Classic Rigid Trials Bikes - What's in your shed ?

Need help finding information or parts for that old machine in your shed? Someone in here will know!

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AndrewT
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Classic Rigid Trials Bikes - What's in your shed ?

Postby AndrewT » Sat Apr 14, 2012 9:36 pm

Thought it was time to get some discussion going on Rigid class as most of the Australian classic trials seem to revolve around Tiger Cubs, C15's & various 2 stroke brew ups and never much on rigids. Sections I have seen are rarely set to cater for them also & MA rulebook certainly does not give a rigid any leeway over a springer which is a bit of a joke but that's for another discussion.

Anyway, here is my 1950 Matchless G3LC 350 - it's been in the family since 1986 - prior to which it was campaigned in the Southern Centre UK Pre 65 scene & has a number of Talmag's under its belt. I then rode a couple of Eastern Fourstroke Assoc Pre65 trials at Royal Oak Pits Danbury which was great fun, but after my Dad set to on a major rework in midst of moving down under. with it being rideable again in approx 1990.

It has the all alloy competition engine, Burman CP box with trials gears, Lucas "Wader" magneto, Lyta hand made alloy fuel tank etc etc. The rear frame tubes were all replaced with new ones. Carby is an early Amal & has the 1&1/4 " heavier duty forks. It's got a few other trick bits too

Starts first kick and gets the odd outing to a trial - but for me it's a bit too shiny to bash through the SA sections - but have another long running AJ project on the bench at the moment that might do the job one day.

Cheers

Andrew T :wink:
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Twinshock200
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Re: Classic Rigid Trials Bikes - What's in your shed ?

Postby Twinshock200 » Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:00 pm

Superb looking bike Andrew and you make some good points about the heavyweight machines not getting a fair go.

Over the last 20 years in Aus they have disappeared into the corners of sheds because the trials never catered for them and as you say the lightweight Cubs etc. took over and I was guilty of that offence after riding one in Classic over there for the last 15 years.
As an organiser it was easy to promote Twinshock and Classic class in Qld because they were riding the white line Clubman route.
A lot of people have forgotten that Classic bikes can actually go where they like in sections as there are no rules governing the colour of arrows/gates that they must follow. It has always been a "gentlemens agreement" in Qld that we would ride the white arrows but the white line section organisers rarely considered the Classics lack of ground clearance, suspension movement, weight or even the riders age, we competed in the same sections as modern bikes.

I am over in the UK at present for family reasons but last weekend competed in a Pre 70 event at Red Marley in Worcestershire with 92 British bikes entered. There were several rigid heavyweights and a few lightweights plus twinshock AJS's, Matchless's, Triumph's and a little James and all were enjoyng the ride and very competitive, have a look at the bikes involved at this website, http://www.bmca.org.uk/fixtures.html , click on Results at the top and go to RM Trial Results.
The problem in Aus is to get enough people interested in wanting to make changes, I have recently submitted some suggestions to the MA Trials Commission for 2013 but it needs others to lobby these guys for changes to be made otherwise the Classic grade will continue to gradually disappear along with the heavyweights
Cheers
Roger Galpin


Pre 65 Classic bikes

Jon V8
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Re: Classic Rigid Trials Bikes - What's in your shed ?

Postby Jon V8 » Sun Apr 22, 2012 12:42 am

Here is the latest old banger I've bought.Its no oil painting,but its running and fairly well sorted.I'm going to ride it for the first time tomorrow at our club trial which I've just got back from marking out.
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