chewy

Just got back from yet another superb classic French trial and thought some folks might enjoy a brief report. There is a club in department 12 in France (google moto club 12) who run two classic trials every year one 4 days in May and one3 days in November. This was the third time we have been in Autumn and it really is a classic. Three days c. 230 kilometers of interzone (between sections) and 48 sections (each with 4 routes), time control , parc ferm, and last but not least compulsory 1 hour lunch stop every day with minimum 3 course meal with wine included in the entry. We arrived in Entraygues sur Truyere on the Friday evening set up camp ( motorhomes) raining and cold bad forecast for trial also. Saturday we got bikes out and fiddled with them untill mid afternoon when we went to sighn on and get scrutineered etc. All our papers were in order you need to produce driving licence, road insurance, log book, competition licence, Steve Brian and me decided to ride S3 instead of gentlemen route so I had to negotiate this change; very few people speak english so it's good fun getting that sorted. Then we took bikes for scrutineering.. main concerns apart from obvious like brakes etc. is that you must have working lights and kill button also a tooth protector on handlebars. Janets helmet didn't get a pass, all helmets are checked and must have an eu aproval label usually stiched to chin strap, as it was in good condition Hebo the guy accepted my true story that it was bought in UK 2 years ago. Riding nos. on bikes we put them into parc ferm ready for Sunday start and got invited with some Andorran friends to dine in thier hotel excellent food. Sunday ..our start time was 0940 and it was pouring with rain lots of atmospere as we que'd for time control and punch cards. Once we were away I tucked in behind Janet on the interzone , she is slow but sure which compromised my time inspecting the sections which definitly needed a bit of respect mostly big lumps of granite rocks wet but not slippy. As usual we just keept on trundling round, the tracks were very slippy and invariably narrow on side of mountain type. Lunch stop came and went and it was back to head down trialing for another 3 hours. Janet & I clocked in with 2 minutes spare got our fettling time slips and went to van for nice cuppa no problems with either bike so just quick adjust and lube and go back to parc ferm with them. Having got bikes in I discovered that Brian was missing in action and shortly we got news that along with five others he had injured himself on interzone. After a long wait in the continuing rain Ihad to go with Brian in ambulance to Rodez hospital 58 k's away wet boots and all. We spent all night in hospital as some of the guys were hurt worse than Brian and it turned out after chatting to the other guys for a while that one of them was no less than 3 times world champ Ediie Lejeun..he had a broken collarbone too by time we had all compared x rays and got treatment it meant arriving back to bed having had no food or drink at 0130. Monday, got to start line by 0815 for 0817 start 90 k's of interzone today so time is tight not raining but cold ..perfick..I had a right grumpy morning just not on form but was better after lunch only to get rear puncture along with Craig (another mate) which put pressure on. Janet thought I'd gone on to try to keep air in tyre and I overinflated it in order to finish without it going down again before getting to finish. We had crazy situation of me trying to catch her and her trying to catch me... Craigs tyre came off the rim after about 15 k's so I left him flahing a tube as I was worried for Janet, one guy had gone off the track, lost his bike over a 30 mtr cliff into a lake , punctured his cheek with a branch..so all in all a chaotic day, got in on time only a slightly bent clutch lever. Eddy ( my best mate by now) was watching at the last section .zone artificial in town centre.. thoughtlessly I made him shake hands as is the customary greeting in Europe... realised it was the bad arm/collarbone when he winced....made a good job of cleaning it .well you have to when the stars are looking on eh?...same routine after.. fettle , cuppa parc ferm feed sleep.. ( the feeding bit always seems to turn into a party for some reason!).Teusday lovely lie in we are last round today 1040 start bit of sun still cold.. sections a bit stiffer today and a little worn out (all the lines had been used to death) but we now have a nice routine of riding to each others strengths and weaknesses. said goodby to lots of old friends who were leaving straight after finishing at lunch and suddenly remembered the interzone to come (they always keep the best for last!) Craig got a bit tired and had a couple of crashes knocking the bike about a bit, the sections always seem harder when you'r tired I took a tactical 5 on one which had a fearsome slippy drop off.. my arms were knackered so it would only have resulted in tears. Quick wash bikes and selves and off to the remis de prix (prizegiving) lots of speeches 8 mayors, 40 officials and c 30 landowners to thank. Janet made podium she came sacond to Uta Kramer (Iris's sister) Iris had a nice black eye from a crash. We then had a nice free drink and cake and said cheerio to all our good friends there. The trial really is what it say's on the box Discovery,(fantastic beutifull scenery) Conviviality(everybody is really friendly),Gastonomie,(3 course lunches) and competition (from the likes of Christophe Brouand right down to old codgers like me and of course Rene Montiel 73 years young and still riding). It's an expensive outing but after 40 odd years of riding locally and around UK it really makes a nice change to do something a little different.

agree with your thoughts Dave.. I had a lot (and I mean a lot) of trouble with last bikes rev3 200 ( I have to buy 2 every 2 years cause the missus likes to ride as well) The 200 I have is spot on for me ..havn't been so enthusiastic about a bike for maybe 20 years. I really like look of your frame protectors dumb qustion but where from? (is it julian wigg).. Can't possibly comment on the footrests as I make and sell my own (see www.trialscontrol) . I have to add also that if it were not for the exeptional service from john lampkin, beta's would have been right off my shopping list. as it is now I would rccomend 2010 model to anybody. We're off to France now for 3 days trial in Aveyron (google moto club12) proper job!

wow there's a lot to try... perhaps one of the comics has already done a comparison.. I reckon feedback in these forums is worth more though .no vested interests!

What throttle /twistgrip are you using black is slow action white is fast..maybe that simple!

What are climate conditions.. summer arriving for you maybe worth trying slightly bigger plug gap?

One day Kempy will buy me a beer?

Exellent on mud, roots..lots of feel last for ages very flexible side wall so could be a bit prone to side wall punctures on rocky going. try one. ps I've never had a pressure guage I always sit on the bike at the venue and eye it up. pps...why is the site do quiet? keep up the thoughts.

good thoughts from other replies.... dont forget with your carburettor you are adjusting an air screw not a mixture screw so it's in for richer out for weaker... float height is important also.....can you exacerbate the symptons by turning fuel off? remember most folk spend forever trying to get rev engines to carburate clean...adjustments may have been made!... personal opinion is that apart from carburretor angle .the exhaust isn't big enough on the rev series... feel difference by riding an evo

Industrial workgloves cotton with "rubberised palm/fingers

yes when there is less fuel in the engine the conrod elongates and the main bearings get slack. Or it's possible that the leaner mixture of fuel detonates sooner than it might thus trying to send the engine into reverse rather than firing at just right moment and rolling over. If mains a shot you can hear a definite swishing/rolling sound nothing like knocking..best / easily determined with plug out and kickiing it over.

If it's sparking at plug & it's wetting the plug maybe your fall off involved suddenstop of motor..I'm thinking maybe flywheel key sheared timing out? It may just be flooded .try a new plug first thing.

If you'r gonna do trials you have to have a trials bike ..it's hard enough getting started in the game let alone on an XR400 Mendip vales mcc gang are ty250 mad albeit nowadays into Scorpa guise. One assumes you have a limited budget as ty 250 are really quite dated now (probably going up in value now..who knows). You could look up Bath Classic club they run regular easy trials pre 65 bikes and over 40 (i think) on modern. else look up wessex gazette (new website) for local trials have a look at what 's available in your budget before deciding which way to go regard bike.

Had traffic from new bought crew cab long wheelbase 6 belted seats air con all the gadjets mentioned plus can carry 3 trials bikes in back i'm told to get rid before 80 k there is problem with injector(s) rusting in and very difficult to remove else all above I will have to look out for delighted with it as a utility vehichle

Do you ever go downhill?.....how can you get your body position right and still reach the levers? Personally never tighten em up too hard... avoids breaking em when I fall off! Seriously when you come down off a mountain for example, several kilometers steep downhill with your levers a comfy 20 down you risk damaging your arms, nature intended for your body weight to be on your legs not your arms if you get my drift.

clearly this issue has been going on for too long. Jason have you talked to proper trials club people? , it could be that they would be only too pleased to help with policeing this selfish behavior by individuals who simply can't be classed as trials folk.

Hi from old England..... hope you can educate us a little regarding the geography etc in your neck of the woods (old englih phrase) you can follow the hot topics here relating to our environment and current interests. It would be nice to hear of life for trials folk in your environment. all best CW

Best bike I've had for several years.................. easy to ride and really very forgiving... hope I dont get the mechanical problems I had with the rev 3's.......

by the left ..quick march.......I seem to recall (it may have been Raif Venables) had a story about go with left and stop with right making it easier to train milkitary types.

I can remember Igor (if you know him thats fine if not he remains anonymous) having a laugh with the lads at a lunch stop in Scottish.. when he was calling em up to give route/delay cards back ..he didn't seem to mind ridiculous pissmonucipraction then! perhaps he 'll come on her (whoops spelling error) and put us all to the wise.

Only a cynical opinion mind you

Alors mon Pote tu a bien sur besion de l oil! seriously of course you need oil ther's a little glass sighting level on the clutch case just below the water pump. you need to see oil in there with the motor stopped bike upright on level ground. If there is oil in there it may just be a bit "thin" I recall with rev 3 using automatic transmission fluid for better clutch separation/action and finding the gearbox extremely "notchy" as you'v described. In which case try some oil. There are many and long discussion on this within Beta bike forum. Are you riding Aveyron next month? see you ther if so.

ACU SYSTEM = oxymoron. Most centres have a system and most ctrs have a different system albeit generally small differences. I've been a ctre recorder for several years (passed it on now thank goodness) and it is a thankless task. If you go into europe they seem to have similar systems by country and most riders know where they should be entering wherever they go. As you say it is very hard to know what class you should be entering when riding out of centre which can be frustrating for local riders whom you may be thrashing or you find yourself headbanging if you have entered onto too hard a route. When I was younger and more capable it was an easier choice because it was only one route wherever you went. Now 'I'm less able I generally choose easier route and ask to ride on a no award basis. The only thing you can do nowadays is to ride out of centre and use the experience to measure your riding ability against thier sytem. Not really much help but then not having a national (or even notional) system isn't very helpfull eiher. One thing I would say is that if one (or even the ACU) wanted to introduce a system it would have to stand apart from local ctrs customs and practices and then you'd have to find somebody to implement it and hope that the cntrs would eventually alighn thier practices (systems) . Having read that back perhaps it's the Union bit of Auto Cycle Union thats an oxymoron. Ah well tea's ready

Very interesting.I'll bung you a pair of footpegs. I think Ergo nomos are the latin bywords you must keep in mind. Yes you need to match the tourque,(just watch the way top riders use it) It will not be taken seriously if it's not competitive against gas engines. Have you thought about transmisions/clutches flywheels wheight distribution. you certainly have an ambitious project to while away the hours, started my mind spinning. Are you doing this simply for interest or with a view to having a sell-able product? I have been a self employed mech eng. for30 years and riding trials for 40! designing and making machinery. A word of advice commercially. in the world of trials it is not neccessarily technical & ergonomic exellence that makes sales you need to get current top riders and movers/shakers from the "industry" on side. Make sure your design specification is complete BEFORE you start specifying parts. This forum is a very good way to create a specification.

It's trials Jim ..but not as we know it.....Just got to appreciate talent when you see it though!!!

I wish I could write or talk in any language as well as the author ,......you have to admit though it is quite a fun read