Beezerpost 2

As normal with my Dad, things get moving pretty quickly and considering that I took him the bits in the middle of last week, todays photos show the progress made already; 

I decided to go with billet yokes as the BSA yokes set the bars behind the forks and I dont like the tiller action that they provide. 

The forks are original heavy weight BSA lowers with 35mm Ceriani's fitted inside. 

The frame is a B40 with a widened swinging arm, re-positioned footrests and a steepened head angle - it has been freshly powder coated and ready to go. 

The oil tank is a super little number that is located under the seat.

Dad has made a neat head steady which also holds the coil as the HT lead was too short to reach the bracket that was already on the frame. 

I have a few bits and bobs on order that should come next week and will add some of the finishing touches - A slim line BSA petrol tank, pair of NJB Trikshocks and hopefully a thin seat to finish the look. 

I have some new 6in Renthals ready to go on and will be using white plastic mudguards on this bike as ally guards are too easily damaged and look tatty once the bike has been dropped a few times. 

Will post more pictures as the project finishes over the next week or so. We are hoping to get first shakedown ride on it next weekend so that it will be ready for a first trial on Easter weekend at Red Marley. 

Beezerpost 1 - New bike on the way!

So, after a lot of messing about I have decided that the next bike will be a BSA. I was going to go for a Greeves and was all set to have a replica of Alan Nicklins bike, however after a few false starts and failed promises I decided that there were other options. 

As I said in a previous post the choices were really around a villiers engine or a unit 4 stroke and as the 2 strokes are so fashionable at the moment they seem to demand too much money for what they are (after all a basic 40 yr old 2 stroke engine should not need to cost over £1500 to get it ready for a competitive trials bike), I decided that the way to go would be a 250 or 350 BSA. 

I had asked around and the feedback I received was that the 250 lump produced a machine that gripped better in the Midlands mud. 

After a few weeks of looking and chasing lost causes (plus a few hundred miles of chasing about) I finally found what I was looking for in Hereford (30 mins from home) of all places.

An managed to find a rather special engine ready to drop into a bike - a B25 engine with an alloy barrel and a C15 head, PVL ignition, a WD trials gearbox, bored to 270cc and totally rebuilt ready to go!  

A find that was too good to pass up, especially when many other parts for the bike were also available from the same person (B40 frame, wheels - ally rims on Bantam Hubs and a pair of forks) so the project is well under way already in the Dad the Builder's shed!

The photos are of the engine on the bench - real thing of beauty to look at, heres hoping that it runs as well as it looks!

Eventpost 34 - BMCA Mitton

I must admit I was unsure of what to expect today. It was last May when I last rode a classic trial and then I was on my Ariel. This was going to be quite different, someone elses bike that I had never ridden before, back on a 2 stroke, those leading link forks were a bit of an unknown entity to me and finally the fact the normal rider of the bike generally wins when he rides it so a bit of a lose lose situation because if I did well then it was to be expected on this bike and if I didn't do well then it must be the rider as the bike normally wins - I do like a challenge!

The trial was bloody cold as you can imagine and the area had recently been under water so was a bit boggy but generally the sections were rideable and marked out about right for the conditions. 

I had a bout 15 mins on the bike before the trial and found that it handled very well indeed, the suspesion worked fine, brakes were good and the engine ran as sweet as a nut, able to pull very clean in 1st and 2nd gear from nothing. The thing that impressed me most was the way it was so balanced and could turn on a sixpence. The leading link forks seemed to offer no disadvantage at all.

A couple of cleans on the opening sections settled me down and all was going well with the exception of a bashed finger trying to clean a gap between 2 trees that was just a little narrower then the bars. On to sections 9 and 10 where the going was more boggy and required plently of revs and a bit of speed. After riding the Sprite for a while I was dreading this as it never really gripped too well in that going, however this was a different story - a powerful engine that comfortably pulled 2nd gear got me agross the bog and round the corner much easier (and quicker) than expected and I needed a 3 to get back on line as I had overshot a cambered turn. 

Things went pretty steadily and I got used to what the bike was capable of but as I did then so did the sections deteriorate at the same time so laps of 5, 5, 3, 8 left me on 21 and quite pleased with the outcome. 

I will certainly be putting more consideration in this direction with my next classic trials bike. Thanks to Alan for the loan - much appreciated..

Results

1. Steve Hay     18

2. Dave Dawson 21

3. Nathan Jones  21

4. Gary Hawkins  36

5. Brian Dale  36

6. Dave Jones  42

7. Pete Reed 45

8. Pete Kirby  45

Greevespost 1

As mentioned previously I borrowed a Greeves for todays BMCA trial. I thought I would post a few pics of the bike at the trial. 

I will update the BLOG with a report of the trial later when I have received some results through..

New Classic Bike???

Never one to sit back and just be happy with the latest toy in the shed, the visit to Wrighty's show at Telford last weekend has got me thinking that I need a classic bike in the shed to allow a bit of choice for Sunday's..... After all, when you have got a classic trial being run with sections 100 meters from your back door and you cant ride in the trial because you haven't got a suitable bike, then there is clearly something wrong with the selection of tools available in the shed!

So, what do I have? As you will have seen on this site I have been through the range of what I feel are competitive classic bikes; a well sorted Triumph Cub, a Villiers engined Sprite (which could just as easily been a James/Francis Barnet), and an Ariel. Each one was good in its own way and all of them were competitive enough to win national events in the right hands - if not mine!!

There are a couple of options that I haven't yet tried; Something with a Villiers engine again but in a different guise like a Greeves, DMW, Saracen or similar, a BSA single C15/B40 or maybe a Triumph Twin?

I think the heavier Twin will not do the old knees any favours so I think that one is out for now, a C15 might be a good option as I think these are still available at the right price to start with and there are loads of options readily available for frames and trick bits, however I am still a bit of a 2 stroke fan as they seem to suit the way I ride (all revs and on the clutch as my Dad keeps reminding me whilst I am getting used to the Scorpa). 

For something a bit different I have been paying a bit more attention to Alan Nicklin's Greeves and he's kindly let me give it a try out tomorrow at the BMCA trial at Mitton. Now I know that Alan prepares some of the best Villiers trials engines around (he did my Sprite engine) and he's a great engineer as some of the bits he's made for the Greeves are very trick, even down to the leading link forks that he still uses which work just as well as many telescopic forks being used. 

As he won the Inter Centre Team Trial last year on this bike beating the likes of Neil Gaunt in the process, it will be interesting to see just how much is down to the bike and how much is due to the rider as I am not quite in the same class ...  Picture of Alan riding the bike is above...

I will update the BLOG tomorrow night and let you know how it went and hopefully have a few pics of the day..

Eventpost 33 - Hereford Classic Trial

On Sunday 28th Dec I rode the Scorpa at Hereford in a classic trial that allowed aircooled mono's. 

The trial was held in great conditions (cold and dry) on fantastic ground within a wooded area with traditional rocky streams and banks in the woodland. The sections were fairly challenging but sensible and all were cleanable.

I was clearly a little ring rusty after my shortish 5 month lay off and the little 4 stroke caught me out a couple of times, but overall I really enjoyed it and found that the bike would do everything I asked of it once I begain to understand how to ride it!

I let myself down on the overall score with 2 fives through stalling the bike (attempting to ride it like a 2 stroke rather then being a little softer on the throttle as the 4 stroke requires), 1 five for touching a marker and 1 five when I found neutral instead of 2nd gear as I was riding out of a section that I had cleaned. However I did manage to clean each section of the trial at some point during the day and with the exception of the four 'silly's' rode the remainder of the trial for about 10 or 11 marks which was not enough to win (I think Alan Nicklin won on about 4 marks) but was an acceptable performance. 

The bike went well and I need to get out and practice on it to understand what it will do and learn the intricacies of riding a 4 stroke. I was told that I was riding the sections too fast and I think that was down to a mixture of a lack of confidence in the clutch and not wanting to stall it again - both things that I need to sort out. 

I have added a slow action throttle this week to help reduce the speed that I open the throttle and possibly reduce the potential for stalling and will persevere with the clutch for now but may need to make some modifications on the clutch plates and the activation arm to smooth it's action out a little. 

The next job will be to get a tow bar back on the new car so that I can get to a few more events without relying on Dad taxi's - still that's what Dad's are for isn't it??

Picture is from section 9 at Hereford - good traditional rocky gully.

Scorpapost 2

Having got the bike home I decided to give it a try at a local trial which went quite well (2nd place in the over 40 class) but found that it needed a few bits and bobs to tidy it up and make it more useable. 

• The rear suspension was very soft (as any new bike would be) for my weight so I managed to get hold of a different rear shock set up for my svelt 16.5 stone
  
• New bars were required - the originals had an odd shaped bend and felt too narrow
• Flat bash plate - the original has the appearance of a 50p coin and loses some ground clearance
• New plastics - the ones that came on it were a bit tatty
• some frame guards to tidy the overall look

The pics are after its makeover ...... I have also added the logride seat as I think this will be useful and it doesnt seem to get in the way when you are riding so it will stay. 

All that is now left I think is a bit of work on the clutch as it is a bit grabby and has no progression, however it does seem to be getting better with use (unless I am just getting used to it???) 

Scorpapost 1

So I decided to have a fun little bike to keep my hand in..... In actual fact I borrowed my dads majesty for a local trial and after a couple of laps it overheated and Ken Garfield, who was observing offered me his 125 Scorpa to ride the last lap rather than retire and I enjoyed it so much I thought it would be an ideal reliable bike to keep in the shed for the odd outing......

After a bit of shopping around I found this one in Haven Trialsport at the right price - it was a bit tatty but only cosmetic and the engine was as sweet as a nut so the deal was done. It is an 06 175 model so should have a little more power than the 125. (incidentally my Dad has also bought a 125 for himself) 

Shortest Retirement in History

Ok, I admit it, I couldnt bear not having anything in the shed at all so I have bought a little 175 Scorpa 4 stroke to play on and keep my hand in....

I have spent a few weeks tidying it up and getting it set up how I want it and tomorrow I am giving it a run out at a Hereford Classic trial in the aircooled mono class.

Will update the blog and do a report tomorrow night.........

Eventpost 32 - Exmoor 2 Day Trial - Enough is Enough

We went down to Exmoor at the weekend for the Acorns 2 day Trial - perhaps a canoe or even a snorkel and flippers would have suited the conditions better as it didnt stop raining all weekend!

Still not fully recovered from my sprained wrist at Mamble, I wasn't really on it to be honest but I managed to finish 3rd on day 1 on the Clubman route and had a few decent rides even though every dab was painful on the slippery rocks as my knee just dodnt feel up to the job.

Over night the knee began to swell up and the wrist became more sore so I decided to give day 2 a miss and it got me thinking about whether I am actually enjoying it as much as I was - the answer honestly was no, so that's it - I have decided to pack it all in.

I put my Beta on Ebay last night along with some bits and pieces and have decided to stop.

Thanks for your comments whilst I have been keeping this blog and if you want to get in touch please use my email davedawson444@btinternet.com or join facebook and add me as a friend.

See you

Dave