I need help from all you RTL experienced people out there!!!

I got a bit of a problem. Everytime I cold start the engine it smokes alot, eventually it clears out and runs just fine but there's a smell of burnt oil in the exhuast gases. I think the problem is the valve guides , anyone have any other theories??

If I take the cylinder head of I have to replace the gasket, is it the same as one the TLR250 and is it hard to get a hold on?

Cheers

Ludde

Edited December 26, 200718 yr by Ludde

Sorry I don't have any experience with the RTL but damn those were pretty bikes.

It could be the problem, sounds like it is burning some oil. Is that bike the ex-Conny Gustavsson RTL which was modified by Nigel Birkett with Gas Gas brakes?

The head & cylider base gaskets are still available, try Lewisport USA website for starters. If no success PM me a message and I'll see what I can find out.

Big John

Sounds like the oil seals on top of the guides to me,its allowing oil to run down the valves into the cylinder when its parked up.Does it puff a bit when you shut off from high revs?If it was the bore or rings it would smoke all the time.contact me if you want more help

Is that bike the ex-Conny Gustavsson RTL which was modified by Nigel Birkett with Gas Gas brakes?

Yes it is, a very good bike and if I hadn't bought it, it would have ended up in Scotland somewhere . The only thing I have to fix sometime, except the engine, is the front fork springs which have got a bit weak over the years.

Sounds like the oil seals on top of the guides to me,its allowing oil to run down the valves into the cylinder when its parked up.Does it puff a bit when you shut off from high revs?If it was the bore or rings it would smoke all the time.contact me if you want more help

Hm, can't remember if it puffs when shutting off from high revs, would that be the oil seals aswell?

Edited December 27, 200718 yr by Ludde

Take off the head, replace valve stem seals as a matter of course, while you are there you may as well fit a new set of rings after honing the bore and replace cam chain. All parts should be available from your friendly local Honda dealer - part numbers will allow them to confirm.

As far as I am aware head gasket, seals, cam chain and rings are same as TLR 250.

John appears to buy all the RTL's he can find so I guess 'somewhere in Scotland' could have been him?

Take off the head, replace valve stem seals as a matter of course, while you are there you may as well fit a new set of rings after honing the bore and replace cam chain. All parts should be available from your friendly local Honda dealer - part numbers will allow them to confirm.

As far as I am aware head gasket, seals, cam chain and rings are same as TLR 250.

John appears to buy all the RTL's he can find so I guess 'somewhere in Scotland' could have been him?

That couldn't have been me, surely?

Big John

I was in Birketts shop when he was modding the bike. Not a happy bunny as it was a lot of work but the money was good so the owner must have really wanted it done.

I was in Birketts shop when he was modding the bike. Not a happy bunny as it was a lot of work but the money was good so the owner must have really wanted it done.

That would explain why the finish wasn't top notch. We had some work getting the calipers lined up with the discs, so now it brakes more than it squeaks. As I don't use it that often and we almost never have any sections with deep water anymore, I could have had the drum brakes on, and kept it as close to original as possible. But the original wheels and drums got sold by the previous owner, so I have no chance of converting it back.

I dont' think there should have been a problem with the disc as the rear brake, wheel and swing arm were from a gasser. It could have been assembled wrongly afterwards as Nigel is very particular about the quality of his work. The issues I was refering to were the mounting of the master cylider for the rear brake the pedal and linkage and also matching the shock to a mounting on the swing arm as I recall the RTL is offset.

I agree with mattylad, Nigel Birkett is a clever enginer as far as motorbikes are concerned. He's no fool!

It has to be said that someone doing work on a bike today could have the work undone by a not too careful owner or by the bike being given to someone else to do work onm subsequently, worth bearing in mind.

As for wheels, RTL wheels still appear for sale from time to time.

Big John

I dont' think there should have been a problem with the disc as the rear brake, wheel and swing arm were from a gasser. It could have been assembled wrongly afterwards as Nigel is very particular about the quality of his work. The issues I was refering to were the mounting of the master cylider for the rear brake the pedal and linkage and also matching the shock to a mounting on the swing arm as I recall the RTL is offset.

Are you sure about the swing arm being from a gasser? To me it looks very much like the original one, though a bit reworked on the right side to fit the brake caliper. Yes it's pretty tight around the rear master cylinder, especially near the middle exhuast box, which cooked the brake fluid the first time I rode the bike. But solved that with a bit of isolation material.

I agree with mattylad, Nigel Birkett is a clever enginer as far as motorbikes are concerned. He's no fool!

It has to be said that someone doing work on a bike today could have the work undone by a not too careful owner or by the bike being given to someone else to do work onm subsequently, worth bearing in mind.

As for wheels, RTL wheels still appear for sale from time to time.

Big John

Sorry about talking badly about Nigel, he should get credit for even bothering to do so much work on an old bike. I think that the bike was involved in some crash before I got it, which could explain the bad alignment of the brakes. Any clue why Nigel fitted old hydraulic brake parts, from the same era the bike? The Grimaldi front brake was standard on Fantic in the late 80s I've been told. Has it anything to do with classification of bikes in the UK?

Anyway, I got a new cylinder head gasket and valve stem seals today. Didn't find anything wrong with valve stems or valve guides, both in mint condition. So I'm hoping that there was something wrong with the stem seals. Just the assembly left, will try todo it this weekend.

This is what happend in the last section at the last trial I rode with the bike. It almost broke my heart The bad thing was that it was so slippery I couldn't even stand up strait nor could I keep the bike from falling to the ground

Edited January 11, 200818 yr by Ludde

That is nothing Ludde, I loaned my 1986 RTL to a guy to have a quick ride, he launched it at a pile of rocks and let it go when he run out of grip. Unfortunately it scored the generator casing but did not crack it...luckily!

From that moment, no-one gets to ride my RTL bikes now, except me!

Big John

So does that mean I can ride the Matchless and the AJS?

Its a trials bike, trials bikes are made to ride off road. Unfortunately if yo try trials and unless you are very very good you will fall off. It usually happens when you have just painted the tank, polished the alloy of fitted new plastics.

ce la vie