Starting the Deluxe cold

This video says it all.  After sitting for a week since I tuned the ignition timing, it starts on the second kick.

Almost ready for a decently long trip.

• The dynamo is working well


• The oil leaks are slowly being cured


• The breather hose to the back has been installed


• It seems to start alright when warm

Sunbeam S7 Deluxe tuned and adjusted

The engine has been hard to start, and hasn't seem to had the right amount of torque at low revs.  I figured that it was too far advanced, and I should back it off some.  I'm not halfway between the original mark on the distributor and where the book said to set it.  It runs much better.

Also, the clutch travel wasn't right, so I took the blob of tape off the handlebar to find that someone had adjusted the clutch cable with a washer holding the sheath out away from the handle.  That explained a lot.  I removed the bodge, and then remembered that the clutch slave arm wasn't symmetrical.  Its actually made so that its bent a little and can be put on either direction.  This meant pulling the rear fender out of the way, and undoing the jam-nut and screw that holds the arm in.  With that done, I flipped it around and then readjusted the clutch adjuster so that I got better travel and engagement at about where I wanted it.  The clutch is much better now and the bike even shifts better since its disengaging better.  Previously it would clunk pretty loud when changing from 1st to 2nd.  Now its smooth.  Probably smoother than my Guzzi.

I still haven't taken it very far.  The engine runs hot even though its running a little on the rich side.  The rings are likely still rather tight.

Scotland in Industry

Here is the film "Young In Heart" in two parts thanks to Scotland on Screen.  This documentary shows the development, testing, and production of the Hillman Imp.

PART 1

PART 2

Checkered Tape

The XS650 needed something a little extra to make it more interesting.  Otherwise it looks just like any other black 70's rice burner parked in the lot.  I put a stripe of Checkerd Tape down the tank and the rear fender.  It really grabs your attention.

Tax Disc Replica

I had the urge to put a replica tax disc in the holder for my De Luxe.  There was a comical note in there when I got it written crudely on the back of a cardboard box lid.  It read "Tax in Post".  I'll just leave that note in there to be re-discovered later.

There are folks who make and sell nostalgia replica tax discs, but when have I ever spent money so frivolously?  Especially when its something I can do myself.

Can any of you anoraks tell that the design isn't quite right for 1950?

Print it out (on your choice of aged printing material) around 3" in height and it should fit reasonably well.  Cut along the dotted lines.  My rubber grommet for the glass has seen better days.  So I used an old piston ring to make sure it stays in place.

Extinguisher

After being frightened by seeing pictures of burned Sunbeams running the original Amal 267 carb (old leaky), I thought a fire extinguisher would be a good idea.  While a period-correct extinguisher all brass and shiny would be very cool, if it didn't actually put out any fires it would be useless.

Just like carrying an umbrella protects one from the rain ever falling, carrying a fire extinguisher should protect my bike from ever catching alight.  I got a good cheap black-chrome extinguisher from eBay.  Its rated ABC and should be good for whatever.  Its reasonably small, and came with a mounting bracket.

So, my first inclination was to mount it near the passenger footpeg holes.  This proved impractical, because there was no convenient way to mount the top.  The second inclination was to mount it behind the passenger seat.  But with such a large mass , I'd have to make some fairly heavy brackets to support it without vibration.

My last thought was to eliminate the seat altogether and just mount the extinguisher behind the driver seat on the existing mounting holes.  This is a two-fold advantage.  I don't like the passenger seat, I'm not permitted to carry passengers due to my antique insurance limitations, and there are no passenger foot pegs.  The second aspect is that there are big nasty holes in the rear fender that would no longer be "hidden" if I ever took the seat off.  The extinguisher hides the big ugly rusted holes.  Its not the most beautiful installation location, but it is practical.

I know it looks a little dumb, but what else can I do?  Any comments.

The fire extinguisher won't win me any beauty contests, but I won't worry about catching "old leaky" on fire.

Ready for the Long Haul

The Guzzi is ready for a long trip, which I haven't planned yet.  (But I'm ready.)

I got a set of Hebco-Becker bags with mounts intended for an EV.  I had to make a bracket on each side to correct the mounting points for my Aluminum, but they still worked out rather well.  I still need to provide a third mounting point to give the mounts rigidity in the horizontal plane.  I plan to pass a strut behind and attached to the license plate bracket and onto the mounting clasp latchplate.  That should give the extra side-to-side rigidity required.

The bags didn't come with the colored plates which bolt to the outsides of the bag.  I just filled the holes with RTV for the present time.

No more slipping out between the XS650 and the car now.

Next could be a hydraulic clutch???