He's Off-The Race is on

Ladies and gentlemen I can report that at 9.17 this morning TOG left
the building. To inform last minute bet placers he will have to fill
up in the next 10 miles and the front tyre is the original 1984
japlop. The tyres were inflated to the correct pressure and the thin
slip of plastic that some would call a seat has been coated with
grease to make it easier for the Doctor to crowbar it from between his
somewhat bovine butt cheeks when he eventually gets home

Boxerboy

 

In communiqué

Good man. Keep mum about his route, in case some unscrupulous cove were
to think of buzzing him on, or in, a more aggressive bolide so as to put
him off his pace.


--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Home!

Pulled up outside the Chateau at 12.46, so three hours 29 minutes: one
minute under my target time....

I went down to Worcester from Cookley, then A44 past Evesham to Oxford
and motorwayed from Oxford, rather than High Wycombe, because it isn't
running 100% right. It won't run clean between about 6000-8000rpm. It
clears its throat at 8000, though, which is between 55 and 60mph, and on
th flat would hold 8500/60mph without many worries, but hills and
headwinds slow it right down.

Fish Hill on the A44: redlined at third gear, 40mph.

When I refuelled, I noticed some surface rust in the tank. It seems to
run slightly better when set on reserve, so I suspect there's a
partially blocked fuel tap and/or shit in the carbs, crap in the tank,
etc, and I'll have to check ignition timing and air filter too. But it's
a Honda 125 single: it doesn't take long to set up.

The carb has an accelerator pump on the RS: that might complicate the
issue slightly. Dave Silver actually stocks new carbs at £69+VAT if it
turns out the carb's buggered beyond redemption.

Anyway, I'm chuffed. The bike looks like new, really. Incredible
condition. The purchase showed the advantages and pitfalls of eBay: a
phenomenal quality and condition bike for well under £500. OTOH, with
just 8,000 miles on the clock, you'd expect it to be running perfectly,
and it isn't.

And three and a half hours from Cookley to Sutton isn't bad, by any
standards. It takes me about that time in the car, FFS.

 

If it's been sitting for most of its life with old petrol in it, I'd
expect it to be a little rough on the running front.

Just goes to show something or other.

 

(The Older Gentleman) wrote in

The WPS recommended route

 

Wycombe is a festering shit hole anyway, so best avoided irrespective
of the traffic situation.

--
Dan L

Too much time to think, too little to do.


http://thebikeshed.spaces.live.com/

2002 Triumph Sprint RS 955i (It's big, and it's black)
1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr (Gone, but not forgotten)

BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005/6/7/8)
X-FOT#000
DIAABTCOD #26
BOMB#18 (slow)
OMF#11

 

You took your bloody time over it ... I reckoned 3h 20 mins. Speed it
up a bit next time please.

 

My leaving didn't improve it then?

 

Slightly, it has to be said.

--
Dan L

Too much time to think, too little to do.


http://thebikeshed.spaces.live.com/

2002 Triumph Sprint RS 955i (It's big, and it's black)
1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr (Gone, but not forgotten)

BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005/6/7/8)
X-FOT#000
DIAABTCOD #26
BOMB#18 (slow)
OMF#11

 

I probably missed it, but what bike is this?

 

I want to know who won the pint sweepstake? TOG?

 

Yes ))

 

TOG was closest, but should be excluded as he could cheat

You said 3h40 but Paul xxx said 3h20 so beats you by a minute.

Of course, the way the news servers have been in the last week there might
be a closer figure that is invisible to me.

 

The Older Gentleman wrote:

Wotcha.

Ooh - I went up there, about dinner time on Saturday.
Two up - trike & trailer - didn't look at the clocks.
http://www.moonshiners.org.uk/toads2008.htm
Sort of a "non-rally report"

 

A 1895 Honda CB125RS.

Oh yes, and dip beam popped on the way. When I got home I found that the
tail light filament had popped too.

I had a spare tail light bulb, but not a headlight (it's a funny type)
and stuck that in, with no headlight bulb in the front, as I'm taking it
to the bike shop to be sure of getting the right one.

Anyway, the tail light filament glowed *much* brighter when I hit the
headlight switch than when I just had it on the pilot (parking) light
setting.

Am I right in thinking this is normal? Take out the headlight bulb, and
more juice goes to the tail light? Seems odd, but it would explain why
both popped. One goes, the other follows.

The headlight is powered direct off the flywheel, btw, so it only works
when the engine is running.

 

On the tightening left-hander, as you go up, there was a set of bike
scratch marks where someone had obviously lobbed it )

 

Could be. Older small Yams relied on the lights & battery to act as a
regulator, or, if the lights are off, on the battery and a ballast
resistor, so maybe Honda went the pikey route too on some models.

 

If the tail light is battery powered, it shouldn't be affected, unless
the charging system is overdoing it.
Direct lighting coils for headlamps are chronic for blowing bulbs,
though.

 

It's not. It's direct. The brake light is battery powered, though.

 

(The Older Gentleman) wrote in

There's probably a short between the feeds for the side light & headlamp,
assuming there's a relay in the headlamp circuit.

You say in another post that the sidelight is powered off the battery. This
voltage is bound to be regulated in some way. The supply for the headlight
off the generator[1] is probably unregulated, or more crudely regulated to
give a brighter beam. That's why you have a funny lamp: a more robust job
that can take the voltage variation. Your regular tail light is probably
less adept at taking the voltage spikes. Once the headlamp went pop the
tail light would've had the full force of the voltage spikes.

[1] I assume you meant this