bulltaco Posted June 18, 2004 Report Share Posted June 18, 2004 I know Serco is the place for Cub engine work but who's the guru on frame/fork mods. And who supplies parts and info for trials Triumph unit twins and BSA C15s/B40s?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landrover Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 try sammy miller on 01425-616446 or www.sammymiller.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mik60ish Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Try these I didn't get a reply to my email enquiry, if you live in the UK best ring them! http://www.faberframes.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landrover Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Try these I didn't get a reply to my email enquiry, if you live in the UK best ring them! http://www.faberframes.com/ must agree with mik60ish there is one or two dealers here in the uk that cannot or won't be bothered to return your emails Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted July 3, 2004 Report Share Posted July 3, 2004 Hi Yes Howard is not the best at answering e mails but if you ring him he will be pleased to talk. I am building an B40 @ the moment using one of his frames (Faber) and am relatively pleased with it. Everything has a price and the frame is o.k. for the money. Just make sure you give it a good clean to get rid of all the flux or the paint wont stick. The trick i have found out with building a pre 65 is to find who supplies or does the work for the obvious guys. Faber make the frames that Miller sells. Well not quite true but near enough. Terry Weedy makes the air filter, silencer and kickstarts that Miller also sells. Alan Whitton supplies the electronic ignition that Rex Caunt and Miller sells. Surrey Cycles are possibly the best for Amal carbs. Its just a case of going to events and talking to people and getting to the source of the product and cutting out the middle man. Look at the bikes in the event ask the rider eventually you will get the names and numbers. Obviously some of the people are a bit cautious as Mr Miller et al seems to think the "free market" doesnt apply to him and he is known to throw a wobbler so they are careful who they sell direct to but you can save a fortune by going direct to the manufacturer or the importer. Oh yes and dont be fooled into thinking that Mr Serco does all his own stuff for the Cub and B40 boys either. I found out who does most of his work too funny enough its the same bloke who did most of the machining work for the TY250 mono Mick Andrews conversion that Mick sold. Been sworn to secrecy so dont ask for numbers just do what i said get talking to some riders especially at the bigger events. The British Bike bonanza the other weekend had all the players there you only had to ask? Its a funny old world isnt it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulltaco Posted July 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Thanks OTF, that's the sort of info that's worth a great deal. Obviously talking to other competitors is a short cut but unfortunately the pre-65 scene here in Scotland is almost non-existent, although Pat Urqhuart runs some very enjoyable CRMCC events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subira Posted July 11, 2004 Report Share Posted July 11, 2004 If you are thinking of a Cub, then its worth looking up Duncan Macdonald who makes the ARMAC frame kit. Very helpful and the frame is also used by Dave Thorpe. Speak to the guys that OTF has mentioned they are all really helpful, and don't mind sharing a bit of their knowledge with you. Most stuff is mail order'able. I'd suggest that you give them all a call Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulltaco Posted July 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Was half thinking of perhaps a lightweight Triumph twin or maybe a C15, I'm fairly "well-built"!. I've discovered that Faber, Otter and Macdonald frames are not acceptable for the pre-65 SSDT 2-day, although standard frames converted to OIF are OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 (edited) Hi Youve just hit the nail on the head. Thats the biggest problem when building a "pre 65" bike. Eligibility. Youve got to decide what you want to do with it and where you intend to ride it. Then try to navigate the minefield of what is and what is not acceptable in which centre and with which club at what event. Let me give you a couple of examples. I sold my cub a while ago and met up with the current owner at a local event. He told me he had been refused an entry to the Scottish as the forks were Japanese !! Strange because i distinctly remember collecting them from Metal Profiles (DMW) in Birmingham. Now unless i took a wrong turning at Lichfield or they have sold off Birmingham to the land of the rising sun that makes them British and because i am an old git i remember having exactly the same forks in an old AJS in the 60's So what do you draw from that. Secondly, also on the subject of front forks, the B40 faber framed bike i am currently building has Bultaco forks (Betor) fited. This apparently makes it ineligible and very much a no no in some peoples eyes. However if i get Alan Whitton to do his usual job of hiding the internals in BSA outers. Hey Presto they are suddenly legal. Fork yokes seem to be ok wherever they come from as long as the pinch bolts are "inboard" of the stantions not out side of them??? What the hell has that got to do with things?? I know of at least one entry in this years Scottish who asked Alan to "just machine this brake plate to look like a British one as i'm off to the Scottish" Its a farce. In the 60's you grabbed anything you could get your hands on and made it fit. Honda 50 front hubs etc. Renolds 531 frames, wheels, tanks, brakes whatever. Dont even start me on Mick Andrews "Famous James" thats more 80's 90's and today than pre flippin 65. Not that i'm saying that the level of scrutineering is indirectly proportionate to the "fame" of the rider concerned. OOOh Noooo that would never do. Would it ??? Not that theres any history of that at the Scottish is there?? Dave Thorpe has a number of bikes to different specs depending on where he is riding and the ARMAC is by far the nicest. Expensive frame but beautifully executed in a way that the Faber can only dream of. You pays your money and you gets your goods i'm afraid. Dont even start on carbs. Mikuni, Monoblocks and Concentrics Mk1 & 2. Crazy. What we need is the ACU to lay down a specification as to whats eligible and whats not and the clubsbeing affiliated would then have to fall in line. Better than the present status quo but the "cheats" would still throw money at the bike and twist the rules as far as possible but thats motorsport at ALL levels. So the moral is try to find out what is and what is not eligable for where you want to ride BEFORE you build or buy a bike. Good luck believe me youll need it as i am still trying. It seems to depend who you ask and the current phase of the moon. If you really want a C15 then Alan has a genuine BSA C15T which will be eligable for the Scottish if you are interrested? My advice is dont bother with a twin as they are more trouble than they are worth, too wide, too heavy, too long, too complicated, too expensive to run and totally uncompetitive. Thats only an opinion though. Edited July 12, 2004 by Old trials fanatic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted July 12, 2004 Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 OOH i did enjoy getting that off my chest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subira Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 I agree its a hornets nest - the closer you look the more you find out who's doing what mods. My view on the regulations is to have a 'silhouette' formula and accept that the bikes are 'Specials'. I would believe that anything else is un-enforcable. Ok so frames and carbs are obvious, but policing what's happening inside the engine, suspension is going to be very difficult - belt drives, PVL, gears, cranks, bultaco fork internals etc. I don't think that this pushes the cost up significantly, at least its saves on the 'looky-likey' machining. With a 40 year old plus bike, its going to be difficult to keep it totally original, no least expensive. I saw that Bonhams recently sold a totally original ex-Police Cub at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 I totally agree Subira. It would be nice if the bikes were more honest. At the end of the day as you say all the pre 65 bikes competing nowadays are in effect "specials" so why not be more honest. What you see is what you get. As long as its basically period i.e. no disc brakes no upside down forks etc and the frame is basically as were used at the time i.e. steel not alloy (except Greeves of course) then i dont honestly see the problem. After all they are all basically twinshocks with old British engines. And why not fit what are basically more reliable parts that work and are serviceable because you can get the parts. Bultaco forks for instance freely available from Bultaco UK or a breaker near you. Its the hipocracy that really gets to me. Both from the clubs and some of the riders and its pricing the class out of the reach of the normal clubman when it should be perfect for somebody to build and use a home brewed special at reasonable cost with running costs kept low. Surely thats what we should be aiming for? When a pre 65 bike costs more than a Raga replica or the new Montesa 4 stroke there's something wrong !!! Perhaps its this "Pre 65" thing? why 65? perhaps a cut off date of 1975 would be better then allow cycle parts from twinshocks and you have a workable formula that should be cheap for the rider and easier to understand and police. Just group them in with twinshocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnied Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 i believe Pre 65 andy was in Northern Ireland within the last few months and the world that came down was there is going to be a free for all anything goes at the next Pre 65 as it was impossible to police vinnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subira Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 When a pre 65 bike costs more than a Raga replica or the new Montesa 4 stroke there's something wrong !!! I know exactly what you mean , but I'm hoping that once its together it won't depreciate like a new'un, and it can run for another 40 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnied Posted July 16, 2004 Report Share Posted July 16, 2004 (edited) [quote=Perhaps its this "Pre 65" thing? why 65? perhaps a cut off date of 1975 would be better then allow cycle parts from twinshocks and you have a workable formula that should be cheap for the rider and easier to understand and police. Just group them in with twinshocks. vinnie i think you allow in the first 4 speed Bultaco at 1975 Vinnie Edited July 16, 2004 by Vinnied Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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