spen

Have you topped the tank up with fresh fuel 'on top' of old premix? The old fuel may have evaporated and left the oil behind. Try a new spark plug first and get the engine hot to clear it if it does start.

The Buell models with the fuel in frame and oil in swinging arm were bad for this, they left the factory without a hint of grease on the rear spindle. When it was time for the spindle to be removed they were invariably seized in. Some owners and indeed 'factory trained mechanics', in the words of Bob Dylan in 'Tangled up in blue', used 'a little too much force' and the result was the oil tank/swinging arm was damaged and required a new one costing a ridiculous amount of money. The steel spindle had reacted against the alloy swinging arm and had welded themselves together. Had somebody slopped about 3p worth of copper grease on at the factory, this would have saved a lot of grief and expense.

We're in the check over, tyre changing and lock wiring stages at the moment. Should be starting to load vans with bikes and spares ready for next weekend at Pembrey. Hopefully the weather will be kinder than previous March meetings down there.

You've made a top job there, tony27. Very neat. I keep my engines black where possible for better heat dissipation.

My wife's 350 OSSA.....

Drive a car like mine, not worth stealing......

Paint or a light blasting will leave a nice finish. I saw some old alloy barrels were the chap had had them gently blasted with ground up walnut shells, lovely finish.

It's amazing stuff..... http://www.jbweld.com We can't race without the stuff..... and duct tape and cable ties......

Sounds like a good idea to filter the fuel before it goes in the bike. I've done it for years on all my bikes. I've got a funnel with a filter which I use when mixing two stroke mix, clean it when I've filled the mixing jug and use it again when filling the fuel tank. I still fit an inline filter in the pipe, a couple of quid.

It's a tidy looking thing. A few minor snags came to light, all sorted. To be expected on a new build. Erv' Wallace threw the Yamaha 600 into the scenery, no injury, very little damage. Paul Rogers enjoyed his test on another Yamaha 600. Very happy.

Still a few of these with the CRMC and BHR...... My friend Ady Armson races a RAS and trials a Scottish.

Oh for the simple days when it was all about making progress, one dab, one point, two dabs or as many as you needed, three points and if the front wheel spindle stopped moving forwards, five. Sections had as many routes through them as you could find, you'd make your own decision which part you thought would be the best bit to get you through, no flags of various colours pinning you in. Walking the section and picking the route you deemed the best, learning from the better riders what would afford you the best grip..... it was the best of times.

No, but several of the lads are taking a few bikes to bed in........

Oh yes......

They're not clovers...... they're a graphic of a cinema lamp.

Yep, make an alloy blanking plate. I think some people sell them too.

My Scottish.....

Paul's son, Pete 'Longpod' is riding the Norton and the Suzuki 400. Paul is riding one of our Yamaha 600's. I'm hoping to get him back on a trials bike soon, he's a good trialler both two and three wheels. Him and his wife Bev' did a lot of sidecar lunacy type stuff....

I used to take them off, at least you know the oil is getting in to the motor when it's in with the fuel, I liked the auto lube system but went off it when a mate of mine snapped the cable and seized the motor.

Test session at Mallory Park this Friday. These two amongst others are getting their first runs.... Suzuki GSX400 and Norton Commando.....

Me too and whisk it for a couple of minutes.

PS) What I've found is even the cheapest of the modern stuff seems to be better than the expensive 'in it's day' stuff......?

I run all my two stroke trials bikes on 40:1 Morris fully synthetic MX oil. In my road racing two strokes I run at 30:1 with that oil and have found after every race weekend there has been a lovely slippery coating of oil on the internals. Never had a plug whisker on it either.