What have you done with your bike/s today?

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
Loaded up the SR for a trip tomorrow after fitting a new front Metzeler Lazer tyre on Wednesday evening
These have a stiff sidewall compared to other makes and can be a pig to do using levers 

I saw a you tube video clip recently where a guy wrapped 12 or so tiewraps around a wide rear bike tyre pulling the beads together,and just"hoiked" it onto the rim by hand
I thought I would try something similar as the BSA has an inner tube I fitted that into the tyre and pumped a little air into it to hold it in shape, started off with the tiewraps and worked my way round the tyre until the beads were touching, (had to leave some air out)
I lubed the tyre beads and it took a bit of grunting to get the tyre on enough to not slide off on its own, a couple of easy goes with a tyre lever and there it was "done" I had to turn the tyre an inch or so to line up the valve stem but was surprised when the stem popped through the rim as it lined up 
Snip the tiewraps and pull them through, then pump up
I was in dread of doing this beforehand, but I did not even work up a sweat doing it 

John

[mikeb]

When my 18y/o was home on holiday recently he was riding the B33 (a sight to behold) but forgot to turn the gas on, ran the float bowl empty, the float stuck and gas spewed out everywhere. A few taps on the side sorted it temporarily so today I finally pulled it apart. It’s a ‘new’ burlen 376 and true to form the stayup float had a sliver of ‘flash between the halves, and the outer side was catching on the raised casting for one of the screws. So I removed some metal and a tiny scrape of plastic and problem solved. It seems a bit poor that a ‘new’ part at ‘made in England’ prices has such defects. But not a major.

Also did oil and filter on the a10, readying it for the Northland Vintage Rally in 2 weeks. Even cleaned it for the first time in a long time and I might even polish some bits if I get bored this week. It will probably join the BSA club stand at the NZ motorcycle show next weekend, so it better look the part.

[groily]

I saw a you tube video clip recently where a guy wrapped 12 or so tiewraps around a wide rear bike tyre pulling the beads together,and just"hoiked" it onto the rim by hand
I thought I would try something similar as the BSA has an inner tube I fitted that into the tyre and pumped a little air into it to hold it in shape, started off with the tiewraps and worked my way round the tyre until the beads were touching, (had to leave some air out)
I lubed the tyre beads and it took a bit of grunting to get the tyre on enough to not slide off on its own, a couple of easy goes with a tyre lever and there it was "done" I had to turn the tyre an inch or so to line up the valve stem but was surprised when the stem popped through the rim as it lined up 
Snip the tiewraps and pull them through, then pump up
I was in dread of doing this beforehand, but I did not even work up a sweat doing it 

John

Should have remembered I'd read about that in the past too John. As I struggled, yet again, getting a new front (TT100 in that case) on one bike yesterday.
When I was young, it seemed so easy  . . . but gets harder and harder it seems with feebleness of age, or maybe more modern materials also come into it, and I can't get 'em on without levers with hands and feet like I could once.
I'll try the tie-wrap thing next time - hope it wasn't just lady luck on your side ref the valve stem slipping through!

Seriously tempted to buy one of the tyre fitting things like https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/9032778335?iid=234388303062 or similar. Anyone got one?? And if so, does it really eliminate risk of tube damage, muscle damage and the rest of the PITA that's involved?

[RDfella]

Wow. That's some clever machining.

Not really. Turn up a disc from bar stock in the lathe, transfer to a rotary table (accurate enough for this and without the risk of mistakes so easily made with a dividing head) and drill holes at 32.727* (32* 44') intervals at half PCD. Was dreading a lot of hand finishing for tooth profile having not used a dedicated cutter, but it barely needed a touch. Fact it only took 2 hrs surprised me and shows it was easier than I'd imagined.

I thought you would have whipped up a toothed belt dynamo drive

Did cross my mind, but would make more sense to buy a kit as they're very reasonable. Reason I went for sprocket change was a) cost (you can buy one for a fiver) and b) time. When I'm trying to get a job finished that is already overdue, I'm not looking to make extra work! But then my plan was completely ruined by Royal Mail ......  Had I known making the sprocket was as easy as it was, I'd have done that in the first place and the bike would have been finished a month ago 

[Miker]

Got the exhaust on today. I bought it a few years ago secondhand.  Had to do a bit of fettling on the header pipe to get it to fit but all good now.

[berger]

the riders seat is the epitome of BSA ---- 

[chaterlea25]

Hi RD,
Do you have the Flash running yet if so how is thw starter working out?
My electric start SR attracted quite a bit of interest at the weekend event

John

[Greybeard]

the riders seat is the epitome of BSA ---- 

Well ventilated though.

[RDfella]

Hi RD, Do you have the Flash running yet if so how is thw starter working out?
My electric start SR attracted quite a bit of interest at the weekend event

How ironic you should ask that today, John.
After the starter build I fitted new rods to the engine and re-balanced the crank. Only hold-up then was waiting for a sprocket to speed up the dynamo after I'd changed my plan and decided to make the bike 12v instead of 6v and just charge the 12v battery as required. Maybe I should have stayed with the original idea ....
Anyway, re-fitted the dynamo and changed original regulator for a DVR2 over the weekend and my son helped get the bike off the lift yesterday.
Today was the big day - roadtest (and my first ride of a bike since before my hip op last Nov). So, checked tyre pressures, took oil filler cap off, petrol on, tickled carb, pressed starter button .... nothing. Checked battery - it's flat. Now it's never missed a beat all the time I've been working on the starter and it's started the bike a dozen times. Funny it should be flat just three days after fitting the dynamo and a new regulator. Can surely only be the latter leaking voltage. Anyone else had these issues?
Kubota regulators (as on my vee twin) are known to drain batteries - but only after a month or so - so on that bike I disconnect the feed after each ride. Looks like I'll have to do the same on the GF.
Damned disappointing.

[chaterlea25]

Hi RD,
If the DVR2 is leaking current, it should be easy to check out ?
If so I would send it back for replacement.
Coincidentally I put one on my Guzzi single when I fitted a Lucas dynamo last year
I went 12v and used the pre electric start battery from the A10. When I went to the bike after the winter the battery was dead.
Anyway I took it out and charged it up then left it sitting until I needed a battery to pump the oil into the MGB gearbox last week, battery is fine so 

John

[RDfella]

Charged the battery @ .5A overnight. now 13+v. Refitted, and starts the bike immediately. Disconnected the DVR2 lead to battery (and left it that way) and got the digital meter out. 13v between batt wire and drv2 batt wire. Surely that's wrong? Surely a regulator should cut out and show no connection?? Secondly, I measured a 3ohm (I think) resistance between batt lead and dvr2 brown wire. Guess that's where the battery contents are going.
I got a dvr2 on the basis members here seem to reckon them. Must say I was surprised at the tiny envelope of the unit for what it has to do. So are they good, or the proverbial dog's breath? Would I be better off with a conventional 12v regulator? (Older tractors have similar units to the 6v ones on our bikes).

[Bsareg]

Digital multimeters are so sensitive that they will show voltage even when the leak is micro amps. Try the same trick with a damp finger instead of the Dvr2 ! Best to use the meter on amps then milliamps to see if there's currents being drawn.

[Roger (Doomtrainbarx)]

I have dvr2's on both my Rockets running on 6v pos with headlights on always day and night - never had a charging/ battery problem since fitting them. I think they can operate on 6 or 12 volts ?

[chaterlea25]

Hi RD,
Instead of the multimeter try a 2w bulb (speedo illumination or similar) and see if it lights
or put the meter on amps / milliamp scale from battery to DVR

John

[KiwiGF]

Charged the battery @ .5A overnight. now 13+v. Refitted, and starts the bike immediately. Disconnected the DVR2 lead to battery (and left it that way) and got the digital meter out. 13v between batt wire and drv2 batt wire. Surely that's wrong? Surely a regulator should cut out and show no connection?? Secondly, I measured a 3ohm (I think) resistance between batt lead and dvr2 brown wire. Guess that's where the battery contents are going.
I got a dvr2 on the basis members here seem to reckon them. Must say I was surprised at the tiny envelope of the unit for what it has to do. So are they good, or the proverbial dog's breath? Would I be better off with a conventional 12v regulator? (Older tractors have similar units to the 6v ones on our bikes).

My A10 is on 6v with dvr2, works fine, must be over 10 years old now.
I have two dvr2 units that failed shortly after fitting to my b31, a 12v “conversion” but with std 6v dynamo. I now have an original lucas 6v mechanical reg on that bike, which does needs the reg. points cleaned occasionally, its hard on the 6v motobatt battery, it tends to charge too fast no matter how I adjust the reg. It (now) has a home made field coil with about 20% more turns (and ohms) than std. it now) charges even on idle.
I think the 2x dvr2 failed when used in a 12v system as they need a very good field coil with above average resistance, to last well, but thats just a theory.