big john

Try putting a new NGK CR7EB spark plug in, usually cures it! Big John

Terry, You could try Personal Messaging the guys on here as they might not notice your posting as it has been some time since this thread opened up, just click on their name and use 'send message' feature. You never know they might have that elusive part! Big John

This isn't an attempt to highjack the Robregordo slot, as it is a great event, having been there three times, I should know. However, I should have indicated where Alvie Estate is on the map sorry folks! It's only 4 miles south of Aviemore http://www.alvie-estate.co.uk Entry forms should be available shortly, visit Inverness website: http://www.idmcc.co.uk Big John

Woody... For you I would suggest Green route depends what are you riding? And...don't forget Scotland, 13/14 June at Alvie, now open to twinshocks! Big John

Ross, what on earth have you been drinking? What has the Simpsons' Spiderpig to do with a sick running Montesa 315R??? Big John Right, got it, bike is 'running like a pig'!!! doh!

Scraggy, I wish you had said that in the first place! Not many folk do that nowadays, best to fire the hose along the sumpguard with bike sat on its sidestand and use a nylon brush to remove the crud while doing so! The guy you spoke to at Sandifords was probably Geoff, very pleasant chap I may add! Enjoy your 4RT and remember to remove exhaust bung before flight! Big John

Well said Tony, ...and with that, I think we can draw a close to this thread! Big John

Nice tribute and story there Julian! Big John

Sorry to hear that. Yes indeed Bert arranged for Vic Allan to ride the series in Aus back in 1976. I still have a race shirt, think I posted a picture of it here somewhere. Vic managed to beat Gaston Rahier who rode factory Suzukis at that time! It has 'Golden Breed' on the front above 'BULTACO' and Vic's name down both sleeves, of course on the back it had 'Bert Flood Motorcycles' Big John

The 198B had a five speed box, 199B (340) 6 speed cluster. 340 had the Frontera type bottom end apparently. The Model 27 was fitted with what the factory called the San Antonio motor. The Spaniards actually refer to the model type to distinguish the Sherpa development. Big John

Well I'm not as fit as I used to be, but... ...try hanging more off the back end of a Bultaco rear end steering if you like, that helps overcome the front end, it worked sometimes for me but all of the time for a certain H.M. Lampkin! I do have a model 199B with a revised swing-arm pivot set up (right Mr. dabster?) Big John

Not just a problem after many years, we ran a 2006 Rev3 125 and it needed a new water pump casing under 1 year old! It had corroded to the point it was leaking coolant when standing in the 'batcave'. At first I thought it was residual water after washing the bike, then I tasted it and it was sweet tasting anti-freeze!!! Big John

1977 model 199 Sherpa there for sure, (missing a few items like airbox and front mudguard fitments I see) they had twin lipped oils seal carriers fitted, as John Collins says, fit two seals each side and back to back will suffice. Bultaco supplied a wide twin-lipped type seal, but I'm not sure how these are sourced nowadays. Try Bultaco UK. I have found that crankcase seals are a very important nay critical component on a two-stroke motor, any leakage and the bike runs like a dog. My model 80 (not the twin-lipped seal fitment) used to smoke like crazy, misfire, do all sorts of things when the clutch seals were needing replaced. Everyone used to say, "no it'll be the timing side seal going as they don't run in oil", it always turned out to be the clutch side seal that had given up. However I used to replace both sides just to keep her running sweet! Big John

Right, for starters, I actually like the bloke in question, I respect him as being a good trials rider, but I completely disagree with what he did at last years' SSDT. I know for a fact that he was caught fair and square and I was shocked that he didn't do the right thing by either retiring himself or at least asking that his name be dropped from the awards listings. As for the point that this type of thing (swapping bikes etc) has been going on for years, I know that is the case, but if you are caught cheating, best thing is to quietly retreat and apologise. That way you can live to have a go another day, so to speak! But accepting an award, knowing full well that you have been 'rumbled' well that's just dumb, aint it? Big John

Er....No...that wasn't the meaning. More like 'Whayhay!'... or something similar! Big John

I haven't needed to bump start a bike for years, but I didn't ever need to tow start a bike either. I have bumped many bikes including my 800cc BMW R80ST would you believe. (It is a BMW model with no kick-start fitted, just electric start and when the battery was well down once I successfully had her running with a good old fashioned push start) If you decide to go down this route and haven't done it before read on: There is a knack to it which is usually this, select 3rd gear, pull the bike backwards up to the compression part of the cycle, then give it a good brisk push forwards on a clear, slightly downhill, part of the tarmac and just when you have it nicely under way, try getting your weight on the 'seat area' in time with releasing the clutch lever. Hence the name 'bump start' Its not always the push but the downward bump which does the trick! It is critical for a successful bump start of a four-stroke motor to think about where the piston is positioned in the barrell before launch, so that you extract the maximum stroke to get the motor fired up and on its way! Remember, clear pathway with no obsticles so that when she fires up, you aint going to run your pride and joy into anything, simple I know but its not the first time I've witnessed all sorts of misdemeanours when a dead bike suddenly bursts into life when the owner leasts expects it! Good luck and remember to post the result of your efforts on here! Big John

Aha now we are getting down to the nitty gritty! as in... "Ya Beezer, Caesar!" (an old West Lothian slang saying, the meaning of which eludes me at the moment!) Big John

Woody, to be fair, I think you can take it that the prospective competitor did submit an entry, but you most certainly will not get that confirmed on here (or on the SSDT website either) by the event promoters. It is not the policy of any organiser, whether that be trials or any other form of motorsport to declare a list of entrants other than successful ones. The reason for this thread resurfacing some months later just goes to show how long 'bitter tastes' are left in ones' mouth, doesn't it? Big John

Woody, Don't take this personally Woody, but... Fact: The rider was noted by several observers during the event that he had swapped bikes, take a look at the ACU Handbook which gives the definition of an observer, he/she is in effect deputising for the Clerk of the Course! If an observer finds a rider cheating, he/she is the eyes and ears of the CofC during an event, therefore in this case it was blatant and witnessed cheating...as Slapshot says "end of" Fact: I personally know one of the observers who noted the change of machine propulsion on his observers book and I was sitting beside the said observer at Pipers Burn section when the competitor had just ridden the section on a four stroke having ridden a previous day on a two-stroke! The rider got caught 'fair and square' in this occassion and in an ideal world would normally have been excluded for breaking the rules. Big John

It seems a shame that all this could have been fixed last May! But there again, this is merely an open website and the opinions of those who view it don't really matter because the posters are not really important enough to matter..... ...OR ARE THEY? Big John

Fair point Groucho! Big John

The UK spec 199B Sherpa used an alloy tank of a different shape to the earlier alloy 199A UK spec bike, so decals of either type were not a problem, other than usual wear caused by use. Big John

I'm sure Dave Renham at BultacoUK does the vinyl ones for the 199B, I'm almost certain I bought a set off him! Big John

Keep away from me! Big John (I don't want to get any bigger!)

Fair point and product totalshell, however, these are not supposed to carry petrol! In fact if you get right down to the legislative part of the problem, people are not supposed to be carrying around bottles of petrol around at any time anyway, never mind during a trial! This is the sole and primary reason why the promoting club took over the refuelling issue some many years ago, to hopefully avoid riders and followers fuelling machines themselves. The only legitimate place to refuel any vehicle is at a fuel station! I should point out that in my earlier posting, Shirty did have some bikes fitted with a professionally made auxiliary fuel tank fitted to avoid riders running dry of fuel. AND he didn't think it would have caused any concern as these had been made specifically for the job by a reputable manufacturer. The organisers representative (at that time) objected and after meaningful discussion, the competitors capitulated and removed the extra fuel containers from their machines before the trial started. The problem is not going to be eased much this year when certain standard fit integral tanked machines have a lesser capacity than the models they will be replacing. The organisers, in my opinion have done as much as they can with their refuelling efforts. Poster 2/4 sums it up expressly above, the organisers are certainly not in a position to condone additional fuel tanks of any make or construction other than what the manufacturer has constructed on the machine! Furthermore, the organising club, will most likely not post anything on here other than what is stipulated in the standing regulations for the event. The problem is quite simply this: that the 'range' of a standard trials motorcycle nowadays is far short of 35 miles, it's closer to 20!!! Big John