Basket Cases

[Greg Harding]

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Hi Everyone,

Finally after 49 pages, I have worked out how to get POLE POSITION AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE Who said I was slow

Just a reminder that we are trying to top last years 10 off ITALIAN BIKES with multiple

Rod, My Bultaco 350 79 last ran in 2007 or 2005 not sure, anyway yes i decided to go to the Jeff Gough memorial trial after reading something about it on the Western Districts Trial Facebook site (don't even know how i came to be on their mailing list but anyway they seem cool ) Saw a few people that i know, Tim English, Dave Goldsmith,John Barwick( who was a little busy writhing around on the ground after coming a gutsa ) and probably a whole heap of people i should know ( apologies if i saw someone i should know ) didnt see any Goughs maybe they came later i had to go. Anyway started to get interested again so i dragged (flat tyres) the Bulty out wiped all the dust and cobwebs off it and checked it out. Pumped tyres up checked fuel empty, undid float bowl plug and it was full of oil, strange but i remember i had been using Fuchs Silkolene Pro KR2 castor and ester synthetic 2 stroke engine oil for Kart racing ( yes i have the bottle in front of me my memory is not that good ) at 40 to 1 so maybe the petrol evaporated away and left the oil behind. Anyway put in some fresh premix and let some pour out the float bowl before replacing the plug, checked air filter it was gone completely disintegrated ( always wash sponge filters in kerosene not petrol ). After doing all this i suddenly thought shit it's probably siezed up anyway so i pressed the kickstarter down (with left foot of course) and it went down okay ( i had the fuel tap on )so i thought what the hell and gave it a proper kick and would you believe it started ! Blew plenty of smoke for a fair while but eventually settled down, stalled it putting into gear clutch not releasing, got it into 2nd gear and went for a tour of the property with the clutch pulled in until it finally released. Am amazed it fired up so easily after at least 7 years sitting and that it wasn't siezed, maybe that castor oil saved it ( i only used it because it worked as good as anything else and smelt absolutely fantastic ) Will put up some photo's if i can work out how to do it, Cheers, Ross

Ross, there is always questions and wondering leading up to starting a bike that has been left sit for a while which can be frustrating. All is forgotten with the Elation of it firing up and settling down to doing what it should, especially when you don't really know any history of the bike!

One of the characters you have mentioned was standing in a group flicking through the pages of ClassicTrial Magazine before a Trial recently. We were all peering over his shoulder when he turned to a page with a M.A.R, so I pointed and asked what is that? To which he replied that's an , so worth it just to see the look on his face when I rode up to scrutineering on Chippy's M.A.R 250

[Ross Grimsey]

Here's my bike, not pretty

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[Rod]

This Uk site has lots of Bully stuff if you can't find what you want in Oz.

http://www.inmotiontrials.com/product/s ... ription-2/

Set yourself up a PayPal account and the world is your oyster. Avoid drinking any alcohol or taking any other fun drugs whilst shopping, the next day realization of what you've purchased the night before can be stressful.

[David Lahey]

Ross from his long-haired youth complete with padded denim riding pants. Photo courtesy of Peter Paice

[David Lahey]

Here's my bike, not pretty

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I remember you riding that bike in the early 2000s at a WDTC trial at Plainlands, and also at the Aussie Titles at Thunderbird Park in 2000. I remember your no-stop riding style stood out at the time.

[Joe Henderson]

Hey Ross,

They are all pretty.

Joe.

[Ross Grimsey]

Getting excited now, just hit it with the high pressure cleaner and a bit of truck wash and it looks heaps better already except that all the remaining black paint has gone. The frame looks pretty good as i had it and the rear springs powder coated about 20 years ago. Off down to super cheap (nice to have a store named after you) to get a can of satin black and magic will happen ! Might even go to the trouble of taking the exhaust off to paint it. The tyres are too far gone to use (perished and cracked) not impressed with the price of new ones ! On the subject of tyres i seem to recall using a 3.00 width Avon Mudplugger on the front back in the day and it was good, the extra width seemed to make the steering very stable and the Mudplugger had two lips on the outside edge which was good. I owned a Gas Gas 320 for a brief period and i remember i used to hop back on the Bulty every now and then and think "oh my God, they have come a long way suspension wise" and then i put a Radial Michelin on the back of the Bulty and couldnt believe the diference, it absolutely transformed the bike and all of a sudden the suspension didn't seem that much worse than the Gas Gas, so i sold the Gas Gas and went back to the Bulty. Bare in mind i ride non stop clutch out so it really didn't make much diference ( dropped back to B grade ) . Thanks for the tip on the Bultaco spares site

[BOGWHEEL]

Try a very fine wet sand on the tank to see if the colour comes back. If it does, finish it off with that white paste cleaner for glass stove tops for a shine.
You will probably loose the stripes though?

[David Lahey]

More MAR weirdness

Why oh why did they do this? The chain tensioner spring acts against the brake rod. I guess the one spring does double duty - holding the brake pedal up and holding the chain tensioner arm up too. Unfortunately it means that brake pedal pressure varies with the position of the tensioner arm (as you ride) and chain tension varies with pedal position !!
In the photo of the brake rod and chain tensioner assembly taken from ebay, the original spring on the transverse brake rod has been removed and there is a spring attached to the end of the tensioner arm to hold it up
The other photos are of my bike showing what it looks like standard

[Ross Grimsey]

David, looks to me like the chain tensioner could only influece the brake pedal if the tensioner sleeve is seized to the shaft. The brake pedal must be held up by cable adjustment and the spring on the brake backing plate. What sort of bike ? Looks like the full width shaft is to accomadate either a left foot brake or right foot brake, giving you a choice.