68C

Oh the joys of youth, funny how we bounced back then.

A lot to think about there. About forty years ago I was riding along on my BSA Bantam with a new peak on my hemet, I was looking at my reflection in shop windows to see how cool I looked when the car in front stopped! This resulted in a broken right thumb and a chipped tooth. All has been well for years but now I am developing pain in my right thumb so thought of altering the bike to help. I have noticed over the years how bikes have become much more front end loaded, all the handling seems to have moved to the front wheel with the rear just there for parking.

My old T3 has the usual linked braking system - the footpedal operates the rear disk and one front disk, the handlever operates the other disk. I found this an excellent system particularly with thick winter gloves. I fancy converting my V11 to this set-up, has anyone done this. I ask as I assume the T3 rear master cylinder is sized to operate the two disks and of course the handlever to operate the single, will the standard V11 master cylinders be OK. Can I just run new brake lines in without changing any major components. One problem I notice is it may be difficult to connect two pipes to the rear master cylinder as it appears to use the switch to hold the present single line - I doubt there will be enough thread for two lines, perhaps there is a banjo available that has two connections, or perhaps delete the hydraulic switch and use a simple mechanically operated switch. Any ideas?

Sorry, not meant to be taken too seriously - I apologise.

Ignition switch cut off and random wiring changes, I wonder if the frame and engine numbers have been ground off as well? Still, I suppose stolen bikes are a good source of cheap spares.

Don't understand why the clutch would rattle if it is engaged. I can imagine it could be noisy when disengaged (clutch lever pulled) as the plates could flop around on their splines but when engaged the springs should hold everything tight - so why would it rattle.

I always heat the bolt, I'm not trying to expand the alloy wheel to free the bolt just heating the loctite in the threads so it softens and allows the bolt to turn. You would need a tremendous amount of heat to warm up the whole wheel to the point where the rubber cush drives are damaged..

Susuki Intruder, owner also has a Ford Probe.,

Starting to look like most of my ideas, simple in the imagining but progressively harder in the realisation.

That looks like what I am after, I have fitted higher bars so the longer cables will help as well, thanks for the help.

Yeah, my kill switch does work having used it in anger for the first time in my life on any bike. I also remounted the reservoir as far back as it would go and am considering replacing the plastic knob with a nylock nut. I will follow up the Cali idea, thanks everyone.

My '04 Rosso Corsa nearly killed me last year when the throttle stuck open, plastic knob on the sincro rod hooked around the rear shock remote reservoir. It still bothers me and has set me wondering if there is a mod I can do to have a twin cable twistgrip assy. By this I mean one cable to open the throttle and another to close it, I know many bikes have that arrangement. At least I would have a chance of forcing it shut then rather than relying on the puny return spring - thoughts of frozen linkages, debris in the mechanism plague me.

Many thanks, I'll have a look at that tomorrow morning. Rather a belated edit: Took the valve off, cleaned it by popping off the cap and refitted it. Instant success, just need to clean baked on oil from the crossover now. Thanks for the advice.

Is this breather under that black plastic cap just behind the speedo drive, I assume it is also the filler plug?

My 04 Rosso Corsa has a gearbox leak coming up through the speedo drive. It is definitely gearbox oil. The gearbox oil is level in the sight glass with the bike level. I can't see any oil seal, does anyone have any ideas?

Have a look at the Wikipedia entry for crank acceleration, I think you will find the rod cap is most loaded as it slows before getting to TDC and as it accelerates away from TDC, remember this is a four stroke so not always under load from combustion pressure in the cylinder and is pulled down by the other cylinder pressure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piston_motion_equations

Thanks Kiwi_Roy for another excellent diagram, keep them coming. Iam not sure which regulator I have on my 04 Rosso Corsa, is it easy to identify? Many years ago I had a Yamaha XS750 (shaft drive of course), the handbook included a wiring diagram for (I think) the Canadian model which had a relay that automatically changed headlamp filaments should one fail, I though that was a great idea on a single headlamp bike, any chance of coming up with a diagram for that? Many thanks agin.

As I have drilled my top yoke and fitted Yamaha TDM850 risers I don't have any rubber bushes, vibes are not unpleasant although the mirrors go a bit fuzzy at certain speeds. I have been messing about adding various lumps of lead to the end of the bars help things. Does anyone know the diameter of the riser holes in the top yoke, are they parallel or tapered in from either side? I had thought about adding bushes but did not know how much metal it is safe to remove. There are two raised cast in lumps on the underside of the top yoke, I suspect it is the same casting for both bikes, so I drilled through the centre of the bumps. I had to use spacers under the the yoke as the TDM risers are too long - but may be just right with the bushes. I still have the TDM850 top yoke which has pressed in bushes so may be able to use those. Also I added washers on the top of the yoke as there is a raised area preventing the risers sitting flat, I was intending to counterbore the area if I did'nt fit any bushes.

Hopefully pictures of bars and footrests.I find the bike much nicer like this and far easier to control in town. The mods don't cost much, the left footrest reposition costs nothing. Full lock no problem, I fitted mirrors to the bars as the wider riding stance meant I could not see in the stock mirrors. Top ends of brake and clutch hoses 'bent' a little to line up, also a kiss with a file in the edge of the instrument support panel and top yoke to stop pipes rubbing, a bit of clear sleeving may be a good idea. Left footrest repositioned, makes it a bit of a stretch to the brake lever but I have big feet and am used to it now. Also gear lever just touches the pork-chops when pressed down, I will probably make clearance on the pork-chop one day. Right footrest relocated, I added a spacer tube inside the brake lever and a longer countersunk allen bolt ( OK, so I used an angle grinder to put a chamfer on a standard allen bolt - just temporarily of course...). Also had to adjust brake lever lower and put a piece of bent metal in as the eccentric stop is too small with the lever adjusted so low. CAUTION, these mods made by an old bodger - use at your own peril. Be aware the footrest no longer fit into the recessed oblong areas so may rotate, never caused me any problems though. Oh, I had to bend a 17mm spanner to fit the nuts.

I drilled my Rosso Corsa yoke and used Yamaha TDM850 risers, they are neat and move the bars up and back. I use alloy Renthal gold anaodised bars, the existing cables fit with a bit of fiddling, they run down between the instrument bracket and the yoke, just a touch with a file to give clearance. Looks a lot better than it sounds.

Universal joints are normally used in pairs the cross bearings at each end of the shaft assembly must not only be in line with each other but must also be a mirror image, the centre shaft must have each end at the same angle. If the drive shaft assembly is not in a straight line, and ours is not as the suspension moves up and down, a phenomena known as Hookes Joint Effect or the Conservation of Angular Momentum causes the output from the first joint to move in a jerking action - fortunately the second joint turns this back into a smooth action. This is most noticeable on an unladen large truck, as it pulls away the drive shaft can be seen to rotate in a jerking fashion althogh the input to the rear axle is smooth, when loaded the designer will have arranged the system to be almost in line reducing this effect. If the joints are not aligned this jerking action will occour even when the shaft assembly is almost straight with consequent wear to the transmission and vibration. Altering the ride height of a shaft drive bike by jacking up the rear or overloading the bike can mean the shaft asssembly is no longer straight which can increase wear also. The out of phase jerking action will someday destroy the U/J.

Ask her if you can put the covers in her dishwasher, should get hot enough to shift any residual blast material, the dishwasher that is.

It may be like a 'Rivnut', these are put in a bit like a pop rivet with a threaded mandrel instead of the break stem. Pulled up with similar pliers then the mandrel is unthreaded. They rely on the resistance of the pull-up to stop them spinning, more exotic types have a lug or even a fine spline to stop them spinning. You can sometimes fix them by running a nut and washer up a six inch piece of threaded bar to suit the insert, bend the bar above the nut by 90 degrees. Try and dibble loctite around the insert NOT IN THE THREAD, then screw the threaded bar into the insert, grease the threaded bar just above the insert but try not to contaminate the Loctited area. You then hold the bent bit of threaded bar and tighten the nut down onto the washer and insert - if you are lucky this should reset the insert. Leave overnight to ensure the Loctite sets, as I am sure you know the Loctite sets where there is NO air so may still be sticky on the surface. How tight to do the nut? We used to say 'up until it snaps then back off half a turn'. Seriously, you should feel the torque suddenly increase once the insert is set.Immediately unscrew the threaded bar incase the loctite has got onto it. Good luck, I would send some of ours but the Titanic sailed from here.

No, you lucked in! The tough old bird held together for you though.

Try waiting 'til the wife is out and then putting them in the dishwasher, will probably get hot enought to loosen any residual blast material. I always put bits for engines I am rebuilding into the washer, they come out lovely and bright. Not so sure about the next set of plates and cups though.