Rare Bikes

On a recent visit to Anthony Curzon, renowned P11 expert, in the UK he generously invited me to ride a couple of his very rare and unusual bikes.

The first is the experimental unified unit construction 650 Norton which never went into production.  Housed in a regular AMC duple frame, the bike just feels right – shifts smoothly, few vibes and handles precisely.  Unusual motor has camshaft behind the cylinders and the head looks rather like that of an A10.  At first glance it reminded me of an overgrown Electra.

The second bike is a 650 G12 motor installed in the “Pluto” oil bearing frame.  AMC developed this frame in the 1950’s, a decade before BSA’s Victor MX.  The bike went well but I didn’t find the riding position as comfortable as that on the unified twin.

Big “thank you” to Anthony for giving me the opportunity to ride these bikes.

 

Castrol Classic Motor Oil

The lubrication requirements of classic motorcycle and car engines are vastly different from those of modern vehicles.

Modern vehicle oils have to comply with the latest API ratings, dealing with matters such as fuel efficiency and extended drain intervals.

Older vehicles have different requirements, with cork and graphite seals and depend on splash and cling and splash lubrication, running with larger clearances.  These engines require different oil formulations for which Classic oils have been designed.

For more information go to –  https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/products/cars/classic-oils/classic-engine-oils.html

We will be bringing in from the UK a supply of 20/50 Castrol Classic oil at the end of April.  Order Part No CAS20W50XL  $18.52 Canadian per liter ($14.08 US at today’s rate of exchange)

 

Triumph 5 Speed Indexing Tool 61-6128

Only took 10 years but we now have this hard to find tool back in stock!

Norton Air Filter Elements and other returns….

Please don’t  return Commando and P11 air filter elements and expect me to pay the return postage because they are round and are the wrong shape!  Just bend them and slip them into the perforated surrounds.

Triumph twin pipes are not faulty because they are not bent the same way left and right – that’s the way Triumph made them originally

Don’t send back alternator rotors because they are too big to fit inside the stators – you have forgotten to remove the keepers

Amal concentric needle clips are not broken – they all have a split in them

Our rim locks are not faulty because you can’t blow up your tires through them

Sorry your brake disc went blue and made a terrible noise when you applied the brakes – next time put the pads in the other way around

 

 

Renold Motorcycle Chains

The most common Renold chains we sell are single row rear types 5/8 X 3/8 (110056/530), 5/8 X 1/4 (110054/520), single row primary type 1/2 X 5/16 (110046/429) and primary types two row (114038) and three row (116038).

These chains are supplied in even numbers of links – eg 110056/110 for a 110 link rear chain. It is best to fit the chain and then cut it to length to suit the bike it is going on – the number of links required might well not be that specified for the bike, due to the sprockets having been changed.  Also, do not replace it automatically with the number of links of the old chain which may well have stretched and a new one might be too short.

Quite often the number of links required might come to an odd number and a customer recently found the above 1/2 link (Renold type No.12) and wanted to know why we don’t stock it.  Form a common sense perspective I don’t think I’d like this part on my bike, held together with a crude split/cotter pin and thought it looked more like an industrial chain component.  To be on the safe side I referred this to my UK Renold distributor who confirmed that this is not part of the Renold motorcycle catalogue and must not be used on a motorcycle.  To achieve an odd number of links Renold No. 30 1 1/2″ link component must be used.  Eg 110056/30 for a rear type 530 chain.   Ideally this should be fitted with a properly installed rivet link No 107.  Renold do recommend that rivet links should be used in preference to regular spring clip master links No 26 however the latter are OK in regular use as long as in good condition and fitted with the closed end of the clip moving it the forward direction of the chain. The VRRA allows type 26 to be used for racing as long as the clip is safety wired.

 

2018 Walridge Parts Catalogue

Our new 200 page Mail Order Catalogue is now available.  Free to anyone with a British bike but please send $4.00 to cover postage (Canada or Continental USA), $10.00 rest of World.   Printed price list will be included if requested (please state Canadian or US $) or current prices and availability can be checked at “PLACE ORDER” or “INVENTORY LISTING” on our home page WWW.WALRIDGE.COM

Jock Graham

It is with great sadness that I am letting friends  know that our dear friend, colleague and mentor sadly passed away on Thursday.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this sad time, we will surely miss him..

Carbs

Just put this nice pair together for a customer with an early 1966 N15CS.  I’ve had a few NOS NLA “chopped” rights for years so nice to put one to good use.  The LH float chamber serves both carbs.  I had a pair on an AJS “33” in the late 1960’s and they worked well except with a sidecar fitted the right hand cylinder cut out on right hand bends.    Also slide adjustment on the left hand carb is a bit of a pain!

Boyer Questions

This is a common one and I’ve addressed it before.  A couple of people have had problems this week with twins running on one cylinder or misfiring on one and think they need to buy a new Boyer kit.    This can not be a problem with the Boyer which fires both plugs together.

First thing – swap the plug leads and plugs over. If the problem stays on the same side the cause must be carburation or mechanical malfunctions on that cylinder.  If the problem goes to the other side the cause must be faulty HT windings in the coil, faulty HT lead, plug cap of spark plug.

 

 

Carb Rebuild Kits

3 enquiries about this for concentric Mk1 carbs in one day so best reply here.

I really wonder about carb “rebuild kits” – people think they can get one of these kits Amal offer and it will magically make their carbs like new again. Most used Amals I see

have been so used and abused they are junk and I hate to see people waste their money.

In all honesty and responsibility I prefer to level with customers rather than rip them off with something which won’t solve their problems.

Only if the slide to body wear is still OK and the pilot circuit is completely clean – MUST pressure check from all 4 directions -then you can go with the following:

New needle jet – this is the highest wear part in the carb and is usually overlooked!

New needle if original is worn or damaged (usually not) but check 2.67″ long so a previous owner has not fitted the wrong one.  4 Strokes all use part no 622/124

Gasket and o ring set

Stay up float kit

New viton tipped aluminum float needle – only use in concentric carbs, stick with the brass type for monoblocs.

If you have one of the very early carbs with a screwed in rather than pressed in pilot jet, my advice is get a new carb, don’t try top fix it.  This is discussed in detail in an earlier blog.