The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

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Greg
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#556 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Greg »

Brilliant. It’s a fantastic spotty boy cafe racer. Being a 250, many examples were well bodged by their original youthful users who didn’t have a clue about proper mechanical engineering, so often, restoration requires much attention to stripped threads etc.

This looks like a great project and I look forward to following your progress. A word of advise, unless you want to be totally original, ditch the 5 speed gearbox. You’ll be a Jedi if you can get it to work right. Mine ended with a close ratio four speed racing box. Had to slip the clutch up to 30mph :roll:

Also, well worth doing a bit of extra and polishing the in and out ports and lightening the valve tapit arms, fitting an input Venturi to the Amal MkII concentric, although Mk1 might be original and of course converting the alternator to 12V operation. Fit a zener diode in a heat sink attached to the underside of the instrument consol to bleed off to ground any excess voltage generated. Fit a solid state RS rectifier. I went further with polished con rod and lightened dynamically balanced main shaft and fly wheel. The oil feed to the main bearing is important as this is not a wet sump and the original pressured feed was inadequate. I had a polished stainless steel main shaft insert constructed that ran in a more modern seal fitted within the cover plate (oil feed route).

Probably the most fun motorcycle I’ve ever had and I could reliably run it on a 200 mile journey at 75mph (Bristol to Heysham and back for the IOM TT). Enjoy, and check that fibreglass tank for leaks. You can get a resin gel that can be ‘circulated’ around the inside of the tank to seal it.

Oh, In my day, if you wanted performance, ditch the original Enfield silencer as it really was a sound and performance muffler. If you don’t want to ditch it, clean the original out really thoroughly. Best results were with any straight through system, especially a straight through Gold Star pattern muffler. Have to say, it didn’t muffle anything but it sounded great!

When you’ve done all that, tip an egg cup full of Castro R into the tank and it’ll smell like an historic racer. What’s not to like?
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pre65
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#557 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by pre65 »

Greg wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2020 11:10 pm
When you’ve done all that, tip an egg cup full of Castro R into the tank and it’ll smell like an historic racer. What’s not to like?
It's a long time since I caught a whiff of Castrol R. :cry:

PS Castrol R is vegetable based so it's OK for you. :wink:
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#558 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by thomas »

Haha you've gone and done it now Mr Bass!
I had a go on one when I was 17, I don't think I could get down so low to ride one nowadays.....
It really was fantastic, great fun....even the gearbox worked (for the brief moment I rode it.....) but I think it gave up shortly afterwards! Btw I think the 4 gear cluster (crusader?) fits straight in?
Is that a steel tank? I wouldn't trust fibreglass, 'lined' or otherwise....
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#559 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Mike H »

Baggy Trousers wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2020 7:07 pm Mike,

Can I suggest that you fit an LED as a headlight bulb as well. There's not a big choice of these things at 6VDC but your fitting seems to be a standard BPF so you might be lucky. I have converted my 6V light (Bosch pattern) in this manner and whilst the bean pattern is rubbish, the light output is infinitely better than the 35/35W standard incandescent bulb. Perhaps the biggest benefit is the reduction in consumption which is always a blessing at 6V, particularly with marginal systems like yours.
I was thinking of leaving the headlight as is so the generator has got something to actually do. My intention was to ride around with headlight on all the time anyway, as we do nowadays.

Notwithstanding, I took time out to design a regulator to stop it doing stupid Voltages. It's originally AC lighting only and extremely crude. No pretence at any kind of output control. The idea was to run the standard headlight bulb by direct AC, as per originally, but have the others as LED "bulbs" to run off a small battery, as a total loss system (i.e. needs recharging after returning home). This has progressed to maybe can add a bit of charging current too. Time will tell how well it works or not. Right now tho I have to stop buying new bits and get on with what I've got.

The project has stalled partly due to time out for the regulator design but also because the Ural needs preparing for its first MOT, which should be tomorrow. I have taken off the sidecar brake disc because there's no caliper or hydraulics for it, so I figured it will look odd for a MOT test. Similarly, taken off the pillion footrest as the dualseat was changed to a solo saddle, and again its presence might look odd for the MOT. This isn't as simple as it sounds, as the footpeg stud also holds the silencer bracket and the righthand rubber rebound buffer for the swingarm. It's not a fold-up peg but solid so is not simply a case of unbolting the folding up bit and taking it off. So has to be replaced by a special pin that is used in lieu of and does the other 2 jobs but no footrest, fortunately I've been this way before so had one I could just swap in. :D

Taking the disc off was a complete total barsteward, 5 button head Allen screws glued in with loctite, two came out but the other 3 just rounded out with the key (impact driver bit actually) so I had to drill the heads off then an almighty battle with the molegrips to unscrew the studs, they fought back every single fraction of a turn! :shock:
 
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#560 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Ray P »

Greg wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2020 11:10 pm ...tip an egg cup full of Castro R into the tank and it’ll smell like an historic racer...
I think I may have experienced that today; out on the bike this afternoon I was passed by a gaggle of vintage motorbikes - I caught sight of Norton, BSA and Royal Enfield on the tanks as they cruised past.
Sorry, I couldn't resist!
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#561 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Dave the bass »

Thanks for the tips and advice everyone.

238 mile round trip to collect the pile of bits today from Swinedoom, sorry Swindon.
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#562 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Greg »

Yes, Thomas is correct. The four speed box from a Crusader/Crusader Sports is a drop in replacement that works really well.

Something else I’ve just remembered. The 250cc engine, (well any engine actually) can be seriously damaged if a valve drops when running. There was, back in the day, a history of this happening because the aluminium valve spring collar had fractured around its neck. There is an inner and outer spring.The inner Spring was particularly the problem one.

The valve springs have been ground flat at both ends, sometimes leaving the end of the spring with a sharp knife like edge. During normal running, the springs would slowly rotate and the inner spring in particular would cut a groove into the edge of the securing collar, eventually leading to fracture and possible serious engine damage.

Easy and obvious solution is to use a conical grinding stone on the springs to remove any sharp inner edges and polish out any cuts in the collar. If that isn’t possible, replace the collars with a good ones.
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#563 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Greg »

Very unusual to see an original front mudguard and for sure, Thomas, that is a fibreglass tank, albeit, it’s walls are more than a quarter inch thick.

I threw mine down the road on several occasions and luckily never damaged the tank, but I know where you are coming from.
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#564 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by thomas »

Greg wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2020 10:21 pm .....for sure, Thomas, that is a fibreglass tank, albeit, it’s walls are more than a quarter inch thick.

I threw mine down the road on several occasions and luckily never damaged the tank, but I know where you are coming from.
:D ha I practiced that a few times back in the day....luckily I seemed to bounce in those days...!

My he-man hair shirt Triumph ST1050 had a plastic tank (2007 model), and although it never showed any of the bubbling/ rash of some (I've seen a few very folorn early Norton Commandos at autojumbles....) I was fairly certain it was starting to swell/ change shape/ distort by the time I was knocked off it (white van man, 2015, my first tumble in 30+ yrs, fortunately I bounced...). I assume tank liner products now should be designed to stop this but personally for long term use I'd bite the bullets and buy an Indian steel replacement and be done.....keep the original for garage wall decorative purposes....
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#565 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Dave the bass »

1st problem discovered last night, meh....the top frame tube is bent slightly. A straight edge against the top tube reveals banana shape. Front end prangage at sometime possibly.

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#566 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Greg »

That’s a shame. I hope you can get it properly jigged and straightened. It means you’ll need to check everything else carefully including fork stanchions and their mountings.

Those magnetic drive speedo and tachometer instruments were early type and wildly inaccurate. Dispensing with originality, I went for the earlier mechanical drive versions which were far more accurate and reliable albeit a bit clunky in operation.
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#567 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Baggy Trousers »

Mike H wrote: Sun Feb 23, 2020 6:24 pm
Baggy Trousers wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2020 7:07 pm Mike,

Can I suggest that you fit an LED as a headlight bulb as well. There's not a big choice of these things at 6VDC but your fitting seems to be a standard BPF so you might be lucky. I have converted my 6V light (Bosch pattern) in this manner and whilst the bean pattern is rubbish, the light output is infinitely better than the 35/35W standard incandescent bulb. Perhaps the biggest benefit is the reduction in consumption which is always a blessing at 6V, particularly with marginal systems like yours.
I was thinking of leaving the headlight as is so the generator has got something to actually do. My intention was to ride around with headlight on all the time anyway, as we do nowadays.
Like putting a load on my OTXs, you mean?

Nearly all my machines have been magneto ignition and generator charging, so I lack a familiarity with your arrangement. Perhaps it's akin to my old Model T which had the rudimentary electric lighting powered by the ignition coils - all four of them - and if you didn't switch the lights off before the ignition, you blew all the bulbs. Maybe I should try and move further into the 2oth century. But I too ride with dipped headlights - everyone should.
Last edited by Baggy Trousers on Tue Feb 25, 2020 8:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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#568 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by Dave the bass »

Greg wrote: Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:25 pm That’s a shame. I hope you can get it properly jigged and straightened. It means you’ll need to check everything else carefully including fork stanchions and their mountings.
There's a place not a million miles away from here that does just that, I'll consult with them before making a decision.
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#569 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by jack »

Dave the bass wrote: Tue Feb 25, 2020 8:28 pm
Greg wrote: Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:25 pm That’s a shame. I hope you can get it properly jigged and straightened. It means you’ll need to check everything else carefully including fork stanchions and their mountings.
There's a place not a million miles away from here that does just that, I'll consult with them before making a decision.
I just looked up Motorliner - they seem to be totally awesome.
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#570 Re: The Audio-Talk Motorcycling thread.

Post by jack »

A German friend just sent me the following - I don't ride any more for personal reasons, but I'm not sure if this was a set-up or not...

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