Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes... and travels... mostly on bikes!
Autumn is almost here followed by a winter (of discount-tents). With the spiralling cost of energy BAT's latest recommendation is to keep
your full winter riding kit on at all times. In the meantime here's a lovely image to keep you going through these harsh times.
This update is brought to you under duress from the grumbling BAT readers.
What's New?
The Ardnamurchan Peninsula - Slowly And Quickly
It's not far from Strontian to The Ardnamurchan Lighthouse... or is it? The weather ain't too bad and there's a lovely bathing belle on the beach that requires Ren's attention
More Of Everything That Bogger Enjoys
Guess what? Bogger's et al are riding motorcycles, visiting museums, eating, and drinking all of Brittany's fabulous hospitality. Poor Bogger, it's a hard life.
2021 Honda CBR 500 PC62 Review
Nigel tells us the tale of how he came by this Honda and his experiences and opinions after 6 months of ownership. Is it a match made in heaven?
Police, Passages, Pals, and Pints
Rev. Mick! is escorted by the police, hangs out with Scooter types and catches TWO ferries. It seems he can't have an "ordinary" day.
Speed, Strontian, Showers And Silliness
At last! The Dynamic Muppets finally get into The Highlands properly. There's a couple of things for Ren to moan about, particularly that Sharon is far too happy.
Cars, Motorcycles, Engines, Nap Time And More Beer
Bogger and pals (both French and English) take in the splendours of an automobile museum. There's a lot of lovely cars, a few motorcycles and one napping Bogger on display for all to see.
Countryside, Culture And Carlingford Lough
Rev. Mick! is finding a ferry and fascinating sights as he makes his way northbound towards Belfast. A good day all in all but there may be just one small hiccup ahead.
A Successfully Dull Day
The job of the day is simply moving 2 people on 2 motorcycles around 280 miles north. Is it worth the effort?
Miles And Mates Coming And Going
There's people leaving, people joining, lots of riding and well wouldn't you know it - some beer! There's a crew change and a location change for Bogger today.
Holy Water On Departure
It's Rev. Mick!'s day of departure, in spite of his wife's misgivings. He's crossing Ireland and he's already lost in his own country.
See More What's New
Latest Posts
The Ardnamurchan Peninsula - Slowly And Quickly
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I'm not too keen on your domestic lubricant Upt', are we talking new 10w40 or used?
I'm not a fan of being pillion but I can do it satisfactorily if required. As for being a passenger in a car? It depends on the driver - I'm pleased to report Sharon's driving is up to scratch.
28/11/2022 13:56:53 UTC
The Ardnamurchan Peninsula - Slowly And Quickly
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Ahhhh, domestic friction, you can get lube for that, SAE 10W40 works well. You know we haven't had an oil thread in ages.
I'm with you Mr.Soady sir, I haven't got a clue why Er'Indoors goes on the back, but I'm glad she does.
Upt'North.
25/11/2022 16:51:31 UTC
The Ardnamurchan Peninsula - Slowly And Quickly
Ian Soady¹ said :-
It's many years since my - very few - pillion rides. I hated them then. In fact I loathe being driven / piloted by anyone else under any circumstances. This has caused a certain amount of domestic friction (quiet at the back you louts).
25/11/2022 13:13:39 UTC
The Ardnamurchan Peninsula - Slowly And Quickly
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
We were once out on our 125s. I pulled us into a quiet side lane near where Sharon lives. I hopped on the back of her 125 and she set off. I managed about 3 yards before I saw my life flash before my eyes and started screaming like a 4 year old who's just had his sweeties taken off him.
I'm not sure an scared tensed up 80+ kg blerk on the back of 50kg Sharon's 100kg 125 is perhaps the best introduction to carrying a pillion for Her Ladyship.
25/11/2022 08:26:26 UTC
The Ardnamurchan Peninsula - Slowly And Quickly
ROD¹ said :-
Nice write up Ren, and educational.
I had always thought (mistakenly) that St Davids was the most westerly point on the UK mainland.
I second the motion that you should spend some time as pillion.
Back in the 70s I spent some time on the back of my wife when she was learning to ride.
24/11/2022 21:11:05 UTC
The Ardnamurchan Peninsula - Slowly And Quickly
Bogger said :-
Remotes ok until you get old.
I have an idea for you and Sharon to spice things up a bit. No, no, no get your mind out of the gutter ED.
Why don't you ride pillion on the back of Sharon. What a splendid idea. I commend it to the house!
Bogger
24/11/2022 20:16:08 UTC
2021 Honda CBR 500 PC62 Review
Crofty said :-
Thanks Ren, I'm not to bothered about the slipper clutch, I don't ride fast or aggressively any more,and haven't locked a back wheel up for about 30 years. I'll look at tyres but the 19 inch is the same as my V Strom (110/80x19) and I don't have too much problem getting tyres for that.Never go off road any more either. The main reason I like the 19 inch model is it is higher and i thought the leg room might be more generous. Just have to wait till I can try both
24/11/2022 18:31:44 UTC
The Ardnamurchan Peninsula - Slowly And Quickly
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Nice write up Ed.
And yes, the lights do know.
Living remotely? I think you'd be OK Ed. Whilst our little town is nowhere near as remote, we have a convenience store......and pubs don't you know. But it is a long way to Kelso, Berwick-upon-the-Tweed or Alnwick upon the Aln if you need a supermarket etc. Probably around 20 Miles each way and about half a hour in the measurement of time.
This afternoon will see us attending Wansbeck Hospital, which is our nearest full blown Hospital, I spose it'll be about a 100 miles return journey but probably only about one hour each way and parking is easy and cheap'ish.
You simply get used to it and you don't forget the milk more than once.
But I admit there is remote and remote, remote, and that peninsula is remote, remote.
Keep it coming you wandering minstrels.
Upt'North.
24/11/2022 13:01:59 UTC
2021 Honda CBR 500 PC62 Review
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I have indeed ridden the 19" front wheeled 2019 version... but only on a comparatively short test ride.
The '19 model has the slipper/assist clutch. While the '18's clutch is not at all heavy the 19's really does benefit from the slipper/assist clutch. If you dunno what one of them is then ask... I might do a page about it. The '19's fuelling seemed a tiny bit cleaner low in the revs, again only moving from excellent to most excellent. The '19 is taller, you decide if that's good or bad but at 5'8" I was OK with it. As for the 19" front wheel? Welllllllll...
If you're serious about any off road then it ought to be better. However the problem with a 19" front wheel is tyre choice. Before you buy see how many tyre options you have for the 19" over the absolutely bog standard 120/70-17 front fitted on the earlier models. Also look at costs if this matters to you. In terms of riding, it was wet and on new tyres, I had zero chance of pushing the front end but it felt fine. The OEM dunlops fitted to my '16 and '18 models were absolutely AWFUL - change the front as soon as possible.
Nicer clocks on the new model, in my opinion the styling is sharper.
Ross - millionaire? No. 2 problems.
1. I've spent most of it on fuel and motorcycles and riding gear.
2. You underestimate my low earnings due to my feckless work ethic.
23/11/2022 22:45:21 UTC
2021 Honda CBR 500 PC62 Review
Ross said :-
Oops, previous post about our millionaire editor was from me, D’oh!!
23/11/2022 15:32:52 UTC
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Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Bumps starting Sharon's Z250SL is nigh-on impossible if the battery's flat. Even with a BIG hill it took some real effort. As Ian said the low battery power means there's not enough ooomph for - not only the injectors but the fuel pump. Add to that bad readings from various sensors due to low voltage and you're on a road to nowhere. I can see some merit in the engine, already spinning and producing voltage from the alternator, having enough oomph to power all the other bits required. Or it could just have been luck...
16/11/2022 16:49:59 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I think with fuel injection the starter can take so much power there's not enough to fire the injectors, which open when the starter button is released. That's one theory anyway.
11/11/2022 10:12:16 UTC
Snod said :-
Isn't the ride on mower battery a replacement for the massive 53030?
And yes it is the first start, to be honest I thought it'd catch earlier than that since it's injection! It was half firing while being helped by the starter, eventually it went (presumably on one cylinder) and the starter/clutch made a terrible screeching noise in protest (weirdly you can't hear this in the video??) so I let go of the button, when it did a few chugs and died. It may well have been flooded from all the turning over, or the injectors aren't closing properly, I don't know yet. I will almost certainly run some injector cleaner through it when it's back on the road, if only to make myself feel better..
10/11/2022 18:52:11 UTC
nab301 said :-
Snod , I had to check my "notebook" from decades ago and it seems I did fit a 51913 battery to my 1100S, more recently I butchered the battery tray and fitted a ride on lawn mower battery ( much favoured by Guzzi types) in the interest of economy.
Was that really the first start? It seemed to be turning over for an age and then fired up when the starter button was released ( voltage drop?) It's hard to tell from the video , is it definitely oil smoke , it sounded flooded initially at start up . Depending how long it was standing the injectors could need cleaning( poor spray pattern) In recent years I replaced mine with new ones fitted with the later 1200 model nozzles ( finer spray pattern ) and starting seems better than it was when I first got the bike back in '03.
Nigel
09/11/2022 21:28:49 UTC
Snod said :-
I was going to say I don't think this has spent any significant time on the sidestand, but actually it has spent the past few months in the garage on exactly the sidestand so.. Hmmm.. Could be that! The smoke was certainly thick and stinky enough to be oil.
My 8v K100 doesn't lurch anything like this, but then it is a slow revving/heavily flywheeled beast. It also only drinks a bit of oil and doesn't smoke if parked on the sidestand for less than about 12 hours, as it's a later one with pinned rings.. Sounds like the K1100s weren't quite right! I also believe Moto Guzzi largely fixed the lurching problem by having the crank drive the clutch with gear teeth, so the clutch counter rotated.. Too clever for the Germans I guess, who were too busy fitting FI to everything even though a carb or two would've been perfectly fine.
07/11/2022 20:02:40 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Strange? I am sure I typed combustion chamber?
06/11/2022 21:06:52 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Upt', The oil heads with fuel injection do not actually have choke. The lever is to raise the engine revs when cold. So it is a fast run lever and does not make the mixture any richer.
I have heard of boxers smoking for a while when they are left for long periods on the side stand. Gravity will allow oil to pass the piston rings and enter the combination chamber, so the bike will smoke on start up until the oil is cleared.
06/11/2022 19:37:11 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
They all Lurch Snod, but they usually stop smoking once they warm up.
The K1100's used to smoke like a trio of Woodbine addicts outside the boozer until they warmed up. They used to blow perfect smoke rings on choke. If anyone can tell me why you needed a choke on a FI bike, please enlighten me.
Even the newer K1100's would use about a 1/4 pint a day, it was quite a revelation when I went to a Pan.
Upt'North.
06/11/2022 16:46:44 UTC
Snod said :-
It took a while to tick over without the "choke" but eventually it did. It picks up nicely, seems to pull well enough, and sounds quite sweet - both from the exhaust and mechanically. But it never really stopped smoking!
The final drive rebuild place have replied stating I need a whole replacement unit because of the crack around the drain plug. I thought about this for a few seconds and of course they are right, the outer casing is full of all the pinion gear and stuff.. Bit of a bugger. I've asked if they can swap all that into another case but no reply yet. If they say no, or ask for silly money, there are at least other units out there.
Also, it don't half lurch to the right when blipped on the throttle. Really quite disconcerting.
06/11/2022 15:32:26 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Woohoo! It's alive. It's hard to tell from the video sound but it doesn't sound bad either.
05/11/2022 16:11:23 UTC
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Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
"Crank seals"... THIS is why I hate 2-strokes. That and the noise. That and the poor fuel economy. That and adding oil or getting the oil injector right. Take the engine out a put in a CRF450 motor.
28/11/2022 14:02:13 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I've always understood that the printer itself is a loss leader and only sold to flog you overpriced ink. Maybe you've found the holy grail? Let us know how it goes. Apart from anything else I take exception to people interrogating a device which is in my home hence my refusal to have a "smart" meter, Alexa or any other millennial toy.
28/11/2022 12:03:45 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Thanks Ian. It doesn't surprise does it, big brother and all that.
I have signed up for the "free ink deal", as far as I can make out it's indeed free for 9 months, I have entered into a £1.99 per month deal at the end of this period which allows a stupid amount of printing. The printer is left in stand by and they monitor ink levels and post accordingly.
There is some on the way apparently and I spose time will tell.
My old Epson, which wasn't so old, refused to work on anything other than Epson inks, perhaps they're all at it.
I think I could actually drop down to there 99 pence per month deal but I'll monitor how this goes for a while and there's no limit on the printing allowed during the trial period. The WiFi seems to work well on it too which the Epson never did.
I personally haven't hot a problem being tied to an ink deal if the price and service is right. We'll have to wait and see.
Upt'North.
28/11/2022 09:33:58 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Glyn, I think your plan is sound but good luck finding a carb.
What about the coil breaking down under load.
Other than that I wish you good luck in the depths of that 2 stroke marvel.
Upt'North.
28/11/2022 09:23:56 UTC
Ross said :-
I’m with Ian, I was thinking crank seals as I was reading through your post Glyn. If they rebuilt the engine to the same standard as the carb’I think you’re gonna have to go in and have a look! Hope you get it sorted, it’ll be a nice ride when you do and another two stroke on the road will upset our Ed’!
27/11/2022 17:38:15 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Glyn - 2 strokes are susceptible to crankshaft seals leaking (but you probably know this). If the rebuild wasn't done carefully - and I confess to knowing nothing about these bikes - then one of the sals may have bee damaged. It does sound as though the rebuilder was a bit - shall we say - mechanically challenged. Mayebe the monkey we saw earlier.
27/11/2022 17:24:05 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Upt' - re HP printers, this may be interesting (see link). There was another query in yesterday's Guardian but I can't find it now.....
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/feb/19/how-cheap-ink-cartridges-can-cost-...
27/11/2022 17:20:56 UTC
Glyn said :-
There's some Eagle eyed folk on this site. You're right Ross, the TS250 is an American import. The owner has the Nova etc but it's yet to be registered here. It was bought as a restoration project and I have to say it's been done very well. BUT it doesn't run at all well. It will kick start fairly easily but fires irregularly on tick over and the moment any throttle is applied bogs down and dies. Now I've had quite some experience with carburetors (especially recently) and almost instantly diagnosed the pilot jet circuit as the culprit. However, I've now taken the carb off for the 3rd time. It was perfectly clean inside to start with and looks like it's had a "full works" clean already. I've removed all jets and "rodded" the internal capillaries as best I can. The float height was way off, the slide assembly had been incorrectly assembled and the o ring on the needle jet didn't touch the sides. Each one of these issues could have been the cause and were rectified but it still runs the same. I've replaced the plug and it seems to have a nice fat spark. So, I'm head scratching right now. It has a primitive form of electronic ignition but I can't see why it would only run on tick over. There isn't any leaks around the inlet manifold and I've run it from an auxiliary fuel tank with new fuel. It's worth bearing in mind that the engines has been right down to the last nut and bolt before being rebuilt and man made faults (if that is the case) are always the hardest to track down. I wasn't expecting to be getting the engine out I must admit and that will be the last thing I do. It could still be the carb and it would be nice to borrow or buy a Mikuni VM28 SH but they're pretty rare these days. Oh well coffee break is over and I'll get back to it.
27/11/2022 16:44:48 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
We had boxes of slides that we never looked at - partly as we didn't have a projector. I got a slide scanner (about £45 IIRC) and spent several happy days converting them to jpgs. The quality wasn't brilliant but better than nothing.
27/11/2022 11:58:17 UTC
KiwiJeff said :-
Even found a photo! Actually piccie of a slide, remember those? 1971 according to the slide label. This is the days of box brownies (if you don't know what they are you aren't old enough!) so quality not to bad!
27/11/2022 10:16:18 UTC
Random Link - Engine Warm Up Best Practice