What have you done with your bike/s today?

[Dynamo Regulators Mike]

The typical current flow into the DVR2 through its 'A' terminal is less than 1mA (engine not running). So a typical battery would only be significantly discharged by the this current over thousands of hours. If the battery is connected in opposite polarity to the DVR2 a high current will flow into 'A' through the internal cut-out diode and on into the dynamo. The recommended fuse will likely blow in this instance due to this excess current. So indeed it is very easy to measure this current on mA range of a multi-meter, a Chaterlea John observed. The 'leakage' current will be higher if measured with the regulator warm after running as the cut-out diode leakage is a strong function of temperature. And as BSAReg stated drawing any conclusion about leakage with voltage measurement is tricky and ill advised.

The DVR2 will control standard 6V dynamos in 6 or 12V systems accurately and reliably. Dynamos wound with finer wire for 12 V operation will also work well with a DVR2. But only about 5 Amps is safely available in this case due to higher resistance heating in the armature. My preference on the A10 is to use the standard Lucas dynamo driven by our Dynamo Regulators Belt Drive Kit with DVR2 set for 12 V. Note that 12 V windings have also been known to have quality issues and vary from source to source.

I would add that I am easy enough to get hold of at DRL, and dutifully respond to e-mail queries.

Mike

[muskrat]

G'day Mike.
Good to see your still lurking. Been over three years since a sighting.

I've had DVR2's in both my A7 and A10 Cafe for many years without a problem. Both with E3L dynamo belt driven running 12v system.
I'd be looking for an electrical leak elsewhere.
Cheers

[berger]

today i found out betsy beezer is much more fun than urma the yonda. i went out on urma yesterday and stopped on a side road to see a Lancaster bomber go over head , those engines are awesome nearly as good as betsy's  it was a good ride out for 4 hours but at 100mph + my eyes water and i can't see because i wear glasses with an open face lid. going slow on urma is ok but she is a BIG machine and i am small and it's not much fun.  today they were going to do the same route with the Lanc over Hardwick Hall, famous for Bess of Hardwick so i went on betsy, betsy loves to show off and 1 mile into the ride she started performing, throwing herself into corners and making awesome exhaust notes as the revs often hit 5000rpm. i parked up at Hardwick and waited for half an hour with many more people for the Lanc only to be told they had called it off because of the wind! . a mate of mine who sold me betsy over 40 years ago turned up on his BMW monster 1200 shaft drive thingy so we set off to my house and i showed him the norbsa - building a berger project that is slowly getting there.. he was very impressed with betsy as he followed me home and said loads of pedestrians spun round as betsy blasted past and barked in their ears see i told you she is a show off and my favourite machine. 

[berger]

urma the yonda , i must behave with the right hand

[muskrat]

G'day bergs.
Yes they are fun. I bought an FZ750 new in 81. She ended up growing into a 1065.

I spent half the day reaming the main bush and setting the end float on the A7 motor. 1.5thou" clearance but could only get to 5thou" end float. Went looking for my shim stock only to remember it all got burnt, bugga. Off to engineers today to get more and finish it tonight.
Cheers

[RDfella]

GF starter update: Charging is OK - maxes out around 8A (at surprisingly low revs considering it's a 6v dynamo producing 12v) and soon drops back. Left the battery connected since I last posted and it hasn't gone flat. Wonder what happened there? Odd. Anyway, everything seems fine now.   
John asked a short while back about how my starter was working out. Attached are a couple of links showing it working. The blue 'spider' in the unenclosed video (when it was first started on the lift) is the outrigger bearing for the sprag assembly. My original idea was to mount it in the outer cover (it's only 1/8" away - ain't much room to spare in there) until I realised that meant I couldn't use the starter with the cover off - or even run the engine with it off without disconnecting the starting chain. Getting a solid support without fouling the outer cover needed a bit of head-scratching. PS - starter switch is just under the seat in case anyone thought starting was by magic.

https://youtu.be/uTaK1O4_KhQ
https://youtu.be/C-aGSB9byfs

[Greybeard]

GF starter update:

Very very nice! 👍

[chaterlea25]

Hi RD,
That looks and sounds great 
Well done on engineering the conversion yourself, and your rebuilt engine sounds sweet
What starter motor did you use ?
Did you see how much the cushdrive "sprung" when the starter is turning the engine ?

John
 

[RDfella]

John - starter motor is from a Honda Firestorm (they appear to fit quite a few models) simply because I used one previously on the vee twin - and if they can start a firestorm (high compression, virtually no flywheel 1.000cc) they'll start anything.
As for the cush drive - never gave it a thought. Being as the GF fires regularly, don't consider an issue would arise as perhaps might with an irregular firing (eg vee twin) engine. Would probably need a high speed camera (or something that could be substantially slowed down) to capture the movement.

[Minto]

RDFELLA, that is some very impressive work you’ve done there. I’m hoping my knees last long enough that I’ll never have to try to work this kind of thing out, cos I reckon I’d be screwed!
Great looking Flash too.

[BSA_54A10]

Well today I rode up the mountain by the back roads to vote
Was having such a good ride I went right past the polling booth & ended up voting at Falconbridge rather than Lapstone making it a70 mile round trip
Long way for a Democracy Saussare but at least the onion was not burned .
Put on the wet wethers so naturally it did not rain either way
And this is after Fridays run the see Dr Scott who had finished the surgery on the old magneto
Had to hide for 1/3 hour to avoid rain at Smithfield but again a nice 30 mile round trip .
That BOM rain radar is a wonderful idea for bike riders .

[RDfella]

Rain today - and most of next week apparently - so thought I'd give the GF vee twin a bit of a check over now it's done a few miles.
Wanted to remove the distributor to check the bevel gears, as I wasn't sure they were getting enough oil (transpires they are) but doing so would lose the ign timing, and that's a bit of a PITA to check. Usual stick down plug 'ole doesn't work, as the plug is recessed quite a bit in the fins making visibility difficult.
I wasn't busy, so decided to set the engine at firing point on front cylinder by virtue of points just opening, and then fabricate a rod against which the piston would rest at that point. I know such devices are available commercially, but they're really only fit for side-valvers and other motors with a vertical plug. Furthermore, alloy heads have the long thread, so even a stick down the hole would unlikely be vertical, making any reading thereon meaningless. Naturally this tool, once adjusted for this engine, would have to be re-adjusted for another - making the exercise pointless. So it'll stay with this bike for future use, meaning I just screw it in the plug hole and bring the piston up to it instead of having to strip the primary side to attach a timing disc.

As an aside, I use a CTZ14-S 12v battery -it's actually smaller than the 6v it replaces despite having over 200A CCA. I fit it on end (being ADM that's fine) and actually have to pack it on top to reach the battery strap. No need to bend or modify the battery tray at all.

[muskrat]

G'day RD.
I've been using such a tool for years on my BSA's. I have one for each. Used for initial setting then strobed to finish.
Cheers

[Colsbeeza]

Went for a great ride yesterday with a small group of the Newcastle Vintage Motorcycle Club to Vacy, had a coffee and back via some well-cornered roads. We found a gap in the rain, very unusual lately. Now 350 miles on the clock. Bike ran great but vibration started at 55mph and was a bit excessive. I had it dynamically balanced to 60% so when run in a bit more I'll give it a blast and see what happens - hopefully not "BANG". Reminder to self - check over the bolts and tank mounts. Oddly it started very rough and some black smoke - either flooded or wet-sumped. Cleared after a minute or so. Started first kick every time when hot, so problem disappeared. It certainly brings back memories of just how nice the swingarm A7 & A10 are to ride.
No oil on the floor next morning either.!!
Col

[Greybeard]

No oil on the floor next morning either.!!

That doesn't sound right! 🤔