trickymicky

If the existing springs are too soft, the easiest way forward is to SHORTEN the spring and make up the difference with a spacer. 1-2 inches off an internal spring make a noticeable difference, but the more you reduce it by, the more chance there is of it getting coil bound. Easy enough to measure the gaps between the coils and work out if there will be enough movement, though.Hands up those who thought shortening a spring softens it? For those wanting to stiffen up modern forks on a heavier bike, s miller sells some heavier springs. Save your money, the ones i got were no different to the ones which came out....

I think Rhodesia is signed off the A57 as you are leaving Worksop,heading towards Rotherham.As you go into Rhodesia itself, its a sort of council estate, just drive sraight till you come to a rh bend and the entrance to Bills farm is on that bend. this is off m/classic site-Rhodesia Just North West of Worksop at MR120/798562 Sign posted off A619, Junction 30 of the M1 near Worksop.

Not much to add there , John. Early frames were weak, breaking where the square tube meets the headstock. This was addressed on later frames with an extra plate on the square tube under the headstock. At the same time they beefed up the rather thin plates on the frame that the swinging arm goes through. A lovely little bike , with lots of character!

A tubeless tyre is slightly smaller than a tube type. They do go on but always have a tendancy for the tyre to lose its location and drop into well of the rim as soon as low pressures are used. If you ever get a tubeless front, they are just about impossible to get to stay on a tube type rim. Those that get a tubeless tyre to stay on a tubed rim use a grinderette to'relieve' the tyre a little before its fitted.

Thats probally Wylde's in Leeds. I think they do their own brand.If the lining is genuine Petseal, the manufacturers sell a solvent for removing the stuff as well.

Robin doesent take calls till late afternoon- you should get him 4pm'ish, or mail him, he does respond.

I use sae 5 fork oil and fill the bodies to 65mm from the top before reassembling. Afterwards i pressurise with air as high as the compressor will go. You will need new seals, rings for the piston (quote the width of them , there are two sorts and new rods really.

Yes, Neils a big lad-he was out yesterday at an excellent Sam Cooper Union Jack trial.Ariels were out in force, Mick Grant,Neil, Martyn Wilmore and myself plus a couple more, in an event which actually favoured 'big' bikes. Over 100 riders and quite a few rigids as well. And well supported by other yorkshire riders , on what probally isn't their favourite terrain!

Yes, GOV weighed around 225lb whereas the one you compared it with will be around 200lb. And it has the short stroke engine now prefered by a lot of riders.

All fork oil is hydraulic oil with a bit of coloured dye in it. If you want to pay extra for some with extra 'additives', such as 'seal swell',its down to personal choice.Quite why you would want to swell your seals though is beyond me.

You have to skim the Surflex friction plates down in a lathe to reduce their thickness, or get Martyn Adams or Alan Whitton to do it for you....

No wonder it's been trouble when you cane it to 124! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thats an indicated 124, might only be a genuine 120!. Faults aside,(and most of the current makes seem to have weakness's)the vw really is a revelation compared to the old generation of vans. If your buying new, stick out for 12% discount on the van and its extras,there may be more available now- i got mine 2 yrs ago. But you wont get the sort of deals you can on such as Transits, for obvious reasons Unless you buy a basic one, they are all built to order. And theres no cam belt to break, unless you cop for the 4 cyl versions

I've got one, been nothing but trouble. It is brilliant when its right though- had 124MPH with a full load.

Its a lovely bike, does the back brake work though? The leverage ratio looks wrong. I'd lower where the rear brake cable fulcrum attaches to the pedal to roughly in line with the swinging arm, otherwise the freeplay on your back brake varies as your riding with the suspension going up and down.It would also give more leverage.

I GAVE UP WITH THAT RAG- IS 'BIRKS' STILL 'ACE TESTER?'

Once i got mine running correctly, i had a keyway cut in the rotor- that way you can remove everything and know its going to go back in the right place.

Just come across the sales invoice for my Seeley, which was the last one remaining in Colins shop- FRAME NO SHT 1275 (ie the 275th made) ENGINE NO RS200TE 1193. That should clarify things once and for all. It had black VF mudguards, as did my 3 other Seeleys. Incidentally, it was

They were a lovely little bike, just a little too ready to spit and stop if you wern't carefull. And the clutch a bit fierce even with the arm extended.I always thought the frame to be in 531 tube (there is a sticker that confirms it on a new bike). When i refurbished my 1st Seeley i was dismayed when i stripped the paint off the frame,to find it was seamed tubing- obviously not 531. So i got on the phone to Mr Seeley, who simply said "where is the sticker?" I replied "on the swinging arm". It turned out that only the s/arm is 531.

Colin himself told be about 300 were made, and about half of those were exported. I bought his very last one, no 1275 (with the first being 1001), so 300 would seem about right.

I've had four Seeley Honda's- Nice little bike as long as you get one with the gusset under the headstock and thicker supports on the frame for the swinging arm spindle.I bought the very last one, Frame No SHT 1275 . Went to Colins shop to collect it and what should have been a pleasurable experience turned into a nightmare.Car tax or whatever it was had just been applied to bikes- but only if they were road registered. Well i didnt want to road register it but Colin still wanted the tax. Anyway, i won that one after a big argument, at least i thought i did till i got it home and found he'd nicked the CDI unit!

LOOKS LIKE A CUB SUBFRAME, WHICH IS GOOD. FRONT END LOOKS A BIT IFFY THOUGH

To be honest i prefered riding the TLR despite being a twin shock.I always found the RTL a bit odd (well crap then). Dont remember many decent lads liking them much, with the obvious exception of the astonishing success Saunders had. Seem to remember John Shirt jr had one for a few weeks though. Didnt Mart Lampkin have a one off ride on one, maybe Scottish one year?

I had a nice'ish pink one that only made

I GOT MINE FROM ALAN WHITTON- 01246 419805. IT IS BRILLIANT. SOME PEOPLE HAVE SOURCED THEM ELSEWHERE AND HAD PROBLEMS. CERTAINLY THE COILS VARY,AND POSSIBLY THE OTHER PARTS AS WELL.DAVE THORPE USES ALANS.

I NEARLY BOUGHT ONE YESTERDAY,- A GUY AT AN AUTOJUMBLE NEAR YORK HAD SOME AND THEY ARE MUCH CHEAPER THAN ANY OF THE OTHERS. APPARENTLY PETER GAUNT HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEM,SO THEY SHOULD BE GOOD