Monthly Archives: April 2014
Lands End Trial 2014 – Report: must try harder
Well, we did it. Third time lucky. In 2012 (my first year on the Chott) multiple punctures brought things to an early close and I spent the night – the whole night! – at Barbrook, on the edge of Exmoor, trying to mend them. Last year electrical gremlins took up residence in the 90-minute van … Continue reading
Lands End Trial 2014 – ready to go!
Chott 2 – the sequel
Bought another! Ostensibly for spares but when I put a litre of fresh premix in her she burst into life on the second kick and the engine sounds at least as crisp and lusty as Chott 1’s. Lots of lovely bits on this bike that are missing from Chott 1: both instrument drives and good … Continue reading
Lands End Trial 2014 – final shake-down ride
Here she is. Ready to go. Main mod for this year is a modern headlamp so that I can use H4R bulbs borrowed from a ZXR 400 – 35w dip for general running (so as not to overwhelm the measly 55w generator) and 60w main for emergencies (ie, night sections). I also have a fantastic … Continue reading
Better lights for the Chott
Desperate for some extra lumens during the night sections of long distance trials like the Lands End, I have fitted a modern headlamp – which takes H4 bulbs. Problem is, alternator produces 55w in total so a standard bulb (55w/60w) would drain the standard battery in no time. I have a bigger capacity gel battery … Continue reading
Laverda Chott clutch clean-up – part 2
Clutch all clean and plates oil-free once more. That still leaves the question of how the oil got in there in the first place. The O-ring in the clutch basket ‘lid’ and the oil seal on the shaft are both good. Even though the handbook says use 20w/50 engine oil in the gearbox, I have … Continue reading
Laverda Chott clutch clean-up – part 1
In preparation for the Lands End Trial, I entered something down here call the Coast to Coast. What a mistake! It was well-organised and the people – competitors and organisers alike – were friendly and helpful. But it was way too hard for me and it broke my heart (though nothing on the bike, fortunately) … Continue reading