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I have too seen it... in the flesh.. a very nice job in the spirit, well ... its certainly not as blatant as a mono yamaha with shocks on ,but the post has a valid point. The photos of bikes being ridden in Spain speak for themselves and they do go as well as they look, but from what I see when I ve ridden down there its a rare exception, so don t get too excited. Off to the two day in Santagosa in a fortnights time will update here if anything changes my view. Hasta la vista

What a shame, they do look good. Hi Turbo, I hope you didn have to spend too much time getting that foreign 300 up and running....

Nice... who, where and how much...

Hi Smiffy, I am down in the Dordogne, quite a hike from you, ty your local bike shop for details of your nearest club, most towns and even villages have one, they are bike crazy here, although sadly trials is a sport in decline both in modern and classic terms. Goodluck and maybe out paths may cross sometime.

Interested reading the " Sections shouldn t be ridden before the trial " I have set out sections in all levels of trialing in the UK and adhere to that rule. Here in France since I have started again to help the local club set out our annual trial, I had more than a raised eyebrow when I saw how it works here. The sections are set out well in advance and the our club members are allowed to practice the actual section prior to the trial. Obviously the day of the trial the sections are well worn in for the entrants, but more of second nature to the club members who hardly have to walk it as they know it so well. I have watched as the experts break down the sections into parts and when they can do all the indivdual hazards they ride the section in its entireraty. When I raised the matter, with the " main man " I was politely told this is how it works and all the other clubs do it so............ There you go, what can you say.....

Just looking around the various " for Sale " sites, is it now becoming the norm for the run of the mill TLR to be priced in and around the same as the more exotic RTL. Surely they are not as desirable or sought after, or are they..... or on the other hand is it just a case of supply and demand.

I am looking to buy a little project for the winter, a 247 it has to be before 1972 as I would quite like to ride it in a couple of Spanish classic rounds. We had in the family a brand new one from John kersaw of Wickford around 78/79 but cant remember too much about it. With bultacos you have model numbers what do I look for in Montesas regarding dating it.. Hope this follows on from the original post. Thanks in advance

Thanks lee, I should have added yesterday Helford, Cornwall, whilst it would be great to head off round the country... due to political reasons that aint going to happen.... so in reality its around Devon and Cornwall if it happens, Cheers.

Bonsoir, Being dragged back to Blighty for a wedding around the August bank holiday, might soften the blow if I could get a trial in whilst there, anything on please, will be staying in Helford, so a nice part of the world. If anybody could let me know so I can start working on the wife now............you know whack the bike on the rack under cover of darkness etc etc.... Thanks vm

Having a chat today regarding the Fantic 340, and how some later reed valve engines are finding there way into these. Its becoming in France and Spain quietly acceptable to put twinshocks on monos and later aircooled engines in twinshocks. We both wondered as we live in France how the latter, aircooled engine side of things is taken in the UK. This has been debated before, but are these bikes being stealthly built and accepted and as long as you dont trouble the scorers ..... One of us thinks they are and will just become the norm...... and one of us thinks the twinshock scene in the Uk will quietly reject them or make it know there not welcome..whos right..

Theres a huge enduro on this weekend in my neck of the woods down in deepest France. Thought I would pop over and have a look at the 600 odd riders, just wondered if any one knew of any Brits entered that I should look out for... Seems the cream of France and Belgium plus some older Favorites will be there so if anybody knows please add a reply. Thanks very much

Ah Oui, vous ete correct pas le meme chois excuse e moi... interesserait come meme

Classic trials here in France catering solely for Pre65 and twinshock are mostly held under the UFOLEP federation, alhough a very poorly supported classic series under the FFM series does exist so Im told. Trials like the popular three and four day events and modern trials in general are held under FFM rules and regs ,and they are trying to up the interest vis a vis the classic scene , but riders of classic bikes prefer to stay loyal to the UFOLEP cause. Trials in France cost a huge amount to stage and the FFM have realised that by catering for the growing classic scene any club organising a trial can boost its entry and financial viability by adding twinshock and pre 65 enties, however the cost of a yearly license ( with club membership ) Euro 135 compared to the same thing costing Euro 60 for UFOLEP. Every body new or coming back trials after a period of time has to take a proficiancy test also CASM again costing money and time. I looked into getting a FFM licence this year although it enables me to ride all over France as with my club affliation, when I looked at the trials I could possibly get to ride ( A championship of less than 10 trials for the year in my very large neck of the woods around the size of the whole of southern England ) decided I couldn t justify the cost. Now if I want to ride a FFM trial I pay for a day license at Euro 36 plus the entry fee. A lot of clubs are now doing this to encourage riders and charging a nominal amount for the trial entry, ie. euros 5.00, so overall you end up paying possibly 15/20 euros more than someone who has invested in a yearly license and paid a correct entry fee. More and more clubs are going down the UFOLEP route now much to the distain of the FFM who think they are the only ones capable of running motorcycle sport, I find it a real bore everytime my bike is scrutineered as they are all over it like a rash and they are very Gestapo like in there approach.. I hope I havn t bored you too much, but if you are hell bent on a FFM licence perhaps have a word with Joel Correy at Trail 70 Vesoul, I know he has contacts and can sometimes smooth the path and it might be better to pay for a yearly licence than try and get an international one. Bon Chance..

I rode in a multi class trial yesterday including most of the best Experts in this area, watching the cream of trials tackling the sections was in my mind one thing Boring Boring Boring......... They huff and puff reved and roared at big step after big step, hopped here there and everywhere all the sections the same.. There was quite a few spectators ( the French love a free sunday out ) and looking at them and their expression far from being impressed and excited looked bemused and thinking whats this all about, me too....... Any children or adults for that matter slightly interested, Im sure thinking I wont try that, looks dangerous and hard. Of course they could have looked at the lesser lights and easier route but Im sure they were drawn to the drama of what the best riders were trying to achieve. I dont pretend to know what the answer is but do you just look for bigger and bigger steps with shorter and shorter run ups or instigate some sort of handicap... non stop, bike developement etc The top riders seem to like it as it is , for me in some ways its incredible what can be done on a trials bike but its all the same, and don t get me on the scoring what do you have to do to get a five these days............ I would nt cross the road to watch a modern trial and thats from someone who loves trials ...........

Can some one with a little more knowledge than me regarding bike values help. I have been offered a 1999 ktm 300 cc the guy is looking to move back to the uk, the bike is in France and he is selling a lot of is gear before the move. He has asked me to make him a sensible offer. The bike is in good condition, has has been well looked after, can someone please advise me on a ball park figure so neither of us is dissapointed. Thanks very much

Another one on ebay now, I thought they were like hens teeth..........

Supply and demand............Makes the world go round

Hi I am filling out the entry tonight and not sure which route to ride, can someone tell me how hard is the hard route.. I will be riding a 1982 300 fantic in the post 1978 class. Its a toss up between the inter and expert. Any suggestion now may avoid changing once there. Thanks very much.

There is so much bull...t talked about fork angle and changing this and that. It wont make a hapeith of difference to 99 pct of people riding twinshock trials bikes however much they think it might........ Sorry to sound so hostile but it really is a load of crap... Practise parctise parctise.... that will make you ride better not a few degrees difference in the fork angle... Or perhaps someone can convince me different...

Hola, Thanks will look out for that, and thanks for the email before, I hope you received the reply.

A good, enjoyable, well organised trial, however is there any information on where else to stay, bearing in mind you spend two days next to the Spanish M4 in albeit an up market service , area if you use the hotel ajacent to the start. Perhaps our Spanish members might be able to suggest quieter alternative surroundings not too far from the start. This is not a critisism as the hotel on site was good but if mia esposa is to come again I need to rethink this part of the weekend. Muchas Grathias

Wasn't Alf Tupper the runner out of the Victor weekly comic .......I then graduated to the TMX ,little off topic but got me thinking

I was going to go with the " Ground hog day theme" you beat me too it.

Havn t we been here before........

Hi If your in France give Stuart Brown a call on 06 87 38 35 30 he has an Aladdins cave of twinshock trials bikes in various states of disrepair.... he may have what your after.. At worse if he hasn t, he might know a man that has.... Hope it helps.