Red-faced Worty f***s up! (FORGOT TO SWITCH THE OIL ON)

[Worty]

So, y'all know that I'd been bragging about my super memory when it comes to switching the oil on to stop wet sumping.   Well, you've guessed it, I dragged the GF out the garage and, in my excitement to get her started FORGOT TO SWITCH THE OIL ON!   Realised after about 15 seconds (no riding, heavy revving, etc, etc), and the exhausts were just starting to get off cold.

So, I've conveniently ignored all the warnings, overstated my memory abilities, and took a big tumble to eating humble pie ad nauseam!  

Please do post every possible comment!  Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew this would happen, but NOT to me with my MWAMS (Man With Amazing Memory Skills).

Interestingly enough, the reason for the faux pas was that I'd removed my 'memory aid' for the switch whilst prepping it for my Stafford ride.   Never forgot it during riding season, but 7 months is a long time to forget.  My new 'memory aid' is a flat magnet on the petrol tank filler with the word 'OIL' writ large in permanent marker and on the two petrol tap levers.

Still, my friends, a problem shared is a problem more people can laugh at.

PM'd Bergs with this and he says everything should be ok as nothing got hot.

I'm now bracing for impact.🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Oh, bike started first time though

[berger]

a berg build that started first kick    , you lucky geeza mine took two kicks after the winter lay off,  you naughty naughty boy and don't do that again

[Worty]

a berg build that started first kick    , you lucky geeza mine took two kicks after the winter lay off,  you naughty naughty boy and don't do that again

It does start and run really well.

I'm going to my room with no tea

[BagONails]

Very lucky escape Worty, glad you got away with it after all that heartache and hard work.

We used to say in manufacturing circles "if it can happen it will happen"... i.e. you might get away with something 999.9 times out of a 1000 but eventually if it is possible to do - someone will do it...

Also you win the prize for the most emoji's used in a single post ever!

[Worty]

BoN, if you can imagine a very p****d off person, who lives in P****d Off city, who went to P****d Off University, getting a doctorate in P****doffness, then that'll be me.  After having a lot of beer, I went to bed to wake up at around 4.30am still p****d off, shaking my head, and feeling very annoyed with myself - couldn't get back to sleep after that.

More than forgetting, it was the fact that my confidence in having things in place to remind me failed - as you say, no system is foolproof.  However, in addition to the above measures, I have now made a sign from the top of a food container with OIL written over it and placed over the choke lever.  I'll then put the lid in my jacket pocket before the ride and replace it when I empty the pockets at the end of a ride (same pocket as the wallet, which never leaves my side on a ride).

Just goes to show, never overstate your abilities in public, and never fully rely on them in private!

Even now, I'd sooner do this than trust an anti-sumping valve.  However, that mag cutout oil switch arrangement does seem a very, very good idea now.  Maybe I can conjure up a similar thing on mine

[berger]

Worty put your hand in the wallet let the moths out and buy a valve that won't let it start until the oil is turned on . job done, blinking messing with lids and things

[Worty]

Worty put your hand in the wallet let the moths out and buy a valve that won't let it start until the oil is turned on . job done, blinking messing with lids and things

I have acquiesced and bought said item.😊  £24.46 from fleabay rather than the £60 from the Magneto Guys.   Should serve as an additional anti-theft device as well, if anyone likely to nick it has any clue as to how it works at all (or ride it) - that is apart from picking it up and shoving it in a van.

The moths were long dead Bergs.

[Worty]

So, I want to try to fit this switch in the same place as the old one - near the crankcase.  As I understand it (not got the switch yet), if I wanted to save space, I'd have to remove the old adapter that screws into the crankcase and replace it with one that'll both screw into the crankcase and the new switch, then to the switch and flexi-pipe the other side.  This is my understanding of what I've got in my head.

3/8" BSF male to screw into crankcase, 3/8" BSP male at the other end to screw into the switch - is there such an adapter?  BSF adapters seem hard to come by.

The other side I'd need a 3/8" BSP male to screw into the switch, with a 1/4" BSP male to screw onto the flexi-pipe - these are readily available.

Any ideas welcome, or any suppliers I can get in touch with - no luck so far on t'internet.  Of course, there are other solutions, but I wanted to keep the arrangement out of the way of my spin-on oil filter set up if possible.

I can cut the solid bit of the flexi-pipe up near the oil tank if necessary, then connect the two sides with oil hose and clamps.  The switch does come with tails/spigots for that purpose.  In this scenario, the switch comes with an extra earth wire as the rubber hose wouldn't allow for the switch body to be earthed (see explanation from the Magneto Guys on this).

Wot do y'all think??

[Swarfcut]

 I would treat any thread into the crankcase with caution. The adaptors here are best left well alone. Sounds like you need a trip to your nearest hydraulic hose supplier, along with your bits.

 BSP,BSF?,Metric,W.T.F. threads can all be involved, very easy to make an expensive error.

 Swarfy.

[Triton Thrasher]

I wouldn’t fit one, but if I did it would be in a prominent accessible place.

[Yeti]

The penalty is to kick the bike over 40 times with the H.T. leads down your underpants.
Alternatively buy a SRM pump. seems to have stopped the wet sumping on mine

[Worty]

The penalty is to kick the bike over 40 times with the H.T. leads down your underpants.
Alternatively buy a SRM pump. seems to have stopped the wet sumping on mine

SRM oil pump - £365

Switch - £25

I take your points, but no contest for me.

I'll take a closer look at the options (and space) and go from there.

The bike did a total of 261m to Stafford and back without missing a beat.  This included a motorway/dual carriageway section of around 80m at a steady 65-70mph (indicated).  No unpleasant bangs, knocks or noises (not even noisy tappets).  I reckon I should fire her up with no oil supply more often.

[Slymo]

I hesitate to suggest the HT down the underpants but perhaps removing the plug lead on one side when parking up as a reminder could be a good plan. I have three old bikes and the RE Bullet will wet sump if left for too long but the A10 never does although I've never left it un started for more than a month or two. Always seems to me that letting a bike idle while it scavenges a crankcase full of oil is less of an issue than running it dry.

[Worty]

I hesitate to suggest the HT down the underpants but perhaps removing the plug lead on one side when parking up as a reminder could be a good plan. I have three old bikes and the RE Bullet will wet sump if left for too long but the A10 never does although I've never left it un started for more than a month or two. Always seems to me that letting a bike idle while it scavenges a crankcase full of oil is less of an issue than running it dry.

Fair enough Slymo, but I would be concerned about hydraulic lock as the bike dumps the entire contents of the oil tank into the sump in only a few days at most.  It's so bad that if I'm away for a couple of days and the bike isn't started, at least half the contents of the tank have disappeared (not onto the road, by the way).  It's not always convenient to find a clean container and drain off the sump at the side of the road and, given the price of SRM pumps or alternative engine stripdown, a valve was the best way to go.

I had thought of unplugging the ht leads but, of course, you have to remember to do that too.  At present, and in addition to my filler cap magnet and petrol taps having 'oil' written on them, I have a plastic lid with oil written on it that slips over the choke lever and a bungee that attaches to the kickstart and seat

[Jules]

Hey Worty, what about doing something with the magneto kill (earth) switch. Keep your current oil valve and maybe just replace the "touch off" magneto earth switch on the handlebars with a permanent on/off (ignition!) switch down by your oil valve?? would that work??