March 2024

 

March 2024

After having my rant in last months’ comment the ULEZ team has rescinded  the PCN for my brother and it has been paid in the planned way on my account. Every other thing is not going to plan. Our Government is failing us at every turn and making things more difficult for the man in the street. I don’t believe any politicians have any truth in them and we are not told the truth at any level. One thing is for sure is that their actions are making the situation worse. It would be nice to have something positive.

I have been checking over the Valiant for the up-coming London Classic bike show on 11^th May. From last year I discovered sideways play in the rear pivot fork of over 1.5mm over 60 thou with my feeler gauges. My diagnosis of frame spread matches with putting spacers between the pivot fork mountings and the frame plate has removed the play and should improve the handling until the frame spreads again. Another 60 years. The job took quite some time mainly the hand crafting of the plates in stainless was hard work. That was about three hours. I think I have worn out my best file. Test ride between rain storms will happen soon along with one on the LE. Also on the Valiant I went to start it and when I pulled on the left petrol tap it was rather wet. The resultant leak has damaged the paint immediately below it on the left engine cover that will need to be repaired. I had a new tap insert tucked away in a drawer but it had a damaged cork. I drained the tank, removed the tap replaced the insert with a new cork and now it doesn’t leak. That took about an hour.

The Buell is in for sorting out and hopefully I will get it back before the end on the month fully sorted. I have been looking at the Kawasaki to fitting saddle bags with some sort of frame or throw-overs. I will have to be imaginative. After the last trip out in the Burton to Whitchurch there was on one occasion some clutch slip and after having the problem of changing free play it will be another job to do. A new clutch. The El Cid is still work in progress but an end date is on the horizon. It has been a challenging project encompassing some new ideas.

Gita’s Toyota is gone and we have a new car, a Citroen C3 Aircross that needs a tow bar fitted. The C3 is a very differ animal with a fierce clutch and even fiercer brakes. It is taking some getting used to. A similar difference between 2CV brakes and the early BXs. I had a B reg with a cylindrical speedo and digital bar rev counter and rocker switch indicators.  The second one  G reg was a reps car sanitised with stalk switch gear and , in comparison, heavy footed brakes. No great loss as it was written off by a tree in the gales of 99.

The van is not forgotten but I do have to get some suspension cans and a GSA 5 speed gearbox differential soon.