4ourtea

Information is readily available on the r2wtrials website... don't know how to put a link in to help you all (I'm too old and too techno-phobic!!). Page to look at is : r2wtrials.co.uk/html_files/morphett.html So it seems its true (altho' digital pictures do lie sometimes, sic.). If it is true, good luck to Ben for 2009 and hard luck to JS jnr. I think I'm right in saying Ben's been on a Gasser since he started riding so it will be a blow to Gas Gas UK. They did a lot for Ben and helped make him the rider he is today. You have to hand it to John-boy Lampkin tho'... Wiggy, Morphett, Morris, etc. etc. - he's got quite a team now... oh, and some other bloke called Dougie as well .

Some very good clubs in south wales, especially: Gwent Schoolboys Trials Club - they cater for everyone from kids to adults, mono's to twinshocks, hard to easy routes... - contact Sue Payne Gwent Classic TC- not tough trials, really friendly members & atmosphere, cater mainly for pre 65 and twinshock - contact Nibs Adams Sorry i don't know the numbers but if you look on ACU site you may find details of the clubs there. They are both very good so do try to get along to them. If you are prepared to head over the border, try Wye Valley Auto Club (base their trials around Ewyas Harold, near Pontrilas just off the Abergavenny - Hereford road) as they do great trials too. they are staging one of the ACU Traditional series rounds next year, designed especially for twinshockers...

Southern Experts Trial was an absolute cracker today with classic mud'n'roots sections. 15 sections. 3 laps. 5 hour time limit. Provisional results showed overall winner was Ross Danby (44m.l.), with Alexz Wigg second (about 53 m.l. ). Sam Haslam (I think) third with Sam Connor and western centre's own Simon Welch tied for fourth on 67 m.l. (before tie breaker had been used). Clubman Expert route was won by Ben Bramwell. He had a fantastic ride on lap 1 but was slowly but surely being reeled in by mud-meister Dave Clinkard as lap three finished. Margin between them was only 7 marks at the end. Schoolboy's class saw Keelin Hankin beat Leo Rochfort. Some thought the trial a little too tough, but from a spectators point of view, it was great. Also, the severity of the event was such that if you did have a five, you at least stood a chance of getting some marks back later. All in all, the winner had to really ride well to take the win and some of the "grip-finding" by the top boys was incredible. Well done Stroud Valley and Sunbeam for putting on great trial...

CoMorph Southern Experts is on this weekend... 14th December... definitely!!! Its on at Nympsfield, near Stroud in Glos.. Should be a great trial and have some classic Southern mud and roots sections. Stream also thrown in for good measure. A certain Steve Saunders has had a fair amount of input into the section marking, so there will be a thorough test going on. Good viewing generally too. Wigg, Danby, Haslam, Morphett, et al all entered so will have good Southern-bred talent on show... shame Mr. Jarvis couldn't come down. it would have been right up his street too.

OOOPPPPSSS!! Down on bended knee to Master Lowbrow..... many many apologies... far too hasty in trying to be a smart a**e..... 26th Dec doesn't exactly fall between 29th Dec and 3rd January does it What a plank = your truly... sorry Lowbrow. Promise I'll be less swift with the typing fingers next time...

Hate to tell Longbrow that he's wrong, but unfortunately he is... Boxing Day Trial staged by West Glos and Dean Forest MC at Bixslade Quarry on... funnily enough... 26th December!! Three routes, so plenty for you to choose from. Trial terrain is rocks, banks, climbs and roots so very varied and run by one of the friendliest clubs around. Go to www.acuwesterncentre.org to find out more and see the regs and entry form.

The only other tanks that you have difficulty putting stickers on re:breathability are the old Yamaha monoshock TYR small plastic tanks. If you put the wrong type of sticker on them, the adhesive can draw the fuel thruogh the tank wall.

Sounds like Shrewsbury is completely out of bounds !! The words JOBSWORTH and OFFICIOUS spring to mind. On the can front, you can also get a 5 litre metal jerry can (Machine Mart again @

The best quality fuel can you'll get is probably a metal jerry can. They do them in 10 litre or 20 litre capacity and you can get them from somewhere like Machine Mart for about

I wouldn't recommend putting it into a press. However, you might get away with it if the bend is not too severe. if you do decide to do that (and you've nothing to lose really), be ready to get the credit card out if it does shatter. Putting heat on it will not make any difference in my opinion.

With your budgetary restrictions I would have said you are best sticking with an 08 Beta. They rarely go wrong, are strongly built and are almost as light (in feel) as a Gasser. You may get a newer Gasser for the money but I have heard one or two people say that "getting a Beta was the best decision I ever made", and one of those people saying it had just changed from a 4RT !!! None of todays bikes are bad, you just have to ride what you feel comfortable on. If want a change for changes sake, any 250 or the Sherco 290 will be fine. But if you want to improve and not have to re-learn your own style on a different make, stick to the Beta. After all, a certain Mr. Lampkin has done alright by them over the last 13 or 14 years...

I've just changed various bits on my bike using bolts from a firm called Pro-bolt. The company was fantastically helpful and they can provide you with anything you want (virtually). They supply a lot of the MotoGP guys so are second to none in the quality stakes. Have a look at their website www.tastynuts.com These guys supply titanium and aluminium bolts, specifiying where each should be used and have done a couple of kits for some Gassers. You'll be in BLING heaven when you see what they can provide you with!!

Rumour has it that "the man in the helicopter" was Steve Grindle, the main man behind RAW Sports clothing... not going to be easy parking that in Ft. Bill but at least he can get out to sections like Bradileg or Gorton without any problems (unless he lands it on a bottomless bog).

Fantastic start for Dougie... that 1st lap will have opened a few eyes! Win number 100 surely on the cards in 2008 as another 4-6 weeks of Beta familiarisation/tweaking will will add to the confidence gained last weekend. Who knows, I'd have a bet on him even doing it in Bangor this week! Good luck Dougie...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your best best for a fast and efficient service is BVM at Stroud. Ask for John "Lawrence" Luff and he'll sort it for you. Happy fettling!!

Call BVM and speak to "Lawrence" or Rick... they will send you the correct spokes (surely you haven't broken a whole set!!). They can also advise on tensioning them. As a rule, I give each spoke the "tap it with a small spanner" treatment and listen to the tone they make. As long as they are all making the same tone (and not so high that only dogs can hear it!), then you can be confident they are evenly tensioned. Someone may dispute this technique but it has worked for me for the last 25 years.

I had three 315's and they all suffered "dog bone" damage. The rearmost bearing of the two gets a bit of a bashing if you sump it out on a rock, and the ally flexes, thus letting water, crud, etc. start to get into the bearing and its housing. Its not expensive or difficult to replace. But if it is not in good condition you are going to get "play" develop pretty rapidly in the rear end. To prevent damage there are longer bash plates available for fitting. The rest of the rear linkage is not so prone to damage and wear, provided the owner checks it over every so often. The bearings are usually fine and perhaps the cotter pins, although if the bearing gets dry and keeps sitting in the same position, a "collar" or ridge (very small) can form on the pin that passes within the 2 bearings. Grease them every so often and you won't have any bother nor have any "play" to worry about. Another thing to check for is the footrest hangers - they are weak and bend relatively easily if smacked on a rock. Obvious sign is when you stand behind the bike and look at the pegs - if they're drooping down, chances are hangers are shot. Replacement steel hangers = approx

Great little video!!! If only Wiltshire had such terrain for us to get out on... nice to hear Iron Maiden too... Happy hoppin'

Just as the previous scribe said, the only way to trim her waistline is to spend money.... buying carbon bits, titanium bolts, doing a works job on rear wheel, fitting ally billet footrests and hangers, exhaust, small flat tank and a few more minor things may save you some weight but you can't turn a 4rt into a super lightweight GasGas. None of it is going to be cheap either!! You're looking at hundreds of pounds to save a couple of kilos.

I knew I'd get a reaction. John will no doubt be delighted with everyone's support. I haven't got (as some people seem to have interpreted) a personal dislike for Shirty at all. Whether people think I'm an idiot or worse... I care not. This site has had plenty of reactionary posts put up on it and no action has been taken with them so I think that Andy has taken a relatively level headed view by leaving my posting up. However, the fact that a reader may have only posted 20 posts since January 06 (and thereby is deemed an insignificant contributor) doesn't mean a reader can't contribute and post a view. If "only 20 posts" was a valid reason for me not being allowed to "contribute", the editor should have pulled the piece rather than post it. The inferrence is that had I written 220 posts, then my current piece would have been more acceptable...? I don't think so. No, I don't cough up the tenner to the site but then I don't pay before giving my opinion to my local councillor or MP either. If the

Nice to see Shirty has lost none of his self-publicity skills with his latest piece about Gas Gas riders in the Scott!!! Do we really need telling about all the riders on Gas Gas bikes and how they got on? Thank God that John Lampkin, Malc Rathmell, Caroline Sandiford and Nigel Birkett don't get on the site telling us how well their riders have done every bl**dy week... there'd be no room for Mike Rapley, Jake Miller, et al to put their columns on the site and tales about 160 riders littering the site!! We all know how good or bad the bikes are and we all know how good the riders are. If John wants to give a level view, perhaps he'd also like to tell us how many GG's blew up, boiled over, cracked their frames, etc. etc. and how many Mr. Nobody managed to struggle round. Let the REAL reporters tell us how things went. Place adverts if you want to promote - not one-sided stories disguised as "reports".

I suggest BVM Moto at Stroud... they may be on the edge of your 50 mile radius but you would be guaranteed plenty of choice from Mark Kemp. You can alos go online and see the bikes they have available for sale. Tel no. 01453 762167

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only way up to pipeline on a bike is up the track. So, why not post a steward at the gateway leading up to pipeline and scupper any illegal riders by simply refusing them access. Its not a public byeway, so they have no right to be on there. If they are not authorised to be on there, an SSDT/Pre65 official could discourage/prevent them and issue them with the information that "you will be trespassing beyond this point, your bike details and registration number will be recorded and appropriate action will be taken against you... you have been officially warned !!!!" Why couldn't this work?

Has anyone heard when the SSDT day routes are to be released??