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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
Sluggish Ducati starter syndrome
This is an old Ducati favorite. Bike doesn’t want to turn over and is a poor starter. Many’s the good battery blamed unjustly for the problem. And it’s not the starter motor either. It’s the cables. Apparently they build up resistance over time. But to be honest, fitting such spindly cables in the first place … Continue reading
New legs for the Elefant
The main fork tubes on the Elefant were in a terrible state. One of them had lost so much of its gold anodising that it actually looked a little like a real Elephant leg. At first I thought I would replace the whole fork. A bit of research revealed that lots of trail bikes of … Continue reading
Lands End Trial 2012 – glory postponed, again
Or … ‘In praise of the good people of Barbrook, Devon.’ What are these? They are the end of my Lands End Trial, that’s what they are. At some hard-to-determine time between 3am and 6am on Saturday multiple punctures brought my LET 2012 to a complete halt with just two sections and two tests under … Continue reading
My dad.
This is a man happy to have put his side-valve days behind him. A demobbed War Department Norton 16H, repainted civilian silver in his mum’s Pimlico basement, had taken him courting. But now a Triumph Speed Twin would carry him and his new wife around London … and far beyond. Four sons still lie in … Continue reading
Gaffa tape – the universal palliative?
Well I still can’t say for sure that it would be any help with, for example, a headache. But even I, Gaffa tape’s most enthusiastic promoter, have been startled by recent developments in its application for medical purposes. A friend of mine, a gifted craftsman in iron, copper and wood, is notorious for inflicting self-harm … Continue reading
