Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes... and travels... mostly on bikes!
What's New?
An Even Longer Ride Homewards
There's more big miles today, and not to anyone's surprise - more chaos. Traffic jams and sheer foolishness means some folks are having a REALLY bad day.
A Good Start To Heading Saaaf
It's an easy and chill ride today as The Dynamic Muppets make their way southbound. A lucky cafe find, a lovely village and fun in a pub? This can't be Bikes And Travels, surely?!
A Long Ride Homewards
After another big breakfast there's a long ride ahead for Bogger and pals as they get their teeth into the journey home. Of course there's a disaster, admittedly it's only a minor inconvenience.
To Rebel Or Not To Rebel
Ren's getting on a bit and the newness is wearing off. Will his aches and pains be alleviated by a different bike with a different riding position? It's time to see if rebellion is the solution.
Norton Electra Starter
Ren was wondering what Ian's pawls were for, Ian has provided an answer! Details of the starter mechanism for a Norton Electra, particularly the actuating ratchet.
Dad's And A Detour Prologue
So come on Ren, what's the excuse this time? A few notes on the where's and why-fors of a lightweight tour south of The Ship Canal.
Dad's And A Detour
Title page for a really easy week's trip taking in family, forests, and scenic valleys.
5 Ferries In One Day
5 ferries? In one day!? Surely not (don't call me Shirley). That'll be 5 fools on 5 bikes attempting to use 5 different ferries. What could possibly go wrong? Not a lot thankfully.
Making A Simple Day Out Complicated
There's only a short ride into town today for the lads, nice and easy. Even so Bogger manages to get himself stranded through sheer stupidity. At least the food and beer is cheap.
Some Rain, A Unicorn, And Disorder
What is Ren doing today? No, he doesn't know either. Mist, rain, cafes and slippery roads are on the menu, plus there's a new member in the group.
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Latest Posts
To Rebel Or Not To Rebel
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
The original slipper clutches only slipped on the overrun to protect the engine and prevent the rear wheel locking up under excessive engine braking. As such the ramps were one sided. I don't know which genius figured out you could double side the ramps and use the same force to compress the plates.
12/09/2025 22:54:45 UTC
To Rebel Or Not To Rebel
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Imagine a nut and bolt. Imagine the bolt is attached to the crank and the nut is attached to the transmission. This bolt is configured such that when the engine is under power it turns the bolt in the nut to tighten. Now put a clutch pack between the nut and bolt.
As the engine drives the bolt tightening the nut this compresses the clutch pack. Assist. When the throttle is closed the transmission is now trying to undo the nut. Slipper.
In the real world we don't have a threaded nut and bolt. We have short ramps but the principle is the same.
With the engine driving the transmission the ramps pull the clutch pack tighter, this means we need less stiff springs to keep the clutch pack engaged, leading to a lighter clutch lever. A regular clutch if configured correctly is just fine with regular strength hands. If however you have weakness in the hand or RSI as I have at the moment, or you just like a light clutch... The assist is lovely.
12/09/2025 22:44:45 UTC
To Rebel Or Not To Rebel
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I've never had (nor, as might be expected found the need for) a slipper clutch. Could someone more versed in the concept explain to me why it should be lighter in operation? Could it possibly be like the servo clutch fitted to Vincent twins?
12/09/2025 14:07:29 UTC
To Rebel Or Not To Rebel
nab301 said :-
Ren , thanks for the brief description of the slip assist clutch , While I Enjoy the benefits of it (light action) on my 500R I'd never thought about how it works but it really is the lightest clutch of any bike I've ridden .
Nigel
12/09/2025 13:56:51 UTC
CB500X Poor Starting
Roscoe said :-
I guess I´ll have to try and see. Thanks for the great post!
11/09/2025 11:41:49 UTC
An Even Longer Ride Homewards
Bogger said :-
Man up the pair of you.
Bogger
11/09/2025 08:46:15 UTC
To Rebel Or Not To Rebel
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Sharon's Z500 has the "slipper" clutch. The correct term is "Slip Assist" as not only does it act as a slipper clutch (designed to prevent overrevving or locking the rear on silly downshifts (when racing)) but also "tightens" when torque from the engine is applied, thus lighter springs can be used. This is the assist aspect. They are lovely ain't they CrazyFrog! In fact it takes me a few moments to adjust to Sharon's clutch as it's so light I keep thinking the cable is broken.
I have ridden one Crazy Frog - the result of the seating position for myself is documented here. I shall, when I pull my finger out of my derreire, be writing a review on said machine. I shall take note of your tank range too - it was a concern of mine but 180 is more than enough for any normal human being ain't it. Unless you're crossing the Russian Steppe and that's not likely given the current Ukrainian situation.
10/09/2025 20:25:18 UTC
An Even Longer Ride Homewards
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Yeah, 300 miles makes me wince on a 500, 500 on a 125 would put me in a VERY BAD MOOD. Bogger's a lot bigger than me but I'd still have kicked him in the shins if he's started extracting the urine after 500 miles.
Ooooh my rear is aching just thinking about that ride.
10/09/2025 20:14:42 UTC
CB500X Poor Starting
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Now mine always started fine no matter the situation when it was warm Roscoe. I'm no electrical engineer but I reckon it's to do with ohms and amps and voltages and stuff. The correct advice is simply to replace the neutral switch and washer to see if it fixes your issue. A genuine Honda one seems to be around £28 (part number 35600MK4860) and washer (90443MJ6000) about £2.
Of course the neutral switch is as common as muck and there are TONS of aftermarket ones that will likely be just fine. I'm quite sure you'll find copper washers too at a DIY store.
10/09/2025 20:12:48 UTC
To Rebel Or Not To Rebel
CrazyFrog said :-
Sorry, I posted the above without finishing reading your article - I got distracted, which is another of the joys of getting on a bit! Sorry to hear the Rebel didn't help your hip issue. Dare I say this may be a case of managing expectations? Though the clutch is a delight on the Rebel, both of my hands are either numb, or aching like mad after a couple of hours cycling or motorcycling, not to mention my arthritic elbows and hips. In my case it's grit your teeth and bear it or pack it all in...
10/09/2025 20:03:08 UTC
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Ian Soady¹ said :-
That'll keep you busy for a while, I look forward to regular updates.
I mentioned that for the future I may be looking at a trike or even better a Norton Wasp. So what should come up on ebay? See below. However I have been rethinking and have now come to a tentative conclusion that a better option may be to fit a light sidecar to the B'Zuki. With 40-odd bhp it should handle the extra load OK especially as the chair will almost always be empty apart from a couple of sacks of sand to provide ballast. There's a trials chair on ebay for £400 - odd. However, it's much too early. Or is it..... Sourcing (and probably making) fittings will be the main difficulty/opportunity.
I do have experience with outfits having run a 16H Norton (500 sidevalve) with a pretty Watsonian Avon chair back in the early 1970s. I removed the sidecar after a fraught trip at christmastime back from Bishop Auckland to Brum in freezing fog. We stopped near Derby to try to thaw out and my wife flatly refused to get back in the sidecar. Eventually a passing lorry driver helped me persuade her it was her only option and she tearfully complied, never to get in it again.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/286815293103...
13/09/2025 10:27:51 UTC
Glyn said :-
Here’s the big bit. All the rest of the parts are in dozens of boxes. A sort of jigsaw without the picture on the box. It’s not been started for 3 years hence my decision to fit new cambelts as a start. However, I don’t collect it until Wednesday so will know a lot more after that. It’s the 1500, 6 cylinder. Same engine as in the mighty Valkori.
13/09/2025 09:07:03 UTC
nab301 said :-
Looking forward to the Trike rebuild. Reverse gear using the starter motor.
Nigel
12/09/2025 14:08:13 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Oh No!
Browsing ebay, fb etc there are actually some quite tasty sidecar outfits around although none have the attitude of the Norton (or even the Yamaha sibling) Wasp. But I suspect my chances of finding one of them when eventually I want one are minimal.
12/09/2025 10:06:23 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Alternatively you could look at the Italian wasp!
11/09/2025 19:27:58 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
.... although I've always rather fancied a Norton Wasp scrambles outfit. Fitted with an electric start and a few breeze blocks to keep the chair wheel down on left handers it would make a pretty exciting road machine.
When I was riding in long-distance trials years ago there were a few of these in the mix. It was advisable to stay well clear of the back end when they took off on a loose surface......
11/09/2025 12:05:34 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
I believe that Goldwings have had a reverse gear for over 30 years. The 1500 definitely had a reverse gear in the 1990s.
11/09/2025 10:53:31 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I have to say I've occasionally browsed ebay and faceache looking at trikes. Some are absolutely grotesque but there are a few Wing based jobs that look great but not cheap. I envisage in the hopefully distant future when I can't even hold up my lightweight(?) bikes considering such a device - maybe paired with a step thru or similar for local hops.
I look forward to seeing your progress. Am I correct in thinking later Wings have a reverse facility?
11/09/2025 10:01:33 UTC
Glyn said :-
Crikey lads, there are some bargains there for sure. I would have given you the mounting bits Ian if you’d paid the postage but now feel embarrassed at offering you my old tat whilst the Suzuki item is only £27.
Buckle up folks, I’ve just bought a Goldwing trike( big project). Watch this space!
11/09/2025 07:50:00 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
The horn on the B'Zuki is a really feeble squawky affair. I had a pair of high-lows on my Tiger 955i, operated via a relay and they were excellent. I was browsing ebay etc and came across these from Ali Express. £2.35 shipped! I ordered last Thursday and they arrived today. To all intents and purposes they're identical to ones on ebay for £15 or so. I've bench tested them and they work fine, so yet another job to keep me off the road.....
ps they seem to have gone up a bit but still cheap.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007168072321.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order...
10/09/2025 16:08:39 UTC
Latest Chit-Chat
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Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I'm glad it's not just me...
Ren. Feeling slightly smug and less dumb than usual
10/09/2025 20:27:52 UTC
nab301 said :-
Ian , at least you posted a reply I was scratching my head wondering what the issue was! .
I had something similar on my current Enfield 10 yrs ago , I eventually sorted all the electrical issues and the bike would pull "strongly" up hill but had issues on downhill stretches , you've guessed it, fuel starvation downhill below a certain level in the tank.
Nigel
10/09/2025 15:45:16 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Oh the embarrassment!
I took the tank off the Norton to check the fuel flow. There was nothing with the (newly fitted) tap in the "On" position but a steady flow from reserve. Clealy I'd effectively run out of petrol and hadn't even thought to try reserve. When I stopped, putting it on the prop stand probably tilted the tank enough so that a bit of fuel flowed into the tap (on the left hand side) so was enough to start the engine and get me home. And my fan club may remember that I'd come to the conclusion that the previous breakdown was fuel starvation - yes it probably was, and for the same reason.
I think the tap allows a very generous reserve which of course is a good thing. Which may be foolproof but not against this fool.
I should have applied Occam's Razor and gone for the simplest explanation first.
10/09/2025 14:50:49 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I already pay the nice people at Britannia recovery £150 a year so am very happy with their service. And I also have breakdown cover "free" with my insurance but haven't tried them yet. No doubt I will one day.
Meanwhile the Norton is languishing while I work out what to do with it. In the meantime work continues on the little BSA C11. And the B'Zuki sits there saying "Why don't you just take me out - I'm far more reliable than that old clunker." Which is of course true.
10/09/2025 10:30:20 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Oh Ian! Well at least you got home under your own steam. Is it worth getting a used motorcycle trailer and teaching Mrs Soady how to hook it up then sat-nav to your pin? It might be a prudent investment. You could collect and deliver your own motorcycles too!
As for actual repairs Ian? Goes to show just how reliable modern vehicles are. As/when/if we do go fully electric there'll be even less physical repairs save for the rolling chassis. Most of it will be diagnostic and mostly by replacement not careful investigation.
Shim check and replace K1600 nab301? A quick search suggests £700-800 at a workshop, a grand for an official BMW dealership.
09/09/2025 13:06:11 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Yes, labour rates for bikes are ridiculous especially when very few actual repairs are done these days. The local small garage I take my car to charges £70+VAT which is fairly cheap - and they do a very good job. But even if I wanted to where will I find a local garage which can fix my Norton?
09/09/2025 12:58:15 UTC
nab301 said :-
I think we all do our own repairs for the satisfaction of diagnosing correctly and also for cost saving . I remember as a 14 tear old repairing my older brothers Yamaha 80 (2 stroke) and correctly diagnosing a blocked main carb jet just on his description of the issue.
Ren , as for tyres if you can choose when to fit them , they always slip on easily in summer on hot days , or I suppose you could turn on (or up) the heating at home....
Wandering around a local dealer recently there were numerous signs stating that workshop labour rates are €100 euro inc vat per hour , I wonder how much a valve check on a 24 valve 6 CYL BMW is ?
Nigel
09/09/2025 11:43:18 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I got as far as Studley this morning which is about 4 miles away. There was a traffic queue and when I stopped the bike the engine just died. I managed to push it into a convent=ient driveway. Fortunately this time I had some tools with me. I popped one of the plugs out and again it looked very white. I had one spare so put that in its place and it started OK. So a quick U turn and back home upon which it died on me again. It seems fine when riding along but idling seems a problem.
I've been using "Brisk" plugs which are highly recommended. But when I had the bike in the garage I replaced them with Champion N4s and again it started immediately. I daren't take it out again yet......
09/09/2025 11:42:07 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Yes, I spent many years with only a bike as transport for all purposes so it had to be running and reliable. In the days when you could pick up a non-running Honda 250 or the like for a few quid I also often had a "spare" or two. I confess that I didn't enjoy having to keep them, or the knackered unreliable cars that I later had, running but needs must. I think I've only taken a bike to a workshop a couple of times in my life having grown up when it was normal to do everything yourself.
So I do now have the luxury of a reliable car plus 2 bikes on the road (or nearly) plus one in the completely dismantled state of a rebuild. But I can step away at any time. And having had various health struggles over the last year or so the fact I can spend the odd half hour - or half day - in the garage is welcome therapy.
09/09/2025 10:02:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Yeah I can understand that Ian. I mean it's like me changing my own tyres. I have, after far too many scratched rims, trapped fingers, sweaty heaving matches with recalcitrant rubber, and wasted money of crap "wondertools" - decided that paying a tenner to get 'em changed is the obvious, definitely better and simpler option. And yet...
And yet I will be swapping tyres again soon. I just have this urge to master it (I accept I may never will). I can hate it in the moment but the sense of achievement when it's (finally) done is worth it. I enjoy thinking up new techniques and fudging my own abysmal tools. I am it seems a blithering idiot.
What has made the whole task less traumatising is I now have 2 spare rims for the 500. As such I currently have 2 fresh new tyres mounted to wheels in the bedroom. When the tyres in use are worn I can swap wheels easily. Then I can change the tyres at my leisure. This takes most of the stress out of "HAVING" to get them done as I need the bike this weekend kinda thing.
I don't believe you do find working on your bike stressful Ian as it's not essential that bike X is working today. If this were the case I'm sure you could buy a "nearly new" bike that would likely start and only require the minimum of work, keeping the vintage bikes for tinkering and meeting random nice people when they do break down.
09/09/2025 08:05:46 UTC
Random Link - To Fix Or Not To Fix Or How To Fix