AndyH

Nice colour... As you say, classy! Rocker covers to be the same or different would you say?

You need ice racer tyres for proper winter hooliganism. Well scary angles of lean and eye-watering if someone in the pack falls off... proper aeration of one's hide! I believe the Finns (who else?) are fond of it. Seen archive film of Urals/similar with driven sidecar wheels in the snow and it looks like it takes quite a bit of skill and loads of fun learning how to do it. Lots of waggling around especially when making a fast start until underway.

With you there... Never tire of it!

Got me bang to rights there dangerous! Would never have had it down as pre-war though...As I said. Loads of ingenuity on show. Gear drive cam train?

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. At least that's what's kept me from going into the bevel box. However what I've never had apart and put together again, I can't talk with any authority on and remains, for me at least, in the very/too hard pile. As for debris slipping past the needle bearing, it shouldn't go into the bevel box itself. If the oil can't get out that route, I doubt the debris will get in.

Clues... Hairpin springs suggest early half of 60s racer (?) at the latest. Magneto rather than points/dizzy? Air cooled with supercharging? Must have had marginal cooling! Loads of ingenuity on show... early Japanese effort?

I like the red pillion pad cover... there's a thought. Looks great without the hugger but in the UK you need something to keep the crap from flying about at the back (gets kind of wet here, certainly over last couple of years).

I did black powder coat for durability rather than appearance. I had my wheels powder coated silver but then I wasn't totally happy with the finish so had them wheel-lacquered to improve the shine and scuff resistance. However, it's only done a thousand miles so too early to tell how that worked out (look great though).

...unless it's in Hooters!

Red if you can get the right match. Problem is that the standard Hugger hides most of it so no point in fancy colours there, if you keep it. I have kept the standard Hugger so went for black for that reason. Can't tell from the pic on your avatar what you have in its place though. You've obviously thought of this already... but if the swing arm bearings are oldish get them out before re-coating: removal afterwards will likely knacker your new paint job so start with a new set. Good luck with that job BTW, heh heh! 'Challenging' is not the right word. :-)

Good point, Hubert, good point. So why do we religiously replace the filter every year? (Rhetorical question only)

Hmm! Who told you about that one?An old timer with no teeth and a spittoon, I'll wager... and a shed full of pristine restos!

Yep, that head's cheese by now... spreadable! One day...

Me too... But someone once clearly thought it a good idea! No accounting for taste.

Even if a thwack doesn't break the grip in its own right, it can give enough movement to open a path in the corroded threads for releasing fluid to get right in. Worked for me over the years on really old neglected bikes. Heat... Bang... Lube... Wait... Wrench. The only reason it never worked for my rebellious upper sump screw was that the socket head was totalled before I even started.

I've often wondered if replacing the vinyl chin pad cover with metal, say brushed alloy or stainless, would give it a lift since entire tank replacement could be expensive, and the chin pad really doesn't do it for me either. Probably a flat panel, set slightly recessed below the edge of the depression? In my pipe dream, i start with a used part as the basis, mainly for the standard fixings. It's just getting round to it, esp. with a house move coming up... :-( Too many priorities... have to fit the timing gears, overhaul the fuel system, replace the tyres, and so on

I'm a hooter man myself...

The acme of cool... In its day! I'll take the version with the cute rear end any day!

But I'd say it was likely a twingle too...carb out the side like that.

Some bikes with the external fuel pump were shipped with it above the frame (downstream of the filter) and the filter below, most others, the other way round. It even suggests this in the workshop manual: so the two locations are interchangeable. Some people believe moving the fuel pump above the spine (and so the filter below) helps avoid vapour locking when (not) starting in hot weather. I believe the consensus (from this forum) is that replacing the solenoid petcock with a manual one does more to help that than anything. So you might want to do that too while you've got the fuel system apart!

The engine layout puts me in mind of those fabulous thirties DKW two stroke racers but clearly in a mid twenties frame and nowhere near enough finnage.... A precursor? Got me there Jim!

Pretty though. He could have had an Ariel Arrow: slightly faster crap! And top marks for Ner-A-Car: usually seen in black. Someone definitely decided to go out on a limb with that colour scheme. Intended to deceive, so good spotting.

Ariel Leader made me think of this, can't think why...? What is it?

Quite a find there Hubert! A real V twin menagerie. Particularly interesting on page 2 was..."The Raven: Jeff Gundlach's home-brewed machine with a MotoGuzzi engine, turned into an inline v-twin, using Norton Gearbox and clutch, and Honda wheels, suspension and brakes. He can make 5 machines per year without becoming a manufacturer." (http://raven-moto.com/) and the Moto Guzzi just below... 2x Falcones?

Try Horex: A technical history By Ralf Kruger (3/31/2008) http://www.motohistory.net/news2008/news-mar08.html