Eventpost 28 - AJS & Matchless Trial Tardebigge

On Sunday I rode the AJS & Matchless trial at Tardebigge near Bromsgrove, put on by Andy Hunt and Joe Owen.

After a few dry weeks the rain certainly changed the going with pretty non stop wet stuff falling throughout the event and the going became understandably greasy.

Even with the sections eased for the weather it was still quite a tester and I think I learnt more in one day about riding the Ariel than I would have otherwise done all summer. I certainly learned how to put my feet down and gather 5's on the first lap as I simply tried to ride it like a 2 stroke (clutch and revs) and made a great job of going nowhere fast.

Over the next few laps I steadily understood better how to keep off the clutch, use the flywheel weight momentum and really felt by the last lap that I was getting to grips with it. Possibly over a hundered marks too late really but all the same I really enjoyed the trial and started to have some good rides by the end.

I understand that Steve Hay won on his Bantam on about 20 odd marks which was a fantastic ride in the conditions but I have not seen any other results yet so I dont really know what the damage was, about a hundred I guess but stopped counting after the first lap and put it down to a learning experience!

The video clip below was taken on my first lap and as you can see from the end of the section I was trying to drive softly on the mud rather than getting some momentum before the slippy part to enable me to shut off and use the engine over run to take me over it - the result being me looking like a millipede with feet down all over the place. By the last lap I was using a bigger gear, going quicker and getting through it with little bother when it was actually even more slippery. Plus I found that I still had about 12lbs in the rear tyre from the previous week's road trial which obviously didn't help the cause!



Results just received -

Class A
1. Steve Hay 27
2. Alan Taylor 54
3. Nathan Jones 76

Class B
1. Pete Peed 83

Class C
1. Dave Dawson 97

Eventpost 27 - Union Jack Trial (Sammy Miller Series)

Yesterday I rode the Ariel in its first trial and I must say that it performed perfectly all day. I think it was one of the best days trialling I have had in ages, the weather was good, the sections were sensible but not so easy that you didnt have to think about them and the new bike was so different after always riding lightweights it really was fun.

So, the result probably didnt reflect the fact that I was actually riding really well to be honest. I had a bit of a slip up in Saintbury on section 11 where I arrived still clean and at the exit to the section I got distracted by Colin Bullock's flashgun on his camera and lost the front end over a rocky step. Fortunately the observer gave me a re-run and I rode out for a dab which was OK considering it perhaps should have been 5 marks.

I got back in the groove after the lunch stop and started riding really well again, including a good ride to go through the 3 sections at Camp for clean. Section 20 at Bridges took me for 2 or 3 marks as I was one of the 1st through a big muddy bog. I am sure that there would have been a line with a solid bottom for the later runners but you cant hang around at every section just till it gets easy can you.

Anyway, all was going well until Dovedale where I lost one slack dab on a fairly easy section then went to a difficult section with a really steep slippery down hill entrance. I cleaned the section but the exit down a path in the woods that I didnt actually look at caught me out with a tree in the undergrowth which caught my front wheel and tipped me off for a silly 5 and doubled my score.

Well, I have to say I got mad with myself and rushed into the next section and as I selected 2nd for a steep climb I found that I was in neutral between 3rd and 4th and selected 4th instead and failed to make the climb - two 5's in two sections I am afraid so out of the running.

I put 1 more dab on the card so finished on 15 or 16 marks overall. I dont think there were enough hard sections to take marks from the top guys in the entry but happy enough to know that the 5 or 6 marks that I perhaps would have dropped, without the 5 minute lapse in Dovedale, would have put me in with a reasonable shout and I must remember that it was only the first time out on the bike so I have to feel positive about how it went.

Pictures today are from the sections in Saintbury.

Results

Class 2 (pre unit)

1. Martyn Wilmore 7

2. Mick Ash 9

3. Dave Dawson 16

Class 3 (2 stroke)

1. R Jones 2

2. M Chapman 6

3. C Gascoigne 6

Class 4 (unit)

1. Peter Gaunt 3

2. P Anstey 6

3. K Gardiner 11

Arielpost 10 - More Finished Pics

Arielpost 9 - Finished!

Chuffed to bits!!!!

Richard (My Step Mum's Nephew) has certainly come up trumps with the paint job on the tank. He delivered today as promised and I am sure you will agree it sets the whole bike off perfectly..

Dad put the tank on and it fired up 2nd kick! I am sure that there is a bit of tinkering with carburation and timing but at least it's built and ready for its MOT tomorrow.

Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think. {Tommo - dont be too sad about selling it, at least you can visit every now and again}

Arielpost 9

Fortunately I had a friend travelling from Derby down to the West Midlands today so he was able to collect the seat from Steve Gagg's place in Ilkeston and bring it down for us (Thanks Dave)

The seat has therefore been fitted and the rear mudgaurd cut and fitted using the stainless brackets that were present on the old frame. I decided to go with alloy mudguards rather than plastic, I dont know how long this will last but do look more period for a bike like this and I gave in to the badgering from Steve (our neigbour) who thinks its a crime putting plastic guards on a classic bike. I am sure that after dropping it a few times and they start looking tatty we'll be back on the plastic but for now I have gone with form over function.

We have heard tonight that the tank is painted and badged and the final coats of laquer are going on tomorrow morning so we should receive it tomorrow night. We are therefore still on track for getting it to MOT on Friday.

As you can see, the seat is pretty neat, wrapping round the frame tubes at the front and allowing a single bolt fitting at the rear of the seat. I think this looks better that some flat bases I have seen with a layer of rubber pad glued on.

Arielpost 8

Loads of work has gone into the bike in the last few days;

- The hub has come back from the powder coaters and the rear wheel built up.

- The footrest hangers have been and come back from the powder coaters.

- Dad has been to Steve Gagg's to collect a replacement primary chain cover as we found that the bike has an original gearbox shaft which is about 1/4 inch longer than some that the trials guys are fitting and therefore our case was a little too narrow. Anyway this has been replaced and fitted.

- The tank has gone off to the painters - no secrets to be given away on that yet, but I think it will look lovely when it comes back.

- The rear wheel has been fitted, brake arm made and fitted and chain fitted.

- The engine has been timed up.

- Cables and oil pipes fitted.

As you can see from todays pictures we now have the bike on its wheels and it is looking like a trials bike! In fact with tank, seat and rear mudguard on it would be pretty much finished.

I have been helping on the polishing mop today putting a bit of a shine on the primary case, timing chain cover, front rim, front fork legs and front mudguard - as you can see on the pics, I know its going to be a comp bike not a show bike, but it is nice to see them shiny every now and again.

The plan for this week is to make a chain guard, give the bike a once over with the spanners to make sure that all is tight and fitted correctly then we are in a position where we are waiting for the seat to arrive from Steve Gagg so that the rear mudguard can be cut and fitted. The tank is due back from painting on Weds night and we are hoping to get it MOT'd on Friday so that we can run it on Saturday and then ride the Sam Cooper trial in the Sammy Miller championship on Sunday.

I know it all sounds a bit tight but where would we be without some goals to stretch us???

Watch this space for the final pics of the bike at the end of the week.......hopefully.

Arielpost 7

Unlike many Ariel frames, we decided that an alternative approach to the footrest hangers would be to make plates that use 2 mouting points (the swinging arm spindle and the lower, rear engine bolt) to allow them to be removed if damaged rather than welding them direct to the frame.

These plates would then be able to be used to mount the rear brake pedal and also hold the chain tensioner and side stand too.

Patterns were made and then lazer cut from 6mm plate. Once the fittings are all in place we will then have the plates power coated so they look part of the frame too.

The pictures above show the footrest mounted on box section to position them out from the frame and ensure that the primary case and gear box do not get in the way of my feet when I am riding. It seems, from the bikes I have seen, that the footrests are often too far in and the rider has to ride bow legged to use the footrests and noy catch legs on the exhaust or primary case.

The rear brake pedal has been roughed out and the chain tensioner fitted. As you can see from the top picture, the front end is also now fitted with the yokes and forks fitted, lock stops made and the tank in place.

This week we hope to have the rear wheel built, and therefore the bike will be on it's wheels.

As I now do not have a Fantic I am hoping to give the Ariel it's first run out at the Sam Cooper trial in 2 weeks, it will be tight but you never know.

Modern Trials!!!

Having given it some thought over the last few weeks I have decided that the Fantic was not the best idea I have had.

With a really good classic bike I think that I will ride this most of the time and there is a classic class at most events that I go to. The other trials where I would be tempted out with the Fantic are really modern trials with a twinshock class. Therefore I decided that if I am going to be at a modern trial I may as well ride a modern bike!

I also decided that with my dodgy right knee, if I got a bike with a left side kick start I might save some of the pressure I have been putting on the knee from the continuous stabbing action of starting a 2 stroke.

Therefore a 2 stroke modern Beta would fit the bill. I managed to find someone that was looking to trade a 2 month old 2008 Beta 250 for a good twin shock and the deal was done!

I have been out on it today for an hour and honestly have forgotten how easy they are to ride, espectially in the brakes and suspension departments.

I will need to sort out the rather low bar position as I found some back ache after only half an hour, but that should be a fairly easy fix.

As you can see, it's in pretty good condition as its only done 3 or 4 trials from new, there were a few sticker scratches, which is why the rear mudgard is unbadged, but I will get some replacements for that some time soon.

Arielpost 6

All systems are go on the build as the frame is back from the powder coaters. They have made a really good jopb of the finish, even though its going on a trials bike, I do think a good finish on the frame makes all the difference on the final product.

As you can see, we got the engine straight into the frame and started building with the parts that we could put on.

The silencer is not yet finished as the end needs cutting and an additional pipe welded on to direct the exit out to the right to miss the rear damper.

We have gone with Betor shocks from Sammy Millers, I know that Falcons might be a little better and rebuildable in alloy, however I think Betors work well and for the price the can be thrown away after a season and new ones bought 3 times for the price of Falcons!

I thought I would add a picture of the bike builder doing his stuff today too - Thanks Dad!!!