VA/VB125 Cappra frame

[David Lahey]

I have customers that are looking for kick gears, but when they hear the price of having these gears
made, they flee! 

What is it with people? Why should something be cheap just because it is for an old bike anyway? Another thing I hear from time to time a bit like that is at trials where we ride in with the modern bikes on our twinshocks and classics. Well-meaning observers will say "gee you ride well on that old bike - you should get yourself a new one - it would be much easier to ride"
What can you say?

[frostype400]

that is annoying everyone thinks if you like motorbikes youll have a modern my mates from school cant understand me only liking vintage bikes i dont know if its possible to have more fun on a modern never ridden one might not thanks Michael.

[TooFastTim]

Well-meaning observers will say "gee you ride well on that old bike - you should get yourself a new one - it would be much easier to ride"
What can you say?

IMO they're right David. Face it, a whizz-bang gasser or Sherco is heaps lighter and easier to ride than a 210 lb asthmatic Bult, but that's not the attraction of the old bikes. To me the attraction is the charisma of the machines and the non-intimidating nature of the course. Problem with new bikes is that everybody expects you to be able to breeze up that 6' step after a nasty 90 deg nose wheelie turn.

[JC]

The main concern I have with the VA 125 (and to a lesser degree the VB125)
is the kickstarter mech. and the transmission.  The VA uses many of the parts that
were designed for the Cota 123 and they are not up for the pounding that the mxer
hands out.  I have built numerous VA and VB 125 engines and they can be very
frustrating to get everything correct and working properly.  I do remember talking
to Lyal O'Brian a few years back concerning the VA 125 and his frustration
with the transmission.  All I can say is go easy bro....

ps when kickstarting, push down and feel the kickgears engage before
kicking thru.

Jared, you almost convince me to do an engine transplant! Use a yam engine or the like. But I still need a VA/VB125 frame to start anyway. Anyone know of one?

[TooFastTim]

when kickstarting, push down and feel the kickgears engage before
kicking thru.

Same goes for the Gasser pro series trials bikes particularly the 300. The problem has only recently been corrected.

[David Lahey]

Well-meaning observers will say "gee you ride well on that old bike - you should get yourself a new one - it would be much easier to ride"
What can you say?

IMO they're right David. Face it, a whizz-bang gasser or Sherco is heaps lighter and easier to ride than a 210 lb asthmatic Bult, but that's not the attraction of the old bikes. To me the attraction is the charisma of the machines and the non-intimidating nature of the course. Problem with new bikes is that everybody expects you to be able to breeze up that 6' step after a nasty 90 deg nose wheelie turn.

Yes Tim I agree. You can ride at a level that is quite challenging on a twinshock and minimise the risk of serious harm compared with the type of section it takes to make it a challenge on a modern bike. My wife rode for a while and wanted a modern bike so we got a Rev 3 Beta which we both loved riding. I rode it a few times and found that because it was so easy to ride, you started putting yourself in very tricky situations and riding very big obstacles, just to get a bit of a challenge happening. After 20 minutes practice at that level, I was totally stuffed compared with being able to practice for hours on a twinshock.
And yes in my eyes there is no cooler bike to ride than any 1970s twinshock trials bike.

[TooFastTim]

After 20 minutes practice at that level, I was totally stuffed compared with being able to practice for hours on a twinshock.

Yup. On the upside on a modern you can stop and take a break in a section for 5 mins  . I was out practicing with PeterB a few months ago and got myself horribly off line in a section. Two minutes of hopping around and I was shagged.

And yes in my eyes there is no cooler bike to ride than any 1970s twinshock trials bike.

Maybe it's our age, maybe it's because I couldn't afford 'em and nor could my dad when I was 15. Maybe it's because our heroes were more accessible in those days. Could it be that the Bultaco logo is arguably the best logo ever dreamed up by man? To be truthful I like moderns as much as I do spanish twinshocks.