Motorcycle General Discussion

[Trevor Crossman 1Participant @trevorcrossman1]

Posted by Ian Parkin on 12/05/2018 17:06:58:

Today a neighbour asked if i wanted to rebuild this for him ?

so in my back yard I now have a huge jigsaw of many boxes of bits

Ooo a Comet! That'll be a nice project though I hope that you get the mag timing better than on my pal's Comet back in the '60's, it sometimes had a real mean kick-back if one didn't jump on the kick starter with every ounce of my massive nine stone frame!

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

Hello Phillip, re your sons Power Pack. Obtain a 6 or 12 volt motor cycle ignition coil, connect the battery negative to earth/frame, connect the positive to the + terminal on the coil, connect the negative terminal of the coil to the contacts/points (the wire)and other side of the contact mounting plate to earth/frame. One long series circuit, when the points are closed current can flow in the primary of the coil and as they open spark is generated from the HT lead. Check that the condenser, now called a capacitor is OK, if its faulty you won't get a spark, it connect across the points, replacements are available. For a simple condenser check, connect it across 12 volt battery and when you remove it from the battery and connect the lead to the metal canister there should a spark.Make sure the points are clean and correctly adjusted using feeler gauges.John

[Philip BurleyParticipant @philipburley44197]

sounds logical , The condenser on the mimi Wypac flywheel mag is a brass tube behind the points , I can feel a bit of a shock but not enough to generate a spark , I expect after 60 years the insulation has broken down , So I will find a small Honda style coil and condenser and see what I can come up with , Thanks for explaining in simple terms how to do it . My cars have been diesels and my mower is electronic , Regards Phil

[Philip BurleyParticipant @philipburley44197]

thinking about it , I suppose it might be worth changing the condenser first , see what that does , as I would still have to get one anyway

[John OlsenParticipant @johnolsen79199]

The condenser for a magneto is sometimes a different capacitance than what a battery and coil system needs. That does not mean that either system would not work with the wrong one, but they tend to work better with the right one. Of course they don't always label them with the actual capacitance so it can be hard to tell.

john

[mgnbukParticipant @mgnbuk]

I can feel a bit of a shock but not enough to generate a spark

Might be that the flywheel needs remagnetising, rather than the condensor ?

Nigel B

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I agree with Nigel, with magneto ignition, specially old stuff the magnets are likely a bit down. They can in a lot of cases be remagnetised.

Even without a condensor you should get a good belt off the magneto even if turned by hand.

Ian S C

[MeunierParticipant @meunier]

Posted by Trevor Crossman 1 on 12/05/2018 17:57:49:

Posted by Ian Parkin on 12/05/2018 17:06:58:

Today a neighbour asked if i wanted to rebuild this for him ?

so in my back yard I now have a huge jigsaw of many boxes of bits

Ooo a Comet! //

Oooh a Comet – I also thought – until realising it was definitely not the same Comet as the James 98cc Comet I learned to ride on at age 14 !
DaveD

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

Been some sand record breaking at Pendine today

Zef Eisenberg first man to do 200mph+…201.573

[thaiguzziParticipant @thaiguzzi]

Posted by Hopper on 17/04/2018 10:45:14:

Posted by thaiguzzi on 11/03/2018 06:33:58:

Always liked the Sportster motor in a Featherbed frame. Fills the space nicely, and, IMHO looks a better fit than any Brit parallel twin. Just looks "right".

It fills the new Featherbed frames they are making that are an inch or more taller than the originals. Sporty engine in an original Featherbed frame has the rocker boxes half hidden up under the tank, between the top frame rails and always looks oversized to me. I built one with an Ironhead Sporty motor back in the 80s and getting the engine in the frame consisted of lie engine on side on garage floor, finagle frame top rails down over rocker boxes, set bottom rail on the oil pump, jump on frame to spring it past the oil pump and into position, then stand the lot upright and make engine plates using technique similar to building ship in bottle for the rear mount.

I also have a 45 Flathead motor in a Featherbed, which to me looks much more correctly proportioned. But nowhere near as much barn-storming fun! (Until I get around to putting the stroker flywheels and Leinweber cams in it.)

Excellent description. Concur with everything written.

Some good posts in this thread whilst i've been away (family holiday in Blighty).

[JimmieSParticipant @jimmies]

Two more ways to waste time.

1964 Southern 100 Race Commentary

**LINK**

And to-day’s Pre TT event

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=622697404731355&id=241559862845113&refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2Frgbracing998%2Fvideos%2F622697404731355%2F&_rdr

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

What are these men made of? **LINK**

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/44083363

As a spectator I made 7 visits to the TT and loved every minute of it (almost). Everyone who races and watches Road Racing knows it has its dark side but as a spectator I think it has no equal and it must have something that draws the riders to a race they know has great danger. Some race just to pit themselves against an unforgiving circuit and complete the race, some will have the skill, machinery and luck to win a race. I take my hat off to all of them. Many GP racers take a look and say not for me and I suspect many are contractually forbidden to race there these days.

Mike

[Barnaby WildeParticipant @barnabywilde70941]

Posted by Mike Poole on 02/06/2018 11:21:32:

What are these men made of? **LINK**

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/44083363

As a spectator I made 7 visits to the TT and loved every minute of it (almost). Everyone who races and watches Road Racing knows it has its dark side but as a spectator I think it has no equal and it must have something that draws the riders to a race they know has great danger. Some race just to pit themselves against an unforgiving circuit and complete the race, some will have the skill, machinery and luck to win a race. I take my hat off to all of them. Many GP racers take a look and say not for me and I suspect many are contractually forbidden to race there these days.

Mike

They're not scared of dying, they're scared of failing.

I've broken through that barrier of 'what if' & let the adrenaline take over a few times. If you've never been there, either a dangerous sport or a situation going horribly wrong, I cannot explain just how exhilarating it feels. Adrenaline is the strongest & most dangerous drug there is, it's killed & maimed more than all other drugs put together x10.

You can never feel truly alive unless you are this <> close to death.

Putting that aside, it does seem that more than a few of 'em are not quite wired up the same as the rest of us mere mortals.

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I have on occasion thought about why motorcycling in general is exciting and I tend to come up with the answer that it is dangerous and you are very much in control of how dangerous it is. As you gain experience on a bike the odds do move in the right direction but too many people make a mistake you can't learn from. I think if you start at 17 and reach 25 alive you are in with a good chance or surviving on a bike, you will have honed your powers of prediction and roadcraft and the brain will be in contol of the throttle and not what you keep in your trousers. Unfortunately the brain can lose out to the trousers occasionally even with very experienced riders. I remember that a brain shaped piece of wood was in the pits at the Bol d'or and I think it was labelled Roger Marshalls Brain while he was out doing a session. Maybe Road Racers brains have an off switch or they just run on trouser control.

Mike

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

I started riding at 16 and will be 70 in a few weeks, in all that time I have never been without a bike. There is nothing to compare for me. I still often go to Norther Ireland for the road racing, the most exciting in the world.

[JimmieSParticipant @jimmies]

From Manx Radio site

MHK wants as much data as possible

The politician leading a study on the economic impact of the TT and Festival of Motorcycling wants to hear more from businesses and individuals alike.

The first part of the report, which focused on the money government spends on and makes from the two events, has just been released.

It revealed a net loss of £950,000.

Part two, which should reach Tynwald by January next year, is still being worked on.

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

re TT – the sum of ?950k lost is merely the tip of an iceberg, for as many have been questioning for years, a very large amount is ‘hidden’ in the costs of other departments – also consider that with finite (and declining) budgets the 50+% spent on maintaining the TT course to race standards requires significantly less to be spent on the other vast majority of roads – also note that the costs of fatal + other serious accidents are ignored (eg this year was better than usual as only one visitor was killed (and that in a supposed speed restricted road) – I like many others find it safer to be off Island whilst the carnage takes place.

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

Straightliners News Channel

And now for something completely different. This guy is the holder of the British and Commonwealth bicycle speed record of 114mph – Neil Soupy Campbell. He intends to go one further and break the European record 127 mph during Straightliners top speed & wheelie Tuesday the 19th June at Elvington!

Remember online entries close Friday night. £25 extra after that. Here is the link https://http://www.straightlinersonline.co.uk/events/event/117-top-speed-tuesday-19th-june.html

Taking place Elvington Airfield, North #Yorkshire, England. Photo Adam Roberts. Please share and like this post and don't forget to follow us. #topspeed & #wheelie

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

Another good day at Elvington with fast record 135mph push bike and very fast motorcycles.

Fast lass Becci did 248mph as I left.

 

 

 

 

Edited By Windy on 19/06/2018 20:35:10

Edited By Windy on 19/06/2018 20:39:13

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

**LINK**

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/northern-ireland/44754057

MichaelG.

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Yet another tragedy for the Dunlop family. The 1977 film Roadracers sparked my interest in road racing, the three stars of the film are all dead and all in racing accidents, RIP Frank Kennedy, Mervyn Robinson and Joey Dunlop. I love road racing but it wreaks havoc on the families of the young men who die for very little reward. Motor cycling is not the only dangerous sport and as usual there will be calls to ban it. We should resist the nanny state as humans need to do dangerous things, even as kids we climb trees, see how fast we can go on our push bikes etc. I think part of the thrill for a road racer is to beat the circuit as well as the other competitors, many of the racers at the IoM TT are there to pit themselves against the fearsome TT course and have very little chance of winning the race but just taking on the circuit is enough. I wonder if as a spectator I encourage these men to risk all or would they do it anyway even if nobody watched? Racing motorcycles has probably been going on since the second machine was built but even when you are riding on your own you see if you can go that little bit quicker than last time, you are always looking for a personal best for something.

Mike

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Even 75 years ago kids were getting into fast things and getting killed. and a good many had never driven a car or motor cycle, or had a licence. They were climbing into a Spitfire, or a tank, there was adventure, and the kids today still need the adventure.

Ian S C

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Sad to hear that. It does remind me of the old anecdote though:

When was the first motorcycle race? As soon as the second motorcycle was made.

[ronan walshParticipant @ronanwalsh98054]

I do love motorcycles, but they are dangerous bloody things.

Edited By ronan walsh on 08/07/2018 18:13:11

[colin wilkinsonParticipant @colinwilkinson75381]

Ronan, sorry, motorcycles are inanimate objects until a human sits on it. I have just spent today at Mallory Park on my Greeves Silverstone and it was only as dangerous as I made it. It was only a "parade" but it was as fast as I could go given my age and self preservation. Having raced in Ireland in the 60s and 70s and them Isle of Man it is purely a self challenging and determination to be better than my fellow man not a look at me attitude which seems to prevail today. Colin

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