Author Topic: What have you done with your bike/s today?  (Read 164045 times)

Offline Catz

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2865 on: 10.06. 2023 09:42 »
Good to see you out and about on it the other evening. You've done a fair bit to it, though i didn't doubt you would let things lie for too long.
I took my A10 up to 70 on the way home, just to see if it would get there, just for a minute, didn't want to wreck the old thing but won't be going at that speed too often but it's good to know it's capable.
Crewe, Cheshire, England 1960 A10

Online Angus

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2866 on: 10.06. 2023 14:46 »
My son rode the Ducati Pantah for the first time the other day, came back with a big grin on his face stating that it did 60 in 2nd, well I was not having  that *fight*, next ride on the A7 and yes she will do 60 in 2nd, I think the values were bouncing a bit though  >:D
1961 A7 since 1976, 1960 A10 Gold Flash Super Profile Bike
1958 Matchless G80 Project, 1952 Norton Model 7 Plunger
1950 Triumph T100, 1981 Ducati Pantah 500, 1959 AJS model 20

Offline fido

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2867 on: 10.06. 2023 15:29 »
I had the Cagiva version, the 650 Alazzurra. It was great when running properly but it used to go onto one cylinder and I never managed to get to the bottom of the problem.

Offline Worty

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2868 on: 10.06. 2023 17:13 »
Beautiful day, so went on a 136m excursion down the winding, leafy backroads of the Howardian and Yorkshire Hills - fantastic. *smile* *smile*  The bike was excellent (opening her up quite a bit now with no issues).  Have got a tappety/rattle from the timing side, reckon this could be the dynamo chain so not really too concerned.  There were no uncomfortable noises, except for the people I was passing rather rapidly.  It's hard not to be listening too closely to the motor for weird sounds, but my mantra is that if it's running as well as that, there can't be too much wrong. *good3*
Current Bikes😎
Kwaka W650
'61 Flash

Past Bikes👍
'49 B31
'59 BMW R60
Yam FS1-E, YB100, RS100, RD200DX,250DX,350B, XS750
MZ250

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2869 on: 10.06. 2023 22:46 »
Went out last night on the recently purchased Super Rocket after making it (just about) roadworthy. ..............................After replacing the head gasket and carb today I started it up in the garage and it sounded pretty good so I'll be taking it out on a short run tomorrow and will report back. Photo shows bike 'as found'.
Following on from yesterday's post, I took the bike out today and was surprised that it was running very weak. With a brand new carb specced for the bike I expected it to be about OK. In my experience [and i've fitted three of the new Amals to alloy head A10's] I find they run weak if using the original spec jets. With the original spec jets the bike pinked really badly under load. I did a few adjustments when I got home, initially increasing the needle jet to a 107 which resulted in an immediate, dramatic, improvement, but it was occasionally 'lumpy' indicating too rich. So I went down to a 1065 which caused the pinking to return, but only slightly. I've left the 1065 in and lifted the needle a notch to no. 4 which seems just about right. The bike runs really well now but, I suspect, is threatening to pink under load. However it's running well enough to use and I'm down to fine tuning. I also went up on the main jet to 420. So, the optimum setting seems to be main jet 410/420, needle jet 1065/107 with the needle set rich for the 1065 or lean for the 107. The plug colour looks about right. If I get the impression, after further use, that it is still running a bit weak I may go back to the 107 needle jet and drop the needle to no.2 to see how that compares. This Super Rocket has the '1126' head which has not got the bigger valves of the later heads.
Further evidence of the new Amals running weak is that my RGS has exactly the same symptoms running a similar carb. I had a Super Rocket a few years ago which also presented the same symptoms and the only way I could cure the pinking was by fitting a Mikuni though, knowing what I know now, I might have succeeded by persevering more with the Amal.

Offline Colsbeeza

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2870 on: 11.06. 2023 09:15 »
Anticipating a ride next weekend, I thought I would get to the bottom of the starting issue with the new Amal 389. It has been starting poorly but running well when hot with occasional spit at idle and occasional stall at the traffic lights. I assumed that the idle circuit had a blockage or something. I began to remove the carb - fuel lines disconnected, tank off - then noticed the carb banjo was loose. Seems it might have been sucking in air through the banjo connection with throttle slide closed. I suspect I never tightened it after fitting the fuel lines - at least I don't remember. So tightened up the banjo, refitted everything and kicked it over. Idling nicely from near cold. I'll take it for a ride to see if the problem is fixed. Checked tyres, all oils and did a bit of grinding on the sidestand pivot as it stops two inches out from the exhaust pipe.
Col
1961 Golden Flash
Australia

Offline RDfella

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2871 on: 11.06. 2023 21:11 »
Had a bit of time for the bikes today.
Yesterday took the fuel pump out of my Focus. What a pig's ear of a design. Why not mount the pump inline between tank and engine? Had to cut the floor to get access to the top of the tank, then struggle to get it out / apart. And what a banger of a design - half a dozen plastic mouldings which must have cost a fortune in injection moulds - just to locate a small pump inside. If I was offered £5k to design something more unnecessarily complicated I'd have to admit defeat. At least it wasn't designed by an idiot - and idiot could never manage such complication.
So whilst I'm waiting delivery of a new pump, it was back on the bikes today.....

First off, the B31 / 33. Took the barrel off and pleased to note the rod is OK as is the piston. Undecided yet whether to go to methanol and fit the 11:1 piston I have.
Machined the end off the exh valve guide; it couldn't be drifted out as was because the valve stem had split it. After a few minutes on the mill damaged section removed and guide drifted out no problem. Now to make a new one. Fortunately have new cotters and spring retainer in stock - just waiting on a new exh valve (it's standard, but the inlet is DBD).

Then onto the vee twin. I've not been happy with its 'lurching' around 30mph in 3rd gear, and tried to diagnose the issue with an exhaust gas analyser. That showed a tad rich at best achievable tickover, but getting richer with increasing throttle (although after riding on the road, plugs come out white). So today decided to drop the needles a notch. The RH cab is easy (unscrew the carb top) but the LH one ain't. Tank off, unscrew cable choke (thankfully I modded that a while back, as previously I had to unclip the choke cable back to the splitter box and disconnect it there to get it out).
Now I just need to unscrew it and then unscrew the carb body whilst holding the top. The hassle is occasioned because both throttle and choke cables exit the LH carb with an elbow and are locked in a position so they follow a tunnel I made in the tank. Anyway, about an hour and it's back together ready for a road test. Won't be tomorrow as I have a skip arriving and (hopefully) the stonemason to start modifying an old washhouse gable before it collapses. And I need to chase up the roofer regarding another repair... *eek*

 
'49 B31, '49 M21, '53 DOT, '58 Flash, '62 Flash special, '00 Firestorm, Weslake sprint bike.

Offline Worty

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2872 on: 11.06. 2023 22:30 »
Off for a Kwaka ride to the Dales to spend a few scorching hot days in beer gardens eating fish and chips with Sue.  *smile* *smile*
Current Bikes😎
Kwaka W650
'61 Flash

Past Bikes👍
'49 B31
'59 BMW R60
Yam FS1-E, YB100, RS100, RD200DX,250DX,350B, XS750
MZ250

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2873 on: 13.06. 2023 08:53 »
I came across an interesting problem yesterday which proves 'everyday is a school day'. My mate has had a faithful A10 for as long as I've known him. Last year he decided that Old Faithful was getting tired and it transpired that everything was virtually worn out. He had the engine rebuilt (most of it) by a club member. My mate was left to fit the rocker box, timing gears and magneto. When nearly everything was finished he called me to fit the mag for him, which I did, then we started the bike. It sounded dreadful, like a brawl in a Victorian pan shop. It sounded like a pushrod had come out or pistons hitting valves... I checked the tappets and noticed that the movement of the tappets looked a bit weird. As a tappet closed it 'bumped' and looked as if it was trying to open again. I phoned the engine builder and described it as 'the camshaft seems to be trying to lift two followers at the same time'. It wasn't just a case of incorrect valve timing. The engine builder and I decided to take the bike back to base, get it on the bench and put our heads together. A torch down the plug holes showed no witness marks of valves getting passionate with pistons (and compression was good with the tappets loose) and a careful check under the tappet covers confirmed that the pushrods were fitted correctly. Nevertheless we took the rocker box off to be sure. After a cup of tea (best tool in the workshop) our combined wisdom resulted in a 'light-bulb-moment' when we realised that, for some reason the camshaft was, in fact, lifting followers randomly because the endfloat was incorrect. (I digress for a moment....If you look at the followers in the barrels there is no clearance between each pair, i.e. they rub against each other, and the camshaft lobes are almost as big as the followers so there is no tolerance for misalignment of the camshaft. Correct alignment is achieved by ensuring the cam gear is tightened against the plain end of the cam and the cork washer under the top hat breather ensures there is no endfloat. ..end of digression!). So, off with the inner timing cover to find that, as predicted, Old Faithful Owner had failed to tighten the cam gear by about two or three threads, enough to cause the camshaft to float a couple of mm. to the left, so the right hand lobes of each pair (left exhaust and right inlet) were indeed lifting both followers. After assembly the bike ran as sweet as you might expect and Old Faithful Owner chuffed (and embarrassed). Engine builder and I pretty chuffed too. Job done in about three hours which included taking the rocker box off and replacing it. Time for a beer, I think!

Offline Colsbeeza

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2874 on: 13.06. 2023 08:57 »
Worty, My heart bleeds for you - poor bugger!
1961 Golden Flash
Australia

Offline Greybeard

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2875 on: 13.06. 2023 09:06 »
Have got a tappety/rattle from the timing side, reckon this could be the dynamo chain
Fitting a dynamo belt was good for me.
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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2876 on: 13.06. 2023 12:35 »
The other thing that gives a clatter like this is if you have a worn cam reground (too small) and the followers bottom out on that little retaining screw.
Scary!

Offline Magista

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2877 on: 14.06. 2023 02:02 »
Taught myself how to make a throttle cable today. Feeling pretty good about that. It's the little victories.

1958 A7 500 "Flash"
1973 Honda CL350

Offline Greybeard

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2878 on: 15.06. 2023 09:20 »
Off for a Kwaka ride to the Dales to spend a few scorching hot days in beer gardens eating fish and chips with Sue.  *smile* *smile*
Need any help with eating Sue? 😉
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Online berger

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Re: What have you done with your bike/s today?
« Reply #2879 on: 15.06. 2023 18:51 »
went out on urma yonda today and soon found out the swinging arm was falling out *eek* not really the back tyre and front tyre had been in neglect by it's owner because of Christine taking over my life for the last few months, Christine passed her MOT today *yeah* so she better behave more like a good little girl and not like the wicked witches from north or south or even east and west. now where was i oh yes me and urma had a lovely time untill i heard her PINKING , pinking never rate , i soon realised it was her keys and key ring tricking me with the urma vibes, not to be compared to betsy's vibes that are much more acid trip in the rear view mirror  ;)  the down side of mine and urma's ride was me coming out at the north end of sheffield and we had a mare of traffic lights and road workings to get through on the way home to chesterfield  *pull hair out* those misters in high viz on their mobile phones should be made to put them under the tracks of the heavy plant and get some work done. it is not fun sitting in a mile long traffic jam that i couldn't filter through with biker gear on., even betsy with her clip ons would have claimed a 100 car door mirrors *bash*