Ride to Wrench - Wrench to Ride

Just sharing the road joys of crappy old make shift Brit Iron gremlins.
Nice cool temps out the blue and a friend leaving ride cartoons on my desk at office to let me know i'm not getting in my mileages like him. So tempted me to risk another commute and almost didn't make it, w/o knowing it.

First kick after days sitting noticed low after wet sump returned
oil so topped up and lit out w/o attracting cops attention to arrive
with whole back of bike oiled to dripping puddles on arrival. Lug rack
with appointment book to rear tire, ugh. Put 2 qt in to over filled and
eased my way home to find oil tank empty on return. Dripping out main shaft
entry area in primary case so assumed a crank seal popped out with my wet sump starts, Nope top rearward small bolt, 1 of 3 that hold inner case on had backed out and also chewed up its retainer clip like 2 pieces of chewing gum. Also mysteriously found triplex chain too tight as well as drive chain, yet had definitely set them with enough slack as I warn every newbie like me. Hm. Just stick in and locktite another, after releasing drive chain and gear box to put chain slack but in. Had a bit of a race on way in with a convertible and but blew it away w/o having to top 95 but and stayed on it thru some turns but remembered my last no DL ticket [dismissed with patriot myth BS hehehe] so slowed to lower 60's just before a trooper oncoming passed by no problemo.

Ride to Wrench and Wrench to ride... hobot

How rude to mock all our trials and tribulations with your wordsmithy jiberish. Do you feel even higher now, up there on that hill. My god, how insulting.

Hehe, yeah, you got me good, as I feel real high and mechanic competent about almost running engine to seizure, twice in a day not to mention just missing out on immature pressing paradise turns on an unknown oiled tire. So Do as I say not as I ...

As for highs, I'm still floating from Ms Peel most a decade ago and only got Trixie to keep a temporary toe hold in common with others in their real world. Ugh still better than an appliance bike for my time left. Ok back to quality quaint wrenching time on my hobby horse in bowed postures of Norton Commando worship.

Psychosis?

A GREAT title for a thread! I can see it now... T-shirts, bumper stickers, license plate frames, tattoos.. This could go VIRAL! Steve, we need images :mrgreen:

My good buddy Wes reminds me and complains each and every time we connect that he doesn't like to ride as much mainly because of the wear tear and random rescues needed. There were a number of photo opportunity, the first 2 ft long oil puddles on me arriving at work, 3 ft long puddle at gas station and 6 ft+ path of leaks after oil fill and easing off over Gravel to soak it up instead of leaving long term reminder of me at the gas station, also the oil sprayed to dripping off lug rack, appointment book and license tag and tail lens, but Trixie had been working fine for weekly short 200 mile commutes and errands so left phone and camera at home. Chew up a couple pieces of gum foil to visualize the remains of the lock tab, which I did feel go thru the chain and roll along under it with alternation vibes in rear set pegs and bar grip and seat, though didn't know what was doing it on my pensive way home. Will attempt to plug and re-adjust chains soon as I sign off and take my chances again at 6 pm.

Got my ass active and found tools to loosen and adjust gear box and rear chain and got primary case bolt in and locktited and renipped the slightly loose other 2. Topped oil and primary ATF and ready to start with about 10 min before needing to leave, but instead of suiting up and just hopping on I rolled her out to test sealing
to only end up back in my cage as KS mechanism not only grown/grinds instead of engage. At least I saved the suiting un suiting effort this time - while brave enough mood to ride to pavement and back. This don't sound nor act like prior rachet going bad, so stuff to avoid pondering while off to work ta ta.

I want the T-shirt. Add a picture of one of Norton Girls.

Chris there is hardly anything Commando related ya can tease me about that's actually applicable. One my iron butt [weekly] riding friends leaves me notes and cartoons when he passes through. One of his hobbies is a sign on his ratty old bike asking for models to photo, especially in summer time. So if Trixie shows up with him could be a wet Tee shirt on a Commando for ya.

KS only groans grunts now like slipping clutch plates not ratchet pawl and Trixie is a pussy cat to step on to purr. Factory gb adjuster had lost its lock nut and front nut had screwed itself forward 1/2" so over time the heat and vibes allowed the gb to get tugged back by drive chain. Only lazy thing I skipped in adjusting primary was not undoing the lower gb bolt as able to tip it ok with just the adjuster and some helping lever on the DS. Will take plugs out to see if that allows kick through, if so will have to check clutch situation or main shaft TS nut backed off. If not then down for the count a while.

I hope you (and everybody else) know I'm just teasing and being a wise ass. Riding old Brit bikes requires a sense of humor and humility.
BTW, an aspiring model used one of my freshly restored bikes for a photo shoot for her portfolio. The wench scratched the new paint on the tank with her stilletos.....

concours said:

A GREAT title for a thread! I can see it now... T-shirts, bumper stickers, license plate frames, tattoos.. This could go VIRAL! Steve, we need images :mrgreen:

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++++++1

That's a beauty...

Ugh, I meant there's not much left to tease me about on Commandos that is not really applicable to tease about in my history - on and around and Ugh, under em.
I'm delaying the enviable to dig in on the KS issue, so should not even be texting ta ta

Wrenching is like foreplay. A lot of time spent for pleasure that may be so brief.....

Boy if I'd only spent what I did on chasing women on motorcycles...
Some women need special attention, some will tell ya, some make ya work for it like was your fault and others its just as well. Do Note - I'd rather have date with a movie star than ride my plain Jane Combat Trixie, so can relate to others comparison attitudes. Boy howdy no woman can get my head off like the road orgasms on Ms Peel.

Back to getting my fragile male mechanical ego level knocked down by the girl next door Trixie. I got her down to removing the clutch rod lever gizmo and broke free the inner cover to expose main shaft nut so was able to turn tranny and engine bypassing KS to get the same teeth slipping noise and loss of engagment loudest on primary side, Ugh, flipped myself over to remove clutch expected the gallon of oil washed through had oiled the plates. Nope, the dang clutch center nut had backed off. I guess the tight chain was keeping enough bind in clutch loose tip on shaft the plates worked at treat. I think that was it so now only a couple-4 hours to clean and seal and attach to ride July 4th. If I'd only not been so lazy once opening primary to drain it to ignore a perfect functioning clutch - and pulled spring and plates while right at hand.

Must remake the sillycone o-ring sealing work again too, ugh. No wrenches involved but still a time tedium sucker. I was hoping someone would of stopped me in time to open gear box, Nope.

hobot said:

Boy if I'd only spent what I did on chasing women on motorcycles...
Some women need special attention, some will tell ya, some make ya work for it like was your fault and others its just as well. Do Note - I'd rather have date with a movie star than ride my plain Jane Combat Trixie, so can relate to others comparison attitudes. Boy howdy no woman can get my head off like the road orgasms on Ms Peel.

Back to getting my fragile male mechanical ego level knocked down by the girl next door Trixie. I got her down to removing the clutch rod lever gizmo and broke free the inner cover to expose main shaft nut so was able to turn tranny and engine bypassing KS to get the same teeth slipping noise and loss of engagment loudest on primary side, Ugh, flipped myself over to remove clutch expected the gallon of oil washed through had oiled the plates. Nope, the dang clutch center nut had backed off. I guess the tight chain was keeping enough bind in clutch loose tip on shaft the plates worked at treat. I think that was it so now only a couple-4 hours to clean and seal and attach to ride July 4th. If I'd only not been so lazy once opening primary to drain it to ignore a perfect functioning clutch - and pulled spring and plates while right at hand.

Must remake the sillycone o-ring sealing work again too, ugh. No wrenches involved but still a time tedium sucker. I was hoping someone would of stopped me in time to open gear box, Nope.

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Stop you? Hell, I was egging you on... :lol: Many times, before we figure what it is that's wrong, first we must figure out what it isn't. At least you're not waiting for a brown truck that won't come until Monday :wink:

Had a bit of a race on way in with a convertible and but blew it away w/o having to top 95

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why of course you blew the convertible away!

by chance did you notify him in advance that you would be racing him?

teach any moderns any lessons lately?

Yeah no one should race on an untammed Cdo I sure don't. There's a few 1/2- to mile long straights on my commute, some folks picks up the pace on, so passed a not very powerful convertible that ran up to ~ 80 so I went about 15 faster for less than a mile, BFD. I remained full upright as am so skinny don't need to tuck before 120. I mainly wanted to be in front before the turns started again as the car was not keeping much a pace in them, nor me either as police didn't alert on me. Ok that got me in mood to start goop and wrenching, though lingering pensive I've missed something again or knocked something else wrong.

I remained full upright as am so skinny don't need to tuck before 120.

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unless your commando is quite non stock in the motor department it is doubtful you can see even 115

are you running that blower that you were playing around with a few years ago?

I have owned seven Commandos including Combats and even at 140 pounds at sea level the top end flat out was around 110-115 indicated, and that is fully in line with the many magazine road tests in the 70s

often the magazine testers would quote an "estimated" top speed instead based on the assumed ability to actually pull redline in top gear, which as we all know is nigh impossible on a stock motor

Aw shucks Trixie is just a plain Jane Combat so likely good to 120 or so but I've no desire to wring her out to find out. 115 is as high as I got her a few times a year ago testing and later following some super bikes to see how fast they'd run and if 110 was enough to stay with them and it was. They only got about 120 and for short spurts and we all collected again at the turns. Its out of my system now and glad nothing bad happened. Tach was broke and she was still pulling but I gave up. Dang thing is though Trixie is a real 19T Combat so gets rather eager even on light throttle about 90 and is smooth and stable as an un-tammed Cdo can get so its hard not to let her hair out close to the ton about once a ride. Motorcycling is a senseless emotional indulgence to me so no other logic can be applied to me but riding time vs wrenching and spending ratio. Point that pleases me is even on an old relic as Norton issued it takes more bike and balls than about anyone dares use in real life here to leave a Combat out of throwing range. If you say I can't ride that fast on a ordinary Combat then ok its still fast enough for me so counting my days till getting a real handful between my legs again that laughs at 200 hp and 190 baffoon tires. Ugh Trixie retains Combat wet sump feature over 6000 grand, so rather a sweaty wet mess after any 'excessive' flings.

I gave up last pm fitting outer cover alignments - may have blocked slip on by over backing up the KS O ring groove so hangs on shaft. Put yo'alls mental attention this way to sway my lazy shoe eves into better assembling skill. Now what my next move on Trixie, redo the set up unsed sealer or crack a brew and set off a firecracker? I know the more sensible thing is leave mc alone.

Well Trixie and I are quite dead in the shed now. Its another case of two or more things happening at once, each able to cause identical symptoms all by itself. I found clutch nut loose so assumed that somehow allowed too tight a primary chain to let clutch tip bind plates and unbind in perfection. Over tight triplex is famous for hard shifting, but Trixie was sweet prior. Got Kicker on to find it stuck up but was fine just prior, swing freedom wise, just noisey slippage. Was able to shift up/dn but in N bike had drag to roll yet the clutch was not turning and no noise for any clue. In gear was able to roll to turn engine, so clutch plates engaging that much. Was able to free KS by literally kicking it but still has unnatural drag but spring now returns it fully. Kickstarting gives same grinding teeth slippage sound on enough thrust to actually start but will go over one TDC by slowly moving KS. I loosened the bottom pivot bolt so don't think case binding is a factor. No more riding till lots more sweat swearing and pains and strains re=un-doing it all and deeper still till corrected or I give up. All this is directly my fault somehow while just replugging a primary mount bolt that was my fault it came out even with the my mean torque practice. Didn't feel any pain strain attending on floor fighting covers on and off but hours later trying to rest neck tightened just short of pain or H/A but prevented good rest. It will take a number of those after effects before I ever ride Trixie again. ugh.