Project Strangeangel's Shite-tastic Shenanigans 12/12 NEW MOTOR - ACHIEVED.

[LightBulbFun]

13 minutes ago, strangeangel said:

Bit of bad news/good news from the DVLA on the Tula front... they've rejected my application, but only because I didn't send them the original registration document. I just have to send them a covering letter stating that I never had it and they will issue it a 1962 registration mark

 

happy to hear things are progressing on that front   1962 means it will be a suffix-less plate, will be interesting to see which one you get issued  

[strangeangel]

9 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

happy to hear things are progressing on that front   1962 means it will be a suffix-less plate, will be interesting to see which one you get issued  

 

Yes! I remember they used to hand out old Bangor area numbers (FF) but I think they must have run out by now, which is a shame as I would love it to have one of those (or any other Welsh identifier really). The ones I see most commonly these days seem to be SU/SV/SY. Don't mind really, I'm just relieved it isn't going to end up wearing one that ends in Q ?

 

[LightBulbFun]

20 minutes ago, strangeangel said:

 

Yes! I remember they used to hand out old Bangor area numbers (FF) but I think they must have run out by now, which is a shame as I would love it to have one of those (or any other Welsh identifier really). The ones I see most commonly these days seem to be SU/SV/SY. Don't mind really, I'm just relieved it isn't going to end up wearing one that ends in Q ?

 

Yeah those welsh plates have long since been issued I think, it reminds me a story of someone registering a microcar that he knew had lived in scotland for all its life so though to himself something along the lines of "ah well shame I dont know its original  plate but a scottish age related plate will actually fit quite well for once" only to get issued a welsh plate!

but im also curious if you get will a AAAxxx plate or a xxxAAA plate

(it always bugged me when I saw a pre 1950s/60's vehicle get issued a reverse plate "age related" plate, not very age related is that now!, the first reverse plates where issued in 1953)

but on the Tula being 1962 either style would suit it well  

[strangeangel]

I nearly forgot, today's other news is that the Velosolex's dating cert has turned up today, confirming that it's a 1964 model. Another envelope full of papers off to the DVLA!

 

[MT606]

On 8/9/2020 at 9:45 PM, strangeangel said:

Aaaaaaaand relax.

 

 

Cheers all!

 

what are the DN-01s like to live with? that screen do a good job? I like the look of the NM4 but prefer the shaft drive of the DN

[strangeangel]

1 hour ago, MT606 said:

what are the DN-01s like to live with? that screen do a good job? I like the look of the NM4 but prefer the shaft drive of the DN

 

It's not everyone's cup of tea, obviously, but I really like it. I've had mine about three years now and have no plans to change.

 

My back isn't the greatest so the upright riding position suits me nicely. That screen is an after-market Givi one; the original is useless but this actually does a reasonable job of diverting the wind over my head (I'm 5' 10" mind, taller riders may not be so lucky). The low seat is great for me, and it is comfortable to ride three hours at a time before getting off for a stretch.

 

Servicing is straightforward and the HFT transmission - while expensive to replace - just seems to keep going and offers a much smoother gearchange than the DCT bikes I've ridden. Apparently it originated in off-road quad bikes, I imagine it'd have to be pretty tough to survive that sort of life. I've never found the shaft drive intrusive, but then I am not Rossi, and the DN-01 is not a bike for wannabee Rossis either.

 

 

 

[strangeangel]

Note that this didn't happen to the altogether more svelte @jonny69 during his ownership... I was negotiating a sweeping right hander on my way back from the shops in the Ami this afternoon when I heard a ripping sound, closely followed by the realisation than my left cheek was no longer accommodated at the same height as the right.

 

 

Yep, my arse has gone right through the seat. You see it here in its current state, reinforced* by a piece of corrugated cardboard. The seats were pretty shagged when I got the car, in truth, so I have today ordered a set of canvas webbing things, blue covers - more in keeping with the current livery - and new foam bolsters to restore comfort levels to those originally intended. More when they arrive!

 

[strangeangel]

Just at Birch Services, on the way home having done the deal... I'm sure you'll be just as excited as I am when you see what I haz purchased:

 

?

 

[dozeydustman]

@strangeangel can you ping me some details for the forum Beige BX tea & biscuits fund please?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

On 9/12/2020 at 5:05 PM, strangeangel said:

.... when you see what I haz purchased:

 

?

 

Once you C1, you've seen 'em all.....

[strangeangel]

Another new arrival is more of a workshop improvement... this is my Dad's old compressor.

 

 

He built it himself in the early sixties, and it's still going strong. I wouldn't even like to hazard a guess as to how many ropey old cars got re-sprayed courtesy of this device! A service and a bit of re-wiring are required, but this will be so much better than the potty little thing I currently have. I don't honestly think I can bring myself to paint it, though.

 

[strangeangel]

Time to see how much work this C1 represents, then. First stop is the inoperative front brake. Laddo claims he'd put new pads in it... whatever, the front wheel is pretty much stuck solid, and the lever pulls back to the bars. Let's have a look:

 

 

The pads weren't seated correctly in the caliper, so they were never going to work properly. They aren't new either; presumably he took it apart to check the wear and gave up on the job when he couldn't turn the front wheel any more. GR8 JOB M9. The Brembo caliper looks in pretty good nick, with the exception of several chunks taken out of the centre of the pistons. Fuck knows why, and I'm not even going to try and guess 🤣

 

 

Pistons cleaned and lubed with a bit of red rubber grease, pads cleaned and re-seated properly and the seized sliders cleaned and greased... suddenly things are looking a whole lot better. Added fresh fluid and bled it up and we now have a fully operational front brake. While doing that I found slight play in the front wheel bearings, so a pair of those will be ordered.

 

I did a bit of cleaning while I was down there, can't believe how well the 20 year old alloy has scrubbed up:

 

 

I also found that there's a metallic grinding noise when you engage full R/H lock. Clearly something is catching on the fork assembly, and it'll not pass an MOT like that, so it's bodywork off time. I was always going to have to pull the front off in any event, because of the Scouse Ignition Lock:

 

 

Yep, that's right - you join the two wires together to start it. Some scrote broke the ignition lock in a botched attempt to steal the beast. Happily, the previous owner spunked £150 on a replacement lock set, so at least I don't have to fork out for that. While I'm in there it also needs the centre stand cables replaced too (again, bought by previous owner). One of the many idiosyncracies of the C1 is how you park it. From inside you  pull a lever which deploys the centre stand beneath you. Then, instead of grabbing the bars and heaving the machine backwards, you simply pull another lever which lifts the front wheel up!

 

Time for a brew, more soon.

 

 

 

[strangeangel]

MASKING TAPE EXISTS, you scruffy bastard.

 

 

This is making progress.

 

 

[strangeangel]

Blown fork seals to add to the list...

 

 

[strangeangel]

New ignition lock fitted... the steering lock was scraping because numbnuts had put this bracket on upside down 🤨

 

 

[strangeangel]

Battery compartment lock - changed.

 

 

Chinese battery flattener - binned.

 

 

Brew time!

 

[strangeangel]

The bike has some damage to the OSF wing, but there was a better one thrown in with it.

 

 

Seems silly not to fit it while everything's in bits like this.

 

[strangeangel]

 

Time to tidy up, I've got to mow the lawns before MRS_SA gets home... that's all folks!

 

[Cavcraft]

Hey, that's great progress and there's defo some real satisfaction about getting those sort of jobs sorted.

[strangeangel]

2 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

Hey, that's great progress and there's defo some real satisfaction about getting those sort of jobs sorted.

 

Cheers, it was a very enjoyable way to spend a day... no appointments to keep, forget the worries of the world and all that; just spanner away, and brew up at regular intervals!

 

I've got to do a bit of shopping now, but hopefully this shouldn't be too expensive to put back on the road, Fork seals and dust caps, front wheel bearings and possibly also the rubber bushes under the handlebars but I won't know about the latter until I've had a look. Happily the PO left a workshop manual on a disc in with the paperwork 👍

 

[strangeangel]

9 hours ago, strangeangel said:

...also the rubber bushes under the handlebars but I won't know about the latter until I've had a look.

 

 

Well, I've figured out how the handlebar assembly works, thanks to BMW's online parts ordering operation - stick in the last 7 digits of your VIN, and you get access to exploded parts diagrams and part numbers - very useful indeed 👍 This one explains everything:

 

 

The reason there is play in the bars on mine is almost certainly going to be because the roller bearings (#8 in the diagram) are knackered. A nice chap on the C1 Facebook group has given me the SKF equivalents for these and the front wheel bearings - now ordered,

 

[strangeangel]

It just occurred to me that you never see the BX on this thread these days, expensive bills aside... well, here it is wearing its new yellow headlamp bulb covers (£11, eBay)!

 

 

I have to say they do look considerably more yellow than that in real life! After the usual MOT shenanigans and the gearbox shitting itself it seems to have settled back into being what is genuinely one of my favourite cars of all the heaps I've owned down the years. When I bought it from @Six-cylinder I was honestly more interested in the 205 cabrio I then owned, and thought the BX would be an itch well scratched in a year or so; to be moved on to its next forumite owner at (hopefully) not a great loss. Now I just hope it's got a lot more MOTs left in front of it... only another nine until it becomes exempt!

 

[Six-cylinder]

5 minutes ago, strangeangel said:

It just occurred to me that you never see the BX on this thread these days, expensive bills aside... well, here it is wearing its new yellow headlamp bulb covers (£11, eBay)!

 

 

I have to say they do look considerably more yellow than that in real life! After the usual MOT shenanigans and the gearbox shitting itself it seems to have settled back into being what is genuinely one of my favourite cars of all the heaps I've owned down the years. When I bought it from @Six-cylinder I was honestly more interested in the 205 cabrio I then owned, and thought the BX would be an itch well scratched in a year or so; to be moved on to its next forumite owner at (hopefully) not a great loss. Now I just hope it's got a lot more MOTs left in front of it... only another nine until it becomes exempt!

 

I took it though one MOT and was very nervous putting it in, but not too bad. I am glad you have continued to love it because it is a likeable car and I only sold it because I got the family BX my dad had new.

P.S I still have the Aprilia 125cc scooter and although I have done nothing with it, I still love it and am glad you sold it to me.

[strangeangel]

7 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

P.S I still have the Aprilia 125cc scooter and although I have done nothing with it, I still love it and am glad you sold it to me.

 

 

It's a bit late this year, but next spring I really think you need to get that CBT in the bag and get the Aprilia out on the Queen's highway

 

 

[Fabergé Greggs]

Ace to see the progress on the C1- was tempted by one as a commuter weapon in the pre ULEZ days. They have that ill fated concept appeal that makes for prime Autoshite- see also: Sinclair C1. 
 

 

[strangeangel]

3 minutes ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

Ace to see the progress on the C1- was tempted by one as a commuter weapon in the pre ULEZ days. They have that ill fated concept appeal that makes for prime Autoshite- see also: Sinclair C1. 
 

 

 

Yep, evolutionary blind alleys FTW 🤣

 

[strangeangel]

So. time to get the forks off the BMW, then... easier said than done! Three of the four Allen bolts holding the handlebars on eventually came out, with a little help from the blowlamp, but the fourth remains stuck. I've left it soaking in penetrating oil while the new 1/2" drive Allen sockets I've ordered arrive. I reckon I stand a better chance of shocking it into moving than with the 3/8" ones I was using today.

 

That job on hold, I turned to removing the fork legs themselves which threw up another problem. Some C1s don't have an Allen head in the middle of the fork leg bolts to stop the whole lot turning... yep, guess what type mine is! After throwing it out to my fellow 'shiters I went for the impact wrench, which didn't disappoint.

 

Removing the front wheel revealed an unpleasant surprise:

 

 

Yep, the bearing simply fell out of its seat - not good, but apparently a common fault with these scooters. That'll need a bit of attention then. While I was waiting for the penetrating oil to do its work I got a few other bits done... finished fitting the new lock set, with the installation of the seat lock:

 

 

There was a fuel filter in the box of bits, so it seemed silly not to change it while I was in there. It was just flopping about, so I secured the new one to the frame with a bit of old cooling hose for cushioning:

 

 

Dubious electrical improvements* deleted:

 

 

Tomorrow's first job is to bend a 21mm spanner so it can hold the lower fork nut while I turn an 8mm Allen key, which should (finally) release the forks.

 

[strangeangel]

Can we bend it? Can we fuck. Plan B, then.

 

 

So far so good...

 

 

The nut's well tight, though, even after heating it to break the threadlock as the manual suggests. Plan C then - off with its nose!

 

 

That's got the bastard!

 

 

Finally! Now to strip them and see what I need to buy. Brew first, I think.

 

[strangeangel]

Well, everything was as hoped - all I need are the fork seals and dust caps plus a bottle of 5W fork oil. The harbingers of doom on the C1 Facebook were convinced that the alloy rings that sit below the seals would be corroded and/or cracked, so I waited until now to order my bits in case. At £55 a side I didn't want to be buying those and not needing them, but they're fine. The fork oil itself was pretty clean, but given where the tops of the forks are - indoors, effectively - it would be hard for rain water and crap to get in TBH.

 

Pleased with that result, I ordered the stuff (about £60 all in) and gave myself the rest of the afternoon off to watch women's football. Fingers crossed my new 1/2" drive Allen bits will land soon, so that I can tackle the steering head bearings while I'm waiting on the fork parts to come from Germany.

 

[strangeangel]

A small victory while I wait for parts and tools to arrive... amongst the stuff the PO gave me with the bike was a broken (and wrong colour) legshield panel. It was obviously from a posher model than mine, though,  as it had two useful-looking cargo nets built in - now swapped onto my panel!