Jack's

 

Jack’s

 

Another 2CV virtual club night using Houseparty and four way conversations. It is a shame more people do not take part.  All 2CVers welcome to participate on the third Monday of the month at 8pm. The following week I had an invite to meet up with John from the LE owners club at Jack’s Fish and Chip shop in Bagshott. He was not going to be able to join us for the virtual LE club night on the first Tuesday of the month so I met up with him at Jack’s. In the biking world Jack’s is a bikers’ meeting place where likeminded old guys meet up on their equally old bikes to enjoy a good natter and discount fish and chips. It was a good turn out with everyone respectful of social distancing. 

I arrived on the Kawasaki and, shortly afterwards, John on his Velocette Valiant about mid day. There were some choice old British bikes but I enjoy the Italian bikes and on his day there were two to choose from. Arriving with a whisper of smoke a little 125cc Rumi two stroke twin motorcycle arrived. Unusual in white and twin exhausts it looked the part. Rumi were more famous for their scooters and their sports engine with twin carbs. They even produced a racing bike in the late fifties and early sixties. 

Parked not far away was this superb Moto Guzzi, an ex police model the Falconi. It is the horizontal 500cc single that evolved from the Thirties and this model had enclosed bacon slicer flywheel. It stared and ran very nicely. I do like these machines and would love to own them but I have nowhere to store them, I have the other disadvantage  of where I live with that unless you have a rocket ship to join in the traffic you take your life in your hands. Motoring has lost patience with the world and aggression rules.

 You just have to get out there and fight for your road space. I had been putting it off but I have now taxed the Buell so I have been out on the road enjoying this sports-tourer. Now I need somewhere to go. In between forays out on the Kawasaki to try to get my biking brain working lockdown has left me with a bit of apprehension where is it safe to go? While not going out |I have been working on the engine for the Van. I know the chassis is waiting in Croatia to be delivered but no idea when so filling in the time I have lapped in the cylinder heads and polished up the rockers, ground in the valves and replaced the guide seals.

The bores are good so this is just a little fettling to check out the engine. It has not run for more than 20 years. I am going to run it before it gets fitted in the Van to check for oil leaks as I have had to replace the oil cooler.