- Joined
- Dec 5, 2009
- Messages
- 303
So I’m tooling along on the Norton on Uvas Rd. enjoying the ride. Every once in awhile I hear a light backfire on deceleration, but thought it sounded kind of neat. Hung a Left on Croy Rd. towards Uvas canyon and the backfire became a little more pronounced and figured one of the coil wires must be loose so I pulled off and started checking wire when I discover gas pouring out of the left carb float bowl. A screw had worked its way out and was somewhere back on the road!
What to do! No cell service and a ways from Gilroy! So the plan was to see if I could make it to town or at least cell service if needed. I found if I keep the RPMs up the gas was sucked up fast enough to keep it from spraying all over the place. Off I go down Croy Road stuck behind some local in a beat up Toyota truck going just fast enough to make it unsafe to pass, but slow enough that the bike keeps back firing. I finally got around the Toyota and headed down Uvas Rd. passing anyone that went at a pace that made the bike backfire. Down Watsonville road and left on Day and on to 156 East through Gilroy , but now more fun begins.
So stop lights and poorly running Norton’s seem to go together! At the lights my option was to race the engine to suck enough gas to keep it from dying (normal procedure), But at the second light I had a moment of inspiration! Hold the float bowl up so the gas doesn’t leak! So at every light till I arrived at Home Depot I held the throttle with my right hand and left carb float bowl with my other hand. Strange sight indeed! Luckily (once I got help) Home Depot had the screw in packs of two only of course. But turns out two pack came in handy because the replacement screw came out a couple miles down the road. Second screw held!
I actually contemplated selling the beast as it seems to be the norm for anything English that when it’s running perfect, look out!!!
After getting home and thinking about it I figured out a points cover screw would be a good temporary fix!
What to do! No cell service and a ways from Gilroy! So the plan was to see if I could make it to town or at least cell service if needed. I found if I keep the RPMs up the gas was sucked up fast enough to keep it from spraying all over the place. Off I go down Croy Road stuck behind some local in a beat up Toyota truck going just fast enough to make it unsafe to pass, but slow enough that the bike keeps back firing. I finally got around the Toyota and headed down Uvas Rd. passing anyone that went at a pace that made the bike backfire. Down Watsonville road and left on Day and on to 156 East through Gilroy , but now more fun begins.
So stop lights and poorly running Norton’s seem to go together! At the lights my option was to race the engine to suck enough gas to keep it from dying (normal procedure), But at the second light I had a moment of inspiration! Hold the float bowl up so the gas doesn’t leak! So at every light till I arrived at Home Depot I held the throttle with my right hand and left carb float bowl with my other hand. Strange sight indeed! Luckily (once I got help) Home Depot had the screw in packs of two only of course. But turns out two pack came in handy because the replacement screw came out a couple miles down the road. Second screw held!
I actually contemplated selling the beast as it seems to be the norm for anything English that when it’s running perfect, look out!!!
After getting home and thinking about it I figured out a points cover screw would be a good temporary fix!
