I used to dabble a bit in my youth and was equally bad at making money and also rather too honest I think. I had a Greaves Scottish at one time which I bought for peanuts with a 350 triumph engine in it. I split the two and got about 20 quid for the rolling chassis IIRC. I dread to think its value now.
cést la vie 😕 the bikes and cars I had would be worth a mint now, even if I'd just left them in a barn ... and I used to have access to a barn, lol
Good point, the number of dodgy MOT places appeared to be dwindling greatly at the time I left the UK, but maybe now there's more "Buccaneering Spirit" to go around (?)
Yes. It just isn't normal practice here. I doubt it is any more of a real problem than theft of cars or other machinery. Trials bikes are cheap compared to a tractor or a combine. Getting all the importers to register new bikes on the voluntary database would be a good start.
When my dad was running a motorbike breakers he got burned once, he got a lot of used bikes at auction and some were stolen ... after that he didn't mind asking awkward questions when buying them! Similarly I looked at a really nice DRZ400SM while back in the UK, it was the most stolen type of motorbike back in the day, and this one was a ringer - the numbers on the vin weren't in a 100% straight line. It pays to use more stringent than would be considered "polite" when buying bikes, legit sellers don't mind honest questions and checks
I am sorry but you are missing the point. The only way to know if the bike has been stolen is if the dealer sells it brand new. A secondhand bike has to be recorded on a database from new otherwise it can be a stolen bike. If I steal a bike and use it as trade in the dealer then sells that bike in good faith.
The new scheme that b40rt kindly provided a link to is what is needed. Of course it is also very easy to register a stolen bike on that scheme and for it to be sold with the registration. The registration needs to be mandatory for all new bikes and then in 40 years time there will be virtually no opportunity to sell a stolen bike. In the meantime we all have to do the best we can - which is more or less nothing.
If everyone had the proven (by use of official ID) name and address of the previous owners then the likelihood of the bike being stolen goes down dramatically, because no theif wants their details to be kept with the bike. Here it's normal to take a snap of the seller's ID card when buying a bike.
One thing this wouldn't prevent is cloned bikes, but then nothing short of diligence can wipe that out.
Hi Guys, I recently bought a 17 reg 4 ride & was interested to read your chat about power mods. Could Greg give more details about the power mods you’re talking about. Obviously the front pipe needs changing to get rid of the cat. Does that effect passing the mot ? You talk about the small washer in the throttle bodies. Is it simply a job of removing that & it’ll run ok without doing other changes. Cheers guys
Morals aside, removing the cat will mean the bike won't pass a MOT.
Good luck with your new hobby! Once you've got your boots it's definitely worth getting along to a local club, being around more experienced riders helps to improve your skills at a phenomenal rate when you're starting out
Nothing piques my interest quite like a trials bike with a rack on the back
In other news, there's no shame in asking that a used bike comes with some sort of extra documentation. When I got my Gasgas it came from a retired trials specialist who had originally sold the bike new, so I got a copy of the original sales invoice, for instance ... these days I wouldn't buy a bike that's not road registered.
so getting back to the oil thing i would like a beta rev3 what would be the thoughts on using the little plastic bottes of stihl oil as used for chain saws/ strimmers etc ( which the mix is 50 to 1)
It's much cheaper to just get 2 stroke oil and mix it yourself, it's not hard to do just get a 10L fuel container, stick exactly 10L in it at the pump, chuck in 200mL of oil, give it a shake and you're good to go.
I keep my Stihl fuel for my chainsaw, because it can sit on a shelf for a long time without going off - not much risk of that with the trials bike, lol
Twin shocks are relatively comfortable, some ride modern bikes with their shins on the footrests .......
Shins?! When I'm cruising along on my Sherco with my bum on the bike my heels are on the pegs ... admittedly the cornering ability is limited, but with a top speed of about 30mph it's not really an issue
Welcome, good to see another woman on here! (there's no shortage of women riders IRL, but I seem to be the only one to post here on the regular).
I'm glad you found a solution to your kickstarting problems, lots of petite riders stick with 125 trials bikes for that very reason ... even though I'm taller there are times I'd like an electric starter too, lol. Most of the top women riders are about your height so you're in good company
Alloy or Copper washer would be ok. But you should inspect the mating surfaces for scratches and dents. And also inspect for cracks because if correctly assembled this would rarely happen.
Isn't the purpose of a crush washer to account for scratches and dents?
I've not seen a bike assembled without crush washers before, is it a new thing to not need them?
Sometimes I used to get anything loose off with a stick and then drive to a garage with a jetwash on the way home. With a trailer it was nice and easy to do the bike in-situ ... with a van it was more of a PITA so I got a 12v water pump, 20L water bottle, and hosed the bikes wherever wouldn't cause a ruckus, which worked for all but the stickiest of muds.
I always have goggles and use a quick strap device. I can take them on and off with a flick of my left hand while in motion. This is of paramount importance for me.
I went out for a short ride the other day without goggles on Sunday, took a fly to the eye and got pinkeye so I'm thinking this is good advice! (I usually wear goggles, but figured because I wasn't going fast or far it would be ok ... famous last words)
I'm mostly concerned with hurting my wrists these days.
This was a problem when they were new IIRC. Since it's now an "old" bike if it were my I'd get a pro welder to put some fresh metal in and then keep an eye on it.
Specialy when I use the front brake, I just loosen a little bit my grip the throttle to control the motor or a few times when wet the gloves where sticky enough to open the throttle when I was not carefull enough to really open my hand. The Mechanix gloves I used was the one with the plam covered with rubber with little dots, maybe other kind work better. The trials glove I bought are Jitsie.
Guy
I use the heatproof ones that are made for working on engines, the palms are made of a sort of suede material
Well, if everyone had the same taste the world would be boring
And yes, Señor Bulto left Montesa when they wanted to cut out the race programme during a period of purse tightenning - he was passionate about competition more than profits!
the quarry was a really really lovely practice space
How To Check If A Motorcycle Is Stolen
in Stolen Bikes
Posted
cést la vie 😕 the bikes and cars I had would be worth a mint now, even if I'd just left them in a barn ... and I used to have access to a barn, lol