Flatslides on Twinshocks

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JC1
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Re: Flatslides on Twinshocks

Post by JC1 »

Jon V8 wrote:Isnt it odd how FM350's bold statements about the dire state of classic trials gets taken as gospel ?


Jon, I don't think too many on here take what he says as gospel on anything much apart from Fantics & TLRs.

Most people realize that opinionated people aren't the fount of all knowledgeable they think they are. And that they often confuse opinion with fact.

As someone said on another thread: Caveat Emptor.
"Men are never more likely to settle a matter rightly than when they can discuss it freely"
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Re: Flatslides on Twinshocks

Post by Guy53 »

Fm350 get your thing in a contaner and travel to Quebec Canada, these are our rules for TS .
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Re: Flatslides on Twinshocks

Post by Clive.Agi Halls »

In the end its not about the bike. Put any good rider on a half capable bike & he will win.It doesn't matter how much you spend on the bike it can only perform as good as its pilot. There will always be people with big pocket books who want to build the ultimate machine & I love to see them, its amazing what the creative mind comes up with. Stick with the basics . Air cooled, two rear shocks, drum brakes & a proper seat, the best bit of riding TS!
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Re: Flatslides on Twinshocks

Post by Tee-Why »

I think if we are to ride what is deemed a "vintage period class", we should at least uphold the rule to the period, no modified specials. Yes I agree, some pilots can turn up on a runner and win outright! I have seen it done. Period mods for period bikes, well some imaginative stretching of the folklore as time goes on should not be replaced with modern replacements, unless rules allow. Hats of to the Denman club officials in applying rule to reason. =D>
I would rather push my twinshock than ride a modern!
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Re: Flatslides on Twinshocks

Post by FM350 »

Here in the UK authentic "P65" parts include BSA/Fantic motors, billet alloy hubs and fork yokes, various modern crom-moly frames (nothing like originals)...............those being just a few of the things that are glaringly obvious to most people with a passing knowledge of older bikes.
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Re: Flatslides on Twinshocks

Post by Jon V8 »

FM350 wrote:Trouble with TS/P65 trials here in the UK is that there are no sensible rules or classes whatever, and this leads to the ridiculous situation where a Brit twinshock costing £10K + is allowed to run in the "P65" class, and someone with a M10 Bultaco in original condition has to ride it against highly modified Fantic's fitted with reed valve motors!

With proper rules and sensible classes (as used in most of the rest of Europe, and the US) then I would think classic competition here would attract a great deal more interest, and the costs of competing could be substantially reduced. Sadly though change is not likely to happen here, due mainly to the very vocal minority who seem to think everything is perfectly OK, and there is no need to make any sort of changes for the better.

I guess your comment about the vocal minority is aimed squarely at me,so I guess an answer is in order. Chris, I do find it hard to understand where you are coming from,when you make a statement like the one above - then in your next post you want a class with 2 shocks,air cooled and drum brakes.Surely this puts the M10 Bully and the Fantic straight back in the same class ? And just how many "Brit twinshocks" are there around that cost £10k, I've just finished the Somerton Classic British 2 day where there was one HT Ariel that cost around £6k,probably by far the most expensive bike there.
I'll tell you what the problem is with Classic trials in the UK - its finding enough observers,today we were 3 short at the start,a couple of Golden Valley trials back they only had 4 observers for 10 sections.It doesnt stop the trial,but it also doesnt make for good continuity of scoring.It seems most clubs have this problem,many ideas have been tried with varying degrees of success.
As a final point,which will be repeating myself,but you dont seem to take any notice - if you want different rules for Pre65 or Twinshock trials its VERY simple,join a club,get on the commitee and make the proposals.If the changes are good people will ride your trials,if they are not,they wont - its that simple.
You are more than welcome to take over my position of running Bath Classics trials,I only took it on because nobody else was willing to do it.If you take it over I can get back to concentrating on riding - which is what I love doing.
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Re: Flatslides on Twinshocks

Post by Twinshock200 »

Its interesting how carburettors on twinshock or Pre 65 bikes promotes such healthy discussion.
I have been riding in trials for over 50 years in both Australia and the UK, where I am at the moment, and my firm belief is that if guys can invent and manufacture some of the things that are on the market for these bikes at the moment such as: PVL/electronic ignition, titanium/carbon/aluminium accessories, mudguards you can tie knots in, tubeless rims, billet hubs etc etc etc, then surely some clever so & so could make an Mk 1 Amal Concentric kit that would suit any old TS or Pre 65.
Personally I don't know why anyone would want to go to the trouble of fitting Dellorto's, Mikuni's or flatslides when all the Brit bikes I have owned have performed perfectly with a Mk 1 Concentric and I have one in Aus at the moment that runs superbly, ask Shane Barnes, and another here in the UK that gave me a grade win last weekend in atrocious conditions.
If your bike is Spanish or Italian go for it but leave the Pommie stuff to the Amal or Villiers carby's, with a little patience they can do the job more than adequately.
As a few have stated before me, its the rider that determines what the bike does no matter how good the bike is.

Ooooooh to be at the Qld titles this long weekend,
Cheers
Pre 65 Classic bikes
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Re: Flatslides on Twinshocks

Post by TriCub »

This hole issuse of flat slides seems a bit piontless to me as the technology and desingn of flat slide carbs has been around since the early seventies yet none of the major manufacturers used them until recently. From my expierence over the last 40 years of playing with bikes, the reason for that is because there is no advantage over a good round slide. If you were talking about an MX or road race machine that needs every last bit of power then flat slide has an edge.
So to say that your the only alternative to a worn out original is a new flat slide is just not true, there are several round slide brands that are still available new.
Just to name a few, Mikuni, Delorto, OKO and if your brian dead Amal MK1 & MK2. It is still quite possible to find used Mikuni round slides at wreckers or swap meets that are in as new condition for a fraction of the cost of any new carb.

Roger. I would think that only yourself and one other person in Australia that rides classic think that Pommie bike should use English carbs, yet the rules got changed. I still can't believe that it is ok to use a MK1 Amal that is not a peroid carb(wasn't made until 1966)and doesn't even look like anything that was fitted to pommie stuff pre65, yet a genuine pre 65 Honda Keihin is not. It's amazing how the MA rule thing works.
Buy the way you should while in England grab the lastest edition of the Tiger Cub Bible and read the revised chapter on the French Army Cubs that didn't get the Square finned parts until 1965.
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Re: Flatslides on Twinshocks

Post by FM350 »

Jon V8 wrote:
FM350 wrote:Trouble with TS/P65 trials here in the UK is that there are no sensible rules or classes whatever, and this leads to the ridiculous situation where a Brit twinshock costing £10K + is allowed to run in the "P65" class, and someone with a M10 Bultaco in original condition has to ride it against highly modified Fantic's fitted with reed valve motors!

With proper rules and sensible classes (as used in most of the rest of Europe, and the US) then I would think classic competition here would attract a great deal more interest, and the costs of competing could be substantially reduced. Sadly though change is not likely to happen here, due mainly to the very vocal minority who seem to think everything is perfectly OK, and there is no need to make any sort of changes for the better.

I guess your comment about the vocal minority is aimed squarely at me,so I guess an answer is in order. Chris, I do find it hard to understand where you are coming from,when you make a statement like the one above - then in your next post you want a class with 2 shocks,air cooled and drum brakes.Surely this puts the M10 Bully and the Fantic straight back in the same class ? And just how many "Brit twinshocks" are there around that cost £10k, I've just finished the Somerton Classic British 2 day where there was one HT Ariel that cost around £6k,probably by far the most expensive bike there.
I'll tell you what the problem is with Classic trials in the UK - its finding enough observers,today we were 3 short at the start,a couple of Golden Valley trials back they only had 4 observers for 10 sections.It doesnt stop the trial,but it also doesnt make for good continuity of scoring.It seems most clubs have this problem,many ideas have been tried with varying degrees of success.
As a final point,which will be repeating myself,but you dont seem to take any notice - if you want different rules for Pre65 or Twinshock trials its VERY simple,join a club,get on the commitee and make the proposals.If the changes are good people will ride your trials,if they are not,they wont - its that simple.
You are more than welcome to take over my position of running Bath Classics trials,I only took it on because nobody else was willing to do it.If you take it over I can get back to concentrating on riding - which is what I love doing.


If you are comfortable with the current complete lack of workable rules, and machine classes which mean a stock 247 Montesa runs in the same class as a highly modified Fantic with reed valve motor, and where an original rigid James is up against Villiers powered specials (which supposedly cost £15k to build), then not sure you are likely to share my concerns about the future of the sport?

Lack of observers is indeed a problem, but as you seem firmly committed to event format, classes, and rules remaining pretty much as they were in the 1960's, then maybe riders marking themselves is something that is going to have to be taken on board pretty soon?

Rule and class changes need to be introduced by organising bodies, and unfortunately due primarily to the very strong opposition likely to accompany any suggestion related to changes, this simply isnt seen as being worth the trouble and things will remain exactly as they are.
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Re: Flatslides on Twinshocks

Post by FM350 »

TriCub wrote:This hole issuse of flat slides seems a bit piontless to me as the technology and desingn of flat slide carbs has been around since the early seventies yet none of the major manufacturers used them until recently. From my expierence over the last 40 years of playing with bikes, the reason for that is because there is no advantage over a good round slide. If you were talking about an MX or road race machine that needs every last bit of power then flat slide has an edge.
So to say that your the only alternative to a worn out original is a new flat slide is just not true, there are several round slide brands that are still available new.
Just to name a few, Mikuni, Delorto, OKO and if your brian dead Amal MK1 & MK2. It is still quite possible to find used Mikuni round slides at wreckers or swap meets that are in as new condition for a fraction of the cost of any new carb.

Roger. I would think that only yourself and one other person in Australia that rides classic think that Pommie bike should use English carbs, yet the rules got changed. I still can't believe that it is ok to use a MK1 Amal that is not a peroid carb(wasn't made until 1966)and doesn't even look like anything that was fitted to pommie stuff pre65, yet a genuine pre 65 Honda Keihin is not. It's amazing how the MA rule thing works.
Buy the way you should while in England grab the lastest edition of the Tiger Cub Bible and read the revised chapter on the French Army Cubs that didn't get the Square finned parts until 1965.


Pretty much any carb other than the Amal is likely to improve performance of an old Brit bike, and as the carbs are poorly made and wear out quickly, even if you have fitted a brand new one, performance will worsen quite quickly. In terms of authenticity you are right in that the Mk1 Amal was introduced in 66/67, so using a VM Mikuni (64) seems more age related, and likely to provide far better performance.

I wonder what the ruling of the MA is likely to be on the newly re-introduced Wassell version of the Amal Mk1, which is made in India and costs considerably less than the UK/Chinese carbs being sold as Amal currently? Why not just cut the BS related to carbs, and allow choice here to be open, as at the end of the day anyone can afford a £25 Chinese pit bike carb from Ebay, which will work an awful lot better than an Amal on pretty much any 4T machine?
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