Puch 125 Dalesmen Trials And Motocross
PUCH 125 DALESMEN TRIALS AND MOTOCROSS
New 125-cc Lightweights To Fill The Competition Gap
WITH THE RECENT upsurge of 125-cc competition in both trials and motocross, it was just a matter of time before the “specialty” bikes saw daylight. Not to be confused with either modified street machines or factory one-off specials, the specialty machine is made for the enthusiast desiring a bike with maximal purity of purpose and minimal compromise.
Such machines are the Dalesmen. Presently, few 125-cc trialers and motocrossers are available on a production basis. With an eye to the future, Peter Edmonson, chief of Dalesman Competition Products, thoughtfully filled this void with his spirited machines.
The trialer was born in early 1968 when Edmonson, himself an accomplished trials rider, noticed the increasing successes of ultra-lightweight trials bikes. He reasoned that if weight were further minimized, a 250-cc engine would not be necessary to be competitive, a 125 would be sufficient.
A prototype was soon assembled, and after encouraging tests, entered in the Welsh Three Day Trial, a British warmup for the International Six Day Trial. The bike well exceeded expectations when pilot Scott Ellis brought it home the winner, handily beating the larger machines.
With its 55by 52-mm Puch engine producing 12 bhp and 8.8 ft./lb. torque, super light cradle frame, and a total weight of 162 lb., the trialer should gain a good deal of stature in the months to come.
Greatly encouraged by the trialing wins, Edmonson decided to diversify into motocross. So Joel Robert, 250 class motocross champion, was retained for consultation on the bike’s design, a bright young man with a wealth of riding experience.
A considerably hotter Puch engine was installed in the new 52.5-in. wheelbase chassis. An elongated, narrow taper expansion chamber was installed, designed especially for a broad power curve. A 24-mm bore, centerfloat Bing carburetor is fitted to the motocrosser, the same as on the trialer. But the main difference between the two Dalesmen is, of course, the frame. The configuration of the motocross frame is made to distribute much greater stresses throughout its members, with cradle tubes and large diameter backbone forming a parallelogram. On the other hand, because the trialer is not subjected to the same forces, its frame is designed to optimize low-speed maneuverability with the rider’s weight concentrated on the footpegs and handlebar. In comparison, the motocrosser has 2.0 in. more wheelbase and 1.5 in. less ground clearance than the trialer.
At a target price of $600 in the U.S., the Dalesmen are truly something special.
