stevew4130

I live in Notts and there isn't anywhere really local that you can free practice so I joined Earl Shilton. Its great for every ability and only about an hour away! Steve

Just a quick post to say a huge 'Thankyou' to Mark AKA 'Fivemeister' for generously giving me a single bike trailer tonight so i don't have to always use my LWB motorhome to transport my bike! Thanks also to this site for giving me access to this great community! I owe you a few beers in the Forest lodge Mark! Thanks again Steve

I've just got a pair of Alpinestars, so far they definately feel the most comfortable boot I've tried on. Looking forward to riding in them and see how they fair!

Cool thanks for your replies! I've just spoke to my Dad again and he says there is a fair bit of movement sideways on the con rod so I guess the big end bearings are worn? Thanks Steve

To bring up an old post, when checking for play in the conrod should you expect movement side to side but not up and down? Myself and my dad are trying to diagnose a loud engine knock in his '99 techno engine and we have removed the engine and took the barrel and head off and we're now just checking for play everywhere, there is no movement up and down but side to side there is.. When the engine was running it was very loud and knocking, if you felt the barrel/head you could feel it too. Anyone have any thoughts on this and what we should be looking for? Thanks Steve

Hi, I looked at that bike for my dad! I managed to find out a bit of info on the bike. It seems a nice bike but it does need some work. The guy said he wasn't sure if there was any play in the swing arm assembly but i'm 99% sure there will be. If your mechanically inclined and have access to a press the new bearings are quite easy to fit, but for a complete set including the drop arms your looking at around

My 96 has got them too, magura bars though but 'fatbar' size!

Bringing up an old thread, what's the best way of removing the basket? If I'm right in thinking I can remove it just with the inner and outer covers off and clutch discs out? Thanks Steve

Nice! Well I've bit the bullet and ordered some new clutch discs from Lampkin's as I was still wasn't 100% confident that my clutch discs had enough 'meat' on them. I'll carry out the 'mod' first and then hopefully it will solve it but if not it's a better position to start from knowing the discs are good!

I put in ATF oil, I guess the clutch is engaging as it worked great when I dry built it back up. I'm going to take it apart again this week and see what I can see, I think I'll bleed it too. I'm stuck if it don't work after that!! I spray painted the rims, just masked them up well!

The metal plates and fibre were shot blasted so they are scuffed up nicely, it was only the side tabs that I polished. I took the bike out for a quick ride on Wednesday and it's just 1st gear that sticks, even when warm it still sticks slightly. Well enough so that if I stop I then can't engage neutral or even 2nd gear! When I'm moving it shifts fine. Steve

Cool thanks guys! I spoke to Leisure Trail in Long Eaton and they said him too! Hopefully the waiting time isnt too long!!

Yeah I know them well, I'm just struggling to find the time to get down there! I'm on the road with my job but my area is Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire!

I am looking for someone who can straighten my rear wheel, looking for someone close to Nottinghamshire to make it easier to drop off and pick up! Can anyone recommend anyone please?! Thanks Steve

Well the trick is..Don't lift off the gas! Basically you can't see anything but you just have faith that your car's going straight which it always has (touch wood!) and keep on the gas because if you let off it drops down really hard! If you keep on it the car drops down 'naturally', in ours it's before you need 2nd gear so its not too long but one of friends cars he changes to 2nd while still pulling a wheelie! Mind you his beetle cabrio runs 9.33 so it's a tad quicker

OK so I've been working on my bike a bit more and I have a couple more questions The clutch..! I've removed the oil, and the clutch discs and steel plates and carried out the mod Dan suggests (I blasted the steel plates and the clutch discs then after using the dremel on the tabs i finished them off with some 1500 wet and dry). After I put it all back together minus the oil, it worked a treat when dry, no drag in any gear at all. So I filled it back up with oil and started her up and it dragged again in 1st Rocking it back and forth didn't seem to help but after a really short space of time riding it freed up. But if I switch her off and then try again it drags again. Could it be that my plates are worn too thin? I can't find the tolerances to compare them against. When it's switched off and on the stand if I put it in a higher gear the clutch works but as soon as I try first again its locked solid Secondly how warm does the bike have to get before the fan kicks in? Does it come in when idling? The fan works as I've touched the wires together and all's well, I have fitted a new thermoswitch too but it still doesn't come on. It's been pretty cold today but should I still expect it to come on? Thirdly the radiator coolant, whats the best way of filling it back up? I've replaced the coolant with the silkolene pro cool and filled it up, started her up with the rad cap off and the fluid doesn't go anywhere, but when I switch it off and leave it, it slowly drains down from the reservoir and I then repeat this process. Is this normal? You'll have to forgive me on this as I'm more used to air-cooled engines Thanks in advance Steve

Thanks! Basically everything is new and bigger! It's exactly the same design and configuration just with a bigger crank and pistons. The engine case is a new alloy case which has been designed for cranks up to 84mm (stock is 69mm!) The heads are also bigger with bigger valves, designed like it so no welding is needed like you have to on stock heads. This current engine dyno'd at 232hp and this year we aim to get a bit more! It's mental to drive! It runs straight as an arrow, it just pins you back when you launch!! So much fun but it doesn't like going slow!!

Just in case some of you guys might be interested I thought I would post some details about my other hobby! VW drag racing! We have been racing for about 8 years (well 5 for me) My wife and I spent 3 years building our new racecar from a 1959 Beetle and its been a show winner along with being a race winner. My wife Adele is the primary driver and we've been lucky enough to be featured in magazines in Europe and in Japan. Just this week we have now been featured in Volksworld USA digital magazine so I thought i'd post up a quick link. www.volksworldusa.co.uk Our car is on the front cover and the article is called 'Retro Racer' This a picture of the car in action last year. Our best 1/4 mile time is 11.401 seconds at 117mph with more to come this year! Steve

I've just started on my clutch this morning, the plates were really stuck together when removing them! I've done one plate/disk so far but before I carry on, can anyone tell me what the thickness of the fibre should be, or the minimum height left? I measured both sides together and they measured 2.75mm on every plate/disk. Thanks Steve

There painted with Simoniz Tough Black, we'll see how they hold up under proper use but so far it works great!

Thanks! I should be doing my clutch next week if I can finish work early enough. I bought a slow domino throttle yesterday so it will interesting to see how that feels too!

Thankyou!

Well all new bearings pressed in, this part caused us the most trouble to get the old bearings out as 1 was really seized in. It's all back together now with the back wheel painted too, I dropped in a new spark plug and rad coolant and took it for a quick spin on my road, its so much faster now! The old plug was pretty crappy so the new one must of done it the world of good!!! I think i'll be getting a slow throttle too as I'm a total beginner! I also wired in a new Apico kill switch as there was just a 'single wire' switch on it before and it was a bit slow shutting off the motor. Can't wait to properly ride it now!

I updated this thread just before the database issues so thought i'd redo the update! I've been working on my bike when I can freshening it up, I've stripped most the of the swing arm assembly down to renew the bearings and this was one of the bearings I found..! As you can see it was totally worn out! I ordered new bearings from Lampkins and I've started pressing the old ones out and the new ones in. I also 'updated' the front end a bit too, a new Vee Rubber tyre was fitted the guys at Behind Bars in Kenilworth (great guys, I would definately recommend them!) and some parts painted black. So once the swing arm parts are done next on the list is the clutch fix!

Thanks guys! I found tec-cycles searching on the net and motowest, lewisport don't seem to have any details for there so-cal branch. I'm not after anything in particular so no worries! Kramit, I think that's the day we leave to come home !! Steve