revtothelimit - motorbike forum

If it were me I'd be using the next few months as a fact-finding mission ready to take it off the road as autumn/winter approaches and get mediaeval on your long (and growing) to-do list over the winter months.

Thats what I'm doing. Shakedown before off season

Its also why I never get more than about 5 miles from home as the crow flies

mangocrazy wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:00 pm
With a bike of this vintage doing bits of enforced maintenance as stuff drops/vibrates off is no subsitute for stripping the whole thing down and fixing (and anticipating, more importantly) all the myriad issues that old vehicles are heir to.

I take the opposite view. Only some parts are prone to damage or loosening, through vibration. You find out what they are (and apply remedies), by a process of shakedown in use.

Shakedown being a literal term.

mangocrazy wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:20 pm If it were me I'd be using the next few months as a fact-finding mission ready to take it off the road as autumn/winter approaches and get mediaeval on your long (and growing) to-do list over the winter months.

If you were being really sensible you would bin it and buy a modern Honda.

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 7:39 pm
Seems a bit weird to me that the moving part of the stand is threaded.

Rather randomly, I’ve seen threaded bearing surfaces on Scania leaf spring pins and Austin Cambridge front wishbones.

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:19 pm Shakedown being a literal term.

I did really lose dental fillings when I first put the Triton on the road.

JackyJoll wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:12 pm

mangocrazy wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:00 pm
With a bike of this vintage doing bits of enforced maintenance as stuff drops/vibrates off is no subsitute for stripping the whole thing down and fixing (and anticipating, more importantly) all the myriad issues that old vehicles are heir to.

I take the opposite view. Only some parts are prone to damage or loosening, through vibration. You find out what they are (and apply remedies), by a process of shakedown in use.

Dealing with the effects of vibration is one thing, then there are all the other issues - oil tightness (or lack of), unreliability, 50 year old parts wearing out etc. etc.

Cousin Jack wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:20 pm

mangocrazy wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:20 pm If it were me I'd be using the next few months as a fact-finding mission ready to take it off the road as autumn/winter approaches and get mediaeval on your long (and growing) to-do list over the winter months.

If you were being really sensible you would bin it and buy a modern Honda.

It's not my bike - I'm just sniping from the sidelines...

Cousin Jack wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:20 pm If you were being really sensible you would bin it and buy a modern Honda.

Don't tempt me!

I have entered on of them online raffles to win a CB1000R though.

mangocrazy wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:58 pm 50 year old parts wearing out etc. etc.

Not gonna be many of them left anyway

I've stopped wearing my (mechanical) watch when riding, realised the vibes can't possibly be good for it.

Its a long thread and 2 years ago now, but I have replaced loads of the stuff you might expect to fail. Bottom end, gearbox internals, valves and clutch are all new. Oil pump has been rebuilt. I spent ages making sure the push rod tube "crush" is correct. I even polished the pistons with autosol and manually lapped the cam followers on a whetstone. Compared to the stuff I've done the stand shaking loose is a minor affair .

Cousin Jack wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:20 pm

mangocrazy wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:20 pm If it were me I'd be using the next few months as a fact-finding mission ready to take it off the road as autumn/winter approaches and get mediaeval on your long (and growing) to-do list over the winter months.

If you were being really sensible you would bin it and buy a modern Honda.

Heretic

Been out for a spin....the 9 plugs do seem to have made a difference, I got a few runs at full throttle through the gears OKish. It seems to get worse when the engine is really up to temp. The plugs look much better now though, biscuit electrodes and nice white insulators.

I'm gonna go richer and what happens. I've confirmed what I thought, its got 250 jets in and I have some unopened 240s on the shelf. 220 is stock, I think. I knew I bought two sizes but I couldn't remember if it was 250 and 260 or 250/240. Seems I put the richer of the two in and left the 240s on the shelf, which would make sense.

So ill buy some 260s and probably some 270s as well I guess. The postage is nearly as much as the jets, I should have just bought 220-270 to begin with

Oh...and the centre stand not being there has drastically improved left turn ground clearance. It does force me to learn a new kickstart technique though.

I hate kicking a biker when it's on the main stand. It's far too easy to have it topple over, i far prefer kicking when it's just on it's wheels.

Rockburner wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 10:39 pm I hate kicking a biker when it's on the main stand. It's far too easy to have it topple over,

It’s gay as well.

I used to do the first bit of getting the engine up to tdc-ish sitting on the seat and then stand up off the saddle to give it a proper prod, maybe a bit of a jump at the same time!

I dunno if its the high comp, but kicking this on the side stand takes enough force to push the bike over to the right.

I have to sit on it and sorta throw it left and kick/do a little jump at the same time, the net combination of which means it stays upright. Its just hard to get a kick all the way 'through' like that.

S'only a problem when cold, she seems a pretty good one kick starter when hot, touch wood.

Might have to get down to the local pukka emporium.

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 8:36 pm Oh...and the centre stand not being there has drastically improved left turn ground clearance.

That's what happened to my Dad on his Ariel Leader, he got the stand down and drifted into a head on with a Morris Minor The Leader ended up in the Morris's engine bay but lucky he was thrown clear over the top. His Dad was an ambulance driver at the time and on seeing the bike/car thought my Dad would have been in a right state, but other than being shook up he was fine. The Leader wasn't so lucky!

Given all the messing around and following the expensive engine re-build can you not take it somewhere to get set up on a dyno? I can't remember if you'd covered that.

I get the chopping plugs stuff is part of the experience but I'd rather give it to someone and say get that running perfect please.

There's a dyno place up Nottingham way that does old bikes, I might take it there. It's a faff though cause I don't have a Van, so either I'd need to ride it there or hire something etc.

The guy who rebuilt it doesn't have a dyno.

To be perfectly frank, I would also actually like to ride it at least a bit this summer! If I do dyno it, which I may well do, it'll probably be over winter.

Would it not be hard on the old girl running it on a dyno?