Trials Meetings

[albrid-3]

How often do you have meeting, here in Victoria and what is the cost to enter on the day. thinking about building up a trials bike, like a Honda TL 250.

[David Lahey]

Are you talking trials meetings (all classes) or Twinshock/Classic trials meetings?
 
There are very few Twinshock/Classic-only events in Victoria (maybe none) but lots of trials that you can ride a twinshock or classic bike in Clubperson grade or C grade.

I'll put two links on here. One is to the 2009 Victorian trials comp calendar and the other is to the forum posts of a keen Victorian twinshock trials rider (Mark Beechy) from whom you will get good info.

http://www.trials.com.au/absolut/article.php?articleID=1617
http://www.trials.com.au/phpBB3/search.php?author_id=681&sr=posts

If you really want twinshock/classic only events, the top place in Australia is the Hunter Valley, NSW. The Denman trials club runs about 10 such trials each year as a series. No modern bikes are allowed and they are well-run events.

Second best is up in Queensland. We have one (so far) twinshock/classic-only trial each year near Maryborough but every Open trial and most club trials run classes for twinshock and pre-65 bikes and these classes are well supported.

[albrid-3]

Thank you, l didn`t realise that their was so many riders involved in trials and the amount of events.
cheers

[albrid-3]

Are the Honda TL 250 a good bike to ride trials, or stick with the TY, KT, RL, Montesa, Bultaco, ossa. but l like the Honda.

[albrid-3]

it look like l am the only person that can take some interest in this topic, dear david, l have just purchased myself a suzuki rl 250, well that is good i will need restoring and when you restore it you can show it to yourself, because onebody else will care.
regards
myself

[frostype400]

no way David im interested in seeing photos my mate had a couple honda tl's tl 125 and 250 i think they must all be pretty similar cant go wrong with a suzuki thanks Michael.

[TC91]

Hi David, I have been watching you with your new RL. I have one too just I never told you. I break it out every now and again. Maybe we could team up sometime. A beginner class somewhere perhaps?

[albrid-3]

That would be good, TC 91, could you put a name to that code.

[TC91]

Tony-you know 360 bultaco,xl350,campbletown etc

[albrid-3]

My mate Tony, I should have none, race number 91 ,sorry Tony , I need to race you more often , but if l did l wouldn`t catch you anyway.  Had a Phone call from Bob Vomard the other night. He is going ok. Still got a few bikes.
So you think the RL is a good little bike Tony.
David
Ps. How is Dad going ,say hello to him for me, he`s a great fellow.

[David Lahey]

So allbrid-3 you are another Dave? I was a bit confused reading the past few days postings when you started talking to yourself as I am a Dave too.
I've been away riding the Qld Trials titles in Twinshock class this weekend and now been able to look at this forum again.
There is nothing "wrong" with any of the Jap trials bikes. They are all wonderful machines capable of providing unlimited riding enjoyment.
Some Jap trials bikes are slightly easier to ride than others in different situations. If someone wanted to ride one of them in extreme technical trail-riding, the RL250 and the TL250 are probably the best, due to their motors having the strongest overall performance, with the Honda being the pick of those two.
If someone wanted to ride competition trials, with tapes and tight turns and whatever else designed to make the rider fall over or stall the engine or to paddle with their feet, the RL250 and the TL250 are probably the worst of the jap trials bikes.
The best standard jap trials bikes for competition use at clubman level are the TY175 and TL125, mainly due to light weight and gentle engine response.
The middle ground in jap trials bikes for competition trials use are the TY250 and KT250 - lighter and having shorter wheelbases than the TL250, and with steering that inspires more confidence in tight turns than the RL250. The TL steering works well, but the wheelbase is long so turning feels good out in the open but falls short within sections. All the two-stroke 250s are 10kg heavier than the TY175.
Many RL250s that you will find photos of being used in trials competition have had frame mods that put their frame geometry much closer to the Yamaha and Kawasaki, while still appearing to be standard to the casual observer.

[David Lahey]

As far as Spanish twinshock trials bikes go, they are all also wonderful to ride, but as with the Jap bikes, some are better at some things than others. There is no single best Spanish trials bike model or brand. The designs all got better with time so the later model ones are generally easier to ride than earlier model ones (they went from 1964 to 1987).
If you have a personal brand preference then I can advise which models of that brand would suit the type of riding you have in mind.
There are also good Italian twinshock trials bikes (made from 1979 to 1985).

[montynut]

Attended the Denman MC Club 2 day trials 'Practise' meeting over the past weekend. Excellent event as usual great fun although a few machine problems for me unfortunately.

My favorite bike is a 1984 Montesa 242 (all red) almost as nimble as a TY175, very light and plenty of 'zap'. I also have two 349 Monties a 1981 'white wonder' and a 1983 Cota 350. I have just acquired a TY175B which is also a great bike.

For Denman Twinshock events my order of prference is the Cota 242, TY175 followed by the 349s. The 349 engine is just unbelievably strong but has a much different power delivery compared to the 242 and TY they just pull stumps out right down to 1 rpm while the TY and 242 tend to have power directly related to revs. Horses for coarses.

The 349's are much less managable in very tight turns and sections but will out climb the space shuttle. Basically the only thing that limits their ability to maintain forward motion is the laws of pyhsics ie. tyre traction, being able to keep enough weight over the front and the climb going past vertical!!!!

Most RL250s in twinshock competition have there frames altered to overcome less than ideal handling. In standard form they tend to push the front in tight turns. They also seem to lack feedback to the rider about what the wheels and more inportantly the tyres are doing.

Just my views and observations.

[albrid-3]

Thanks fellows, l nearly bought the that TL 250 ON EBAY, but some trials riders and ex, trial riders they said they were to heavy so l changed my mine. I would like to find a TLR 250 the blue and red ones, do you know of anyboby selling one.
cheers
david

[David Lahey]

I don't know of any TLR250s for sale
I do know lots of people have been buying them and fixing them up and riding them lately. They were the most popular bike last weekend in Twinshock class at the Qld Titles.
They are at risk of becoming the Honda CR125 of twinshock trials competition which is probably good because the TY175 has had that status for a very long time and it was probably time for a change.