JC
Yes Dave Pinkerton was a legend of that time and another rider from back then is still riding - Steve Johnson. Do you remember the two of them in the movie Naturally Free on their trials bikes doing endless wheelies? Steve still rides trials and his son Brendan is the current Aussie Twinshock champ riding one of Dad's Sherpa Ts. Steve rode pre-65 Classic this year at the Titles and came second.
I've met Cols son but know his daughter Julie much better as she is the wife of a riding buddy (Ian Gudgeon). You are probably the right age to know Wayne Onions, Reg Pugh and Os Blacker too.
The MX track for Gladstone has moved around since then, next being out near ORICA on the way to Mt Larcom next to the mud flats and with a beaut flat-track made from imported deco granite. About 6 years ago we finally had to give up that land for the new Rio Tinto alumina refinery and the current MX track was built at Benaraby in a motorsport complex including the drag strip, on the Western side of the Bruce highway, a bit South of opposite Cols old place.
About the TY, the TY250A motor is probably very close to DT2/3 or DT250A port timing, the main performance difference of the TY comes from having a weight band added to the OD of the flywheel. Later TY250s also have milder port timing that makes them a bit better for trials competition.
Mick wanted the pegs high on the OSSA and the TYs and a few others at the time followed the trend like the Cota 348 and the KT250. The height of the pegs was simply to improve ground clearance. Bultacos never went that way. Mick liked to turn tight with the arch of his outside foot resting on the end of the footpeg so that is one reason why the OSSA and TY pegs are so short. The other is that it reduces the overall width of the bike for better clearance. Bultaco Sherpa T pegs are shorter than Alpina and Pursang pegs (but did not follow the high footpeg trend). If you have bars that are the same (high) rise as what came on TYs new, then the riding position is not too bad, but lowering the pegs does improve balance at rest. Remember that when these bike were made, there was no stopping allowed so continuous forward movement was critical - and balance was not as critical, hence the ground clearance issue. Current rules allow for stopping. Modern bikes are much lower than twinshocks and their footpegs are also as low as possible, to improve stationary balance. Many twinshock riders use modern techniques (stopping and hopping the front) so also benefit from lowering the footpegs. Likewise it is an advantage to have a more upright stance for unweighting the front for hopping it sideways so the lower pegs help here too.
We must be pretty close in age.
Here is a picture of my TY250A from a riding demo at the Rockhampton Heritage Village. Since this demo day with our portable obstacles, we have constructed a permanent trials riding display area with rocks and logs dug into the side of a slope. It is a terrific setup and a great way to publicise trials, especially on the days they run the Heritage Machinery days.
