Underwhelmed..

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Ok so back to my popular Underwhelmed thread for an update and hopefully some more abuse
I've done several hundred, maybe a 1000 miles on it this year and now I've dialled out the vibes it's a great bike. The rear chain was tight, I must have ballsed that up when setting the belt drive which is spot on as per the RGM instructions. The gearbox is whiny despite the rebuild but the clunkiness can be ridden around as suggested by careful throttle control and just nipping the diaphragm clutch. The PWK carbs were a pain when I bought them without going into that one but it carburates superb and starts first kick and ticks over fine. That said I think the clunky may be related to these as they are instant on the pickup.

The Landsdowne kits I got off John are brilliant. It's novel watching a roadholder fork actually tracking the road , quite different to my first commando years ago and my Enfiled Interceptors.

I might get the gbox back out this winter and do a better job. If I do that I might just hot the engine up a bit as well..

Last thing, I dont know what's up with it but there isnt a single drop of oil beneath my bike
 
Ok so back to my popular Underwhelmed thread for an update and hopefully some more abuse
I've done several hundred, maybe a 1000 miles on it this year and now I've dialled out the vibes it's a great bike. The rear chain was tight, I must have ballsed that up when setting the belt drive which is spot on as per the RGM instructions. The gearbox is whiny despite the rebuild but the clunkiness can be ridden around as suggested by careful throttle control and just nipping the diaphragm clutch. The PWK carbs were a pain when I bought them without going into that one but it carburates superb and starts first kick and ticks over fine. That said I think the clunky may be related to these as they are instant on the pickup.

The Landsdowne kits I got off John are brilliant. It's novel watching a roadholder fork actually tracking the road , quite different to my first commando years ago and my Enfiled Interceptors.

I might get the gbox back out this winter and do a better job. If I do that I might just hot the engine up a bit as well..

Last thing, I dont know what's up with it but there isnt a single drop of oil beneath my bike
Did you check the primary chain? If that is too tight as well, clunkiness ensues. A bit looser is preferable than a bit too tight.

Now you have done it with that oil comment. ;-)
 
I do need to check the primary chain, been too lazy but think I have a gasket ,thanks.
 
Yes that's when. I will have a good look at it later this year.
I raced a TZ350G early 90s for two years and was going to do the Manx but the wife got herself pregnant so racing stopped as we were skint.
Put racing out of my mind for 23 years but decided to have a go 2015 and bought a Honda k4 350 to try to do the Classic TT. Took me four years to get there but I competed this year and got Classic TT newcomer award 25th place. Will go back this year on k4 again and a Maxton TZ350G once I get it going.
wife got herself pregnant.... immaculate conception i imagine? ;) ;)
 
By hand, lean it on the right side, all the way over, so the shift mechanism gets oil to flow on it.
 
Maybe it's time to sell it and buy something more desirable. Maybe a Hyosung 650?
 
By hand, lean it on the right side, all the way over, so the shift mechanism gets oil to flow on it.
Excellent idea. When you live in an area where you can only ride about 5 months a year, I would often have customers bring bikes [all makes] to me where the clutch would not release at all. Generally this happened at the beginning of riding season, & to bikes with Corprene lined clutch plates. Like you, the customers would report that the clutch had worked normally before being stored for the previous winter.
Since this thing sat for 5 years, that means that the clutch was engaged all that time. Concours has the right idea. Usually when faced with a clutch that would not release on a bike that had sat a long time, my first step was as follows:
Start it up and let it idle and warm up. Get on, have an assistant push the bike [so that the engine didn't stall when I put it into 1st gear. Holding the clutch lever all the way in, I would give it 1/3rd to 1/2 throttle and ride until the clutch broke free. Drive normally till clutch operation had improved a bit. This indicated that lubricant was making it's way between the clutch plates. Return to the shop, drain the primary oil out and refill with ATF. Drive it some more, drain the primary again and refill with fresh ATF. Most of the time, that would cure it. ATF has a very high detergent package, compared to motor oil, so it cleans out sludge quite well.
Since your clutch does disengage to some degree, skip the barbarian abuse of the clutch I described above. Warm it up, drain the primary, fill with ATF, ride, repeat.
Automatic transmissions use multiple wet, multi plate clutches to shift. ATF is formulated for this sort of mechanism, unlike motor oil.

Charlie K
 
I do need to check the primary chain, been too lazy but think I have a gasket ,thanks.
You can check it without removing the cover, thru the center inspection hole.

~10mm of total up down play on the chain with easy finger pressure. I use a 10mm open end thru the hole as a guide, resting on the rim of the hole to keep it steady.
 
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