Mississippi Bullfrog

Ah who remembers back in the day when it was just left lying on the pavement - and if it had been there long enough it turned white. As a kid I used to wonder how come dogs did white poo - but I read somewhere it was due to minerals they added to dog food to pad it out which lasted once the organic content had broken down.

I had to travel with a bloke in his humongous 4x4 who kept wittering on about how good it was and how nothing else would get through... basically being snobbish about anything on the road costing less than a 4 bedroom semi....when we were overtaken by a lass in her cute little Ford Ka. Silence ensued.

Ha ha! (That was a joke - right, not a typo?)

Of the three options and as a non-smoking, I would go for the ashtray.

This is exactly what I have found with 125s. I dropped one tooth on my front cog and it brought the engine rpm in top gear into a useable range. Whilst in theory the overall top speed will drop that would only apply going downhill with the wind behind you after eating 4 cans of baked beans. In reality - on the flat and with any kind of moderate gradient or headwind it will help you keep in top gear so you actually go faster. It also brought the gears into a much nicer place for round town riding as well.

All those drivers who drive without clearing snow off their rear screens or mirrors - even muppets with rear wipers driving round with the rear screen totally covered in snow. Shows how often they actually look what's behind them.

I grew up on the Magic Roundabout, which probably explains a few things. Brilliant television, but far too subversive for modern tastes.

Very sad. I hope she gets them back. A mate of mine told the tale of when he ran over a cat and felt bad about it, so he knocked on a few doors until he found the owner. He offered to take the cat away and have it cremated which the elderly owner agreed to. So he put the corpse into a plastic bag and left it in his car boot. Later that day he was packing his car when someone reached in and took something out of his boot - yup, you've guessed, they nicked the cat. He followed them at a distance to see their reaction when they discovered what they'd nicked.

As a committed cyclist - I agree - there are cyclists who make me ashamed to get on my bike. But when you think about it it's rarely the commuter on a budget bike who causes the problem. Usually it's the one on the expensive bike with all the kit who thinks they're better than everyone else. Which is not totally dissimilar to how some people drive when they've got an expensive car. So whether it's a bike or a car - I guess the problem is attitude.

If there's no information on the receipt then avoid that place. Any reputable workshop will itemize the invoice.

I agree, especially if you don't know what you're doing. Listening to the video it sounds like the battery to me, but it could be bad connections or a dying starter motor - impossible to tell just from a video clip. But generally at this time of year batteries take a hammering and a weak battery will let go as temperatures drop. Check the receipt for the service - some services are minor which don't include all filters or changing the plug. But if the receipt includes filters and yours are dirty contact trading standards.

I can recommend Ronseal NoRust paint. I used to paint my boat trailer with Hammerite every year, then one year I couldn’t get the usual paint and bought the Ronseal instead. That was 11 years ago and I’ve not painted them since. I used it on a 70’s Vauxhall to paint the suspension parts 5 years ago and it’s just as good now. Hammerite is good but it’s not as good over existing corrosion as the Ronseal stuff.

First thing - if the car was running great don't let a garage work on it unless they have proper mechanics trained to work on classics. Most technicians trained these days wouldn't know a carb from a camel's backside. However - it is what it is - so where to start? There's so many things been done to it that things will be all over the place. Put the timing back to factory standard. Check the timing marks carefully as some VW engines from that era have a variety of marks that can be confusing. I went out to a guy recently with a VW that they'd set the timing marks up using an indent on the rear face of the camshaft sprocket instead of the front face mark. Fortunately it was a non-interference engine or it would have been damaged. Check the dizzy cap - many new aftermarket dizzy caps for older engines are a very poor fit. They go on but the internal contacts between the rotor and cap is out of line leading to weak sparks. If you've got the old cap put it back on. Check the centre brush is in place, I've seen some where it fell out and all that was making connection was the spring. Make sure all the bits they worked on are bolted up tight and there's no obvious sign of cracks or leaks. Re. the carb - which carb is fitted to yours? Many older cars have different carbs from when they left the factory. Make sure the jets they fitted are the right jets for your engine. (eg - I run my 71 Viva on a carb mostly used in VW engines but the jets are totally different. If you went off the carb alone you'd fit the wrong jets.) A flat spot can be down to a weak mix - could be an incorrect jet or a blocked jet, sticking float valve, low fuel delivery. Sometimes you can adjust across the range using the idle bypass screw - if you touch it remember the original setting and adjust 1/4 turn at a time - try making it slightly richer, an engine will always run on a richer mix especially under load, if it's too rich you'll get hunting on idle. If you can get hold of a Colortune from Gunsons they're not bad for setting up the basic setting.

I think the water / emulsion had got past the air filter into the engine oil. Certainly reinforces the advice about either not jet washing bikes or if you have to keep the spray pattern wide and well away from the engine.

Suzuki RV125 VanVan. I have two oil filters and two air filter foams, plus the diagnostic switch for the fuel injection system, free to anyone on here who can collect from Chester.

You do know that there's no risk, that was just a myth. http://www.ukpia.com/industry_issues/health-and-safety/mobile-phones-on-forecourts.aspx A friend who works in the industry told me why they don't want you using mobiles near petrol pumps. Some of the older pumps used to be reset by the signal from a mobile so it was possible to fill up, switch on your mobile and clear the pump reading. It wasn't predictable but over the course of time enough people got free tanks of petrol that they got wind of what was happening. I didn't believe him until he held his mobile next to the programmable transmitter I used for model aircraft. It held the flight controls for six models - until he put his mobile against it and wiped it clean. It became an issue with the 35Mhz systems and we weren't allowed mobiles on the flightline. I thought it was to avoid interference but it was really because if a mobile signal wiped a transmitter's memory any model controlled by that transmitter would crash. Apparently there were quite a few models destroyed until they found out why.

I'm seriously looking at the Warmthru battery powered gloves. 4000Ma lithium's running at 15W, expensive but they look very good. They use a different form of heating instead of wires.

Those things are a bit of a menace - unless you attach a lanyard to it that wraps around the throttle you will one day try riding off with it attached to the disc and end up lying in the road with the bike on top of you.

Top tip for riding through blizzards when you can't afford* winter gloves never mind heated ones --- get a pair of good quality insulated washing up gloves and wear them under your bike gloves, keeps your hands warm and dry. Best to buy the blue or yellow ones, you get funny looks wearing the pink ones. *Or are too tightfisted

I wouldn't have thought going up to 35w would be a problem. I use this place for classic bulbs https://www.holden.co.uk/displayAgroups.asp?sg=1&pgcode=012&sgName=Electrical&pgName=Bulbs+%26+Warning+Lamps

God advice to join the owners club, they'll not only have knowledge to impart but also know where you can get missing bits. When I start a restoration I always begin by labelling everything, it makes life easier later and focuses your mind on what is there and what is missing. Do one bit at a time, it's like eating an elephant - all at once is impossible.

Like others I can vouch for RST kit. It's well made, comfy and not expensive for the quality. I'm lucky that we have a J&S just down the road because to be honest it's a case of trying stuff on to find what suits you. If younger to stick to the budget you'll need to buy some of it used but there's some good bargains to be had if you've got time to look. Personally I wouldn't scrimp on a helmet because a good helmet totally changes your riding experience. Best of luck.

Or she of course. I imagine the ring wing type will have a bit of shock when they find out He is just as much a She. They forget the bit about humanity made in the divine image is both male and female.

Valve clearance specifications can vary on the same engine / bike over successive years so if you've got the right details from the manufacturer for your year & model then stick with them. The CG manual may be referring to an earlier model. It's not unusual for the inlet & exhaust to be different but again that varies from year to year so stick with the specifications for yours. If in doubt I always err on the side of slightly loose rather than too tight.

As they say, a happy engine is a happy engine. And a flappy tappet is a happy tappet. Ha ha - that's a new one I shall have to remember.