Motorcycle General Discussion

[JimmieS]

On JimmieS Said:

https://www.sunbeamland.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/The-Vintage-Motorcyclists-Workshop.pdf

Enjoy the read

Jim

Great old book. Thanks for posting. Very encouraging when a book starts with the recommendation to get a Hobbymat lathe for the workshop and then goes on to describe how to mount a piston on the face plate so as to bore the gudgeon pin hole. True motorcycle restoration work, not today’s order new parts on internet and bolt them on.

[FulmenParticipant @fulmen]

I pulled out the dial indicator and measured it while on the bike. It’s not perfect but within spec, 0.7mm axial and 1.3mm radially. And it’s not smooth either with a couple of dents that measure 0,5mm over 3-4 inches. The weights are in the lowest spot, that seems reasonable.

As for the spokes they are hard to read as many of them seem to be rubbing (or nearly so). But none sound excessively loose. I tried turning a couple of nuts, but several were seized up and I didn’t want to exacerbate the problems by going at it half cocked.

 

[45chopParticipant @45chop]

A few pictures of my old Hill Cimbing WLC that I use to compete in the annual Red Marley Hill Climb. Occasionally it’s a dry year and I’ve made it to the top.

[45chopParticipant @45chop]

I have retired the Harley for a while and have been concentrating on lighter bikes. This is an old speedway bike that I did some modifications to for last years attempt, it was extremely muddy. I’m out front and I got within two yards of the finish line in the video, so close yet so far !

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/3lywe00NeMI?si=8xMwUhf9vAjLxBvn

https://youtube.com/shorts/3lywe00NeMI?si=24Fw3PodUMqLeDSs

 

[45chopParticipant @45chop]

One of the reasons for purchasing a mill, not sure that the bungee cords are an acceptable engineering practice.

https://youtube.com/shorts/sf8wKMBdiuI?si=uB4TJ4DbFcDWOksz

[45chopParticipant @45chop]

https://youtube.com/shorts/ogG5vtFOy80?si=TfxGVw8DKcWKdSMyThis was another job that could have been done so much easier with a mill.

 

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

45 Chop, I love the old Harley. I bet she tractors up those hills nicely. I have a WLA “civilianised” that has been going strong since I got it in 1973, much of it pulling a sidecar. And a Servicar engine in a Featherbed frame that I have been working on for about 25 years. Will get it going one of these days!

[45chopParticipant @45chop]

Hopper, Post a picture of your 45 outfit. This was in an earlier lifetime, pre-hillclimb guise, unfortunately now gathering dust, such good fun, makes me want to bolt it on again !!

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

• One of the projects I will never do is to put all the controls for the bike into the sidecar and then trundle down the road and count the crashes caused when other drivers panic when they see no one on the bike

[45chop]

On 45chop Said:

Hopper, Post a picture of your 45 outfit. This was in an earlier lifetime, pre-hillclimb guise, unfortunately now gathering dust, such good fun, makes me want to bolt it on again !!

 

My dad on it during the years he comandeered it and rode in vintage rallies etc. And some of his old racing WLA back in the day.

Hmm. The site will not allow me to upload pics. Will try another day.

 

 

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Whilst admitting that I am completely out-of-touch, having not ridden any motorcycle for quite a few years now …

I was “lost” when reading this article in Tech Radar this morning

https://apple.news/AlRdlqI5aRJ22Qxs-nswZuw

https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/i-rode-the-worlds-first-fully-electric-adventure-motorcycle-and-its-the-future-aside-from-one-big-drawback

There is almost nothing in there to which I can relate !

… It may, or may not, be worthy of discussion here.

MichaelG.

[Michael Gilligan]

On Michael Gilligan Said:

Whilst admitting that I am completely out-of-touch, having not ridden any motorcycle for quite a few years now …

I was “lost” when reading this article in Tech Radar this morning

https://apple.news/AlRdlqI5aRJ22Qxs-nswZuw

https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/i-rode-the-worlds-first-fully-electric-adventure-motorcycle-and-its-the-future-aside-from-one-big-drawback

There is almost nothing in there to which I can relate !

… It may, or may not, be worthy of discussion here.

MichaelG.

An offroad adventure bike with a range of 100 miles between charges? What will they do, plug it into the nearest tree by the side of the dirt road?

All seems a bit pie in the sky at the moment. Especially with a pricetag above that of an ICE BMW or Triumph adventure bike and towards double the Honda equivalent.

The real potential, and actual progress, is at the other end of the scale. On my recent visit to SE Asia, I saw electric scooters are becoming very popular, especially in the poorer countries where electricity is cheaper than petrol and economy is paramount. Great for around town. I did see quite a few getting pushed the last mile or two to the next village out in the countryside though.

But there are moves afoot to use standardised batteries across all brands so you can change over batteries at a service station. The big 4 Japanese manufacturers are signing up to this.

And they are producing some very competitive offroad motocross racing bikes. Light and powerful, they are very competitive, and the battery lasts long enough for one race so range is not an issue.

And in certain cities in China, eg Shanghai, electric scooters have almost totally replaced ICE models and EV cars are well on the way to ousting ICEs, drastically cutting local smog and noise levels.

Back at the big end of town, Harley Davidson has the EV Livewire bike, a sort of midsized commuter, 84HP, weighing a porky 430Lbs. Gets good reviews but range on test is only 70 miles, way less than the claimed 110 miles. So far, not a huge sales success, but motorcyclists are a conservative bunch and still like to hear the sound of fossil fuel explosions as they tool down the road.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks for the ‘sanity check’ Hopper

That bike just seems to carry so many mixed messages … not all of which can be true at the same time.

MichaelG.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Marketing is like that!

Of course, in reality, most ICE “adventure bikes” go on very few adventures off the tarmac anyhow. It’s an image thing, so I guess a 100 mile range would suit some of those guys.

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

I have recently acquired a new to me motorcycle

i’ll talk about it later but first see if anyone can identify it from this teaser picture?

Yes the spokes are meant to be like that just I’ve never seen any other bike with spokes like that!!

[John MCParticipant @johnmc39344]

Something old and British as evidenced by the ribbed front tyre?

A 3 cross spoke pattern, better than a 2 cross.  Are the spokes bent or is it a photo anomaly?   If they are then that would be a worry.  I would also suggest that if the spokes are bent, they were bent while trying to assembling the wheel.

It also looks as if the piercing of the rim might be less than perfect, look at the nipple on the right of the photo, doesn’t look “comfortable” sitting in the rim dimple.  Another reason the spokes seem to be bent?

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

John.

No its old (1946) but not British and yes the spokes are bent on all models just the front wheel but not the back

the spokes come from the parts supplier already bent

[John MCParticipant @johnmc39344]

Ian, don’t keep us in suspense, what bike is it?

More importantly, why are the spokes bent like that?  I’ve yet to think of a reason why they should be bent as they are.  At the moment I’m still of the opinion that it’s a poorly built wheel!

 

[norm nortonParticipant @normnorton75434]

We need a wheel building expert to say exactly why those wheel spokes are bent, but my guess is that someone has used the wrong rims for the hubs and has bent the spokes to fit.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

but the owner says its how they should be!!!!

[bernard towers]

On bernard towers Said:

but the owner says its how they should be!!!!

Quite so, Bernard

… but that suggests the original manufacturer botched the design

🙁

They need to be named and shamed.

MichaelG.

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Ok here it is 

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

So its a nimbus made in Denmark from 1930-59

14,000 all told and apparently 40% of those in Denmark are still on the road unknown how many others elsewhere

its got a 4 cylinder OHC inline engine 3 speed gearbox shaft drive exposed rockers and valve springs

the company that made them is nilfisk. The vacuum cleaner and pressure washing co

it starts easily and rides very pleasantly brakes leave a bit to be desired though

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Very interesting machine, Ian !

… thanks for the disclosure.

MichaelG.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

very much doubt its a botched design we just dont know the reasoning behind it

[Author]

Posts