Took Jug over to Maldon shot blasting to pick up some newly coated brackets. These are to mount up the US style fibreglass cases on Blue. First ride out on this one since I did the branch gathering in the floods a few weeks ago, and then had to do a good clean up afterwards. Had the ign briefly cut out a couple of times, front brake is barely, rear brake pedal is not returning after being applied, so not all good.
Gonna have to go up on the table for a look over I guess. Not sure on the ign at all.
Yeah - I think it’s a kind of POA arrangement; they determine the price dependent upon what you look like when you rock up. You should try dressing down a bit more routinely.
His V85TT needs to go for the recall, my V7 needs a service, so lets do it at the same time, stay in a nice hotel, do some sightseeing, eat some nice food. What could go wrong?
The dealer is 90 miles away, nice 2hrs trip over the Col de Puymorens (6300ft high) but the road is closed since Feb due to massive landslide.
No problem, we take a little detour, same milage but a lot smaller road - 2.45hrs - just about halfway up the Col de Jau (4940ft) we see a sign, “Col Fermee” (- pass closed - a word one should def add to ones french vocabulary! )
Ok, try the next one Col de Roquejalère (only 3250ft) followed by a few more smaller ones, traveltime now up to 3.3 hrs (without half a pass up and down), finally back on a big road, but then the weather gets worse, nevertheless we made it to the dealer (LCF) before lunchtime closure.
The dealer and Peter inspect my rear wheel - verdict: seal in bevelbox gone, needs replacing, needs ordering in, bike needs to stay there
I will need to go home riding pillion - I hate riding pillion!!!
Let’s get some food (pizza with a large glass of red sounds good), try and leave overnight bag in hotel (that was about the only thing that went right)
Go sightseeing, Foix has a very nice castle, last year it was closed for renovation, so it should be really nice! Guess what it was closed because we are out of season…
And if you think that wasn’t bad enough, France is since midnight in lock-down now, so I won’t get my bike back till 15th April at the earliest
PS: the roads - some are our local ride out routes- were fun
Oh dear Uki… I’d best not say that I’ve had some very pleasant rides to work on the V7, now the weather’s improved. Had the obligatory “nice bike mate” comments and a friendly wave from the MSC van this morning, it’s the sort of start that puts a smile on your face for the rest of the day
I suppose you have no choice but borrow Peter’s V85 then…
We in France are in lockdown now, outings only to shop for essentials (don’t think Macron is a biker and considers ones bike essential ) at the closest shop and with permit.
I would still have the good old V65 Policebike also the clutch is veeery stiff.
Now I can’t get to the gym (thinking I’ll be cancelling membership for now) I cleaned up my racing and mountain biking bicycles to use for exercise. Took the red racer for a ride out to Terling yesterday and it felt like a rocket ship after my being used to the station clunker for my daily transport. Then turned round and found I’d been enjoying a tail wind. Doh.
Just got to finish fitting the US style hard panniers on Blue. Need to attend to the bolts holding the hinges for the lids now, and one of the locks ain’t quite right. Then maybe apply some stickers to break up the vast expanse of black fibreglass a bit. Of course, I’ve got nowhere to go on her now for the foreseeable future. Jug seems to be suffering some minor maladies since the trip out in the floods and the subsequent scrub up. Top of the list is to pull the rear wheel and find out why the brakes don’t release properly after application. Not enough that they drag, but leave the pedal sitting low and the brake light on.
Was supposed to be vanning the SP out to Wales this weekend for a couple of days on the trails. Now cancelled that – our intended guide’s husband is definitely in the at risk category for COVID-19. Got a day out on local trails for just tomorrow instead.
Rode my Airone around the garden. You have to run these things up regularly otherwise all of the oil ends up in the sump. Don’t tell he feds, but I wasn’t wearing a crash helmet.
Fitted a brand new carb to the Stornello that I managed to pick up cheap from a guy in Germany. Started it up and it runs fine, would love to be able to give it a try out on the road, but looks like we ain’t going anywhere for a few weeks yet.
You could use a bike to go shopping - I did on Tuesday. Only 16 mile round trip.
Still tinkering with my Spada engine overhaul. Connected all the wires to new fusebox yesterday and everything seems to work again. Slight drip of oil from 3rd fin down on LH head. I’m sure I’ve read about what causes that somewhere. Must have a skim through Guzziology later.
Swapped Jug and Blue betwixt bike port and the table in the garage. Jug to have the rear wheel removed for an exploratory on the rear drum. Didn’t get around to it as I was working in the garden. Gave the SP another scrubbing after the last off road ride out.
Regardless of the MOT relaxation any of the bikes that were on SORN over winter will remain so. Not going to be riding any of the others - even to the shops or pharmacy. Will be using my bicycle though.
Pulled the back end of the Cali apart to check the UJ and to clean and repaint everything I can possibly get to with a piant brush or oily rag as it was filthy and bits of rust appearing in places.
It ain’t going anywhere for a good few weeks so may as well do.
Also considering SORNing the two bikes that currently have road tax on them. In the unlikely event we get let loose on the roads when Boris reviews things in a couple of weeks I will still have the little Stornello road legal as that is free tax.
Cranked the table up with Jug on it last night and pulled the rear wheel. Found the actuating spindle seized pretty much solid in the brake plate. Had a bit of a fight to get it out. All lubed and lovely again now. Shoes are quite worn so I think I should probably be replacing them about now anyway.
I have some half decent shoes, that will become surplus to requirement when I fit the new ones I have. I think they will fit your brake but maybe to large? Not sure if yours is a single leader or twin leader? Mine is a twin leader with the drum about 220mm diameter, it is from an 850T which is the same as a V7 sport and 750S, part number 14 63 74 00 and the linings are part number 14 62 20 05 I will take some photos later.
Doh - just read this, but not sure if your shoes would have helped (too big for me to ever step into). This is the rear drum with SLS. I’ve since ordered a pair from Gutsibits, so it will all come out again when they arrive. They are ‘special order’ so could be a week or two yet.
BTW - The front brake on Jug is a single sided TLS and I know they did also do a double sided. Mine is piggin’ awful despite new shoes and carefully setting up. Best drum brakes I’ve ever experienced are on the SP370, tiny little things that work very well. Though the bike is no heavyweight I suppose.
I was offered a double sided tls front for my bike many years ago, but I decided to add a second disc to the standard single one, it works for me. I have a tls on the front of my Triumph but that need less stopping power!
) at the closest shop and with permit.