fastbob

On 25/01/2022 at 18:19, MikeHorton said:

You need to get a job as a micro surgeon that's some detail

As I did say , that one is not mine . This one is mine . Four evenings of painstaking work and it's only the size of my finger . 

4 hours ago, MikeHorton said:

You have been dead busy they all look great. What's next? 

I've just started a 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk 1A by a company called Eduard . The detail and precision of this kit is ridiculous and this is the economy version without the etched brass super detailed parts . The thing is though , I'm about to spend days fiddling about with tweezers and the end result will be a cockpit interior about the size of my thumb . There is an option for an open canopy and hatch but very little will be visible . This is not mine but you can get the idea . 

5 hours ago, onesea said:

A friend sent a picture of her method for cleaning her back wheel.

In the bath with her...  Bubble bath and elbow grease seemed to work.

 

She did say she couldn't clean the front wheel that way, it would wreck the wheel bearings

 

My technique? The oil helps protect the rim...  Leave it there..

So having created this image you are unprepared to share this intriguing image with the gentlemen of this forum ? 

Oh and a cheeky little Spitfire to get the hang of acrylic paints . 

Another rollout . 

2 hours ago, geofferz said:

Why wouldn't wd40 work on those? 

WD40 is about 70% solvent so I expect it would work pretty well . I'll give it a go next time because the cheap foaming Wheel Cleaner I do use leaves the wheels without any protection . 

5 minutes ago, Stu said:

Nice and clean using wd40

 

 

no chain lube left 

 

 

That's great if you have a new bike that's finished to a high standard but my Harley wheels are a mixture of polished and rough sand cast alloy so it's a once a year job with a toothbrush . 

So who do you expect to actually carry out this work ? There are companies out there but at a starting price of £59 per carb you aren't going to see much change out of £300 . And once they are back on the bike they still have to be set up . You say that you lack the confidence to do it yourself . So do it anyway , without any confidence . Read up , be methodical , be observant and gentle , stop if you haven't got the right tools , create a clean and well lit work area , put everything in little boxes like a pill dispenser and put the kettle on . This is how confidence is gained .  . https://www.pccperformance.co.uk/collections/carburettor-services?gclid=CjwKCAiAlrSPBhBaEiwAuLSDUPWDgrJOAz2Hq3F1CMxdBgCiQ2snhp3LAEhecFkwR18hwid9AsMo_BoCvAkQAvD_BwE

I hasten to add that I'm recommending this product in its metaphorical incarnation .

Let's have a picture of the kick start lever on the bike please . 

I was there . 

1 hour ago, Richard said:

I have never ridden one, but I very much like the different and not necessarily the best bike out there. It’s important that we are all different otherwise we would have nothing to put photos up about or challenge. 

I've owned a couple of FT500' s or Ascots as they were known in the US . I only paid a few hundred quid . Nowadays you can't find  them very often and they go for stupid money . Great fun to ride . Bloody hell rusty stand and a ripped seat . One of mine was nicer than that and I only paid £200 I think . 

1 hour ago, MikeHorton said:

Talking of slightly different bikes I always liked the idea of the yamaha szr660 a sporty little single! 

I've only ever seen one . I always thought the tank was an awkward shape at the back . 

Remove , sandpaper and replace your battery leads including the other end of the earth lead . Just because they appear to be done up tight dosen't mean there's a good connection . If it's still knackered after that then you might have a shit battery but at least you're ruled out the cheapest option . 

The original idea was for these bikes to be sold as Harley Davidsons but Harley changed its mind . All the Buell developed engine modifications , however , were incorporated into the 2004 Sportster i.e. big valves , higher compression , rubber mounts  and bigger cooling fins . And that's good because I've got one .

1 hour ago, iangaryprice said:

If you look at the link above for GS125 parts, the cam cover on this engine is also the top half of the bearing for the camshaft. When if forms part of the bearing like this you can't have a gasket, it must be metal to metal to get an exact sized and round hole for the camshaft.

My daughters YBR125 and my CB250RS were like this as well, no gasket.

My Suzuki CBX550, GSX600, the cover is just a cover and it has a seal, the cams are held in by caps inside the cover.

 

Fair enough , I know what you mean . Like the old G5 Hondas , the destroyer of many a would-be Biker's dreams . 

54 minutes ago, iangaryprice said:

The "cam cover" on many bikes does not have a gasket, it will require sealant on the surface whne refitting.

If the rocker shafts are in the cover then a gasket would allow too much variation affecting the valve gaps.

 

Ok that may be the case but all my big Suzuki's , the ER5 , the Harley , all CG 125s , Benleys , even the 3TA that I built last year have a Rocker Box gasket or gaskets . 

I seriously doubt that there would be no gasket . Usually tappet / valve / cam cover gaskets are made of neoprene ( Rubber ) and are reusable . 

I'm getting quite good at this . 

34 minutes ago, Fozzie said:

 

It's got quite a high pitched chirp to the exhaust note, which is pretty loud at about 1500rpm and 4000. The noise goes away if I slip a metal rod into the exhaust and prod around, so something is resonating. 

I'll be replacing with a full stainless system in due course. If I remember right, they have a bit of a "chirp" noise normally, but this is a lot louder. And the dodgy paint job on the exhaust and lower frame suggests it's a bit rotten inside. 

 

It also sounds like the starter motor drags a bit after starting, even with the button let go. But as the engine picks up, it doesn't hang on for more than a couple of seconds. So a repair kit or replacement is probably on the cards if they are available. 

The starter motor might just benefit from a good clean and a rebuild . My first ER in particular had a whole handful of filth inside it . 

Looks like it's all there . The exhaust looks rotted in the usual place . 

30 minutes ago, manxie49 said:

On the subject of coolant,  I've often wondered,  why the bike needs topping up in the first place??  If it isn't leaking,  and you're not losing it from anywhere obvious,  where does the coolant go?? 

It's not a completely closed system . Upon expansion , some coolant will migrate to the expansion tank which has to be vented to atmosphere to displace the air . While in the tank , a small degree of evaporation will take place , especially in hot weather and the cumulative effect of this evaporation will eventually necessitate periodic replenishment . That's my take on it . 

1 hour ago, James in Brum said:

I’m would Rob. I would. It looks fab. 
will also follow the link above. 
I plan to try to save a bit to make it an opportunity to have a good choice. 
I’m also going to work out when I can go get the CD175 from my father in law and work out if I can put it in the back of the Landrover and the restore it.

First bike I ever had . 

B&Q is the cheapest that I'm aware of . 

2 hours ago, James in Brum said:

I was feeling pretty grumpy. It is what it needs to be at the moment. It does give me chance though to think about exactly what bike do I want. As a luxury in my life I can be more picky. As a necessary mode of transport less so. 
with my Zzr I was getting some tennis Elbow when I rode her. Other than that she was perfect (ish). I might get another one and maybe fit some bar raisers. Only nagging thing is she was quick but I had gotten used to the quick. Would I want a bigger bike. 
mot something different completely, maybe a Vstrom or CBF1000.

I know I want some degree of fairing, not necessarily side panels but definitely a screen and nose cone. 
many suggestions welcome. Budget tiny everywhere but fantasy land.

You know you secretly want to .