took the old girl out for a little half hour ride today after filling her up with petrol. I zero’d the odometer so I can check the mpg.
She felt strange after riding almost nothing but the little Address for two years, but I soon got used to it. The bit I kept forgetting was to change down gears as I approached a junction or roundabout.
She has a little peculiar quirk which may help the mpg… Read more
Fuel is sucked through the jets by virtue of the vacuum in the manifold (for the pilot jet) and in the volume behind the butterfly valve for the main jet (modified by the needle). Vacuum levels are of the order of half an atmosphere or around 3 metres of water. Plainly, the pressure of a few centimetres of petrol will have no virtually no effect. As long as the level is high enough to keep the jets covered and low enough to not slosh out of the breather, when the bike is running and vibrating, that’s all that is important. The actual height doesn’t matter a damn.
I have done a few minor mods to the old girl to make her a bit more comfortable.
Not really a modification, but I do like to know the time. I’ve had a watch on the keyfob ever since I got the bike.
The orginal handlebars are quite low. I prefer a more “sit up” position on the bike, especially as I (my hips really) get older. So I have fitted some different handlebars. I think they are for a non LS R65.
I have also fitted Oxford heated grips – my circulation is not what it was either. Read more
I got the old girl MOT’d and taxed today. I had to stop on the way to the MOT station to do the “Bing Dance”. This happens when some dirt gets stuck in the needle valve and petrol starts dripping out. You don’t notice until you slow down and the bike does not idle properly as one side is too rich.
So, turn off the petrol, bike on centre stand, remove float chamber, empty into petrol tank, wiggle float up and down, replace float chamber, turn on petrol and away we go. Read more