Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes... and travels... mostly on bikes!
Spring has sprung, now we have a few months of warm pleasant rain to enjoy after the cold and miserable rain of winter.
What excitement and adventures will this year bring?
What's New?
An Easy Day Out Going Round In Circles
How can you get lost in the days of Satellite Navigation? Turn the Sat-Nav off. Now you can ride around in ever decreasing circles - which oddly enough seems to be just fine with Ren these days.
Chaos Towards Colditz
More mayhem from a bunch of blokes old enough to know better. Brits used to try and get out of Colditz, these lads are struggling to get in. Fear not - there is beer.
The Perpetual Summer Problem
Ren is typically annoyed that other people are allowed to use his personal race track. If it weren't for those pesky people life would be slightly less miserable for Mr Curmudgeonly.
She Made Me Walk
Poor poor Ren is being made to exercise against his will. After this tragedy there's disappointment too. Still, it could be worse, he could be working.
Bad Vibes Maaaaaan!
Sharon's pickup bad vibrations, they ain't given her excitations, we know a song about that. With just a little help from Ren the genius of Her Ladyship may yet prevail.
It's A Good Start
After justifying why he's mean to Sharon The Dynamic Muppets take on an arduous and testing journey to deepest darkest Derbyshire. This is a true tale of epic adventure through the harshest conditions... ish.
A Successful Winter's Break
Title page for a brief and fortunately pleasant winter break on two wheels to Ashbourne in Derbyshire
Home And Epilogue
There's very little to say about the final leg home so Ren lets us know what he thought about the trip. Did you know that from Liverpool to Potes is about the same saddle time as Liverpool to Fort William?
Days Of Luxury In The Final Summary
Oh my how the other half live! In contrast to Bogger's chaos and Ren's miserly way Upt' shows us that travel can be comfortable and luxurious. This is the final leg - the only question is will the weather and the chain hold out?
Chillin' At The Bruce Pollard Rally
A few notes from what ought to be an easy couple of nights in North Wales. It's Ren though innit, making the easy seem hard is his thing.
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Latest Posts
An Easy Day Out Going Round In Circles
nab301 said :-
Thanks Ren,
Nigel
05/06/2025 15:15:03 UTC
An Easy Day Out Going Round In Circles
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
The far side of the road goes up - I can understand the optical illusion but it is a bog standard round goes down - through the ford - then goes up again on the other side. I'll add a link to Google Maps Streetview so you can explore for yourself nab301.
Bogger is not 21, of that much I am sure.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/53%C2%B003'56.7%22N+1%C2%B042'13.7%22W/@53.065...
05/06/2025 14:12:15 UTC
Crankcase Pressure And Breathers
nab301 said :-
Back to inductive charging , apparently it is already available in some countries , long term it would be available at traffic lights when stopped and in car parks/ supermarkets etc.
Apparently short boosts of recharging are better for battery life and vehicles wouldn't require large capacity batteries if / when this becomes a reality.
Will it be in our lifetimes though?
Nigel
https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/en/electric-and-hybrid/living-electric/discover-ele...
05/06/2025 12:35:03 UTC
An Easy Day Out Going Round In Circles
nab301 said :-
Ren , I'm with you about traipsing around gardens in bike gear but every year I seem to find myself doing just that!
The photo of the ford is interesting, is it just an optical illusion that the road on the far side seems to fall away and if so what is the direction of flow...
@ Bogger , are you suggesting you're still 21 !
Nigel
05/06/2025 12:13:30 UTC
New Road To Rivington
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I will say when we were at Hardraw Falls Ian the waterfall was something of a disappointing dribble. Oh how awful, all that nice weather making the falls a dribble must have been terrible for us.
05/06/2025 08:06:10 UTC
New Road To Rivington
Ian Soady¹ said :-
The Green Dragon and Hardraw Falls - the highest single drop in England (UK?). You used to be able to walk behind it - not sure if you still can.
There was another Green Dragon in Swaledale near the Washfold Steps section of the Scott Trial route. I observed there one year in the 1960s courtesy of Darlington Motor Club. The pub was famous (notorious?) for its green pickled eggs. I wasn't brave enough to try them.
04/06/2025 13:10:20 UTC
New Road To Rivington
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I know Stoneclough very well John. I'm a resident of Horwich and I've worked at Leisuredrive near where Stoneclough Road joins the A666.
The only Green Dragon I know of near Hawes is The Green Dragon Inn at Hardraw, where Hardraw Falls is. I've camped there once with Sharon.
With regards to Dublin - I hate cities and Dublin is a city. Depending on how long you're there and how far you like to ride each day that affects where I'd suggest going. If you're looking for something not far from Dublin then follow the coast south. In a perfect world I'd avoid crossing Holyhead to Dublin, I'd take the Fishguard to Rosslare Ferry as Rosslare is tiny and gets your STRAIGHT into the countryside. I dunno - maybe cities are your thing!
04/06/2025 11:03:17 UTC
Repairing or Servicing Rear Brake Light Switches - By Ren Withnell
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Thanks Girtron. I'd still recommend getting a new switch and keeping it in the cupboard as one day or another the switch will go wrong again. You can replace it with the new one and get to work just fine - and in your own time you can re-service the old one and keep it as a spare.
04/06/2025 10:51:38 UTC
Repairing or Servicing Rear Brake Light Switches - By Ren Withnell
Girtron said :-
Thanks for the info on the internal parts of the switch it helped, it got me out of trouble, it works a treat as I need the motorcycle to travel to work and back and waiting for the new switch to turn up which is on order I have to wait up to two weeks, which is not an option cheers
04/06/2025 05:40:45 UTC
Repairing or Servicing Rear Brake Light Switches - By Ren Withnell
Girtron said :-
Thanks for the info on the internal parts of the switch it helped, it got me out of trouble, it works a treat as I need the motorcycle to travel to work and back and waiting for the new switch to turn up which is on order I have to wait up to two weeks, which is not an option cheers
04/06/2025 05:40:45 UTC
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Ian Soady¹ said :-
Good points Nigel. I've just been attending to the mechanical drive, which probably due to my trying the starter over and over has broken a little 4mm drive pin. Metric pins on a British bike - how awful! Anyway, made a new one out of a 4mm HSS drill which should do that job and screwed it all back together. No more for the moment as I wait for the loctite to set on the crankshaft bolt.
Following your suggestion, maybe I should just attach the car battery via jump leads and see how that goes. I don't have the original points setup and would be reluctant to fit that anyway as they're very iffy being Lucas's finest. Or probably cheapest!
If that gets results then I will start to suspect the battery although it does spin the engine over very readily. The fact that may external battery works (well most of the time) does suggest that the problem lies with the voltage arriving at the ignition module.
07/06/2025 17:39:28 UTC
nab301 said :-
That's annoying , going back to basics , the battery is rated at CCA 120 but it would be interesting to see if you can get your hands on a DC amp clamp, what current is actually being drawn by the starter and if you can do some sort of calibrated load test on the battery to see what it actually can deliver. Maybe the battery isn't performing as it should.
I know space is limited but if you disconnect the existing battery and temporarily connect a larger capacity one from a small car or ride on mower you'll at least know if the existing battery is the issue. (eg , 895 mower battery is rated at 28ah / 300cca).
Alternatively , go to a points (contact breaker) set up with a ballast coil ?...
Nigel
07/06/2025 16:25:24 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Anyway, I bought 2 6 volt coils at huge expense and wired it all up. What I do notice is there's a much higher current being drawn which I would expect as they're lower resistance. But does it start any better? Marginally if at all. It does however start reliably using my additional battery.
I'm now considering an additional small capacity battery just to supply the ignition system. I could isolate this by using a relay and charge it by connecting into the charging system via a diode which should stop it sharing the starter motor load.
But I've now found another issue which has diverted me....
07/06/2025 13:02:43 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
It is indeed proving to be a very nice ride which is fortunate as I'm still struggling with the Electra. I can get it to start readily by using an external battery to power the ignition system thus delivering it 12.7 volts or so. However, when the system is normally connected, system voltage drops to just over 10 volts as the starter sucks up most of the available power and it's very reluctant to fire up. I've fitted new 6 volt coils (these are connected in series for the Boyer Bransden setup), HT leads and plugs.
Boyer Bransden, who are generally quite helpful, tell me that my battery at 9AH and 120 CCA is a bit underpowered. They also told me that fitting the 6 volt coils would do the trick. However I'm not altogether confident as they say that the AH value is important. As I understand it, this merely tells you about the capacity of the battery - ie that it will provide 9 amps for 1 hour (or 1 amp for 9 hours etc). I believe the CCA is the relevant figure as this tells you the instantaneous current it's capable of delivering. There's no way the starter can be exceeding or even approaching this as 120 amps at 12 volts (nearly 1.5KW) would be getting hot enough to do the Sunday roast.
I would follow the old mantra "ignition problems are always down to carburation" but don't think it's this otherwise my external battery trick wouldn't work.
Confused of Redditch.
06/06/2025 15:21:03 UTC
nab301 said :-
Ian , glad to hear you're finally sorted ( in a rolling project sort of way!) For some reason I've spent more time on my Bullet 500 this year , I guess the exhaust note , vibration, kickstart starting procedure and lack of top end combine to make it somehow endearing ....
Nigel
.
05/06/2025 12:54:39 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
It will certainly give both a harder time of it. However I don't ride very aggressively and match engine speed when changing down rather than crashing through as many seem to, so hopefully not a big deal. If I feather the throttle rather than banging it open and shut it's OK.
05/06/2025 09:48:42 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Would the lack of "cush" be it in the clutch or rear hub (or anywhere else inbetween) not cause either the rear wheel to shake the spokes loose or be rather abusive to the gears?
05/06/2025 08:08:05 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
That should have been undergeared.
02/06/2025 15:28:55 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Not perceptibly although I am used to rather more primitive machines. It does have a balance shaft. I am sutrprised by how well it pulls from low revs, and I think it is a touch overgeared.
The main problem - and not a serious one - is that there's no shock absorber in the drive line. The BSA would have had one in the clutch, the Suzuki in the back wheel (I believe). So there's quite a lot of shut transiting from power on to off. There's also some play in the QD back hub - a crinkle hub QD design the same as a proper Gold Star - which is probably both caused by this and also contributing to it. I'll probably strip that all down in the winter.
02/06/2025 14:01:26 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I wasn't lying in bed not sleeping Ian, but it's good to know you're enjoying the Suzuki lump. Does it vibrate much?
Upt.
02/06/2025 13:33:10 UTC
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Upt'North ¹ said :-
Yes Nigel Bank 1 is pre cat and Bank 2 is post cat. Between them they solve the emissions dilemma.
By pulling Bank 2 away from the direct flow, albeit some eggshost gases will enter the extension, it has cleared fault on Bank 1.....for now.
It never went more than three journeys/cycles before illuminating the EML after a reset, it has presently probably completed 6 to 8 cycles.
I am told by wiser men than I, that on VAG vehicles there is a three cycle trigger point for turning the EML on or off.
Upt.
07/06/2025 18:01:48 UTC
nab301 said :-
Interesting , bank 1 is pre cat afaik and bank 2 is post cat , definitely strange!
Nigel
07/06/2025 16:33:10 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
The devil's work - fixed by magical trickery!
06/06/2025 12:53:47 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Much to my dismay, did I say, I'm dismayed.
The light is functioning as it should.
The EML comes on at switch on, extinguishes and then remains off indicating no faults.
The "expert" told me to try the extender and at the moment I'm very glad that I did. When I spoke to Profusion Exhausts they said they couldn't see how fitting an extender to Bank 2 could resolve a Bank 1 issue but were happy for me to waste my tenner. Pffffffftttttt. That's real money Ed.
The "expert" stated it was in is opinion a catalyser fault and probably down to a non oem replacement system. Although the fault didn't show for months or even years later. The bank 2 sensor extension is traditionally used to trick the ECU when a a catalyst is removed or a racing type catalyst is fitted.
I deduce, probably incorrectly that the replacement CAT isn't talking nicely after some while to the ECU but it is now being "tricked" by the extender.
Thought this may be of interest to anyone facing a similar 4 wheeled chariot dilemma.
Upt.
06/06/2025 11:04:43 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
It is a shame. But I suspect that this really was brought about by their change from competition based and highly respected machinery to hipster status symbols. I seem to remember various changes in ownership over the last years.
04/06/2025 09:53:30 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
CCM?
Gone!
03/06/2025 17:01:23 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Yes Ian the end with the copper washer screws in the boss of the exhaust. It is open to gases to the sensor albeit through the small hole. I'm sure with exhaust back pressure from the silencer that gases will fill that chamber. One more small journey (well a man needs his sourdough and paté) and no lights. I suspect if the lights are going to come on it will be tomorrow, this on the basis of previous experience.
I'm so excited I can hardly wait.
Upt.
02/06/2025 13:31:08 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
So is it the male thread that screws into the exhaust? There looks to be some sort of obstruction in there. It could in fact be completely blocked which would mean the sensor was measuring fresh air in effect.
02/06/2025 12:42:36 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Nidger, just been speaking to my spanner man, he's a neighbour, who put it through the diagnostics on Friday. He's still shaking his head.
Although hand on heart, I am expecting the light to re-illuminate sometime soon. But maybe not?
01/06/2025 17:06:22 UTC
nab301 said :-
Absolutely no idea! Hopefully you get through the mot,
Nigel
01/06/2025 12:56:41 UTC
Random Link - ButtFast And Buckfast Abbey