Cupid stunt of the week

After much fettling the 400-4 was finally running sweetly so time to
take it out for a quick pre-MOT blat. Fuel a bit low so threw in a
gallon from the nice green plastic can.

All is going nicely for the first mile or two but then it slows down
and sounds like a bag of nails. Fortunately it managed to (just)
struggle home. Much cussing and threats to break the damn thing for
spares.

Fast forward to this morning, drain the float bowls to check for shite.
After a cup of tea, back outside and the fuel under the bike has not
evaporated.

Memo to self - next time store diesel in the correct black can not the
bloody green one.

Where do I collect a YTC# number.

 

YTC

 

I started thinking 'bet it was premix' at this point. Not too far out.

I think your sig is proof enough...

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
typed

You're going to have a little trouble selling this bike when you tell
the prospective owner about the partial seize and the time ran it on
diesel (which was apparently enough to **** Rope's FJ engine quite
badly).

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate
change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and
go and talk to the Catholics.

 

Didn't someone destroy an FJ doing that?

<googles>

ah, yes, Rope.

 

Diesel smells fucking vile, petrol smells quite strong, surely?

 

Quite similar to parafin ! You'd have to be a right eejit to fill a
motorbike with it ;-)

 

Aye, good point

 

No problem, it only ran badly for about half a mile. Flushed out the
tank and carbs and everything is back to normal. Diesel is a lubricant
so siezure is unlikely, it just does not burn very well in petrol
engines and a petrol/diesel mixture makes them pink like hell.
Clearly I started out on the contents of the carbs and the roughly
50% in the tank slowly mixed in until it became a problem.

A stronger diesel/petrol mix would just have stopped the engine.

 

nope

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
typed

You said last week that it was nipping up when you rode it.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate
change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and
go and talk to the Catholics.

 

To be more accurate, I said it felt like it might be nipping up.
I have more mechanical sympathy than to continue running an engine
in such conditions. Kill switch time. Bloody smartish.
After some more carb fettling the weak mixture was fixed and it ran much
cooler. All par for the course fettling an SOB.
It takes a lot more than a brief overheat to kill a 400-4 motor.

 

Where values of "a lot more" approach "a slightly low oil level" = one
trashed head.

 

It's ok, he's used to wanky old Bantams nipping up and doing no more
than making you sit by the road for 10 minutes until the engine's
cooled down.

 

Sounds more reliable than, say, a GSXR1000K5, if past touring experience
is anything to go by.

 

Next to the queue for a new nose.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Did you get it back on the road? I was enjoying seeing the open heart
surgery but never caught the end of the story.

 

Nope, but I'm glad it didn't go to the great bike park in the sky.

I'm itching to rebuild a bike back to a road ready state but don't have
the space or money to do it at the moment so I'll just have to contend
with fixing the bits of my car that the kind MOT tester identified as
needing work earlier this week.

It's alive Igor! It's alive!