ham2 Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 (edited) I've just followed a link on this twinshock forum from Woody ( thank you Sir) and ended up looking at a photo of a lean, mean looking Armstrong 320, I know nothing... ....about this type of bike, where did they come from, where did they go, how come we're not all riding the 21st Century version? Answers about Armstrongs please post here: Answers about my ignorance please post on the back of a £10 note to my home address Wayne Edited February 21, 2013 by ham2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seth29 Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Possibly the best twin shock ever,and it's British ish. Was the last British bike to win British championship You can find out more @ http://www.armstrong-trials.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordi Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 That is the 21st century version! Nothing much like the starting point. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ham2 Posted February 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 That is the 21st century version! Nothing much like the starting point. So it would seem....cheers fellas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 That was my mate's bike and started out as a 320 Armstrong. It's the Armstrong frame, heavily modified, particularly to get the lower seat height. He made the swingarm, airbox, exhaust, tank, seat, plus a host of the ancilliary stuff like brake pedal, brackets, spacers etc. That work was done almost 15 years ago, so no, it's not one of these new-fangled modernised twinshocks... He never finished it at the time so it sat in pieces for all those years and was finally built up and finished a couple of years ago by TY Offroad. The motor is the original Armstrong 320 that has a Garelli barrell and head - more snappy porting than the Armstrong. This is what it started out as - well, apart from a couple of minor mods 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seth29 Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 Hi all. Going to sound like a b-----h but the bike has round tubing is it not a 310?? But it looks possibly on of the best t/ shocks I have ever seen would love to see how it rides! Ps woody if that is your 320 it's a good one. Seth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scot taco Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 I like both of them.The original is a sharp bike.The finished custom version is superb! Woody,your mate is one heck of a craftsman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 I understand what you mean about the round tubes but definitely was a 320. The downtube was remade and splits into two like the 250 because the Garelli cylinder is centre port The frame was completely altered more as a styling exercise than anything as the original owner is what you might call a pretty handy welder fabricator and just wanted to re-style his bike and give it a modern look and feel - as I mentioned earlier, this was about 15 years ago and nothing to do with the current ideal promoted by a few that you must do this that and the other to make a twinshock competitive. He just never bothered finishing it at the time, so another mate of mine, Colin from TY Offroad bought it off him a couple of years ago to finish it off. He rode it in a number of Miller rounds and club trials before it went to a new owner. It rode ok, nothing radical but steered quicker than the standard 320 due to the steeper head angle. Ground clearance was higher and the bike felt a bit taller for a taller rider. The engine was very strong due to the sharper porting of the Garelli barrel. Prior to this bike he also did an Aprilia 320 although the mods to that were cosmetic as the frame was not modified. It has custom made tank, seat exhaust and airbox and was ridden for 2 or 3 years in the Sebac series around 1993. The Armstrong was to be a replacement. The Aprilia then sat unused for many years and once again, TY Offroad Colin bought it off him last year and rebuilt it to use in this year's Miller series. It was on show at Telford, see below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 (edited) Ps woody if that is your 320 it's a good one. Seth Yes, it's my 320. Bought as a wreck, original but worn out. I think it had been sunk in water as well as run without oil. Needed a complete rebuild. I don't want to think how much it cost to do. I was hoping to give i its first run out tomorrow but been setting sections all day so didn't have time to finish it. Next week hopefully. It's standard apart from lowered pegs, tubeless rim, OKO carb and slimmed down seat. Also has a new alloy airbox as the original is one of the worst to remove / maintain, not to mention fragile. Airbox made by my welder / fabricator mate. It has nothing to with airflow or increasing volume etc. To remove the original involves dismantling half the back end of the bike and just trying to remove or fit the filter is a major ordeal. I wanted one that would just unbolt and lift out through the top of the frame once the tank was off. Servicing is now much easier. Picture below is as I got it, then one of the airbox. Then one of a 310 I acquired which needs a going over although thankfully the engine is pretty good on this one. Still need to strip it though as it was jumping out of first and the kickstart spline has gone. Edited February 24, 2013 by woody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 one heck of a craftsman! Yes, he's a clever *******.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Seth - any idea if the rubber strap to hold the front of the tank is available from anywhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seth29 Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Hi woody. I have been trying to match something up for some time now but not found anything up to the job. I have been using pipe insulation on the top tube to hold the tank in place and has been working just change quite often. The air box is a work of art!!! The kick start shaft is starting to become a problem on the hiro am on my last one. Have you got the contact info for hiro racing in Italy he has had every thing I have ever needed. Seth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 I haven't got the Hiro contact myself, but if I need anything I know someone who can get it, if he isn't carrying it in stock already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 I've just followed a link on this twinshock forum from Woody ( thank you Sir) and ended up looking at a photo of a lean, mean looking Armstrong 320, I know nothing... ....about this type of bike, where did they come from, where did they go, how come we're not all riding the 21st Century version? Answers about Armstrongs please post here: Answers about my ignorance please post on the back of a £10 note to my home address Wayne I've only just read through this thread and there are some nice pictures of Armstrongs and love the air box on Woodys bike so thanks for posting that. I can't find the thread or picture that the original post refers to though. Could someone post a link for me or perhaps Woody could post the pictures on here, or email me the pictures in high Res :-) Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feetupfun Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 I've only just read through this thread and there are some nice pictures of Armstrongs and love the air box on Woodys bike so thanks for posting that. I can't find the thread or picture that the original post refers to though. Could someone post a link for me or perhaps Woody could post the pictures on here, or email me the pictures in high Res :-) Thanks. near the bottom on this page http://tyoffroad.weebly.com/restoration.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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