bantworm

Hi Peter. Thanks for the help. I did think that the bore was rather on the large side. The internal tube is made from a steel sheet that has been drilled with holes across its surface and then formed into a tube, and, to my mind, does not have enough perforations to make the packing effective. I will have a hunt around to get something that will better suit. The luxury is that the box is all steel and therefore can be Mig welded and finished with linisher. Not a lot of dimensions out in trails land for exhausts for the ole Bantam. Regards. Steve

Hi Peter. Thanks for the pointers. I have stripped out the old fibreglass packing as the end cap is removable and intend to repack with loose fibre. I will do a bit of searching on the net regarding the Villiers that you mentioned as I dont yet understand how the calculations are made. The perforated tube is central in the box and is luckily the same bore as my 1 3/4 ins High level Bantam pipe. The tail pipe is the same diameter too, so think I will slim that down a little to 1 1/4" and extend it, as its a bit too short at present and exits right on a seat frame tube. I dont want to make so much noise as to make a pest of myself. Regards. Steve

Thanks Peter. I have been very lucky and had a folding B175 Bushman lever with stripped splines donated by a helpful young lady on a Yahoo Bantam forum, so I hope to graft the base from mine to the top of the stripped item. Thanks for the contact, I was begining to wonder if I would ever get the project sorted. Just a B175 front brake plate to find now and I have all the bits to get on. Cheers. Steve

I have recently purchased a used peco style silencer box in steel, to adapt for my B175 and would like to know how much baffle is required for trials use. The reason I ask, is that the box at present, whilst packed, is straight through. I have located a small removable baffle which is available for quietening 4 stroke pipes on road bikes and wonder if it would fit the bill, or is it necessary to have the tailpipe offset from the inlet on the box on a stroker. I admit to having no real knowledge of silencers on trials machines and would appreciate comments please on the subject. Thanks. Steve

Make that

I am unable to source a folding kickstart lever for my Bantam B175 engine (large splined shaft) and would like to know if anyone has found a lever from another machine that fits. The smaller splined D14 lever is available as a folding item, but it is rather bulky and costs

Erm! they were old ones though off the strip bay officer. Did my apprenticeship there when things were still filmed in black and white. Blinkin Morrisons now, sniff! Prob be the poshest bit on the bike.

Thanks for the tip. Have some Rolls Royce diesel valve springs knocking about the garage, will give them a try.

Thanks Vinnie. Yes thats the animal, same as the Cub hub and the rim I have is drilled for the Cub too. I'm fitting a set of heavyweight B175/mountain cub forks so it should all come together. Hope the springs are up to it though. I have heard that its possible to beef them up by adding short sections of girling or other shock springs to make them more progressive. This bike has become more Cub than Bantam with only the main frame section and engine remaining from the Smallheath works. I'd have liked to have put a Cub engine into it as I have one available, but understand they are not a direct replacement. How they do morph on the drawing board. Hmmm engine plates (thinks).

Decided to have it done. Quicker and at

Hi all. I am rebiulding a new Trialsbits WM1 21ins 40 hole non-valanced alloy rim, onto a standard Bantam front hub and would appreciate help with the spoke lengths I require, if anyone has the info available. I believe they are 10swg, but am not sure of the length and the hub was not in a wheel when the project was purchased, so I cant even have a stab at it The nipple holes on the rim are 7mm and i'd like to use stainless spokes if they are available. I hope to lace it myself, as I have rebuilt plenty of British iron, but never done my own wheels. I will have it trued by someone professional just to be safe, but I'm determined to have a bash at it. Thanks. Steve

I have a couple of the 12 gauge blank shotgun cartridge alarm mines on my shed. They are tripwire or pin operated and face the blast toward the floor so there is no case for injury to the poor wouldbe theif who would no doubt take legal action if cut. They are available from farm shops and merchants but to get a look at one I have this link. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alarm-mine-gauge-b...r/dp/B000T9B182 Check out the important legal stuff if fitting one. Loud, you dont know the half of it. Especially at night. FLASH, BANG and perhapse you could get some DNA from the soiled undies that were left at the scene, along with shoes/skin that were jumped out of. Good luck. Steve

Thanks Charlie, I appreciate the information regarding the baffles. I had wanted to use a box type silencer but was not sure if the 4 stroke items available would do the job. Was concerned about the lack of back pressure and the inability to pack the thing a little. Kind regards. Steve.

Seems the humble Bantam is considerably more humble that I first thought. Should have stuck to my Bullets, but I am a Bantamite too. I bought an adapted bantam sports standard silencer recently, and I'm going to adapt it a bit more before re-chroming, then run it high with an up and over front pipe i'm fabricating. As for the gearing on my B175 donk, I had some very useful advice from RCR Villiers in Atherstone, who well be rebuilding my crank, so sorted a few things out. Enjoying the forum.

Hi. Does anyone have a detailed dimensioned diagram for the building of a silencer box for a Bantam B175 trials, using a standard large bore high level front pipe. I have seen a number of nice examples on classic trials websites, but would appreciate help, as I cant find much in the way of trials mods available for the humble Bantam. I would also appreciate a few pointers regarding gearing for the B175 box. Managed to find an 11t front final drive sprocket and a 58t rear but I have heard that it is a good idea to swap 2nd and 3rd gears round before re-assembly of the box takes place. Its all a tad confusing and I'd like to sort the engine next. Hope someone can assist with these questions. Cheers.

Hi Odgie. Thanks very much, I look forward to seeing your machine and getting a few pointers. Much appreciated. I have replied by email with a couple of shots of the lump as purchased. Regards.

Hi Dave. As no other forum member has made a stab at ideas for your problem with the Greeves, I hope the following contact number might at least get a response from the best bods for Amal carbs I have dealt with. Try Surrey Cycles who supply most, if not all, parts and even a tune up guide for models including the concentric, monobloc and pre-monobloc, plus Mk2 and some racing carb items too. I dealt with them some years ago when having problems with a Brockhouse Corgi of all things and they looked up what I needed in the way of jets and needle and supplied the lot. Worth a try. Their number is 01483-272328 and website is www.amalcarburettors.co.uk. I just looked them up on the net to get this info so know they are still doing the business with all things Amal. You could also try www.villiersservices.co.uk who have recently obtained about 4 ton of ex-Greeves factory stock so their site says. Thought I'd have a quick ferret for you on the net. Good luck with the Scottish. Regards Steve

Thanks for the info. Luckily I bought the bike in part trials trim, though very loosely assembled, and done many years ago. It has already fitted, some very smart footest hangers in thick alloy plate and some nifty, if rusty, folding footests and sprung rear brake lever. The frame is standard and a B175 engine was fitted, again with just two bolts. I bought it from good old fleabay, and it came with a host of bits including, three D7 engines and many other auto jumble trials parts. I have the 1969 B175 engine stripped at present ready for a rebore, as the unit is still on standard. Managed to locate a perfect NOS Hepolite piston for it, again via ebay at little money. I am replacing all bearings and seals and having the crank rebuilt, as it shows a small amount of big end wear. Thinking of having the MZ conrod and big end assembly installed if I cant find an original item. It was the Eastern Block Bantam after all. Plenty of fiddlin to keep me quietly occupied, and the frame is next for the drawing board. Regards and thanks again for your comments.

Could anyone out there in bogwheel land, please advise me as to the best modifications to do to my 1961 Bantam D7 frame for trials use. I have seen some really good photographs of frames on the Yorshire Classic web site and would like to add some more ground clearence to my frame by removing the lower footrest portion. I was thinking of adding two bashplate tubes under the cases and replacing the feeble front engine mount, with proper engine plates, cross drilling the downtube and welding in crosstubes for the bolts. Is this an advisable mod, or will it stop me being allowed in some Pre-65 competitions. The bike has B40 A/B type forks with QD spindle, though I dont have a front wheel at the moment, having dumped the Yamaha one the bike was shod with. I intend to keep the machine as simple and BSA related as possible, as it might have been in the late 60's if built by an enthusiastic Clubman. I know it won't be the lightest machine on the scene but I look forward to getting it dirty. Any assistance would be most appreciated. Cheers. Steve

Hi everyone. Just thought I'd say 'Greetings' on my first post on the forum. I am building a B175 engined D7 framed Bantam trials iron as a quiet project during a lengthy period of ill health. Hope to chat to the great and the good about all things Bogwheel. I have owned an Italjet and Montesa Cota 247 in the past, and grassed a Bantam as a schoolboy many years ago, scrambled a CZ GP250 and a Maico later on when my stabilizers (training wheels) were removed . At present am rebuilding an ex-works 1949 350 Bullet trials, though its a bit of a lump for me just now. Looking forward to any pointers anyone would care to share regarding the Bantam project, re-gearing, exhaust system etc. Cheers. Steve (Shropshire, England)