The ride of shame yet again...

[iansoady]

... but I did manage 8 miles on the soulful(?) V twin Yam. Set off yesterday morning with everything working well. It started to misfire after said 8 miles or so so I started to retrace my wheeltracks when the engine just stopped - fortunately just diown the road from a pub where I could get a nice coffee while waiting for the chap with the big van. The neutral light wasn't coming on and the starter wouldn't operate. What I didn't try, not being used to these new-fangled devices, was pulling the clutch in with the sidestand up, which I now realise effectively bypasses the neutral switch for starting purposes.

Said big van arrived after about 30 minutes with a very nice driver so we had a good chat on the way home about the relative merits of Phil Read and Mike Hailwood - both agreeing that Phil was an excellent rider but overshadowed by the charismatic Hailwood - where he stowed the bike away in the garage. He was complimentary about the BS-Zuki and the Electra.

After a couple of hours rest I wandered out and to my astonishment - although this bike has almost ceased to astonish me -the neutral light came on and the bike started on the button.

After studying the wiring diagram intensely I am suspecting the connector that links the pulser coil and neutral switch into the main loom. This is under the seat and I wonder if when I'm on the bike this is being pulled slightly apart. That might explain the missing as well as the refusal to turn over. A bit hot today to examine...

By the way, I use Britannia rescue for breakdown for all our vehicles and have always been pleased with their service.

Further bulletins as and when......

[themoudie]

Morning Ian,

From a cool (13°C), grey and drizzly Perthshire, sorry to read of your electrickery woes. The SRX Mono had a similar set up that I removed when rebuilding, just too many "features"!

I too use Britannia Rescue and have done for getting on for 40 years, or thereabouts. Car, motorcycle, regardless of which one or where the breakdown has occured, I have only found them wanting once, on a Friday night, at 17:30 on the shore of the Holy Loch! No agent available to uplift, offered to pay all accomodation expenses until something could be organised for the Saturday morning. However, the garage at Inverary came to the rescue (don't do uplifts) and after dismantling the bike and jury rigging the throttle cables, I was able to ride home on a constant throttle (60ish) arriving in the early hours.

MoT for the Mono next week, with new steering head bearings, rebuilt forks (ATF Dexron III) not some "special" fork oil of unknown viscosity (There's a scam. if there ever was!) and new Michelin Street Pilot Radials fitted. A bit different from Avon RoadRider MKII's!

Good health and I hope you can get the wee beastie sorted to your liking. Bill