Cavcraft 2021: More Italian slow shite.

[Saabnut]

It is many years since I owned a Frantic Bastard but I think you are right, it is fuel related. Almost certainly the carb is choked up with a gunge that will look like varnish after old petrol has evaporated. I suspect you will need to strip and clean the carb, they do not usually do self healing.

[Cavcraft]

Boom shanka 

[wuvvum]

It says "Invalid Source".  Does that mean you've bought an Invacar?

 

Sorry

[BlankFrank]

Seems to work when played with VLC.

Love the sound of a good 2smoke, was it wet or is the carb a bit leaky?

[Cavcraft]

Carb 'sump' (float bowl) bolt washers leaky, some sort of cork arrangement I think. Back wheel off (courtesy of local cycle shop) new tube purloined and wheel/tyre now at tyre place who are going to investigate puncture, fit tube and pass me the old one to repair, all being well.

[DoctorRetro]

On 5/27/2019 at 6:10 PM, brownnova said:

I like to imagine that Hairnet speaks just like he does on AS in real life, so the police let him go, sheerly due to confusion on their part... 

I've met him. No comment. 

[Cavcraft]

Has this worked?

F8BFB25D-6258-4E27-AF13-6000AFDFF957 by Billy P, on Flickr

[Cavcraft]

New tube bought and fitted.

[Cavcraft]

Today was collection day. Took one motor to pick up another.

Hmm, there's a couple* of things needing urgent attention, but it was (relatively) cheap. A very slow and interesting drive home, made more entertaining by being overtaken on the inside* by an Irish registered Volvo lorry that was out of sight in no  time at all.

 

 

*My fault for being in the middle lane when nearside empty, I thought the motorway split into two leaving the left lane behind.

 

 

 

[JohnK]

I do miss my truck, it made collecting things so much easier. May have to buy another one at some point.

[83C]

40 minutes ago, JohnK said:

I do miss my truck, it made collecting things so much easier. May have to buy another one at some point.

Same here. If I do move back to Shropshire I'll certainly be buying one.

[LightBulbFun]

On 5/30/2019 at 12:07 PM, wuvvum said:

It says "Invalid Source".  Does that mean you've bought an Invacar?

 

Sorry

2 stroke 147cc Villiers engine,

so part of it might be from an invalid carriage of some kind

[chaseracer]

On 5/27/2019 at 6:10 PM, brownnova said:

I like to imagine that Hairnet speaks just like he does on AS in real life... 

Yes.  Yes, he does...

[omegod]

Whoa, whoa.. hang on a god damn minute, you has got recovery truck !  Jealous is an understatement ! how much for a borrow mister ? ?

[Mally]

On 5/27/2019 at 6:10 PM, brownnova said:

I like to imagine that Hairnet speaks just like he does on AS in real life, so the police let him go, sheerly due to confusion on their part... 

Having recently met him I can confirm that strangely he speaks the Queens English, though why she should have any claim I'm not sure.

He also mentioned the green steed, which had passed me by. It's difficult to keep up with Billy at times.

I may be interested in this green steed should the opportunity arise, but would not wish to trample on any aspirations that Hairnet may or may not have.

[Cavcraft]

You know when Hairnet dreams, does he have that man in a bubble in his head translating it for him?

[greengartside]

That truck looks the perfect* vehicle for picking up a knackered old Cavalier from a disused car lot in Derbyshire.

[omegod]

14 minutes ago, greengartside said:

That truck looks the perfect* vehicle for picking up a knackered old Cavalier from a disused car lot in Derbyshire.

Would look similarly good en route to Knowsley with an Omega from Urmston on the back 

[wuvvum]

I don't even want to imagine how slow a 90bhp Transit would be with an Omega on the back.

[Cavcraft]

You don't want to know how slow it was with a Puma, I can assure you. The excitement of overtaking a supermarket lorry was untold. The same lorry nearly catching me up a couple of miles later on less so.

[wuvvum]

Still probably a bloody dragster compared to this old thing though, with its slightly tired non-turbo Sofim engine.

[twosmoke300]

Nice ! Saw a similar era flat fronted  Iveco yesterday . Haven’t seen one in donkeys years 

[Cavcraft]

Hmm, partially successful day. 

 

Insurance: Sorted (£75 fully comp, on second bike policy with the Scomadi)

Premix: Pah, proper measuring is for clever clogs.

New (modern) battery:  Half-arsedly wired in to see what happens:

 

Break light works, horn works after introducing it to Madam Screwdriver handle. Main lights don't work. Oh, but what's that? A smell of burning? Things getting hot? Break light doesn't work anymore. Disconnect battery, they're for wimps anyway. 

Donned helmet, started it up, crossed fingers. Running, doesn't sound too bad.

First 150 yards, keep forgetting back brake is gears, gears are back break. Several false neutrals, countless attempts at forgetting one up, rest down. BUT...we're away. Fast forward to about 3/4 mile...

 

Now we're away no longer, we're stopped. Few tickles of carb primer thing, lots of kicking over, not happening. Started pushing it home, got about 25 yards and tried a bump start. We're off again!  Traffic lights change down the road, panic ensued and realised the brakes are sodding awful, mostly because not used to left foot braking so didn't push down enough and put it into third at the same time. Nearly hit the traffic lights, only just stopped. Broke down again. Pushed it through the lights, over the road. Not having it, walked again, bump started it again, we're off. New personal best made a mile, maybe 1.5, before it conked again. Verily, the good Lord smileth down from one of his houses and two or three minutes of piss-arsing about (you've guessed it, a bump start) and we're motoring once more.

Another mile or so home and a couple more conky out moments, but we're getting there.

Pretty confident some of it was down to the wrong mixture (too much 2T) and probably still some shit in the tank. I've thinned the oil out a smidge now, will have another go in the week. Meantime, the battery problem needs looking at (see if I can borrow my son and his electrical ester thing) the clutch and throttle cables are on borrowed time (the latter sticks) but oiling them may help, and the tank probably needs to be sort of professionally or properly cleaned inside and then drop/change the oil if possible. Found a place that does cables (will get inner and outers to be on safe side) so will probs go and get them as they're near Nantwich somewhere. Not convinced riding this there is a good idea though just yet!

Despite it breaking down and being sort of hard to ride, it's been enormous fun and rewarding that a mechanical chimp can get it going after all that time.   

 

*Edit: in the light of the near side foot peg not being present, it was time to open the tool box of delights. Ratchet strap stroppity thing? That'll do nicely, sir...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[strangeangel]

Come on Billy, did you really expect that cotton reel-sized front drum to actually stop you?

 

Heroic work though, especially painting the front number plate on with Tipp-Ex   158383/10

[wuvvum]

Glad my RM9 isn't the only '60s British bike being a temperamental cunt at the moment, although you've got further with yours than I have with mine.

[Amishtat]

22 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Still probably a bloody dragster compared to this old thing though, with its slightly tired non-turbo Sofim engine.

How long ago was that photo taken? 

[wuvvum]

19th July 2005, according to the metadata.

[Cavcraft]

I think Kev (from Wales') has an Iveco recovery truck that's relatively early.

 

What's up with your RM9, Dave?

[wuvvum]

Don't know, can't figure it out.  Two weeks ago I dragged it out of the garage for the first time in months, fitted the rebuilt carb, spun it over with a drill and it fired up straight away, ran for ages and I even rode it round the garden.  Now it doesn't want to know.  Fuel is still getting through (I cleaned the carb again just in case), it has compression and a spark, but it won't even cough.  I wasted hours on it yesterday - I've now dumped it back in the naughty corner.

[Cavcraft]

That's weird, is the fuel mixture ok?