it was fixed, we also
offered two more
suggestions.
On a long-unused
bike, the mechanical
advance mechanism
for the timing can
freeze, not allowing the
arms to swing out and
advance the timing when
required (usually around
3000-4000rpm). WD40
and manually extending
the small springs usually
fixes this.
L a s t ly, this model BMW
(and many before it)
has a very complicated
throttle consisting of
gear wheels and chains.
If the teeth on the plastic
gear wheels wear, it can
skip a few teeth, creating
the impression that the
throttle is fully open
when, in fact, it could be
only a quarter open.
Guido eventually
crawled back into
Melbourne and you
can read all about it
on page 108.
By the way, Guy, what
happened to that system
whereby you’d ask me
in advance about your
intended purchases?
Okay, you abandoned
it 20 years ago after
some ill-fated financial
disasters (I still think
the Hesketh V1000
showed promise and who
knew about the Yamaha
TX750?), but it might
be time to come back
into the fold. Those new
Nortons look good...
PLASTIC FANTASTIC
I recently acquired a
Honda XL250S from
the early ’80s that looks
great except for a few
substantial tears in
the plastic front guard,
which makes it flap
about while I’m riding.
I’ve had a go at gluing
the damaged parts but,
for whatever reason, it
doesn’t work. The ’guard
is fairly floppy and
although it’s red like the
tank, I’m not sure it’s the
or ig i na l ’g ua rd.
I’ll probably be using
the bike mostly on
normal roads. I’ve
checked about buying a
new-old-stock ’guard but
even on eBay the asking
price is around $385.
Is there a way of
repairing the existing
guard without spending
a fortune, or do I have
to start saving for a
replacement?
Stuart Burlington
[email protected]It sounds to me like
you have a non-original
guard, Stuart, and it’sprobably made from low-
density polyethylene.
It will also be color-
infused to make it red.
This plastic is naturally
oily and has the
advantage that dirt and
mud don’t stick to it well,
which is handy when
washing your bike after
an outback adventure.
It has the disadvantage,
though, of also repelling
adhesives and paint,
meaning the only way to
structurally repair it is
with plastic welding.
Yo u can get a plastic
welding kit pretty
cheaply ($50-$150), and
they’re relatively easy
to use but you can’t hide
the weld by sanding or
painting. If appearance
is important, you’d
be better off buying
a new, non-original
guard. Plenty of them
are available for the
XL and prices can beas low as $20. The
legendary Acerbis brand
replacement guards
are available online for
$US40.
The original-equipment
’guard you’ve seen on
eBay is very high-quality
ABS plastic that can
be glued and painted if
necessary. Let’s face it,
though, you’re likely to
crash again so you have
to ask yourself if the OE
guard is a sensible use of
your hard-earned.The original
equipment
’guard
you’ve
seen on
eBay
is very high
quality ABS
plastic