What have you done with your bike/s today?

[Worty]

Only thing I can add is dodgy maggy.  Mine ran with sooty plugs for ages and spat and misfired until I changed it.  Wouldn't explain how one cylinder kept going though (unless maybe a bad slip ring??).  I reckon Jim's right with valve/pushrod or similar issues, but that might have produced other noises/issues.  Could have been a combination of things, like bad plug, maggy issues, timing, etc, but I'm afraid you'll have to start with the easy stuff and work back to the more complicated.  Fortunately, our bikes are pretty simple, so it shouldn't be long before things start to become clear.

[Swarfcut]

 Bit late now but check the oil tank. There is a possibility it was not scavenging well and started to oil up first on the less perfect bore.  I'd be inclined to drop the sump  plate anyway, drain off anything that's come down on standing  and check the little ball valve for freedom. Clean the plugs, check for consistent good sparks, prime the cylinders directly and see if it runs. A wide throttle to keep it going on the road does not automatically point to a carb problem, but as always it's basic mechanicals, then ignition, only then move to the delights of the 276.

 With no nasty noises it will be something simple.

 Swarfy.

[berger]

i have not been to the pub but i think i need to. after finding melted resin in the cdi boxes and a cracked coil i thought this could well be the reasons urma the yonda was miss firing and holding back at 5000rpm. i changed the cdi boxes and it made no difference so then i thought it must be the cracked coil and old leads and caps. i borrowed some parts from a mate and it made no difference  . yesterday i found it hard to start on the choke from cold and usually these bikes need the choke, today i tried without the choke and she fired up no problem, i decided to take the air filter out and go for a run. this resulted in the same symtoms untill i started playing with the choke lever and things started to happen regards a surge up to 8000rpm at random intervals. i went back home and put the air filter back in but left its side cover off that screws on and has a seal, the air normally being sucked through the back of the air box now had another big inlet area. along the road we went in second gear and i twisted the throttle fully open 4000rpm to 8500rpm in half a second and the front wheel in the air ..i got the wheel down and we went on a steady trial run over the hills out of the way of traffic. she has turned into the beast she should be hitting 9500rpm in the first 3 gears and that is scary at my young age. the air filter LOOKED clean , things are not what they seem to be, i'm just glad it's NOT fitted with modern sensors for steering and brakes that could get me in more trouble than i'm capable of on my own   ..... MUSKY RESULT!!!!

[muskrat]

G'day Bergs.
So she is set up rich in the carbs. CV carbs won't run without an air box and filter. Without these they need to be jetted much richer to run well, as you have found. You could probably run pods and do away with the air box. Makes r&r of the carbs easier.

While we're on rHonda I finally got the head back on mine last night. I was able to Time-Sert one cam cap bolt hole but the other two were too far gone so made stepped studs for them. Tonight will be getting the cams dialed in and cover on. Hopefully get two of the sons over on w/end to help throw the lump (98kg) back in the frame. Still got a few more weeks of lockdown before I can cut loose on her.
Cheers

[berger]

hi musky i don't think the carbs are rich they are set to book. more like an air filter that looks cleanish but is choked. as soon as it got the chance of pulling more air through the side cover it flew. a new filter on it's way and then i will find out.

[muskrat]

G'day Bergs.
I don't like the std filters, I prefer the foam ones https://tinyurl.com/h5yhy3fk

I just got the cams in and had to stop. The TV in the shed was more interesting. My Bunnies flogged the Sea Eagles and are now in the grand final next week.
Cheers

[Worty]

I've done nothing with the bike today and my grand ride out over the weekend is cancelled - I've just tested positive for Covid!

Anyway, as someone who's not been vaccinated as yet, let's see what happens.   Feels like a bit of a headachy cold at the moment, with a bit of a tickly cough and some aches and pains.  If I'm posting again by next week, I should be ok, if not, there'll be a nice A10 up for sale soon.

Cheers all.

[muskrat]

Crikey Worty, isn't this your 2nd go at it? Please if it gets any worse get to hospital.
Cheers

[Sav]

Lets hope you do not take up NHS resources that could have been likely avoided with vaccination, still I'll wish you all the best!

Had my chemo session yesterday over at Margate and every fuel station was queued out onto the road with panic buying, got the car back home on vapour.

Took the bike down into Deal in the evening to top up for the VMCC Kent gathering with the Sunbeam Club at Brenzett tomorrow and not a drop of petrol to be had at either filling station in Deal! Guess I won't be going on that run!

[Worty]

Cheers Sav, heart of gold.   Don't worry mate, if I get really ill, I'll battle it out at home so more deserving people don't suffer.  TBH, there's a 'worst cold ever' thing going about, and it feels more like that (my boys have been unwell with it too).  I reckon it's coincidence with the positive test, don't think it's the Covid making me feel grotty.  I know that people think the vaccine is some sort of Medical Messiah, but I reckon my immunity is as good as it's ever going to be having had it bad last year.

Sav - I get your anger at me, especially given the chemo treatment and what that suggests.  Trust me, I'd never darken the door of a hospital unless it really was a case of life or death.  My wife works in one and the tales that come out would make a saint faint.

Thanks Musky - makes you realise how many nasties are circulating at any one time. 

So far so good - had an achy but decent night, have eaten brekkie and put some washing on.  Maybe I'll test negative tomorrow and can sneak out for a ride??

[Roger (Doomtrainbarx)]

Tell you what I've done to the bike today - S.F.A - why ? - no friggin' petrol !!

[RDfella]

Today I finished the Villiers crank re-balance. No-one seems to know what the factor should be, so I aimed for just under 60% (sadly, being a two stroke, using removable balance weights as I do on four strokes isn't really an option). Years ago Alpha used to supply full-circle cranks, but alas, no more, so I ended up welding sheet metal to fill the webs. That then required removing steel and replacing with lead to restore balance. Bit of a bugger to do, as flywheels were really hard - just machineable with carbide tools, provided I re-sharpened for every cut.  The holes for the inserts were also bored with mid-way recesses to help locate the lead. Added a little tin to the lead to help it flow and finished by bumping the lead inserts in the press to ensure a tight fit.

[Bsareg]

I've got Villiers 196 super sport from the early 30s. They were fitted with an alloy deflector piston. Mine is fitted with a cast iron version as fitted to the 'cooking' engine. I'm reliably told that the same crankshaft was used for both engines without altering the balance factor.

[olev]

Gday RD,
I seem to remember sometime back you mentioned reading a 'hotup' book about villiers motors.
If it was 'The Villiers Singles Improvement Handbook' don't take too much notice of the section on balancing.
Some years back when I was bombing a 197, I wrote to Rob Carrick about this confusing chapter in his book.
He replied that he had changed his views on balancing and suggested I ignored that part of the book.
As an example he blew one of his racing engines in mid season and threw another together out of parts.
His rider asked him to put a tacho on the bike as it was much smoother and he was having trouble picking gear changes at racing speeds.
Sometime later when he checked the balance factor during a strip down, it was over 70%.
It would probably be a pig on the road though.
Have you thought about carby and ignition yet?
cheers

[Brian]

Going back a few replies to pods and CV carbies. Be very careful fitting pods to CV carbies, if they in any way restrict the air flow to the inlet to the diaphrams you will have all sorts of trouble. I ran into this on a XS650 Yamaha some years ago and it caused me lots of trouble.