What have you done with your bike/s today?

[Worty]

We're on a meter too CB, but there are four adults in this house.

Apparently, £95 per month for a family like ours is the average.

I'd imagine we'd be paying less than half that once we can boot the kids out the nest.

In the meantime, I'm down the back of the sofa looking for loose change.

[Joolstacho]

You just need to rely on your roof only to catch all your water to realise its value. You'll soon be doing 4 minute showers only once or twice a week at most!

[Colsbeeza]

I remember as a kid on the dairy farm, with 2 x 1000 gallon tanks and 1 x 500 gal tank. In the 1965 drought, sister and mum had first bath followed by me and my two brothers and Dad last, all in about 1 inch of water. By the time Dad finished the water was almost mud. We did swim in the river almost daily.
BTW bike related - nuthin.
Col
PS. 7pm. The electric starter hasn't been working for months. The new right knee has had a workout but held up good. I started on it this afternoon and got the battery tested to eliminate the easiest issues first. Lo & Behold the battery was stuffed. 12 CCA vs 200 CCA spec, internal ressistance 257 Ohms vs an ideal <4.  6% condition overall. I am very happy about that because I wasn't looking forward to dismantline the whole business to track the issue down. Got a new battery whoopee!! I will try it out soon.

[Worty]

You just need to rely on your roof only to catch all your water to realise its value. You'll soon be doing 4 minute showers only once or twice a week at most!

True Jools, we just need it to rain.

We all take 'Navy showers' anyway (apart from my youngest ).  Never use hoses to water the garden or wash cars, and sometimes only flush the loo every other time (apart from the 'brown' visits).  Dishwasher and washing machine are always full - not sure what else we can do, to be honest.

[Joolstacho]

Right mate. But here's a thing... my dear beautiful niece (Mary's younger sis') is a mad crazy conservationist, really absolutely mad about it, yet she still showers twice a day (I've yet to witness it mind, tho' I might try harder). Twice EVERY day. Absolutely MAD! (But she is truly a hornbag even at 60!) Darlin' Buck.
My dear lad... when he comes to stay, he still fills the basin right up to the brim just to wash his hands!

[muskrat]

G'day Fellas.
The kit for the caliper and brake light switch arrived. Got the caliper done and fed the switch wires into the headlight birds nest. Waiting on brushes for the starter motor, what a mess inside and the correct kit for the master cylinder. Still doing battle with the carbs.
Thankfully I work tomorrow at the tool shop, I need a rest.
Cheers

[jhg1958]

Finally after the whole summer sulking about the bike not starting I have finally sorted it out. After the winter major service including pulling the head down and a many other things I could not get it to start and run satisfactorily. Checked the timing, the valve timing stripped the carb, washed out the tank and an unbelievable list of other things.

As usual it was the last thing I looked at. This is one for the stupidity slot, I found I had not tightened up one of the tappets on an inlet.  Taking the rocker box off revealed and push rod kicking about. Thankfully not bent. All sorted now and third time out today and it is running like a dream.

Now which bit has worked loose?

John

[BagONails]

I remember as a kid on the dairy farm, with 2 x 1000 gallon tanks and 1 x 500 gal tank. In the 1965 drought, sister and mum had first bath followed by me and my two brothers and Dad last, all in about 1 inch of water. By the time Dad finished the water was almost mud. We did swim in the river almost daily.
BTW bike related - nuthin.
Col
PS. 7pm. The electric starter hasn't been working for months. The new right knee has had a workout but held up good. I started on it this afternoon and got the battery tested to eliminate the easiest issues first. Lo & Behold the battery was stuffed. 12 CCA vs 200 CCA spec, internal ressistance 257 Ohms vs an ideal <4.  6% condition overall. I am very happy about that because I wasn't looking forward to dismantline the whole business to track the issue down. Got a new battery whoopee!! I will try it out soon.

Hah that's nuthin, we used ta bathe int puddle at side o road, giv us sens a quick rub down with a hand full o gravel and called it luxury  etc etc.

Made me laugh to think Col, they are advising people against taking baths now as the whole practice is insanitary and you end up dirtier than when you got in supposedly. Not sure what they'd make of your upbringing...

I thought you fitted a new bigger battery when you did the conversion?

[Colsbeeza]

BON, I just remembered my Dad also had severe foot rot. His feet were putrid. I just loved the Four Yorshiremen sketch. Did you also live in a cardboard box in middle o road? Also Michelangelo painting the Last Supper for the Pope with the 3 Christs - "You don't want a creative artist you want a bloomin photographer mate".
The battery specified was a 220 CCA for English conditions, so I thought I could get away with a 200 CCA for warmer Aussis conditions. This battery is about 1 inch shorter and I have visions of eventually lowering the seat to suit my short a--se. It worked well for 18 months, so I bought the same. Time will tell
Col

[BagONails]

It was good of your Dad to go last Col...Eeeew! (I started laughing as I was thinking about this, it's amazing the things we now share on the interwebs aye.)  I heard of someone having 'galloping foot-rot' once and always wondered what the difference was to the usual garden variety?!  No laughing matter tho I'm sure.

It sounds like your battery has suffered a very premature catastrophic failure, with those numbers its cactus after 18 months. I doubt whether the application has anything to do with the failure in fact I'd be going back looking for a replacement. Most quality batteries are sold with at least a two year warranty. Anyway better luck with the new one and look after that knee.

[greybloke]

Getting down to the bare bones now. Lump out, stand off. When was the last time you cleaned your centre stand hinges? Yeah, beneath the road grime was a chrysalis type crust with pretty good preservative qualities. Practically slipped the centre stand out. Frame bolts out but rather than the butt joints between front and rear subframes as suggested by Plate 4 p21 of the 49-53 parts list, there are steel sleeves supporting the joints. Greatly increases rigidity. Not inclined to be drifted out, a blind bearing puller may do it. A touch of heat prob won't go amiss either. The pegs will need toasting for sure.

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
A small but significant bit of progress on my Chater Lea long term project, I collected the tank from Maestro painter Ger Conlon on Saturday.
The rest of the day was spent packing the van with the 49 Guzzi and 1924 BSA 350ohv along with a load of tools and consumables to keep 135 bikes happy for the week on the Irish National rally.
We will have about 75 pre 1930 bikes on display on Thursday morning before setting off for the day at 10.30

John

[Colsbeeza]

Lovely John. And the tank looks OK too.
I did some repairs on the Lilac gearbox today. The clutch would not disengage. Does now!

[Swarfcut]

 GB2.....I'd say the bike has had little use, if the stand stops are anything to go by. Most show severe wear indents, the result being the bike sits lower as the stand legs end up too far forwards when on the stand and a hernia inducing up and over lift to get it off the stand.

 Unless the frame is damaged or you intend a hard tail conversion, there is no need to split front and rear frame sections, maybe why the steel joining sleeve  does not appear in the parts list.  I've made them, just a tube turned down to fit the lugs. If you are determined to continue, expect hassle, they are invariably well set in their ways. It is a thin walled tube, a draw bolt, spacers and heat rather than violence should do it, but in the grand scheme of things, a somewhat unnecessary exercise as the frame looks a good one.

   Drilling out a sheared off saddle nose mounting also presented a challenge, no Chinesium here!

 Swarft.

[Greybeard]

GB2.....I'd say the bike has had little use, if the stand stops are anything to go by. Most show severe wear indents, the result being the bike sits lower as the stand legs end up too far forwards when on the stand and a hernia inducing up and over lift to get it off the stand.

 Unless the frame is damaged or you intend a hard tail conversion, there is no need to split front and rear frame sections, maybe why the steel joining sleeve  does not appear in the parts list.  I've made them, just a tube turned down to fit the lugs. If you are determined to continue, expect hassle, they are invariably well set in their ways. It is a thin walled tube, a draw bolt, spacers and heat rather than violence should do it, but in the grand scheme of things, a somewhat unnecessary exercise as the frame looks a good one.

   Drilling out a sheared off saddle nose mounting also presented a challenge, no Chinesium here!

 Swarft.

Swarfy, I am once again wondering about your huge knowledge of these bikes🤔. Did you run a workshop?

If the bike had a sidecar that might explain the good condition of the centre stand. My bike had a sidecar when I bought it - the centre stand was pretty good.