Ride on a 1949 longstroke

[taroha10]

Hi all,
had a go on a 1949 longstroke today.A friend inherited it from his father inlaw.He has done the minimum to it to put it back on the road( which I am a great fan of ) and it is the sweetest running A series engine I have ever known.To start it you sort of push gently on the kickstart and it ticks over straight away.The only real change is a monoblock carb. Mind you, the ride on a bumpy road was another matter! No different to the M20 though.( actually, maybe a little worse! )
It brought home that I really need to get some flat top pistons for the super rocket cos I liked that easier start .I will be interested to know just what compression its current ones are!
Still love it though.
Cheers to you all and have a happy easter.
Mark.

[Brian]

Glad you liked the Longstroke Mark, they are nice.

State of tune is a subject that evokes much discussion. Before you build a engine you really need to know in your own mind just what you want. The more performance you extract the more tractability (softness) you lose. Comes down to just what you want to do with the bike and how you intend to ride it.

I've built a lot of A10 engines in various states of tune and firmly believe that around 7.5-1 compression and the 356 cam is the best set up for 99% of riders. That gives you a very flexible engine but still able to run comfortably at highway speeds.

[taroha10]

Yes Brian , I agree.
The bike is how I bought it.It was one of those purchases that sort of happened when I was least expecting it. My two previous A10s were in a much softer state of tune and were a pleasure to ride.
This bike seems to have been put together very well, so I am loath to touch it.However, I am aware of the extra strain on everything ( including my leg muscles )that the high compression must have.It does start very well as long as you get the procedure correct. And I really love it! When/ if ,I have to dismantle the engine it will be interesting to see what's inside but until then I will enjoy it as it is.
Cheers .Mark.

[terryk]

My 1947 longstoke is very quiet in the engine and starts and rides really well. It sits on 60 mile an hour comfortably and if I need  to overtake it has the power to do it. I'm 130kgs so thats pretty good for a 500cc. I love the longstrokes even though my mrs knows Im really a shortstoker