It followed me home!!

baz said:

Here's a still from my security camera

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I did something similar last April to my Commando, burnt out the loom, so glad I had extinguishers handy.

trident sam said:

I did something similar last April to my Commando, burnt out the loom, so glad I had extinguishers handy.

Click to expand...

Yep I keep two extinguishers nearby

Anyone know what this is?



A headless british motorcyclist ghost medling in the middle of the night ?

Hurumph . Good Save .

Has it got a KILL SWITCH ?

If wirings tidy and professional , a Multi Meter to test which wires which , if the colour codes ' out ' .

Usually a Big fuse , so you can rip the lead apart , if necesary . At Battery . Or ' C ' end battery teminals rather than ' O ' .

Olde dayes , one allways got Braided Fire Resistant etc FUEL LINES , as unfiltered a backfire had been known to melt nylon ones .
With all the paniking theyed forget to turn the gas OFF .

Looks like a intresting motorcycle . Id disconect oil return , run . If its old used oil , purge , so its stored with FRESH OIL , if its gunna be stored .
that'd incude Primary , Gearbox & Forks . THOUGH it sounds like its hardly a neglected old wreck .

Still battling with this bike but after many problems including a coil packing up
Carburettors that just won't corporate
Front brake leaking etc etc I now have it starting running and even idling
It now has the original carbs and gantry from my t160 fitted
Only one thing left to do is borrow a number plate from one of my other bikes and take it around the block

baz said:

Here's a still from my security camera

Click to expand...

"You let the magic smoke escape.
Electronics cease to function after."


(My FANUC CNC repair school instructor, 1996)

Holds true for electrics, sometimes....

Took the r3 out for it's first ride in my ownership this evening I just thought fcuk it and stuck a number plate from another bike on
It ran pretty good
It starts well and holds an idle,revs out really well in the lower gears
But it's got an awkward riding position and the reverse gear lever is too close to the footpeg
It feels really heavy on the front end
The brakes are terrible
I had the feeling it'd spit me off given the chance
I'm going to replace the tyres and check wheel alignment
I need to take a look at the offset of the honda front end because the trail doesn't feel right to me

The only minor issue I have with the carbuation is if it's left to idle and you open the throttle it wants die even if opened very slowly
I fitted a colourtune and it showed it to be rich at that point
It's got brand new needle jets and needles fitted
The slides are 3 1/2
Could it be fuel level too high? Or maybe I need 4 cutaway slides?
I've had this happen on other bikes
Adjusting the pilot air adjustment screw out just makes it run rough and it still does it

Is that when your asphixiateing yourself in the shed , or ' on the road ' .

Id think taking it out for a strop, to clear the cobwebs out , would be neccesary , before considering ' fine tuning ' the instruments ( Carbs ) .

Id also set the cable / slider bar , so they FULLY CLOSE . then you can chop & hit it . As theyve dropped more youve got your lower number , initially ! .

THE RAKE looks a trifle excessive , but the ride hight / droop, comes into it . FOUR INCH was the std. for Trigonics or KR 76's . 3 1/2 min. 4 1/2'd be a truck .
of six or twelve inches on a chopper !

A piece of paper on the floor . Fr wheel onit . slide a steel rule , tangental against tyre F & R , & bufricate . A Stick eyeball aligned with the steering head
will get THE ANGLE of the Frame Rake . correct for offset . as in put the stick stuck , measure offset top - correct for that at bottom . IT GETS self evident
so comes in INDICATIVE . Should have ' riders weight' on the seat if you want to be overawed . Or String lines if theres spare bods about . Psst . Olde this string .

Take that horrible thing out of the back of the mega. and the jettings likely Spot On ! . ( TEST ).

Dont you have a BSA tank somewhere ?

seeifya cangetholdoff this . IT had a works rep. or gen u wine system , with a noteably well done collector .

"the rake looks excessive" what on a standard BSA/triumph oif frame? Ok!!
I know how to work out rake and trail
The baffle fitted is a copy of a Phil Pick designed race baffle it works

"
It's got a long range commando tank and a Honda CB 750 front end
It has a fabricated top yoke and Japanese clocks "

Give it a good shake , and the Japanese stuff should fall off .
Being in England , there should be a bit oof British stuff about .

Honda Nutters might pay millions for the Jap. Stuff , if yoour lucky , and its unmarked .
That mag. is via ebay - worth it for a few more pictures . The L R tanks likely worth a bob or two too , nowadays .

Saw a Commando with the disc brake Triumph front end affixed , once . For the brakes . The jap stuff wasnt renowned for its efficency .
In the steering department . Theyed even left out a tenth of the spokes ! .
So a collector could be a suitable victim to dispose of it to . They used to throw bevel ducati front ends on harleys here . Some MZ's
have them too .

But the flash stuff on that R III like the wheels came on a TSS or something , too . Someone was on about them here ? so not unobtainium .

EEK . I see he has the nasty single piston Honda Calipers . Were popular for conversions in their day . Probably because they were AVAILABLE
They robbed B - 50's for the alloy yolks , too .

Just saying . Most British Twins , the Jap stuff fell off , unassisted .Be intresting to see what spec it originally was . ! Early 4 peed ? .
The Baffle may well work , but if its two minutes to get if out , it'd give a comparison . a No 4 slides a bit unusual and might suggest its
been cammed . as in Hot Cams ? . Olde Gits filed slides , to fine tune .. Mad buggers'd fit 30 mm Concentrics , as 27's are little .
Twin 30s on a 500 and they start to haul , give a 650 a run for its money . If youve a shelf of 30 mm carbs , if not already fitted .

Both Taps ON for fiddling ? . Looks like it ' Has Potential ' and only needs sympatethetic consideration - for ' intended ' use .

Pottering , or Hill Climbs / Club Track Days , etc . ? The number plates suggest it may be not quite standard , unless - Both Actually .

Fitted a set of used VM miks to the BSA this evening
I'd cleaned and checked them before fitting
I've manually synced the slides
The bike would not start with the enrichment (chokes) on
When it did start it ran fine on 1 and 2 but number 3 would only run with the choke on
Now I know the pilot jets were definitely clear when I checked them but could possibly be blocked now,I'll check it tomorrow
Is there anything else that could cause one cylinder to only run on full choke? Maybe a massive air leak?

baz said:

Fitted a set of used VM miks to the BSA this evening
I'd cleaned and checked them before fitting
I've manually synced the slides
The bike would not start with the enrichment (chokes) on
When it did start it ran fine on 1 and 2 but number 3 would only run with the choke on
Now I know the pilot jets were definitely clear when I checked them but could possibly be blocked now,I'll check it tomorrow
Is there anything else that could cause one cylinder to only run on full choke? Maybe a massive air leak?

Click to expand...

The tiny passages drilled into the throat that deliver fuel at closed/low throttle. They are FAR MORE likely to be clogged than the pilot jet.

Also, the air passage from the air horn.

Ok brilliant info
I'll take a look today

baz said:

Ok brilliant info
I'll take a look today

Click to expand...

Verify EVERY passage flows, using aerosol solvent.

concours said:

Verify EVERY passage flows, using aerosol solvent.

Click to expand...

What do you reckon to it not starting with the enrichment chokes on ?
My trident also has mikunis but it has an electric start
And the only way that will start is with the chokes on full and the throttle open
With the throttle closed it won't fire
It's never bothered me because it always starts
But everything I've read tells me the throttle should be closed when the enrichment jets are engaged?

baz said:

What do you reckon to it not starting with the enrichment chokes on ?
My trident also has mikunis but it has an electric start
And the only way that will start is with the chokes on full and the throttle open
With the throttle closed it won't fire
It's never bothered me because it always starts
But everything I've read tells me the throttle should be closed when the enrichment jets are engaged?

Click to expand...

Yes, the enrichener circuit relies on vacuum to draw the fuel and air in.

Be sure to trace the fuel AND air passages that supply the enrichener circuit.

concours said:

Yes, the enrichener circuit relies on vacuum to draw the fuel and air in.

Be sure to trace the fuel AND air passages that supply the enrichener circuit.

View attachment 111803

Click to expand...

I'm not a fan of enrichment jets
I'd rather have a tickler button any day
I used to have mikuni VM that a previous owner had fitted a tickler button to
But this was an unusual engine
It was an ESO speedway engine fitted with an xt500 barrel and piston
Plus an oil pump so it could return oil to the tank instead of the track so it could be used on the road

concours said:

The tiny passages drilled into the throat that deliver fuel at closed/low throttle. They are FAR MORE likely to be clogged than the pilot jet.

Also, the air passage from the air horn.
View attachment 111794View attachment 111795View attachment 111796View attachment 111797

Click to expand...

Now sorted
It was the pilot jet blocked
But whilst I was in there I cleaned out the other passageways to be sure
Just need to work out why it doesn't want to start with the choke on ?
The pilot jets are size 15 maybe a little small?
I believe this kit to be a MAP kit

baz said:

Now sorted
It was the pilot jet blocked
But whilst I was in there I cleaned out the other passageways to be sure
Just need to work out why it doesn't want to start with the choke on ?
The pilot jets are size 15 maybe a little small?
I believe this kit to be a MAP kit

Click to expand...

How many kicks?
Enricheners lifting properly?
Rubber plunger tip not stuck down?

concours said:

How many kicks?
Enricheners lifting properly?
Rubber plunger tip not stuck down?

Click to expand...

Kicked it 6 or 7 times throttle closed
Had a couple of murmurs
Then flicked the chokes off and after a couple of kicks it fired and ran for a couple of seconds
Then nothing
So chokes back on I kicked a few times and nothing
So I flicked the chokes off again and with a couple of kicks it fired into life ,it was just about to stop when I flicked the two outside chokes on
I kept them on whilst it was warming up then turned them off
Once warm it was fine
And restarted fine without chokes once it was warm
It's doing exactly what my t160 does
But as said with mikunis on my trident you have to open the throttle with the choke on or it just won't start ,but with an electric start it's not been an issue