ST70 Re-Commission The Fun Begins

[kevberlin]

Good news on the ST70.
That Crusader looks very nice indeed. Was it as good as it appeared??

[Moto63]

Yes. Excellent news regarding the ST70 being sold Martin 👍
Hope the 250 crusader pans out well for you 👍

[xbally]

Thanks.
Yes the Crusader looks lovely.
It was rebuilt completely by someone who had a collection of them.
Its only covered 10 miles since the rebuild so needs fettling and running in. The PO has had it for about 16 months but hasn't ridden it.
Took a gamble riding it the 5 miles back here after adding it to my policy. I don't know if it was the fuel, gummed up carb or flat battery but it didn't want to pull uphill. Also haven't ridden a right foot change bike since about 1980!
When I got it home the carb flange nuts weren't very tight so that might account for the choke needing to be on!

Here are a few pics :

[xbally]

More

[themoudie]

Aye Martin, a bonnie looking bike.

Reads as though all the usual "rebuild" gremlins are about. Every nut, bolt, seal etc needs a looksee. Dinnae over tighten those AMAL flange nuts, it's only a pot metal body and will warp as soon as look at you, if tweeked too much!    Hope you can fettle it and then enjoy it.

I suspect parts are easier and cheaper to obtain than for the ST70?

Good health, Bill

[xbally]

Thanks Bill.

Parts for the ST70 were in surprisingly plentiful supply.

I can't find much yet on the Hitchcock's site for the Crusader. Well no that's not strictly true as quite a few of the the standard parts seem to be available having looked a bit further.

Yes I fear there may be  quite a bit of shaking down to do..............

[iansoady]

I was reading one of Rick Parkington's old columns and he opined that any old British bike will be a project and need at least 6 months' fettling! I have to agree from my experience except that if it's Japanese then a year might be more realistic.

It is a nice looking bike Martin. A pal of mine had one back in the 60s and it took us both on several camping trips. The folly of youth.....

[xbally]

I have to say my GPZ500 restoration went largely without too much trouble but they are not what you would call a classic in the traditional sense-liquid cooled, mono shock, lots of plastics alloy wheels albeit a twin.
Today I've ordered a set of mirrors from Hitchcocks for the Crusader . I can't believe how vulnerable I felt turning right even doing the police riders "life saver".
I've done 2 bursts of 5 miles each around where I live. Nipping up the carb flange nuts (although not too tight Bill) seems to have improved the running slightly although it could be just psychological.
I've fitted  an in line fuel filter and checked the output of fuel from the tap. I whipped out the plug (which was a bit sooty)cleaned and re-gapped it and re-checked for a spark and ordered a new one just in case from Mr. H.
I also charged the battery -did I say it's had a 12 volt conversion? I'm sticking initially to largely flat roads where I can load up the new engine only lightly. As it hopefully loosens up I'll give the engine bit more work to do.
I'd already got a re-pro copy of Pitman's Book of the RE250 so my bedtime reading will be on setting up the Monobloc and checking the ignition timing.....
Some woman pulled across me today . I'm not exceeding 35 mph at the moment but nevertheless the front brake was somewhat lacking-I hope the shoes (twin leaders) will bed in as well.When I finally tried the rear drum I was pleasantly surprised how good it was.
I thought I would struggle with the right foot gearchange but it's the one up and 3 down pattern that I have to keep repeating in my head - down for up and up for down!

[Moto63]

Sounds like you’ve found a bike you like Martin, excellent news. It also sounds like it might keep the old grey matter working a bit too, which IMVHO is never a bad thing. Really glad you seem to be getting along with it and wish you many happy S’miles riding it 👍👍
Ps.... certainly looks nice in the photos
Cheers, Michael

[iansoady]

I have to say you're a braver man then I Martin to ride it home, even if only a few miles. Every bike I buy has at least one thing making it dangerous. You're all bored with the little Yam - although I think I'm getting there with that - but the Bouzouki had a throttle cable so frayed it wouldn't return and a clutch cable that needed a gorilla's strength to operate. Weirdly someone had fitted one of those "effort reducers" to it. Making the correct cable with a liner reduced the effort to manageable.

The bloke I bought it off had done 6,000 miles in the last couple of years, borne out by MoTs. Some folk just have no mechanical sympathy, although I'm sure in our younger days we've all ridden things we shouldn't. But this chap was into his 60s at least......

[Ian]

I'm not a big RE fan but I do appreciate how much  time and effort that has already gone into this bike already. Hope you get it "sorted" asap so you can enjoy the ride. 🤞👍🏍?

[xbally]

I've put a few more gentle miles on it over the last few days and with a little fettling it's already running a lot better.

Ian (soady) I visited Classic British Bike Shop in Redditch  today and bought a few parts and some 20/50 classic oil. I'm sure I shall be going back as well as to Hitchcocks in the coming months.

[iansoady]

I've found the classic bike shop very helpful and being local is useful. I believe it's run by the son of a bloke who ran an old style shop in Redditch. Hitchcock too are  good and I get my Amal bits from them. A nice run out as well but I don't know whether they've resumed counter service.

[xbally]

Yes I believe it was Curley Rogers. I sold my Continental GT 535 to someone who knew him.
I've never been to Hitchcock's on the bike , if I go we usually take the car as my wife likes to come. As you say it's a nice run. We avoid the M42 and go through Barnet Green Wythall and Earlswood Lakes.