Genuine Or Replicas Or Self Made?

[jaan]

Anyone could tell me about Pre65 bikes? Are they genuine old trial bikes or replicas or maybe self builded up from some good engine and good frame etc?

[woody]

There is no longer a single answer to this question Jaan. It depends what you want, what the rules are where you ride and how much money you want to spend, but Pre65 bikes exist and are being ridden that fit all of the three categories you mention.

[2fargone]

You got it dead right Jaan,

genuine old trial bikes, replicas and self builded up from some good engine and good frame etc!

[shercrazy]

they do exist, my good friend has 196? triumph cub that he rode the year it was made and won the u.s nationals on, he has one that is original restored and the one he still competes on today, but it has a few mods. on it, thinner tank and different bars etc. and he still wins today on it and he just turned 67!.....................john

[grindrod]

There is no longer a single answer to this question Jaan. It depends what you want, what the rules are where you ride and how much money you want to spend, but Pre65 bikes exist and are being ridden that fit all of the three categories you mention.

I first took an interest in trials 30 years ago when pre65 was in it's infancy, the main thrust was to get the older riders back out on their bikes that had lain idle for some years. Pre 65 really referred to pre Sammy Miller developing Snr Bultos 2 stroke trials bike.

The sections were very different from the tight turns and steep climbs of the then modern trials that were sometimes quite dangerous. Inevitably some good riders such as Tony Davis, Sammy Miller et al came out to ride and within a short time pre65 was becoming very competitive.

With competition there was a new surge in machine development, there were the 'Cotswold Cheats' with their oil-in-frame B40s and C15's, then highly developed Cubs, HT's with belt drive, modern clutches etc. bikes now sport modern forks made to look old, Subaru pistons in BSA's, Yamaha cranks, brilliant engineering but to get a competitive Pre 65 bike you need a good budget, certainly at least as much as a modern bike and if the rumours are correct at least 10 to 15k for an HT Ariel.

If you spectate at a pre65 trial you will be amazed at how the bikes perform, I observed a section for a local club a few months ago and I have to say there wasn't an original bike in the event, everything had at least 6" of suspension travel front and rear and 12" of ground clearance.

There were very few purpose built trails bikes pre 1965, certainly the few that have survived are rarely seen in the Western Centre! Fortunately, since most factory trials bikes were based on production road bikes, there is no shortage of replicas and there are some fantastic one-off home build specials about!