So the new bike feel quite weird at the moment. Kind of like a T3, but kind of not. Humongous runner boards with a weird rocker shift and drum brakes I expect to get the hang of. But on my only ride of any distance so far it was the gorilla grip I needed on the throttle that was most unsettling. Now I will admit to being pretty limp wristed, but boy that’s going to be tiring over distance.
A look around suggests the cables are probably free moving, and the slides shut like a shogun racking one into the chamber. I see it has a Tomasseli (sp?) quick action twist grip - maybe a quarter turn from closed to fully open. Was that std fitment? It’s got the original starter button on the right, but I’d be tempted to maybe go to a cut down lego block grip on that side.
I’ve bought some new carb spring - but can only get the 2kg version - I’ll look to cut them down. What are the other options here? (Apart from fitting one of those throttle flippers in the interim (Clox trip)).
Mine has twin cables, not sure which twistgrip or return springs.
I swapped to the low friction Venhill cables, some new grips which were softer and one of those wrist-rest devices. The biggest improvement was the new grips. The old ones were so hard and shiny I could barely get enough friction to turn the throttle.
Heel and toe gearshift is fine once you can find the heel bit without looking down.
I also have original switches on both sides. They have been totally reliable, although the indicators on the right is a nuisance, so I don’t use them much.
If I make it the Clox we can compare.
Ah, yes. Mine is twin cable from the very top down (no 1:2 splitter). But the device does say Tomaselli quick action on it. The grips are the usual OE MG type – at least from the later 70s/80s, and quite hard. I tend to suffer tendonitis on longer runs and most of my bike throttles have that plumbers self-bonding tape stuck round them to add grip. And I do have the paddle assists fitted on the Pearl and Blue.
Your remark on ride side indicator switch is interesting. My bike has no indicators (so how does he smell? – bl00dy awful), but a switch for them on the left. Which had me wondering if the chromed matchbox with a switch on the right side was maybe for police lights (if the bike was ever a police model). Sounds like my left side switch cluster is non-OE. It also has no pilot light switch – though there is a hole for it in the reflector, and I think the hi-lo is wired back to front.
Heel and Toe on a previous Cali I found fine, and I also have one on my Sporty (with pegs, not boards) – fashioned from angle iron (garage chic). This one is a bit more obscure. Though at least the shift itself seems good.
Went out and looked at mine in the garage - throttle has no writing on it, but is quarter turn to full throttle same as yours.
I think indicators were not a normal fit. If yours was originally sold in USA then it won’t have any. Mine was one of the batch imported to UK from Germany in 71 or 72 so I guess German bikes had indicators. The German workshop manual I have shows them in the wiring diagram.
Switchgear:
Left side - horn button, lights on/off, dip/main
Right side - indicators, indicator repeater, redundant button. I think the redundant button was used for the Police radio “talk” function if fitted.
Both are CEV matchbox type.
Big 4" round indicators are police bike ones. My police Eldorado bike had rhs indicator switch useless! I swapped them over. I changed the grips for thinner rubbery ones - fat ones make my hands ache. My throttle was a bit tiring on a long journey so I used one of the slip on palm rest thingies. I found keeping a close eye on tyre pressures made all the difference to handling. Lovely bikes, my Ambassador WILL be on the road for next spring.
My (very early) ex-italian market Eldo/GT has same switchgear as Ian’s, but the “proper” way around…mind you the gear change isn’t… Changed my throttle to twin cable/tomaselli and thinner grips. Still easier to open/maintain open than the T3 and S3
I bought J’mee’s police Eldo, you can usually tell if yours was originally police by the remains of the friction horn mounting bracket on the LHS frame just in front of the wheel. They were usually ground off before sale. Other police/civvy differences are bolt/on/off so less easy to differntiate. V5 might help? Tell when it was first regsitered etc? Looks to me like either your bike is a police one that’s being changed to 850Gt spec or vice versa. Your clocks are civiilan, the police vehicles had the single speedo, no rev counter. Your bars look like police ones as they point backwards like a wheelbarrow. Police seat is a single seat, civvy dual. There’s a list of differences on the Cyclegarden site (and a plethora of naked females).
Doesn’t matter of course - I’ve changed mine to suit my riding - it now has civvy bars and a dual seat and a pair of pillion pegs from my Imola!
The grips Jmee put on are great - very rubbery; springs are strong - throttle Tomaselli with 2 cables direct to carbs.
If you want any photos of specific bits let me know and I’lll post them up. In the meantime enjoy - I’m getting to grips with the bike and enjoying it a lot!
You have to copy the whole address line, if you look at the end of your link it only says “super_prat” I’m sure that has no further implications though
Throttles on both my loops I always find nice n light…compare notes at Clox…I always change gear with me toe…I move me foot…feet aint big enough to rock…
