TS185 trials bike

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David Lahey
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TS185 trials bike

Postby David Lahey » Tue May 12, 2020 2:05 pm

I was thinking Greg Harding, JC1 and others might be interested in seeing this if they haven't already. :suzuki TS185 converted for trials riding.
https://www.trialscentral.com/forums/to ... 77-ts-185/


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Re: TS185 trials bike

Postby Bully fanatic » Tue May 12, 2020 7:52 pm

If you cast your mind back David you may remember 2 trail bikes which used to compete in WDTC Trials a few years ago. One was Kevin Gloss on his CT 185 Honda and the other one was Tim Danneberg? on a TS 185 both of them were converted to a Trials format.



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Re: TS185 trials bike

Postby JC1 » Tue May 12, 2020 7:58 pm

David, you either have a good memory or been reading my mind lately.

I have indeed been seriously considering an RL185/200 project but based on the earlier TS185A engine in a TS or TM 125 frame (I have both; the TM has steeper rake) as a bit of a fun to see if I can make it steer and handle appropriately for trials - sort of a silk purse from a sow's ear... on a budget.

A project along the lines of what Suzuki could have done to match the TY175/Cota 172. I did try a 185 engine in an RL frame but it just wouldn't work without major alterations. The frame is far too big for the engine.

I've always thought the TS185 engine could be a suitable trials engine and I recall you once saying it'd be a better one than the TY175 engine. The limitation is the gear ratios which are close for 3-4-5 rather than 1-2-3, the latter being quite widely spaced unfortunately

Was even thinking of posting it up on here as I go but I may embarrass myself cos ZI don't have half the fabrication skills of you, Greg or BrentJ

Thankyou for posting that link

PS, yes I remember them Graham. (I still see the Gloss's occasionally here in Toowoomba. Chad is a good friend of my son's)
But they didn't get the steering geometry right.


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David Lahey
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Re: TS185 trials bike

Postby David Lahey » Tue May 12, 2020 8:16 pm

JC1 please do post up what you are up to. I used to ride one of those side-port TS185s in trials as a kid (pre-M99 Alpina).
I know that Greg has a centre-port :suzuki TS185 and we have discussed trials type mods on it and similar mods on a :yamaha DT175G of mine.

Graham yes I do remember those :Honda: and :suzuki bikes of Kevin's and Tim's. You didn't mention the third one though. It was a modified late 1980s 1988? :yamaha DT175 that had been converted to twinshock rear end and the large diameter frame tube where the shock normally went had been converted into a fuel tank.


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Re: TS185 trials bike

Postby brent j » Tue May 12, 2020 9:58 pm

There was a guy in NZ in the 70's who built a trials TS185.

He made a smaller seat, hand made exhaust with a much longer head pipe, rear set pegs and he fitted a TS250 CDI and I think flywheel and ignition. I believe the 250 CDI gave a better advance curve for trails.

I know he talked about deraking the frame but I don't know if he ever did.
Eventually he bought an RL which then got sold to my mate and became the basis for several mods.



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Re: TS185 trials bike

Postby JC1 » Thu May 21, 2020 1:06 pm

Thanks Brent, I'll keep that in mind about the 250 CDI. I think the flywheels are the same.

The one on TC site doesn't appear to have much modified apart from seat, front guard and pegs slightly raised and rearset. And RM tank. Steering geometry looks standard trailbike.

Seems to me the key things for converting a trail or road bike to get it handling right for trials are to get the trail reduced significantly (to about 80mm) and footpegs rearset significantly. Then get wheelbase, weight distribution and groundclearance in the right ballpark.


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