my elderly TY 175. I thought that I had it finished a couple of months ago, but in fact I had screwed-up the installation of one of my crank seals and so I took it apart once again. Now it is actually done and I've gone for a couple of rides. It is a way better bike than my TLR which I finished about six months ago. Below is a side view of the finished product which shows some of the "modifications" necessary to get the WES exhaust to fit on the bike. There are still projects to do. I have new fork seals to fit...a new Dunlop trials tire to fit...cases to polish or paint, etc...You are really never done with one of these projects...you just stop at some point. More and better pictures and descriptions of this build at my blog... http://meditarivemachinery.blogspot.com/ Mike

This is the "modification" that I made to my WES mid-box. As delivered it simply would not fit my TY 175. Above is the modification that I made on the kickstart side. If this modification had not been made, the kickstart lever would be bouncing against the mid-box and making a nuisance of itself. There really is not much to the technique although you have to be patient and be prepared to mount and dismount the mid-box a lot of times. Just mount it up and use a felt tip marker to identify the point of contact. Then dismount the mid-box and start bashing in the mid-box with a ball peen hammer until you think you have given yourself enough clearance. Take your time. Don't be in a hurry and don't try to do the bashing while the mid-box is still mounted on the bike. You will probably deform the mounting tab. Below is a picture of the back side of the mid-box which was similarly modified to fit closer to the frame. This modification was necessary because if I hadn't closed the mid-box up to the frame I would not have been able to mount the silencer so that it snaked behind the shock mount. For this modification I used a slightly different technique. I marked the areas where the frame tubes were contacting the mid-box and then laid a very stout pipe on the same line and then I bashed the pipe to make a reasonably straight indentation. Without this modification the mid-box would have been vibrating against the frame. By the way, none of this is a criticism of the WES system. These modifications just show what a strong system has been created by these guys. The WES system on my TLR fits perfectly. Maybe the TY frames changed over time...Who knows. Happy Bashing!

Doogle...Don't worry. Yes you have to drill your own mounting hole and you are going to have to work out some spacers or washers between the hole that you drill in the mid-section and the frame. When I mounted mine I had to bash some clearance between the mid-section piece and the frame...and then, just as you have suggested I had to bash additional clearance on the front side to accommodate the kickstarter. I used a ball peen hammer and went slowly. It looks fine. Just take your time and go little by little. Take a look at my TY 175 9 (on my blog: http://meditarivemachinery.blogspot.com) tosee the modifications. The aluminum on these units appears to be thick and so the finished project has gradual indentations. Good Luck Mike http://meditarivemachinery.blogspot.com/

There are not a lot of choices for electronic ignitions for the older four speed Bultacos. In my case I first contacted Electrex World. They would not respond to my e-mail inquiry, so I posed the question to you guys on an earlier post. The answer came back that Powerdynamo was the only real choice. I contacted them and after a few back and forth communications I sent them a boat load of money. Actually about 290 Euros which included their puller for their rotor...BTW you will need one, so get it with your initial order. It was easy to install as long as you have the correct tools, i.e. a puller for the Bultaco flywheel, a tool to lock the flywheel in place while you remove the fixing nut, and a dial gauge. A new coil is included and it arrives mounted on a plate which is drilled to attach directly to the tab on the Bultaco frame previously occupied by the ancient Femsa unit. I understand that there are a lot of old school guys on this forum that are perfectly happy with their points based system. Far be it from me to prosthelytize in favor of you guys throwing away perfectly good pieces. However, I have to say that not having to stick a bunch of little tiny screwdrivers and a feeler gauge through that little tiny hole in the flywheel is truly a blessing. In addition, it gives me great peace of mind to know that a nice big spark is arriving at just the right time. I was never sure with my fifty year old system Above is a picture of the flywheel/rotor/magneto ready to be removed...again...in order to get the timing just right. Below is picture of the stator provided in the Powerdynamo kit. It makes me feel good to know that this is what lies beneath the rotor rather than the ancient and greasy points which used to live in this location. At any rate, I have much better pictures and a full description of the procedure on my blog: http://meditarivemachinery.blogspot.com/ Take a look, and if you have any questions, I will try to answer them on this forum Cheers Mike http://meditarivemachinery.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the response...Paul....but that is a later model carburetor...and unfortunately the slide is NLA...but it is the wrong carb anyhow. I would like to keep the Monobloc but I would use a Concentric if I could use my screw-on airfilter. That is my main interest. I want to keep the original look of the manifold...carburetor...air cleaner which just looks so right on the Bultaco street bikes. Right now I am using a Mikuni which works really well but the aesthetics leave a lot to be desired with a foam sock airfilter hanging off of the back of the carburetor.. Thanks Mike

My elderly Bultaco ( Model 21-Campera)uses a Amal Monoblock #376 25. The "25" apparently refers to the diameter of the throat. I was told that the carburetor and manifold came off of a Mercurio. I want to buy a new replacement and the only source that I can find right now is the OEM...Amal or Hitchcocks. Hitchcocks apparently specializes in older British four strokes and Royal Enfields. I have had no luck looking around the internet for the original specs of this carburetor. First of all, can anyone supply me with the information that I would need to order such a carb. For example, I have carefully examined the needle on my old carburetor and I can find no markings...same with the slide. What exactly should I order? I know that four stroke Amals must differ from the two stroke units. I can work out the idle jet and the main jets...I'll probably just use the ones from my old carburetor. Any suggestions for alternate suppliers? I am not looking for any savings....I just want to get the right pieces and I would prefer to buy my stuff from someone who knows exactly what they are doing... Thanks in advance Mike http://meditarivemachinery.blogspot.com/

I have been working on this restoration or clean-up or whatever you want to call it for about nine months. It is not quite ready to ride. The carburetor has proved to be a challenge. I am on it, and with some gaskets and seals from TY Trials and an ultrasonic cleaning unit I expect to figure out the issues. As a last resort, I have a Chinese Mikuni ready to go. Dimensionally it is identical to the standard/stock carburetor. I have not installed it yet because I really want to figure out the original carburetor, and I do not have the correct throttle cable. You can follow the trials and tribulations of this build as well as my parallel build of my TLR on my blog at: http://meditarivemachinery.blogspot.mx/ I hope that you want to take a look... Mike