It's going to ache in the morning

Out green laning with a few lads from the club. Beautiful evening, met up at 17:00ish at the 3 Horseshoes and 33 miles  and two hours later, back for a pint. About 20 miles of lanes and the rest linking on roads. Never seen so much of the wolds and a really cracking evening. Five of us in all, two ajs, two matchless and a Honda! No pics on the ride, as it was pretty much on the go all the time.  They didnt hang about these lads. Mixture of farm tracks, field edges and grass lanes and dry apart from the 3 fords.

Back in one piece

The van awaits!!!

Safe and sound tucked up on the van, time for a pint.

Next green lane run in 3 weeks

Someone took a dump in my tank

Found a load of crap in the bottom of the Matchless fuel tank. Just happened to check the fuel level and I could see right to the bottom which looked like the surface of the moon. Dropped a magnet in, nothing picked up so not the steel tank flaking internally. In with the grabber and out comes flakes & shards of a hard resin

I reckon it's what remains of old fuel which resorts to a resin if left for a few years - previous owner must have just put fresh fuel into the tank after a long lay up and give it no thought of cleaning the tank out.

This is what I managed to get out, but tank needs emptying and a thorough job doing as the big flakes are about 1/8" thick. So in the meantime if the bike conks out with fuel starvation I'll know why.

Out poaching.....

Or out with Poachers to be more accurate. A very active branch of the AJS Matchless owners club. Been out a few times with them and today was a 100 mile round trip from Lincoln on the Matchless G3LCS. 

About twenty bikes today, majority AMC but also other old Brits and one old Guzzi. A route around lanes in the wolds dropping down to Woodhall Spa for a cuppa. Most then headed towards Hagworthingham  cafe for a Sunday dinner but I headed back towards Lincoln, dropping on ermine street for A bit if green laning on the way back home

Refilled with fuel just before home and the mpg over the 100 miles worked out at 76mpg!!! Bike ran beautifully, might be down using Millers VSPE fuel additive which I picked up because it was half price in Halfords recently.

Like a candle in a Guinness bottle

1952 Norton headlamp bulb blown so an easy fix. Simply replace.............if you've got a replacement that is. As much chance of Halfords having them as them having 100% sperm whale oil for flat tank era triumphs.

Looking unlike any headlamp bulb I've ever seen before so google is my friend.

Checking the manual it's a 6v 30/30w SBC BA15d. You'll not be surprised to find there's only a few stockists, all classic vehicle guys, the nearest type available is 36/36w so I order two from Paul Goff and they arrive return of post - good service

In it goes and everything works fine, but its a 6v system, dynamo driven so if the engines not running and the battery a bit down the effect is like a candle in a Guinness bottle. At least we have a glimmer.