End of Season Ride & Winter Plans

Took my last ride on the Norton yesterday before rains come tonight bike goes off insurance next week. Did over 200 miles out to Harrison Lake and back. Odo has just gone over 14,150 miles. So in two seasons I've not quite doubled the 7500 on the clock from the first 43 years.

She's running ok but is currently having odd idle where it sits at 1k mostly but when slowing for a stop light, I regularly see it at 1200 and it will not drop if I blip throttle. Also noted the idle screws are not in contact or just barely in contact with throttle completely closed so cannot adjust rpm lower with them. I'm thinking carb bores leaking air. Can't detect leaks at joins etc.

I've reached out to Bruce Chessell and I think I'll send him the carbs for sleeving. At $75 CAD each it seems like a good deal esp with loads of good reports of his work on these forums. I like the idea of keeping the original carb going. Afterall, they been with bike since the beginning.

Plans for winter work include the rear nicker-lastic (need to do it engine in situ); getting into timing chest for first time to have a go at oil pump flatting and replacing seals and chain tensioning. Is there guidance on how to set chain tension without a fancy tool to hold the shaft in right location?

Also thinking to pull head off. Is decoking still a thing on these bikes? I don't see much discussion on that here. Want to assess valves and renew head gasket and see how cylinders look. Might even send head out to Mr. C. For rejuvenation and correcting of the abomination that are my left hand threaded, bastard child, over sized, fugly exhaust roses.

 

+1 on bruce he did carbs on my T120 a long time ago they still good

 

Yep, that time of year here too. Bike's in the basement now, cars in the garage. Gotta tune up the snow blower soon

Intending to replace fork bushes and seals over the winter and send the rear wheel to Buchanan's for pretty stainless spokes. Maybe get a fancy new head steady too.

Spent pretty much the whole summer doing maintenance and upgrades to the Norton this year. Only got about 300 miles on it. But the e-start is sweeet.

 

Ful rebuild last year, other bikes getting time on the table this year.

 

Tornado, while you have the carbs off anyway, consider Don's (Madass140) single cable gantry. Single carb simplicity with twin carb performance. Around $100 plus shipping. A bargain.


Happy Hibernation

 

500 miles on Commando this season , brings total from new to 7500 , put it away last week .... it is trying to snow here at this moment , with feels like -12C temps for the morning .... both Italians sit ready , at this point I doubt they be out again either .... no big jobs on Norton this winter ... Duc will be apart for new belts , valve adjust , in tank fuel hose and filter and rad. flush , ( called a major intervention in new Duc speak ) ,that’s enough with the snow clearing and catching up on my reading .... looking forward towards warmer weather already ! .... glad I got out last wknd , this tonight !

 

I guess we are luckier in the UK for winter riding with regards to extreme conditions
The only time I won't go out on my bike is when it's icy
I have never winterised a bike
Cheers

 

Winterised, what's that. 37c yesterday and its only spring at the moment, bush fires, drought and no rain to be seen and they call us the lucky country.

Ashley

 

But with good folks like these at the watering facilities, I wouldn't be complaining too much....



These are our hosers:

 

Waste water like that in a drought stricken area and you be run out of town even if you were them good lookers, a big problem now in our outback towns with very little water is water stealing and people coming home to find their water tanks have been drained out and then have to pay a high price for water to be trucked in, there are a lot of people making money from others misery.

Ashley

 

Bruce resleeved mine in dissimilar metals. All good. Do not overtighten the body to manifold stud nuts.

 

I hear you have a pretty effective legal system to deal with this sort of riff-raff....

 

I think maybe Canada has most fresh water reserves in world ... riding by lake Surperior it sure seemed like it .... while typing this a salt truck went by out front , that marks the official end to my season ...

 

I think if they get caught they would just disappear to never be seen or heard from again.

 

Pickup truck fitted with plow and salt spreader drove by and the snow on MK 111's bike cover did it for me. That and knowing the DD starter will just freewheel if I try any shenanigans in the cold.

 

Cold not so much the worry down west rather that fact that in the last month I think we missed rain on three or four days at best. It is raining now. And if perchance it wasnt actively raining the roads are covered in piles of rotting leaves and twigs...along with dead pheasants.
Let the winter rebuilds begin!

 

Not so sure everyone would agree that , that is a waste of water , just sayin’

 

we are in th4 process of being covered on that white stuff again. had -20c 3 days ago...

 

The relatives in emu plains reckon they got an inch rain, nowhere near enough for the 5 year olds that have never seen it. Now I see bush fires on the news. We have a over abundance of the wet stuff if you want some. My old knocker is in bed for winter fettling now. Re shoeing the brumby. Gonna try the roadriders !

 

Craig,
Your “trying to snow” would bring the South East of the UK to a grinding halt!
Baz is right - we get it pretty lucky here, no really extreme conditions but lots of panic at the merest hint of ice/snow/cold