brucey

Hi, I've just purchased the above bike to keep my Triumph Tiger Cub company! It has been reasonably well looked after but is not immaculate by any means. I only intend to compete in local club trials on the novice routes. This is the 1st Beta I have owned but the build quality looks to be good and as a 'left footer' has the kick start on the proper side :-) (first bike since my Bultaco back in 1978!) I have a few questions: After reading this forum, I checked the frame and swing arm carefully for cracks and it seems fine. However, I think the frame & swing arm may have been changed for the following reasons: 1. The Fuel Filler Cap is on the centreline of the frame top tube. However, the Rad Filler Cap is on the left of the top tube. 2. The bottom fixing hole for the Swing Arm Chain Protector is about 50mm short of the aluminium lug attached to the Swing Arm. Did later Swing Arms have different protectors? which one do I have? 3. The guy who sold it to me informed me it has been fitted with 2010 (white) plastics. However the Registration document confirms it as a 2009 bike. (frame and engine numbers match the Reg doc) I want to fit a side stand but cannot see the fixing holes for the bracket. I intend to order a complete stand, but I believe the swing arm and stand bracket may be different for 09 Evo's. bearing the above in mind, which one do I need? It has a slight rattle from the top of the engine when it has warmed up. I'm guessing it will need a piston and small end sometime in the future or 'do they all do that'?. The engine starts runs, revs and pulls really well. It will be perfect for my ability. Both front and rear tyres have tubes fitted. I'm assuming this is standard on the front as it has a security bolt. However I'm assuming the rear needs the tube removing and some form of sealing ring to be fitted. Any advice? After accidently un adjusting the carb mixture screw, I have reset it to about 1 3/4 turns out. This gives best tick-over. Am I in the right ball park? The previous owner also said it had additional flywheel weights. Does the engine take slightly longer to pick up and slow down with these fitted? I remember my old Gas Gas being slightly more responsive. I have about 25mm vertical play in the back wheel, so I guess the rear suspension bushes will need looking at soon. The previous owner changed the dog bone bushes, but I can see a small amount of play in the centre one. It is a lovely bike which will benefit from a bit of fettling Any help appreciated. Bruce.

I run R cam, Delorto Carb, PVL (type) ignition and std 200cc low compression piston. I weigh 96kg and the bike runs sweetly! I have had the same (Iridium) plug fitted for the last year with no oiling or sooting up. You want something that picks up from low down and pulls rather than something that has to rev to get going most of the time. Hope this helps. Bruce.

Carl, Look on the Midland Enfield Bullet Owners Site (don't know how to do the linky thing). Lots of info in their technical section. It's very easy to adjust the clutch as are most jobs on the Enfield Bullet Engine. Also quite a good You Tube Video explaining how to do it. It may be worth popping the cover off (only way to get the old oil out) and putting some fresh Auto Trans Fluid in there if it hasn't been used for a while. Also make sure the clutch basket centre nut is tight (mine came loose and caused the clutch to drag badly) The gear change will be horrid with a dragging clutch. It's not too great with a good clutch epecially as everything is up side down! Has your bike got a separate neutral lever? Have fun. Bruce.

Hi, I have recently acquired 2 Royal Enfield Bullets for a diesel bike project. One of them is a 2005 Bullet Trials. I also have a Triumph Tiger Cub that I was riding at Bagshot in a Northants trial last weekend. Your Enfield Trials is probably a Bullet engine in a Crusader frame. If you look on the Midlands Enfield Club Site, you will see a photo of an almost identical bike someone posted for me. Engine parts are pretty cheap as they are still made in India. They are ideal for the Northants Club trial type sections. However, don't confuse them with the Bullet Trials bikes from India which are really road bikes with knobbly tyres. When I take the 350 engine out of my Bullet Trials to fit a Robin Diesel, I will be looking for a Crusader frame to build a similar bike to yours. Good luck with it. Bruce.

Thanks stickinthemud, I'll give the PJ1 fully synthetic a go on the grounds that it retains its performance over a larger heat range. The main reason I haven't used it before is I always consider synthetic oil 'a bit runny' (poor excuse I know!). However, after draining my oil from a hot engine, I guess the fully synthetic oil is no less viscous at high temperatures than normal 10/40 oil.

Duncan, I read with interest that you use fully synthetic oil in your Cub. I have a pretty standard engine with an Oil Tank in the Top Brace (very similar to a Sammy Miller unit but made from bits of train!). I have also fitted a high capacity pump and external (Citroen 2CV) canister oil filter, roller big end and run a side points crank. The engine runs really well but after long periods (usually when trying to catch up by repeating sections without stopping during trials), I find I get a slight smoke mist wafting out the top of the engine. I put this down to the engine starting to run hot. I currently use about 700cc of 10/40 Castrol GTX at oil changes. My theory is it is getting too hot because I don't run a full size oil tank. Someone told me to run it on Castrol 'R'. From my Karting days, I know 'R' smells nice but I'm not sure a 1960's mineral based oil is the solution! If I drain the existing oil with the engine hot and change the canister filter, would it be o.k. to try PJ1 to see if it cures my oil mist problem? I also have the Allan Whitton breather mods but get a small dribble of oil from the RH Cover (I note you run your Cub without this cover fitted). I have been told I should have blanked off a small hole behind the cover. Any advice would be appreciated. Bruce. 16/01/14 Edited as requested........sorry!

Think you have all the main ones listed. Contact details available on the web. They are all good and have a wealth of knowledge to build some of the best trials Cubs in the world. It all depends how much money you have. 'Upgraditus' is a bit addictive! Bruce

Sorry, I don't know the exact size but I had to grind off about 1mm from the OD of a tapered bearing to fit them to my Cub steering head. It's possible your bike has had the frame machined out instead of the bearing od reduced. I'd measure it and see if you can get a tapered head bearing (from ebay?) to fit. Hope this helps, Bruce.

Hi, Before you get too carried away read my post on the Gas Gas Section titled 'Slow return to idle'. It might save you a lot of time and trouble! Brucey.

Bob, This is my Cub: It has Montesa forks and an unknown front wheel (Bultaco maybe). The oil tank and filler plugs are made from bits of high speed train, and the rest collected when and where bits became available at the right price. It isn't 100% original but I compete at club level in modern and pre 65 events. I don't expect to win trophies and have never had anything but nice comments from fellow competitors about my bike (better than a trophy any day). Build your bike how you want it and then ride it. You can always change bits later. My goal was to keep within the spirit of the events I enter without breaking the bank. Bruce.

O.k., I need to eat a bit of humble pie here! At 54 years old, I still don't always follow my own advice and do the obvious things first. After spending 2 days and £50 trying to sort the problem out, I finally purchased some more 2 stroke oil and 10l of BP's finest premium grade unleaded. I drained the tank and float bowl, mixed up a litre of fresh fuel and ran it until the fan came on. I then adjusted the idle screw and pilot screws (unsuprisingly back to where they were originally) and hey preso, I now have a bike the revs up and then slows down to a nice steady tick over. Looking on the bright side, at least I (and the next owner) knows all the other bits have been cleaned and checked! Thanks for your help. Does anyone want 41/2 litres of stale 2 stroke fuel? Maybe I'll keep it for cleaning the Cub chain. Brucey.

Just stripped carb again and double checked inlet manifold and jets. All appear to be fine. Just off to get some fresh fuel to try. If that doesn't work then I guess I'll strip and replace RH Crank Seal although I think I'm clutching at straws now! It has to be something pretty obvious. Pinching the crank case breather pipe slows the idle speed a fraction but doesn't really improve idle response time. Brucey

Thanks for your helpful sugestions Copemech. 24 hour support can't be bad! I think I may need to double check a couple of things before draining all the fluids and attacking the RH Crank Case Seal. I had convinced myself it was the LH Crank Case Seal and was dissapointed to say the least when replacing it didn't solve the problem. I've had pilot jet issues on my Tiger Cub in the past and the symptoms were totaly different. I really can't remember seeing the Crank Case Breather Pipe end 'floating' around on any of the other Gas Gas's I've owned but there is no obvious place to attatch it to and the end is chamfered. When I replaced the Spark Plug as a matter of course, the old one looked pretty normal to me. Brucey

Having put my Gas Gas up for sale I thought I'd check it over as I hadn't started it for 3 months. It starts o.k but will not idle and once warm is slow to return to idling speeds. The sypmtoms point towards an air leak somewhere and I have done the following: Removed the carb and jets and cleaned everything (it was all pretty clean anyway). Can someone confirm the round bit of the floats face upwards? Cleaned and inspected the rubber inlet manifold. I also squirted carb cleaner around this area with the engine running but it didn't speed up. Removed Magneto Cover and squirted carb cleaner around with the engine running. Engine still didn't speed up. Changed Magneto Side Crank Case Seal anyway as it seemed the most likely cause. There was no signs of oil around the old seal and problem is still there. Adjusted mixture screw (was about 3 turns open at start) but it makes very little difference where it is set. If I put the choke on with the engine warm, it just speeds up. When I removed the carb, I did notice one end of the Crank Case Breather Pipe is free. Should this be connected to something? I'm assuming it's a timed breather and just sticks up in the air. My next job will be to replace the Clutch Side Crank Case Seal (because I've already bought it!) but I don't think it's this because the bike doesn't smoke. I did replace the Water Pump Shaft and Seal about a year ago and wondered if this may have damaged the RH Crank Case Seal in some way. I should also mix some new fuel up but again, I think this is clutching at straws as it wouldn't cause these symptoms. I'm running out of ideas fast. The engine is quite, has good compression and doesn't smoke. Maybe it just wants to stay with me! Any help would be appreciated. Brucey.

Dan, Look on the pre 65 forum. You will see some pictures of my Cub in one of my 'Tiger Cub' posts. I moved the engine over about 10mm (until the exhaust just cleared the downtube). I simply used spacers for the rear and bottom engine mounts. I also drilled the engine mount holes out slightly so I could use M10 bolts. You can bend the front mount over if you are careful but I removed mine and brazed 2 bushes in the downtube. I then made some ally engine plates and spacers to move the engine over. This looks a lot neater and makes removing the engine easier. Some people get away with just moving the back over a bit but you stand the risk of putting the chain out of alignment. Also, check the position of your sprocket as that may need moving over too! I made new wheel spacers. It's pretty tight but you can fit everything in........just! I also lengthened my swing arm to give more clearance for mud at the front, but that's another story! email me if you want some more photos. Bruce.

Pat, Are you riding the pre 65 Scottish? If not, phone Bob at UPB and fit one of his Dellorto Kits. I have one fitted to my Cub and after a few initial problems have decided it's the best £160 I have spent. I ride at Club level and it has transformed my bike. Bruce.

I got my Cub one from ebay. I plumbed it in using 10mm copper fittings from B&Q and hydraulic hose. Also, spin on filters from Citroen 2 CV's fit. Hope this helps, Bruce

I agree with what Total Shell said. Really depends upon how much you want to do and what budget you have, Putting alloy rims, tank and oil tank can cost £500+ for second hand stuff. It's better to buy a bike with it already on for around £2k (with electronic ignition) and tidy it up if necessary. I bought a complete bike and ended up replacing 90% of it anyway because it had all steel bits on it! Good luck with your build. There are plenty of photo's and advice on this forum. Bruce.

Old Bones, As no one else has replied, I'll kick off: I use Castrol GTX 10/40 (semi synthetic I think) in my engine (top tube tank + spin on filter) and gear box. I change both about every 3rd trial/practice session. I use good quality ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) in my clutch (about 100cc to lube the primary chain). I expect to be corrected at any moment but this seems to work fine for me. I think it's more important to change the oil frequently than splash out on exotic stuff! Hope this helps, Bruce.

OTF, If I was riding in water that deep, I think I would be looking at arm bands as well as plenum chambers! I was rather anticipating the continuation of the current drought conditions down here in the south for the forseeable future :-) I have fitted a Champion L-6G platinum tipped plug and Ramair MR-003 Foam Filter as these all work really well together on Henry's 250cc Cub. It started first kick and immediately settled down to a nice even tickover which is encouraging. However I turned it off before I irritated the local residents too much. My local farmer has kindly given me permission to ride the Cub up and down a farm track in a nearby field as long as there are no cows there (apparently cows get spooked more easily than sheep) I also promised to I pick up any sheep I find laying on their backs. Can't ask fairer than that! Bruce.

OTF, Fair question. I have been 'advised' that foam filters perform better than K&N type filters as they have a slightly better air flow. The orange filter in the photo came with a pit bike Mikuni Carb (one of an increasing collection of carbs and filters I've aquired). Unfortunately it hits the frame, forcing the carb down slightly (Goudrond advised against this), so I have purchased another foam filter the same diameter but slightly shorter (and not quite so....orange!). You've probably guessed it also happens to be the same as the one fitted to Henry's Cub. I'm now trying to decide if I should spray the new filter with air filter oil or just leave it 'fresh and airy'. Bruce.

Goudrons, All settings written down in my little black book! Trying a slightly smaller air filter and a Champion Platinum plug as I'm hoping I won't have to change it so frequently now. Bashplate, thanks for the kind comments. I live about 10 miles from Canterbury UK. I have really enjoyed building it and have a few improvements planned already! I think Big Red Bike gets the prize for 'nearest to the correct diagnosis' award! I'll know for next time! Bruce.

Photos added in above post, however, looking at the last one, I either need to loose 2 stone or go for a 250cc upgrade! Bruce

Good evening gents, Well, what a fantastic day! I'm now convinced that although my carb was new, it probably had a used pilot jet fitted as I asked for a non standard item. The bike started and ran really well but according to Henry was running a little bit 'heavy' when the throttle was opened quickly. I was just happy the thing was still running when the throttle was opened at all! We refitted the original 100 main jet but this introduced a slight hesitaion when cracking the throttle open, so we raised the needle 1 notch (now 2nd from bottom) and it ran even better! The plug is a dark straw colour and there is virtually no smoke. I tried to upload a couple of photos of the days activities but I'm having 'issues' with photobucket! I swapped rides with my mates 08 Beta 4 stroke and was having trouble following my own Cub! I will be entering the next pre 65 trial on a bike that starts first kick, ticks over like a clock, pulls like a train and revs out as it should. It's amasing what a well set up bike does for your confidence! As an aside, I also had my first ever go at driving and being passenger in a trials side car outfit. I thought 'how hard can it be?' after about 2 minutes, I found out and after 10 minutes, I was completely knackered. Brilliant fun but bloody hard work! Once again, thanks for your help and comments, maybe I'll see you at a trial to say thankyou personally. Bruce.

Good news at last! I took the bike around Henry Boudrey's house this evening (he's the guy who's carb I borrowed last time) and showed him the problem. "That's a carb problem" was the immediate response from the Orical! We then refitted his (supposedly identical) carb onto my bike and hey presto, it ran perfectly again. On stripping my (new) carb, Henry found the pilot jet to be partially blocked. The lesson being don't be happy just seeing carb cleaner squirting through the hole, poke some wire through as well to make sure! Long story short, I now appear to have a Cub I can actually ride instead of fix! Special thanks to the legend (in my books), Henry and to all those who helped with advice and words of encouragement. I don't know if it was the drizzle or just the excitment, but I arrived back home a little damp! It still blows through the breather pipe a bit, but somehow that doesn't seem to matter any more! I'm planning to do a practice session with the Cub on Sunday to see if I can remember how to ride it. Bruce