I give in!

Well I've followed all of the good advice on the various forums I subscribe to and still can't get the running below 5000rpm anything like what it should be.

At work I would be telling me that I need to know the limits of my abilities and bring the specialists in once I reach them. I'm at that point so I'm going to arrange to take Doris up to my local mechanics on Tuesday and get them to sort it and do the MOT.

Best laid plans......

Well I got all of the little bits done this morning and headed up to my "just turn up" local MOT station. Closed for Bank Holiday - "damn"!

Plan B - I headed into Birkenhead to another bike shop where you can normally just turn up - they couldn't fit me in.

So I'll have to take some time off next week to do it instead.

Positives though: I got a chance to do probably 20 miles and everything went well - above 5000rpm she runs real nice, but i still need to sort out this slow running. Hopefully, resetting the air screws will address that (fingers crossed). The handling is lovely, being used to much heavier bikes now. All systems seem to work well.

I think the front tyre is not quite central on the rim as there is some "chattering" from the front end at certain speed - it feels like the tyre is slightly off centre in the vertical plane.

A nice thing happened today. I'd tried to get in touch with Steve that I bought the bike from and got the following e-mail back:

"Hi Noel, What a brilliant surprise to get your message. I often wondered how you were getting on. I am amazed by the transformation from the sorry state you picked her up in - Doris now looks stunning. I can see you have had quite a journey. You have my appreciation and admiration for what you have achieved. I will certainly pass on the information to Martin, who I know will be so pleased at the result. I will try to make it to Northwich next week, so hopefully see you there.
Steve"

MOT time

The day of reckoning has arrived - I need to get Doris MOT'd tomorrow if I'm going to have any time to get a few shakedown rides in before the journey to Northwich for the bike show next week. So I've been doing a few jobs tonight.

First, the petrol tap leaks, so I'd ordered a new (pattern) one. When it arrived I could see that it had a built in filter, so all my hard work last week to retro fit a filter was unneccessary! I replaced the tap and reinstalled the original pipe which is much neater.

The most irritating job tonight was to fit a new ignition switch assembly (pattern again). After I had the test run last weekend and moved Doris to her new home in the garage, I promptly lost the key and have no spare....... To say I was annoyed is a minor understatement. Anyway, new switch fitted now, so the original key will show up tomorrow......

I've had an ongoing issue about the indicator switch - very tempremental when using the RH one. I stripped the switch down tonight and cleaned it all up, so it works great now. But I lost the spring and detent ball out of it! I have a spare switch assembly, so I've stripped that down and I'll sort that in the morning. But the wiring is so old and fragile in there, that the horn has now stopped working!!

I've stripped the horn section out of the spare loom and cleaned up the switch etc so I know that's OK now. In the morning I'll run that down the side of the existing loom as a temporary fix but soon I'll order up some new cable in the right colours and re-wire it so that I know it's reliable.

Oh I also put the new number plate on, which arrived this week. It cost quite a lot more for an original style pressed steel one but it looks soooooo much nicer and in keeping than a modern perspex one :) I rivetted it on to match how it was done originally. Really looks the part.

So, hopefully, once I sort those little bits out in the morning that should see all the issues sorted for the MOT. If it passes (please!), I can tax it in the morning and then get some miles in.

Before and After...

It just occurred to me that I can finally do a whole before and after comparison.

Before:

After:

First Ride and a new home for Doris

I had a few hours to play this afternoon so set sorting out the fuelling issues.

First off I needed to sort a fuel filter. Regular readers will recall I was struggling to fit a filter into the short pipe run and had broken one in the process. I got hold of a smaller filter and also some newer and more flexible fuel hose. After a lot of thought about how to fit the filter into such a short pipe run, I ended up with a fairly simple solution. What I did was attach a 90degree bend to the fuel tap with a short length of hose, then ran a length of hose in a gentle loop round, under and behind the tap so that I could mount the filter further back and then it was a nice gentle bend to the carb. Hard to describe, but I'll load a photo to show it when I get one.

Now that I had a "clean" fuel supply, I could balance the carbs. Judging from the heat of each pipe, the right one was doing very little compared to the left and that was borne out by the readings on the gauges. A lot smoother now :)

I couldn't resist taking a quick run around the block to see how she ran, so I attached the old number plate and off we went:

She's not quite running right below about 4-500rpm, but then picks up her skirts and flies :) Not sure if I've got the air screws adjusted right, so I'll have a look at that next. Or maybe something to do with the auto advance? Any ideas welcome....

Final little bits - I added the shiny new mirrors. I also got the new horn working. Another lesson in not jumping to conclusions - when the new one arrived I hooked it up and it beeped once, then wouldn't work again. So I started thinking it was the handlebar controls that were faulty again. Then I thought to just try tweaking the adjuster on the new horn and bingo she beeps like a good 'un!

Now all I need to do to be ready for the MOT is to get the right hand indicators working reliably - that does need the switchgear looking at, but I think I can get to that OK. I'm aiming to book the MOT for next Saturday, which will give me the bank holiday weekend to get some shakedown running in before the "long" (1 hour!) journey to Northwich the following week.

So Doris's long occupation of the shed is at an end and she can now take up her rightful place in the garage beside the VFR, who shall henceforth be known as Dorothy (don't ask!).

Video evidence of the Grand Start-Up!

Video of the grand start up!

A bit smoky from the oil used to rebuild the top end but that soon settled down.

:)

She lives!

2 evenings of great progress!

Last night I got all of the paintwork sorted - so the side panels had their chrome trims replaced and then went on, followed by the tank with badges, hinged cap, petrol tap etc. Looking gooooood!

I LOVE the metallic grey wheels and polished rims against that deep red paintwork - it looks exactly like I'd imagined it. I can't believe that I managed to resist seeing how it looked until tonight!

I struggled when trying to fit the fuel filter though. There is such a small space betweek the tap outlet and carb inlet. Eventually I got it fitted, but with some quite extreme bends in the pipe, and I had to twist the fuel tap out of it's normal position so that the pipe exited kind of sideways to give a little more room.

I also fitted the clutch cable. The pattern one is a couple of inches longer than the original and so doesn't sit quite as neatly, but it does work. So I thought I'd check the clutch is working - engaged 2nd gear, clutch in and try to spin back wheel - locked solid. Bum! Another problem to sort......

I ran out of time to go for the burn. In truth, I didn't like the thought of it not starting and having to end the night on a low!

So to tonight. I rolled her out of the shed for the first time in 2+ years; fuelled her up; switched fuel on; kicked over on the kick start a couple of times; thumbed the starter, and .....she fired up second press of the button! I couldn't believe it. Even settled into a reasonable, if a little lumpy, tickover.

Anyway, celebrations dying down; as she warmed up she was running progressively worse. Then I noticed the pool of petrol on the floor! The cheap plastic fuel filter had snapped at the pipe union - my fault I think, as I must have put it under too much stress. So the bike wasn't running rough - just running out of petrol! I cleaned up and took the filter out (gulp - risky) as I couldn't resist seeing what she was like when warmed up. The answer was "fine" - a bit lumpy - one cylinder is obviously working harder than the other - but that should be OK once I balance the carbs. The engine sounds like the mileage is correct at 10k.

About that sticky clutch now. With the engine warmed up, and on the centre stand (rear wheel off the ground), I stuck it in first - clutch in, wheel still spinning. Jammed on the rear brake - stall! Hmmm well at least I know the brake works, even if the clutch doesn't! I tried again, this time in second and success; the clutch freed up. So a quick ride round the garden was called for :)

The photos below were taken just after the first start, which is why it's all a bit smoky, while the oil from the rebuild is burnt off.

Couldn't be happier tonight!

For some reason I am feeling an urge to give her a name, now that she's pretty much complete. Strangely, Doris keeps coming to mind - don't ask me why because I don't know (other than it also begins with D.) I have never felt the need to name any of my other bikes ....... Must me the emotional attachment and investment that comes with the rebuild?