ross brown

I have included two links below of short videos that I enjoyed. Both are from Japan. The first is a little competition in doing a 'stoppie' in front of a very appreciative crowd. The second video is what happens when you put a trials rider who can do a stoppie into another of type of vehicle and... well you can imagine the rest. Don't try this at home! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok-N3UkGlh8 www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_HDOe_xP00

"My little shop" Now that's a Mans' garage. Something for many of us to aspire to. What do you think of the Beta so far?

Thanks folks. You confirmed what I thought; that you get what you pay for. No sense in buying Montesa quality and then cheapening the package with two-bit decals.

I've been researching 4RT replacement sticker sets on the web to add protection and a bit of bling to my Monty. There seem to be quite a few after-market decal sets around. From the photos I see on ebay they look indistinguishable from originals. ?I suspect that the airbox stickers like the Repsol type will be worn through in a weekend as that's where my left boot grips. But I'd like to find a more longer lasting set for the frame. Can anyone comment if they last? How good do they look in the flesh?

Any chance of posting one or two 'before' photos for those of us who harbour thoughts of doing a similar restoration.

I carried my 315 on a hired trailer yesterday. Tied the bike with the side stand down and the bean leaning into the stand for rigid support On the 45 minute journey back, it must have bounced around and worn down the 'stop' on the bracket holding the stand. At home, and while investigating why the stand now pivoted beyond the end stop, the bloody thing sprung back and caught my thumb nail between the stand leg and the swing arm. Lets' just say that I didn't know that there were so many nerve endings around the thumb nail! It is some consolation is to know that others have caught been too.

As an exXL 185 owner, I'm keen to see how it works out. Do post some photos when you can.

Ahhh, you do take me back. Way back in the closing days of the '70s my first girl friend had just dumped me. As had my first XL250. Also know as the 'other' GF, red and black and weighing in at 312lb. So I went out and bought a TL250. I love what your photo says about your TL's life to date: - short pipe for horse power not torque. - no silencer for a 30lb weight saving (today I like quiet bikes, but back then NOISE was good. I used to run a VolksWagen chrome silence inserted into the pipe end) - high front guard and knobby tyres for trail riding at speed through thick mud that would otherwise clog under a low mounted guard and stop the front wheel from rotating. - no plastic side covers because they were just cosmetic and caught on the top of your boots anyway. - only your headlight brackets survive not the headlight shell - probably the result of looping the bike after one too many wheelies. - pushed in rear mudguard - probably the result of looping the bike after one too many wheelies. - throttle cable routing, so the throttle didn't jam on full lock turns. I do so want another one.

And lets capitalise on one of television's current fads: house make-overs. We could feature a "ride through a grand house" section in each episode. After all, look at how much new-comers to our sport love the spectacle of seeing Dougie Lampkin's trip through Goodwood House.

Of course this happened while standing up on the pegs and you then executed a perfect recovery as seen from the car behind - further enhancing the belief that trails riders are the most SKILLED.

I was working in my garage one day bolting on some new bling. A pair of new 'shorty' dog-leg clutch and front brake levers. Thought I'd better check out that they worked as advertised, so I grabbed my helmet and blasted out to the end of the driveway (say 80 feet away). Used lots of front brake to stop, then pulled in the clutch, put my left foot down and spun the bike around and blasted back to the garage standing up on the pegs. Ducked as I rode into the garage under the flip-up door; but didn't get my head down enough. The bolt on the garage door hangs down about an inch and half when the door is in the up position. The steel bolt caught my helmet peak dead centre. This whipped my head back, which in turn rotated my upper body backwards, which pulled my fingers off the short front brake and the clutch levers. The Bike and I were now traveling without binders inside the garage and heading for the back wall (say 8 feet away). I missed impacting into the work bench. But the lawnmower handle was never the same again!

Hi Just to confuse you further. Here' s a photo of a 1994 TLR260'R' in Phsyco graphics. Does your "F" look anything like this?

I too had a TL250 in its day. I agree, you wouldn't want to ride one in a trial today. I thought of mine as an "ALPINA" version of a trials bike (remember those!) . It was very agile and light for a trail bike. But woefully outclassed as a trials bike. I actually commuted to work on it for almost a year - check out the comfort of that seat - regularly sitting at 50mph on the motorway. But remember the Honda trail bike of the same time was the portly XL250 with the slab sided petrol tank and a red and black paint job that weighed in around 320lb. Like the XL, the wet sump 250 engine in the TL is not only heavy it is very tall. Look closely at the photos to see what I mean. And when I say heavy, I mean QEII propeller shaft heavy. Still, I did find that the weight only made itself apparent when you cocked-up an otherwise good approach to an obstacle; such as when you foolishly decided at the end of the day's trial to wheelie up on to the back of your Toyota hilux without using a ramp. The Honda proved robust but the Toyota panel damage was expensive! Then the RTLs arrived. My TL must have looked at the RTLs in much the same way as the dinosaurs did to the comet that streaked overhead on its path toward the Bay of Mexico.

I used to spend time in japan on a regular basis. Before I flew I'd do a google IMAGES search of "RTL". You might be surprised how many links to JPN firms this type of search throws up. Worth a try.

I don't think he gets away with a perfect score. No matter how good the Repsol looks or the freshly cut perfect lawn to set it off, there's a piece of fence missing in the background.

The Montesa manual for my '03, 315R says use 520 ml for an oil change after draining old oil. However, use 550ml if the engine has been disassembled and then reassembled. I too have problem in sourcing the Elf oil. Cost is nearly 30 Pound for two litres and needs to be ordered in. P The problem is that the Elf packaging does not detail the viscosity of the oil. Otherwise it would be easy to find a replacement for it in another brand.

Excellent thanks. I've lots of pics on my desk top but have never shared them to a url before. I have some pics from the Japan round of the world series too that I'll post. Previously, I have only emailed to friends instead. Now I understand how that it is done, I'll give it a go. I will try and do this early next week. Too busy getting bike ready to ride this weekend. Cheers Ross

He can do all of that. I was in Hong Kong. The bike was in Yorkshire. I wanted to ship it to New Zealand. First step was to get the seller to delivery my bike to a dealer. Dealer drained fluids and crated the bike. Shipper picked up bike from dealer. Drove bike to port (Expensive this bit) and stored it securely until the ship arrived. It was then 'consolidated' into a container with other goods (don't know what). All transactions done by phone and email. Once the bike was on the water the agent at the other end (receiving port) sent me emails about the delivery date. Upon arrival a de-consolidator unpacked the crate and faxed me all the customs clearance bumpf. Paid the money and took the bike home. I've done this 3 times now. Same UK firm. Highly recommend them and the whole process. It's like being a kid before Xmas waiting for the bike to arrive. Cheers. Ross

My Dave Cooper rack will be here soon. I've a Honda CRV with a swan neck towbar. I will Post pics of how the rack gets adapted once the rack and the car get to meet.

Hi did you find out how? I haven't been able to post pics either. The site won't let me sign up to be a trials supporter (somebody help me take my money) and noone replies to my email. Love the site tho'. Just want to contribute more and find myself balked at every other turn.

And now I see that I MUST HAVE a bike stand as well. The old plastic crate just no longer cuts it. Thanks for the idea for the next 'father's day present'. Anybody out there have a preferred stand? Not meant as a thread hijack. And as proof a pic of my 315 is here (actually no it isn't as when I try and upload I keep being asked for URL).

I've shipped 3 bikes from the UK to New Zealand. Never had a problem other than being bike-less for the 6 weeks that the bike is in transit. Each time after draining the bike of all fluids I've had the bike packed by a local bike shop into a crate (usually a box they re-use from a new bike coming into the shop). Last time they handlebars came off too and were left to hang (taped down) on their cables alongside the fame- making for a very narrow packing crate. I've had the bikes picked up and trucked to a place to store before shipping. Each time I've used Terry Curtis at a company called Planet wide. Basildon, Essedx Tel: +44 1268 530 600 Email: terry @Planetwide-ltd.co.uk Service and communication via email has been great. Shipping costs not to bad. But UK transport costs and then all the agriculture clearance costs at the far end have been steep. There's always an extra fumigation or customs fee that seems to make it onto the final bill. But that is into New Zealand which is notoriously picky when it comes to avoiding bringing in an insect nasties into the country. I figure 200-300 shipping and insurance. And the same again in landing and clearance costs. Ross

My thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I have to whisper incase my 315R is listening, but I think I need a 4RT next.

Thanks. Great advice. I've only seen ASV levers on MXers before. Also USD$70 a lever for one ASV buys a few more standard ARC levers.

Awesomely clean 'Shop'. Very Professional metal work. A good looking TL to keep the reflex company at night. And a bike stand to die for. Had to look hard to find something to mark you down on. You lose ten points for the colour of the VW Beetle. Seriously, at some point I'd like to hear your impressions of riding the Reflex. Was looking at buying one a few weeks ago but was put off by the level of metal fabrication needed to bring it up to spec. Cheers Ross