mike wilson

I _love_ going to the main dealers that my wife insists we get the cars serviced at. They always come out with a huge list of bits that "need" replacing. It took a while but I finally got her to stop saying "Yes" at every suggestion they made. Cath got even the last time we took the Mundaneo in. She does a prodigious mileage, so the services come around every two months or so. We had the previous service record with us and I made myself scarce. Workshop manager comes over to her with a huge list. This: "No, thanks" That: "No thanks". Then he said "New rotors and pads" "Are they worn out?" she says. "Indeed" he says. "In that case replace them - the ones you put in two months ago must have been defective, so I won't be paying for them" Waves their service record under his nose. Silly sod.... Even better, after that service it was MOTed two weeks later and failed. "Too dangerous to move, madam". We got a free MOT and the service money back from that. I think Cath is finally cured of her main dealer obsession.

I'll do it for $100 plus the cost of oil and filter. Just bring it here. I'll torque your head for free. 8-))) m

C&U regs seem to be forgotten documents. Implementation of them would take most modern bikes off the road immediately. You haven't seen me on a bike. Don't need lights to look like a charging bison. 8-) m

It's a made up kit of modified proprietary parts. The reason for using antifreeze is that the rubber in one of the cylinders is not oil proof, the other is not brake fluid proof. You could use any liquid but antifreeze has a reasonably high boiling point. I assume the kits at the bottom are the slave cyliinders with hydraulic hose. Can't see any other reason for a difference between clipons and touring bars. Take your pick of masters from the list above. Seems like a reasonable price. Nice idea for clutch free play adjustment. mike

I was sat behind a bike at some traffic lights last night. He seemed to have a fault in his brake light, as it was intermittenly flashing and fading. Took me about 5-10 seconds to realise that he had an LED rear light, standard brakelight sized, with one part of it flashing orange as an indicator. Now if I, sitting right behind him, can't work out immediately that he is indicating a maneouver, how the Hell is Joe or Joan Sixpack going to do it on a wet night at 70mph? I see a Subaru suppository in his future, WRX lookalikes being the racer of choice in this locality. My preference is for separate indicators, spaced as far apart as possible. Although there is a fashion for micro lights, bunched as close together as possible, his (I am assuming maleness) setup is probably illegal here. m

If everything is in good condition, most driveline lash (much more than 1cm) is due to the play in the dogs in the gearbox. This play is designed to be there and is essential for smooth, easy gearchanging. What you are seeing is the accumulated lash between the wheel and drive box, the drive box and drive shaft and the drive shaft and UJ. On the small blocks the UJ is part of the drive shaft, so one point of lash is removed. m

Use the other end of the calipers, where the thin bit come out. Put a plate over the far end hole, where the bearing sits. Open the calipers until the spike hits it and then put the base on the bearing seat of the other end. Read the caliper normally. You just need to make sure that all is square when you are making the reading, as there can be significant differences once you get to larger sizes. mike

You are right but Martin has been describing lash measured from the periphery of the wheel to the engine side of the UJ. Normally, there will be cumulative lash from the splined joints and any cush drive in there and, un-normally, from wear in those and the pinion/crownwheel and UJ. 1cm seems like a reasonable measurement for a total. He just needed to check that it wasn't mostly coming from one place in that chain. _Total_ driveline lash would have to be measured between the periphery of the wheel and the nose of the crank, to take in any play in the clutch splines. There are so many factors in there, though, that I doubt it would be a useful measurement. m

1cm normal? I'd say it was rather small..... With the wheel off, if you can get a lever into the bevel box (through a filler or level hole) and onto the ring gear, gently try to move it. You might be able to do the same thing with the wheel axle, in its normal place. Any apparent movement would indicate a rebuild to me. More likely (certainly in older machines) would be the bearings on the input shaft. Is this as easy to remove as on the Tonti machines? Again, play = at least a reshim. Rebuilds are not that difficult but are also not something you can rush. What about getting a spare from Reboot? If it's in good nick you can use it and rebuild your original at your leisure. Sounds like a learning experience to me. 8-)) m

More bean counting. Most nipples have a non-return valve in the form of a spring loaded ballbearing, to prevent lube loss and contamination. This looks like a lump of felt does the same job, just not as well..... It would be fine in, say, an indoors environment, which may be comparatively clean. What's the thing at the other end? m

It's the original spud-faced nipper, chronic gambler and granny shagger. Because of his enormous gambling debts, someone out of shot is hammering his toes. Unknown to the hammerer, that's where what passes as the hammeree's brain resides, so his career as a world famous clogger and hoofer is going to be somewhat shorter than his investors would like.......

It's your call but I thought the definition of bodge was something like "a repair done in the field that causes more damage, needing to be repaired in its own right at a later date". Although the (whateveritis) *might* have caused further problems, it actually didn't. I don't consider it a bodge - I'm very impressed. Unless the "Golden Bodge Point" means something else..... m

They would never get to the stadium. At present, it's a 30+ police vehicle escort. Would probably be well into three figures for that game. The coach would have nowhere to park..... I'm waiting for the first accident caused by flag remnants on the carriageway. Not strong enough to remain attached to the w****r's vehicle but plenty good enough to put a hole in your tyre. m

Not while Eric Clapton is alive, he isn't. 8-))))

I used to have great fun riding with friends on largish two strokes and more highly tuned fours, using a bog-standard 850T. Go into a corner in top or one gear down. They follow, in similar gears because they don't know the road. Slow waaaay down for the bend and then just open up. All the others have to go down another gear (or two) as I watch them getting (much) smaller in the mirrors. It's not what you've got, it's knowing how to use it. m

From the Velocette owner's manual of about 1935. "If the front brake is excessively fierce (we are talking about a 6" SLS drum with 1/2" wide shoes) lightly grease the linings." Advice I've seldom had to follow.....

He knows not to take his (both...) hands off the bars when he's riding.

He's had an epiphany, of sorts. "Today was the first time I've had the Guzzi together for 6 months. Started right up. I've put on my newly ceramic-coated blue Cobra pipe with 12 more Supertrap discs. God Almighty!! It is faster than ever. I mean Honda fast. I can say now in all honesty that my Guzzi is FASTER than my RC 51 in the quarter mile. And it is smoother now. The acceleration is so intense that it feels that the front wheel will come up even at 60 mph. Wow." Pity that all he can see is speed.

But pressure is a function of flow. So, all other things being equal, low flow will relate to low pressure. What you say is true absolutely for a roller bearing engine but only relatively for a plain bearing engine. It is true that, at a microscopic level, it is bearing design that creates the pressure that holds components apart but without high flow (and its associated pressure) the oil will not be in the right place to do that. mike

I tried to get these http://www.skidmarx.co.uk/welcome.htm interested in making some extensions and huggers. Pointed out that one size fits all (almost, anyway) on Guzzis but they just weren't interested. Maybe if a few people contact them, that would change? mike

I'm not posting my time. 8-) Good job the scenery is just electrons....

All the sender specs I have seen seem to indicate a 4-8lb/sq in switch. High pressure lubrication systems generally work in the 25 - 60 lb/sq in region. Riding 11 miles with oil pressure down in low single figures would certainly have resulted in a trashed bottm end. m

http://www.guzzitech.com/100k/100k.html Of course, one of the highest mileage machiines is a smallblock...... 8-)))

What a nice thought. Almost makes me want to buy one......

For that price, I'd sooner have the Anzani-Montgomery.