Countdown to Dragon

[guest7]

As my Land Rover is now fubar I have to turn my attention to getting the work sidecar outfit back on the road.

Yesterday I took the bike off the sidecar and chopped out the front (welded) mount.

Today I had the front sidecar lug welded to the new (bare) frame.

The rest of today is earmarked for doing my tax return, but I'm hoping to start stripping down the broken bike tomorrow with a view to starting to build up the new frame over the course of this week.

Wish me luck
GC

[guest7]

I managed to do some work on the new frame, but tonight I thought I'd better prepare plan B in case the works sidecar doesn't get built in time.

I'd renewed the GB's rear brake shoes the other day and that improved matters, but the front brake is still shite. However, I can get to the Dragon with that if necessary. I will be heading off to Jethro's workshop tomorrow to rebuild the front brake (I've got new seals and pads), but frankly I think it's a bad brake in the first place (Honda CBX inboard disk).

Riding the GB/Wasp was a delight, the leading link forks make the steering easy and light. The only fly in the ointment is the overly soft rear shocks, but I've got a pair of 23kg shocks to go on (stock is 21kg and the works sidecar has 26kg, but it carries huge loads all the time).

Cheers
GC

[guest7]

I did the front brake and the braking is vastly improved, although it's never going to be more than adequate.

That means that the GB outfit is available for the Dragon if the other outfit isn't ready.

On the weekend I started with a bare new frame and the damaged bike from the sidecar. First job was to strip down the bike. Off came the wheels, forks, electrics, etc. Then I prepped the new frame by red-leading all the little rust spots I'd found and sanded down. I ground off the seized centrestand as its lugs are used for one of my sidecar mounts.

On Sunday I began the job of building up the new frame. I encountered some glitches, but by today (Monday) I had the whole lot built up and the engine fitted.

Tomorrow evening I will attach it to the sidecar, with a view to a Wednesday MOT.

Cheers
GC

[guest7]

Gave up on the works outfit after Mrs Onepot scuppered my only free evening this week.

The GB is set for the trip and despite its awful valve clatter I am hopeful that we will get to Anglesey in one piece.

Cheers
GC

[guest7]

The GB performed well on the trip. My only real problems were:
Loose oil feed which meant I had to top up the oil a few times
Carb icing (grrrrrr)
my front brake anchor arm bush seems to be breaking up which meant that the brake plate rattled over bumps. etc

The real problem though is the lack of power, with the outfit struggling to maintain a cruising speed of 55-60mph. Fuel consumption wasn't terrible, which is a bonus. Also, given that the C&S were fairly shafted when I got it, the extra 450 miles I just got out of them is a bonus.

Cheers
GC

[guest7]

I have turned my attention to the 'work' sidecar outfit once again.

If you've never seen it, here it is:


Yesterday I reunited the bike and chair... what a pallaver! It's only waiting for the exhaust to be refitted and some dodgy lights to be fiddled with and I will book it in for an MOT.

As much as I'd begun to really dislike the looks of the chair, I was a little excited to see it all bolted up again for the first time in 6 months, we've been through a lot together and I'd missed the old girl.

After having been spoiled by the handling of the GB's leading link forks I think it's only a matter of time before I slap on the spare set of LL forks that I have laying around. Until then it will hopefully be business as usual with the chair full of my job tools and a ladder down the middle.
GC

[andy230]

I remember that picture being taken!  And as it comes back to me, I think your old girl had carked it again!!

Puncture admittedly, so I suppose you can be admonished of any real blame!

However, only recently have I thrown out the can of chain lube I bought in that french town.  Doesn't get used much in my garage!

a

[squirrelciv]

Not looking your happiest in that piccy GC. Chin up old boy! we don't want Johnny foriegner catching a Brit in the doldrums. That will never do :-)

[guest7]

The biggest laugh of that breakdown was the fact that we stood around for an hour getting increasingly hungry and thirsty until somebody made the discovery that the grey concrete building we were sat next to (and had assumed was an administrative building) was in fact a service station

Doh!

GC

[MrFluffy]

Pretty much all peage stations have at least facilities for inflating tyres just after them. Something about trying to encourage motorists to keep their tyre pressures maintained, even some of the picnic areas have these on occasion too, and, shockingly if your used to stopping for air in the uk and finding the remains where someones pulled it off the wall, they usually are working still too.
If your ever stuck in a peage again, look for a little slip lane to the right just after, usually with two humps in it, there will usually be a weird sphere affair thats the inflator pressure cylinder...
Is that works chair a squire or a watsonian?

[guest27]

Memory lane kicks in again

About 15 years ago I went off climbing in OSuthern SPain, first night was in a camp site - after that free camping by the crag.  First night, pitched tent and went for a wander.  Bogs were the squat and hope and no bog roll, however there must have been 20 or more beer vending machines tied to the trees.  Local lads were camping with the lassies, gettng pretty well lubricated, and what seemed to never be a thought of pulling the machine from the tree or breaking it - just every so often one would wander over with a load of coins and buy a load more cans, when one machine was empty they walked to the next nearest one.  Jim and I were camped either side of one and the locals kind of looked on it as ours...

Where we were climbing was interesting - the bar sold the usual beer spirits etc, plus flick knives, carbines, bullets and shotgun cartridges..

R

[guest7]

Is that works chair a squire or a watsonian?

It started life as a Squire child/adult chair. I added the aluminium screen to keep my tools safe. I was supposed to make that trip on my solo XBR but problems meant a very last minute switch to the outfit, that's why as pictured the chair still had a spirit level, circular saw, hammer and screwdrivers rolling around inside... but no puncture repair kit.

Air was not the problem, the puncture was bad enough to warrant a new tube. Boyd and another (Martyn?) were great and took the wheel to Le Havre to find a bike shop to get it fixed.

cheers
GC

[andy230]

Boyd and another (Martyn?) were great and took the wheel to Le Havre to find a bike shop to get it fixed.

Waaaaaaahh!    Being the brunt of your fecking jokes, I'd at least expect you to remember me, Carrick!!

Harrumph!!

a 

[guest7]

runt of your fecking jokes, I'd at least expect you to remember me, Carrick!!

Oh it was you was it? thankyouveryta!

The black outfit creeps closer to completion. I got the wiring sorted (wiggle sidecar bulbs until everything works). The tank had suffered from months of being empty so i thought a Petseal coating would be good. Luckily I had a tin of the substance laying on a shelf, unfortunatley the best before date was July 2004. Sod that, it's going in Before that though I had to get all the old little loose rust flakes out and I am very proud of my magnet-on-a-wire bodge. I managed to retrieve virtually all the swarf from the tank.

I gave the tank a good swilling with the Petseal and then waited for it to go off, which it did very nicely. It was then that I noticed that the removed petrol tap looked a bit odd. To cut it short I'd petsealed the mesh filter into the tank too

Judicious use of force (and long nosed pliers) saw the item removed and a quick trawl through the garage yielded another filter so all is well.

I'm aiming for an MOT sometime next week.

Cheers
GC

[guest27]

So you will be back on bogs and basins soon after?  BTW the oak floor is shrinking nicely - must get Bastian to pee on it a bit more.

R