mike wilson

My guess would be a particulate reason.

Given that just one tappet had a whole feeler blade set of wear on it (about 4mm? x the diameter of the foot) I would think that there is enough particulate matter circulating the engine to potentially block the filter and cause it to bypass at least partly. If it was my machine, that I had just spent ~£10,000 on, I would be much less than happy that something like this had gone wrong - but I would be much unhappier at the way the supplier was trying to deal with it.

The way it's written (translated, actually) it seems to be saying that one side/flank of the pushrod should face the relative rocker. But, as any fule no, properly designed rods and such will be rotating anyway so that makes no sense. The only other way I could read it (which was a less obvious way to read it but made more sense) was that there was an "up" and a "down" for the pushrods but the pictures I have seen seem to show "dumbells" that could go in either way up. Even more confusing.....

I would have to guess that it's one of the pre-Taglioni OHV Ducati 125 singles. One was called the Bronco and this is obviously not that, so I guess again that it might be the Aurea. Date: any time between 1958 and 1966.

You could at least have tried to find a titanium spring. 8-) BTW, I understand that many of the newer Brembo systems have a total non-availability of rebuild parts. Might be time to do a little judicious stockpiling.

At present, it seems you have very little to lose by going to a reputable (by which I mean someone with huge numbers of letters after their name, who can look directly at the stuff - no disrespect to anyone here) engineer and buying a professional opinion. If that comes back suggesting engine replacement, take that to the importer. Point out that your next port of call is the no-win, no-fee shop.

Reminder to self: _never_ go for a ride with BFG.

similar to the Velocette idea of preloaded main bearings. Which makes sense for a crankcase that heats up relatively quickly. I'm not so sure about the idea for a part that will take some considerable mileage to attain working temperature, which may be not so much hotter than ambient.

By the time we reach page 42, we should have the answer.

It is actually worse than you suggest, I think. The head temperature will not be the same at all points on the head, most of the time. Under accelleration, the area around the exhaust port will heat up more rapidly (from hot gases) than the area around the intake, which is being cooled by incoming gases, in turn cooled by evaporating fuel. Much of the heat around the exhaust port will be conducted along the nearby fins, due to the steep heat gradient there as airstream takes away the heat nearer the tips. I suspect there will be a noticable heat gradient from front to back and there may be even more of a lag in sensor readings with respect to average head temperature at any given moment.

Your local college/high school/university may have just the equipment you are looking for _plus_ an excitable, nubile student wishing to undertake something almost exactly like this for either a project or other academic effort. We use dataloggers that can log four channels, will fit in a jacket pocket at a push and can log temperature, volts and current and, with a bit of manipulation, could be made to monitor things like road speed. http://www.sciencescope.co.uk/logbook_gl.htm Just a thought........ Keep up the good work.

That is something I would be very concerned about. There is a Guzzi dealer (in reality, just another box shifter) about five miles from me. If there is anything you need that you can't get over there, let me know.

Puchs are mainly two stroke. This is an OHV motor. Probably Italian, although the rocker cover is remeniscent of the NSU-Vincent Fox.

Zubrowka. Vodka flavoured with extract of holy grass. Not _that_ holy grass......

Is _anything_ shiny in Orkney?

That's your problem right there. Bet you've never had any interesting interactions with the law, either?

Mine was a P&C original - at least I assume so, as it was first registered in Clerkenwell, London. Canterbury Javelin double-adult sidecar. It was the last vehicle across the M62 one New Year's Eve before it was closed due to snow. I was slow because the wind had blown out the sidecar windows and I spent some time picking them up. I assumed the blue lights were due to that incident and the copper was really indignant that I had stopped when I saw them in the mirror. Ner-a-car had quite a few innovations, including hcs.

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7547 You can see the pedal just below the exhaust pipe and in front of the pipe/silencer junction.

I had (and still have parts of) a 1966 120 de luxe 650. One of the very last to come out of the factory. In about 1974, I went there as I had been told that it was still in existance and still had parts. It was very sad to see the rotted-through Nissen hut stores with many brand new motorcycle bits disintegrating in the rain. The only stuff that was even faintly salvageable were heavy frame parts and iron castings.

The UK Neracar was made by Sheffield-Simplex. Pre-WWI, every village blacksmith would have been a "manufacturer", buying frame and other cycle parts from Chater Lea, wheels from Rudge-Whitworth and engines from everyone from Werner Freres to that ghastly american Pennington. I think there were about 2,000 manufacturers listed at that time for England alone.

Actually "The Moorcock" just outside Consett, .........County Durham.......

Not at all; you don't have to pay for the advice here.

It's not a Vincent, it's an Egli. I don't think he made two the same.

I don't see that you have any evidence for that assertion. It, equally possibly, may have just not been tried. MG could be installing the sensor as per manufacturer's instructions.

Ignore my inane gibberings of half-remembered schooldays. Pewter does not work harden to any serious level. You can work it directly and it will actually become more pliable if it is worked more. It will be at its least pliable when it is freshly cast, gradually becoming softer (all of this is relative, of course) as it ages. I suppose a Guzzi buckle would be as soft as pewter gets......