jon v8

Bit far south from me,but there are quite a few trials going on down there in sunny Devon - I'd just move there anyway cos its such a nice place.Thinking about clubs between here and South Hams there are Bath Classic,(Which I have to encourage you to ride in as I'm now the club trials sec.) Blackmore vale,Yeo Vale MCC,Somerton Classic,Somerton DMCC,Exmoor MC,West of England MC,Taunton MCC,Mortonhampstead & DMC and the SWCTA who run the Dartmoor 2 day and the Exmoor 3 day.These are just the ones I could think of,I'm sure there are more if you head towards Cornwall. Some of these are more than 30 miles - esp Bath ! But it will give you an idea,and probably a few years worth of new venues too.

Shame on you It was a good ride,the easy route would have made a good ride for the rigid AJS that I cant seem to find yet.....

I had the same mail from GV,not news that anyone wants - hope their bikes are recovered.Did you ride the Cheltenham trial on Sunday Bo ?

If you pm me the frame and engine numbers I'll see what I can find for you.

It was all good stuff,my bruv also got his photo in Performance bikes,(Performing Berks ? ) doing a track day at Cadwell Park, he completely missed a bend and was pictured standing up while crossing the grass doing a half decent tank slapper. I've only ever been in TMX....... (Not for winning either.)

Must be something in the DNA,my little bro still has the 350 YPVS with the Saxon frame and Stans stage 3 motor,splash graphics etc.Quick bike,he got 12.06s @ 106mph at Santa Pod a few years back.He thrashed his TDR250 around Norway last year - 7000m. He refuses anything with valves,still wants me to make one of his RM500's road legal,how I'm supposed to shut it up I dont know....

Mmm,I have a brother like that - or thats what we keep teasing him for.He cant be all bad tho,he's just bougth an immaculate RZ500 Yam and he says he is going to find an RG500 to go with it.All i need to do is persuade him to spend some of his large income on trials bikes......

There's nothing wrong at all with twinshock bikes,they can be bulletproof if they are put together properly and are well maintained,the poor brakes dont really matter - they just encourage more thought and better tactics.Its always fun to see a really good rider on an old twinshock or Cub etc,breeze through a section that a glamed up mono rider makes a total pickle of. Be nice to even see my bikes let alone ride them,being on "holiday" in Oz meant I missed the Exmoor 3 day,and now it looks like I'm going to be stuck here a while.

I think you need to treat each problem individually,back in 1988 I ran a TY250r that ate plugs.I went through allsorts trying to sort it out,in the end it was just going down on mainjet size that fixed it.The plugs didnt matter as they were only old V8 Rover ones - but once the mainjet was sorted a secondhand plug lasted for ages.As a kid I had a D3 Bantam that would only start from cold after the plug had been scratched around with a pencil lead - yet the spark looked fine.Later I had a Beamish RL250 that had such a weak spark you could not see it in daylight - yet it always started first kick and ran fine. There is a bloke locally having problems with a Whitehawk fouling plugs,he has had it for years,rides it the same way still - does nothing different.Yet a plug wont last 2 trials,so something has changed.In his case I think its a weak spark that is just strong enough to work when the plug is new,but as soon as the electrodes get slightly coated in carbon there is not enough voltage to make it jump the gap. I guess its what is called experience.......

I used to own this Fraser; http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT I stupidly sold it and regretted it ever since,it had a chromed frame and the plating was old/worn but in quite good nick,I guess it had been done from new.

A blue tinge shouldnt be a problem then,I'm wondering if its that fussy about its plug then it could be down to the strength of the spark.I run a Land Rover garage specialising in diagnostics and emission problems - esp Range Rover v8's running on LPG.This has taught me lots about engine tuning/running problems.Now,the first thing I do with them is to scope all the HT leads,this tells me a great deal about whats going on.I've found that coils and leads etc,(which all seem OK with a multimeter) can give a weak spark and cause partial misfires etc. Might sound a bit much but its worth a thought ?

If the motor is burning oil then you are not going to get the best out of it anyway,do you think its ring,bore or valve guides or all three causing the oil use? I think I'd concentrate more on getting the motor up to scratch before worrying about carburation or plug heat ranges.

"Book by cover" and all that...... There is a little placard on the side of my toolbox,"Make all your mistakes new ones."

That is a very smart bike,look better with a Yam motor in it Bout time I got on and finished mine........

I rode the Somerton trial this afternoon,and a couple of people asked how the Serow project is coming on.So it has prompted me to get on with it ! Cant say I'm bored with my TY250,but a change would be nice and it would def be the only one around here. Trouble is I get mixed up in allsorts of kit,and there is only a certain amount of time.I'll be in OZ for most of April,Perth for a week then over to Sydney for a few days then up in the "Sugar" to Port Douglas.Unlike my normal solo trips this is with the wife and kids and I miss the WA drag racing finals at Kwinana by one day.(Not impressed,its a great evening out.) I've only ever been to one trial out there,years ago - maybe next year..... The Duke will be a nice change,not had a road bike for years,hand cranking old tractors has fixed my 2 yr old back problem,even doctor/consultant friends laugh at me,but it has worked.(Just got to work out how to stay off the booze now )

It'll get done,and no worries about entering as a twinshock - two reasons,first I'm a cr-p rider and second at least one twinshock Yam mono seems to turn up at every trial. Its not going to be ultra competative either,the starter and battery are quite heavy,and a TY175 frame is not exactly a Godden Majesty - its just an idea thats been hanging around in my mind for years,an all Yam 4stroke twinshock.

Still in a similar shape to the pics,I have made the airbox but its not finished.I need a bit of thinwall 1 1/2" alloy tube to get on with it.It will happen tho,I bought everything I could think of to finish it from BVM a while back,but there will be odd bits and pieces to add.Once the airbox is finished the main bit is the wiring - not too much of a problem apart from the W/S manual I downloaded off the net is for a US spec bike and I think mine was a Jap home market bike.Many of the wires are a different colour..... But as always there are distractions,I'm out in Oz for most of April,I also decided to look for a Pre65 rigid AJS/Matchbox trials,(No luck at all,if you know of anything PLEASE let me know) and just today I agreed to buy a Mike Hailwood replica Ducati. I wanted to ride the Serow engined bike at the Dartmoor 2 day last Sept,but the time just flies,the summer is blocked with dates that overlap,plus being talked into playing with vintage tractors.... I never said I was bored !

PM sent.

Thanks for that John,shame he's not still "in the game" so to speak.You of all people would know ! Reason I ask is the mk2 247 Cota I have has a number plate within a few digits of the one he rode in the Montesa team for the 1970 scottish.Both bikes were registered by Stuart Wiggins Motorcycles locally to me.I'm starting the process of trying to get a log book for my bike with its original number,and I noticed from Don Morley's book how close the number is.The Wiltshire records office has details of both bikes which I'm going to see on Saturday,I'd really like to find out more about my bike and if it was used by by of the supported riders as it was registered to the shop rather than a private owner.Anyone with any pointers as to who to get to help with persuading the DVLA to reallocate the number would be very gratefully received.BTW Mr Telling has 5 different numbers of Montesa's against his name in the list - he must have been a good rider in his time.

Does anyone know if he is still riding or involved with trials ?

Hell ! didnt realise my eyesight was so bad - need to wear my specs all the time perhaps.......

I saw it there,didnt take much notice - thought it was a Fantic........ Coming down to the Bath trial on Sunday Bo ?

I dont know why you dont just get a 240 Fantic - its about the only bike that is what you keep asking for without a load of money or mods.The Tlr 250 looks and sounds nice but needs alot of sorting to be as good as a Fantic,or even a TY.The 200 is a better bet as stock but its still alot of money for a tidy one.

Here you go; http://www.trialscentral.com/classifieds/d...php?siteid=7196

As Woody said really,except I would add that with a decent rider on they are more capable than many think.You only have to watch Barry Barthorp in action on his VERY well used,standard example,rarely touching the clutch - to see what they can do.They are quite low and the engine is quite wide,they can seem like a bit of a plough in narrow bits.The engine is better than the Beamish as I remember mine,and there is loads you can do to pep them up.As Woody said they pick up quicker with the weight off the flywheel,but I've stalled mine a few times since removing it.Toying with the idea of refitting half of it and see if its a good trade off. They were very well made and everything is available to keep them going,and they can be made to look very smart with the new tank/seat units and alloy exhausts etc. Oh yes - they are bloody reliable too.