Flatspot
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- Joined
- Jan 30, 2020
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As you may recall I fitted a VM34 to my 850 rather a long time ago and I promised a report on how it goes. Additionally you may also recall I told you I’d had a heart attack recently as well
and this curtailed any hope I had to get out riding.
Until today that is. It is lovely and sunny and almost warm it was almost SWMBO who suggested I go out. I just happened to be about to tell her as she said it to me. I’ve worked it out that it was at least 7 months since the last time I was on 2 wheels and I have missed it terribly. I couldn’t turn down the opportunity. Thankfully I am feeling reasonably OK while I wait for my bypass op early in May. After which I know I won’t be permitted to ride for at least 3 months. I’ve got to get out now I can.
So, all togged up, tyres checked, oil checked, fuel checked. Let’s go.
Fuel on, choke lever lifted, ignition on, flick the starter button and……….. vroom! It starts immediately, but I knew it would. The CNW starter allied to the Shorai lithium battery is superb! I let it fast idle and walked back to close the gates, and then turned off the choke. Lovely tickover although a tad slow as it’s still cold.
Then on the road we go, and it’s like renewing an old friendship and the get up and go was still there. I took it out through our back roads to the main road, and then onto the main fast road. It’s nicely warmed up now, and time to see how good, bad or indifferent it is.
It is great, pulls like a train and very torquey as usual. I took it up to 80 (allegedly officer) and there was more to come if I wanted. Well I didn’t, the bike’s almost 50 years old and why stress it? If I wanted blistering acceleration and high speeds I would have kept the Busa and ZZR. For now I want comfortable and easy riding. This is it. It works fine.
I did perhaps 25 miles and pulled in for a pit stop and switched it off for a bit, so I could relax (I am very anxious not to upset my heart right now) and have a look over just to check. All is well.
Helmet and gloves back on, fuel and ignition on and it starts up without any hesitation. I then rode home a further 25 miles or so and it was sheer bliss. I’ve been riding bikes for 50 years and today was one of the best ever.
I arrived home and parked up, the tickover was a touch high at 1100rpm or so, so I’ve turned it down to 1000ish. I’d not made any adjustments since unpacking it since it arrived from Matt. I will pop out the plugs and see what they look like (like I’d really know
) other than that all is well.
Finally, is there as much ‘urge’ as a pair of well setup 32mm Amals would be? Probably not from what I recall of my not-very-well-setup 32s, but I don’t care. This works so well right out of the box.
![Confused :confused: :confused:](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f615.png)
Until today that is. It is lovely and sunny and almost warm it was almost SWMBO who suggested I go out. I just happened to be about to tell her as she said it to me. I’ve worked it out that it was at least 7 months since the last time I was on 2 wheels and I have missed it terribly. I couldn’t turn down the opportunity. Thankfully I am feeling reasonably OK while I wait for my bypass op early in May. After which I know I won’t be permitted to ride for at least 3 months. I’ve got to get out now I can.
So, all togged up, tyres checked, oil checked, fuel checked. Let’s go.
Fuel on, choke lever lifted, ignition on, flick the starter button and……….. vroom! It starts immediately, but I knew it would. The CNW starter allied to the Shorai lithium battery is superb! I let it fast idle and walked back to close the gates, and then turned off the choke. Lovely tickover although a tad slow as it’s still cold.
Then on the road we go, and it’s like renewing an old friendship and the get up and go was still there. I took it out through our back roads to the main road, and then onto the main fast road. It’s nicely warmed up now, and time to see how good, bad or indifferent it is.
It is great, pulls like a train and very torquey as usual. I took it up to 80 (allegedly officer) and there was more to come if I wanted. Well I didn’t, the bike’s almost 50 years old and why stress it? If I wanted blistering acceleration and high speeds I would have kept the Busa and ZZR. For now I want comfortable and easy riding. This is it. It works fine.
I did perhaps 25 miles and pulled in for a pit stop and switched it off for a bit, so I could relax (I am very anxious not to upset my heart right now) and have a look over just to check. All is well.
Helmet and gloves back on, fuel and ignition on and it starts up without any hesitation. I then rode home a further 25 miles or so and it was sheer bliss. I’ve been riding bikes for 50 years and today was one of the best ever.
I arrived home and parked up, the tickover was a touch high at 1100rpm or so, so I’ve turned it down to 1000ish. I’d not made any adjustments since unpacking it since it arrived from Matt. I will pop out the plugs and see what they look like (like I’d really know
![Wink ;) ;)](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png)
Finally, is there as much ‘urge’ as a pair of well setup 32mm Amals would be? Probably not from what I recall of my not-very-well-setup 32s, but I don’t care. This works so well right out of the box.