Classic Dirt Bike — Autumn 2017

remainedlargelyuntouchedsincethatday

astherebuildseriesfocussedonthecycle

parts.It’sbeenrumblingforawhileanda

recentoutingatInvernessDMC’sHighland

ClassicatAlvieandthefollowingweekend’s

BultacoNostalgiatrialinCumbriaarepretty

muchit untilIchangethebearings.Yes,it

stillstartsandrunsquitewell toobutthere’s

alwaysthedangerofdoingotherdamageand

inanycaseit’snot‘right’andthatisn’tthe

waythingsshouldbedone.

ThankstotheageandusetheBultohas

beenthroughthereareotherproblemsto

contendwith,gearchanginghasbecome

difficultwhentheengineiswarm.Changing

theoilandcleaningtheclutchplatesdidn’t

solvetheproblemandabit ofresearch–or,

moreaccuratelyphoningDaveRenhamup

andasking–gavemeafewareastocheck

whenstrippingtheengine.Sohopefullyall

willbewell withmyBultosoon.

Thereisadangerwhenseveralbikesneed

attentionthatseveralbikesarestripped

downandIwon’tbetheonlyonewhohas

everbeencaughtoutwitheverybikethey

owninbits.Thankfully,I’vemanagedtoavoid

thatscenariolatelybutit hashappenedin

thepastandif yourworkshopislargeand

canhaveadedicatedworkareaforeach

bikethenit’snotsobadbut,if likeme,

you’vetohauleverythingoutinorderto

accessaworkareathenit isbesttokeep

thingsasrollingchassisatleast.Such

isthecasewithmyCan-Amandwiththe

caseoffatleastIcanstillwheelthebike

inandoutoftheworkshop.Luckily,Ido

havesomeorganicshelvingwhichhasbeen

addedtoastimehasprogressedsoIam

abletodedicateanareaforsub-assemblies

atleast.

Havingtoomanybikesinbitsatonetime

meansmorechanceofthingsbeinglost,

misplacedorjustforgettinghowtheygoback

together.Naturallyjobssuchasthefork

sealsareprobablyanhourfromopeningthe

sheddoortoputtingoilintheforkleg,but

theclutchcasehasneededsomemachining

andsomefettlingtogetit right,plusthe

flatteningsoit’sbeenapartforawhile.Now

it’sgoingbacktogetherI’ll havetoreferto

thepicsItookofit beingstrippedapartsoI

canrememberwhereeverythinggoes.

Oncetheclutchisinplaceagainit willbe

timetolookatotherbitsofthebike,such

asthelights.Oneoftheregulationsforan

endurorequiresamotorcycletohavelights

fittedandinordertopassthisrequirement

Ijury-riggedsomeinplace.Thesemade-

uplightswerethebrokenfrontonefrom

ProjectIT–themountingearshadbroken

off–which,withsomegentlescrapingand

sanding,slippedinsidethePrestoPettyfront

numberboard/lightingunit.Therearone

wasoneofseveraloriginalmilitaryCan-Am

unitsIhaveandisatruly massiveaffair.It

lastedonelapofthelastenduroIdidand

itsdemisewaswrittenaboutinmycolumn

acoupleofissuesago.However,something

betterisneededandwhilethefrontlightfits

andwillworkokay, aunitslightlymoresleek

thantheoriginalone,thesizeofabungalow,

willbesourced.

Allthegizmosforsortinglightsarein

placeandlong-timereaderswillremember

ourprizebikewaswiredupbyFerretfrom

Ferret’sCustomElectrickerywhohadthe

instructionto‘...provideawhitelightatthe

front,aredlightattherear,thefrontonehas

todipandrearoneneedsabrakelighttoo,

bothhavetoworkevenif Idropthebikein

ariver...’“anythingelse?”jokedFerret.‘oh,

yes,ahornwouldbeusefultooandIdon’t

wantabatteryonthebike.’

ThisinstructionisprettymuchwhatI

wantformyownbiketoo,butthistime

Ishallattemptthedarkandmysterious

worldofmotorcycleelectricswithwiresand

connectorsandstuff.Iknowelectricians

willbeshakingtheirheadsandcollectively

sighing‘butit’seasy’whichiswhatall

tradesmensayabouttheirskill–I’masguilty

asanyonewhenit comestowoodworking

things–butdon’tforgetnoteveryonewill

havehadthebenefitofworkingwithothers

astheylearnsuchskills.

Allthat’sneedednowistogivethe

workshopaquickcleanasit’snotgood

practicetohaveenginesapartindirty

conditionsandit isamazinghowsoondirt

canaccumulateinanaverageworkshop.A

‘cleanroom’forengineassemblyisanideal

fewofushavespacetodedicateto,soa

sweepofthebench,makesurenothingcan

dropdownfromtheceilingandallshouldbe

well...

Andthetaskafter

thatisforthe

Yam’sforkseals.

Afiddlyjob,buthey...

Justtheoilfeed

andthepump

cabletoattach.

NexttaskistheBeezergear

shaft...nowonderagear

leverwon’tstayon.

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