What have you done with your bike/s today?

[BigJim]

Just a quicky as it’s been a while since making any comment. Have been on my knees for about 6 hrs this evening playing with the front end of my A10. Not what I had planned to be doing when I ventured into the garage but hey ho it was good fun. Will be going abroad tomorrow (Wales) for coffee in morning as it’s been a while and it appears to have stopped raining! All my recent rides have been local. Was thinking whilst playing earlier how it’s another winter with no serious restoration work to bike. I’m still at the dry build stage and ironing out all the wrinkles, mind I have been doing that since ‘89.
 

[limeyrob]

The Post Office finally delivered all the parts I ordered over the past 2 weeks.  They've been saving them up somewhere.  Anyway it means I can swap the wheel bearings over to sealed units, rebuild the forks and get the centre stand back on.  The fork tool arrived which will get used once or twice at most, I know this becuse I bought one 30 years ago and used it once or twice at most, then got rid of it as "I'll never need one of those again" .  I'll put this one in my will.
I got this bike about 2 months ago as a loosely assembled bike described as a "cafe racer".  Its a bitza but some bits are nice - alloy head, 9:1 pistons, big journal crank, 8" TLS brake and who ever did the original build knew what they were doing.  Since then its been very badly rebuilt so I'm having to take it all apart and put it back together properly.
It will never be a restoration or rebuild but a recommissioning.  Plan is to be on the road in another month or so.  It was kept in a damp shed at some stage and there is just too much corrosion on the chrome for it to ever be immaculate without a huge parts bill.  What it will be is nice and shiny as it goes by

[limeyrob]

TS bush has arrived and so have the -20 shells so now its time to get the crank ground.  TS bush is blank and crank is about -12 so plan is to get the TS grind and bush machined for -15.  I need to get the camp stove out and get the bush and roller bearing in the cases.

[Catz]

Fired the A10 up since it's last run in September 23. Took a bit of coaxing but way hey. 

[Colsbeeza]

Hi Catz, You didn't go out in the snow did you??

[Catz]

No way, though we have had a bit down here. Cheshire is between Scotland and the South.

[Black Sheep]

Fired up the BSAs and the Norton to clear the sumps. Found that the Norton rev counter is on the blink. Sending it off for repair later today.

[Joolstacho]

Hey show us the Norton BS (-we know what a beezer looks like)

[muskrat]

G'day Fellas.
I finally got around to fitting the manifolds and carbs on the Cafe. Will wait till tomorrow night to see if it's all sealed up. I machined the grooves on the carbs to accept O rings and glued the flanges on with JBWeld. O ring between flange and manifold, 1/8" tufnol and silastic between manifold and head. I'll take pics tomorrow. If it still sucks the shooting star you see going up is my camera
Cheers

[Colsbeeza]

I shifted the BSA sideways to make room for my 1969 Honda CB450 K2 (the last with drum brakes). Interestingly, I purchased this bike for A$200 in 1992 with bent front fork stantions. I straightened the forks, put new fork seals and tyres, and rode it for 3 years. The front brake had been relined for PO by Ross Hannan, a prominent rider in the 1960's. It has deteriorated in that 32 years, so I think I will just clean it up, replace the front forks, new tyres and ride it. It has large exhaust valves and pulled very well two-up on nice hills. I don't think it is worth the expense of a full restoration. Ohh - and the Lilac is ready to kick start next week. So the BSA will be getting scant attention for a month or three. I am feeling the pressure to get my larger bikes all running whilst I still can. The tiddlers can wait.!
Col

[Joolstacho]

Working on the Velocette today. My '64 Clubman owned since 1973. As I'm passing it on to it's new keeper, my son, I'm going through the whole thing to set it up nicely for him. Good to be inside my Velo again... you forget what a class piece of machinery they are. The timing gears etc are a work of art!

[Worty]

Got the GF and W650 out today.  W650 was tyres pumped up, quick carb prime, and fired on the button after a couple of attempts (4 month layoff).

The GF, however, was a different matter.  I thought I'd try a suggestion to stop wet sumping by attaching a pipe to the tank breather and clamping a drill bit in the end.  After a few hours, the level had dropped a bit, so I tried using the vacuum gun from my brake bleeding kit on it to create a bit of a vacuum in the tank - no go, I assume the return pipe doesn't allow for a vacuum to be created??

So, in taking the seat off, the front bracket that attaches to the seat pan sheared off (probably a cheap Indian replica).   I found a large penny washer, put a 10mm bolt on the underside and worked it under the torn pan.  Couldn't get to tighten the nyloc nut properly on the other end, but managed it enough to hold it in place.

After all that was finished, I put a bit of air in the tyres and went for a fire up.  Seemed a bit tight initially, then spat at me viciously (always start with choke fully OFF), then she fired up with decent oil return - sounds good.

First gear was a bit clunky, so I thought I'd check the gearbox oil and clutch adjustment.  The adjustment nut had loosened and the adjuster had backed off quite a way.  Adjusted so that the lever was not quite in contact with the pushrod then tried again - much better.

The l/h fork seal seams to be leaking less now, with a drop of oil coming from the drain screw.

Apart from the continuing dodgy earth I have somewhere, and slight oil leaks from gearbox, oil tank unions, primary and sump covers, I'm all set for Summer

[limeyrob]

Installed the T-S bush and D-S race in the cases.  Been putting this off but it wouldn't do itself.  Cases in oven, bearings in freezer.  D-S race dropped in beautifully, T-S bush took a tap to get started then a light press in.  Re-seated anti-sump valve, must not forget to install that when I get it back from the machine shop.  Leaving it out for now so I can clean the oil-ways after the bush is machined.  Crank is about -12 so I'm going to get them to grind to -15 and bore the bush to suit.  Well that's the plan.

[berger]

 i have not been to the pub but i have slurped a few black&tans in the house whilst cleaning one side of betsy a bit, BUT i have not touched a dirty filthy fag for 14 days now ..  Worty why do i get hesitant to read through your posts when i see it includes the A10 and oil or starting .  anyway i thought i would give betsy a little polish today because she gets very mucky  [ dusty  ] with the open fire muck and this house is also so dusty anyway being on the main road and 120 years old, i asked the neighbours about theirs  and they said the same , very dusty.  i slowly pulled betsy's drip tray out expecting a blob or 5 of oil  and there is NOTHING on it while she has been parked up for weeks keeping warm and safe and sound in the house,  i do know if she had been left on the side stand a bit of oil would have found it's way down the mainshaft even though it has the seal nut and the sprocket seal is sealed up itself with goo next to the output bearing , i don't think a bit of a drip from this area can be fully stopped when left on the side stand for a long time depending on the oil level and angle of lean    [ i had a load of cheesy mash with dinner a few days ago and had a nightmare that she had been stolen and these big 4x4 trucks had hidden her at a big garage where my mate works and this helped the thieves to take her, luckily my cat walked up the stairs like a human and woke me up --- that was scary in itself    . anyway me and cat went down stairs and betsty was still in the kitchen -  PHEW!!!!.  then i fed pussy and went back to blip, it was 5 in the morning   the next job is turning betsy round and cleaning the other side. thankyou for listening have a nice day ,  my glass needs a refill ------worty stop freaking me out

[Worty]

Bergs, first of all, is the baccy all you were smoking with dreams like that - might be safer to go back to it   Second, soz for freakin' you out mate   I have done 1100m since the rebuild and it's not gone bang yet - but it'd never be down to you even if it did.  With my riding and the state of the motor and welded up crank, I know you and your brother did the best possible job you could have done - it wouldn't have been touched by anyone else   I'm not a shallow, petulant prat who'd throw a hissy fit and point a finger if I blew it up.  I would, however, be thankful for you and MWAS rescuing the motor after it was buggered up by RM, and I'd probably never had the chance to meet up and put all the idiots in this world to rights.

Rest easy mate, me and that motor are still on a journey in both senses, and I'm enjoying all of them.