Still Wet in Scotland

Plan is to get over to Skye today via the little 'Man & Two Dogs' ferry from Glenelg, but first over to Fort William for more fuel for Alan as his Ducati only has a 17l tank as opposed to the 25l to 33l of the rest of us - he does have 162bhp though!
After planning the next fuel stop for Alan (80 miles or so to Broadford) its past the Commando Memorial and then along Glen Garry and Glen Shiel, stopping at the Cluanie Inn for a coffee and a bit of a dry out. Not far then to the turn off and the Mam Rattigan road to the ferry, but its still raining and wet so not the best of fun.

Viewpoint overlooking Glenshiel

 

The ferry's just got over to our side when we arrive and we get straight on. The two dogs are running all over the place - if you've been on the ferry you'll know what I mean - they're an entertainment in their own right.

Theres a temptation to chuck something over the side just to see if the dog would go after it

Onto Broadford and Alan not too sure about the single track, wet, gravel etc as his tyres are more suited for smoother tarmac etc. Al couldn't give a toss on tourances.
Pretty much pizza for lunch for everyone at the Cafeasia café in Broadford and then its a tour up the east coast of Skye - Storr, Kilt Rock etc and then over the Quirang in the drizzle with its single track gravel etc. Alan had better get used to it as there's more to come over the next few days.
Stopping at the Waterfront bunkhouse next to the Old Inn in Carbost tonight - bit cramped in the Pirates Cove but its only a dozen steps or so to the pub.

Wet wet wet in Scotland

Four go to Scotland in the rain. Al & Steve on GS's, Alan on Ducati Diavil, Darren on Aprilia Capanord. Absolutely chucking it down . Brekkie at Stainmore café on the way, then next stop Dumfries for fuel and then Mauchline for a comfort stop.

Cottagers caught on camera

Heading for Erskine bridge and then up along Loch Lomond. We get split up going around Glasgow - Al & Daz one way, Alan & Steve another, but manage to rendezvous at Luss and at last a stop for a cuppa and a bit of a dry out at the Green Welly.

A wet Green Welly

Stop for a cuppa at the Green Welly and Al B needs to change his nappy as its wet through - major trouser failure

 

Glencoe goes by somwhere in the mist

Alan & Daz peering at Glencoe

Here it is as the drizzle rolls back

Stopping Corran bunkhouse tonight, so its onto the ferry to the pub, just don't miss the last one back at 21:20

Water taxi to the pub at Ardgour

Off to the pub

The pub

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.

Playing with me rear end

Between the hours of 7pm and 9pm on most evenings, in our house its a cycle of Emmerdale, Corry, and sometimes Emmerdale/Corry again. Hence a good time to retire to the garage and fiddle.

Fiddling with the back end of the BMW GS showed a little bit of play at the rear wheel. On the GS this can be either the bevel output bearing or simply play in the paralever pivot bearings.  You check which it is by putting the rear brake on, and then feeling for play with the brake applied - if it still moves, it's the paralever bearings - if no play, it'll be the bevel bearing.
This time its the paralever pivot bearings, which can be adjusted simply enough.

Off with the back wheel - you adjust the inner pivot. Its mate on the outside is a fixed pivot and not adjustable.

This is the first time I've tweaked these, so they'll probably still have the original Loctite on them meaning you're best applying a bit of heat to soften the Loctite before attempting to loosen the locknut and the adjusting pin. You need a 30mm socket to slacken the locknut and a good quality 12mm allen key for the pin. I bought a cut out socket and allen driver some time ago to do this job, more pertinent for tightening up to ensure the pin doesn't move when torqueing the lock nut back up.

Not strictly necessary but only about £10 - Laser Tools 4740.

Paint stripper Hot air gun to heat up locknut & pin. Move the rubber boot out of the way just in case. Direct heat at the pin not the casing.

This is the locknut and adjustable pinion. The other side is non-adjustable and has no locknut. Its fastened to a high torque and uses high strength loctite. The nut needs to be heated to around 120c in order to soften the loctite. I got it up to about 95c, tried it and it loosened off fine.

Flash git has got a non contact surface thermometer. (seen them in Maplins for about £18 some time ago. Used mine for trying to balance central heating radiators)

Breaker bar and 30mm socket to undo the locknut

Pivot pin, no marks - cleaned off all the old loctite before putting back

Off comes the locknut and out comes the pin. The pin was a little stiff coming out due to the loctite, but another blast for a minute or two with the hot air gun to soften a bit more. (its a hot air paint stripper in its day job). All the old Loctite got cleaned off on the pin thread and the internal thread with a little scraper pick and a bit of acetone. You can get general purpose acetone from high street chemists in little 50ml bottles for about £1.50 or off ebay in larger volumes if the missus objects to you nicking her nail varnish remover.

Pivot pin wound back in by hand as far as you can then torque it up.

Pivot pin back in and wound in by hand until you feel the preload point as it just bottoms out. By then its getting too tight to turn without a lot of effort. On with the torque wrench and I've tightened to 12Nm. I'm not bothering with loctite again as it'll be easier in future to adjust without the palaver of heating up and winding the pin out to clean it etc etc. - its got a f*****g tight locknut on it after all. You can also then do the adjustment without taking the rear wheel off by working through the spokes with an extension bar. Also, no more Loctite means no more application of heat to soften it, which also means no more risk of the grease in the needle bearings heating up and dropping out.

Locknut next, and this is tightened up to 160Nm  - important that the pivot pin doesn't move and tighten further when you do this, hence the special socket to hold the pin with the 12mm allen key whilst you tighten the locknut. Easier with a third pair of hands for this bit. I had to wait for the advert break during the second episode of Corry at 8:45ish for my third hand. I also put a witness mark on the pin at 12 o'clock position to double check it didn't move.


30mm socket with cutaway and 12mm allen key held by 10mm spanner to stop pin moving as the locknut is tightened.

Refit the rubber boot, back on with the backwheel and jobs done.

Something I've always done is put a mark on the part of each rear wheel nut facing the centre as a quick check that they're not loosening off - never had one loosen but still do it anyway!