Worst Previous owner mod

I wish I took more pictures of the hillbilly modifications the previous owner did to my bike. Thought I'd start a thread and ask for pictures of the "surprises" people found.

My PO had a drill press infatuation.


What have YOU found?

On my 1936 BMW the timing cover had cracked so a previous owner had it welded ELIMINATING A BOLT-HOLE!! it was some serious coin to fix what he had "fixed".

Vince

Now I could resemble that remark about drilling out the useless parts of Norton but his example barely took much out, sheeze. Worse mod I found was responsible for Ms Peel's breast buds.

Lots of drilled holes always make a bike look racey. I once saw the front drum brake on a Suzuki racer collapse due to too many big holes drilled to let the air in. They did make the bike stop quicker.

hobot said:

Worse mod I found was responsible for Ms Peel's breast buds.

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Your bike has pubescent boobies?

Your bike has pubescent boobies?

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Yes smoothed over bulges of welds from apparent over clamping of foot forward crash bar modification before my time with her.

After 45 years..i have encounted lots of bodge's . I always remember being asked to look at a little 350 Manxman .it smoked like mad.
As soon as it started the drive was full of smoke.. Like a lot of old engines the cylinder wall as a drilled hole connected to the oil feed, this supplied oil to the thrust side of the piston, when the head was off looking down the bore , and turning over the engine..the hole appeared above the piston crown..some one had fitted the wrong [short piston]...so oil was squirted onto the piston head,,hence loads of oil!
The rocker box had been welded back together ,it had been broken in two, and the roller rockers where riveted solid in the fork ends! Three major bodge's on one engine...and the person who built it is a well respected engineer in the owners club!

There was no oil at all in forks(dry an rusty) an 2 different springs in each leg cut down so they would fit. The rear shocks where 2 inch to long plus the normal front rear wheel offset as made worse by bent yokes.

The last owner who to be fair just bought it like that said it weaves a little slowing down between 30 an 40 but other than that was ok!!! All fixed now no weave.

No fork oil is a classic. Lad bought a set of my dampers, he rang me after road test assembly..."100 % better...especialy now with oil"!

toppy said:

There was no oil at all in forks(dry an rusty) an 2 different springs in each leg cut down so they would fit. The rear shocks where 2 inch to long plus the normal front rear wheel offset as made worse by bent yokes.

The last owner who to be fair just bought it like that said it weaves a little slowing down between 30 an 40 but other than that was ok!!! All fixed now no weave.

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Torontonian says Lampwire wirings hanging externally twisted with marettes.

This wasn't the worst, but the worst that I have a photo of.



It's a short-circuited oil pump. Then, ONE line from the oil tank, T'ed in. (the other oil tank return line was plugged)

Brilliant.

yep but bet there probably wasn't thread lock on the head bolts

grandpaul said:

This wasn't the worst, but the worst that I have a photo of.

It's a short-circuited oil pump. Then, ONE line from the oil tank, T'ed in. (the other oil tank return line was plugged)

Brilliant.

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My '72 Trixie had an Aluminum head gasket installed with taboo oil comma pistons so on 2nd ride after rebuilding everything, forks to swing, tank to tranny, foot pegs to handle bars, [but not the perfect operation engine] on my 2nd timid ride about coasting 50 mph to look a field of flowers same color as Trixie to photo it, .5 sec of tinkling sound then squealing locked rear - destroyed engine cases to crank and cylinder. The Norton issued gasket bodge had mooshed down to extrude gasket into bores so pistons rubbed on it passing un/dn through it as pistons reversed direction.

You can look at Cdo Chopper Please to see more sickening DPO pleasing mods than can shake a stick at.

Will requote this ;

" Q. i'm not a mechanic, would you fix the misfiring to guarantee the bike if i bought it on the auction? Apr-30-14

A: At this point in my life, I'm pushing the broom and cleaning up after myself, ready to turn out the shop lights for the day. These British bikes are part of what made us mechanics in those days, as they were always in a state of coming undone with every mile rolled. Cable, clutch and carb adjustments made on the fly as a day heated and cooled. Slimey cases were only the sorry truth leaking out. Hole a piston on the hottest day and go see your machinest the next day with a cold six-pack also under your arm as tithe and bribery. Funny, collecting these bikes today has become a richer man's hobby and a credit card needs a staggering limit to pay others royally who once aced VoTech classes and excel at when to use a hammer or profanity to fix the reoccurring problems. The hours of wrenching are needed to appreciate the afternoons of riding. These bikes have a sexy exhaust note to arouse almost anyone, but the wiser buy may be a used Hinkley Bonneville with only a few miles on it and no need to start a second career with grease always under your nails. It's the journey, not the ride (bike). Find better things to do with your time. It's another beautiful day out there. In good humor, don't waste it! '"

Best to leave as built unless the alteration is a definate improvement . well thought through . As often theyre not . Personaliseings best left to Hondas . :lol: 8)

do know I couple of iffy type back street mechanics who on more than one occasion after bodging up a car or bike to sell at auctions have filled brake system with water not proper fluid! !!!!!
If you flush all fluid out it will work with water but not for long of course! ! But they are selling it so don't care.

Many things in the steel works I work in use water not hydraulic oil as it doesn't catch fire when it leaks out onto hot machinery or steel and large 100000 ton forges need many hundreds of thousands of gallons of fluid. But even a large car needs only a couple of pints of brake fluid. These guys are that tight an dodgy! !

Notice the Scothlok on the green now brown wire.... headlight was always dim, yellow.

OH yeah I'd tried to put out of mind the mixing and mis matching of customized colored wiring I found on minimalist Trixie so thanked the DPO to trim loom down for me and left it that way for next guy to deal with if they want too. Btw I now see k/n type filter mod as a bad ring life idea around here.

Everyone knows ALL the wires are supposed to be purple . :?

hobot said:

OH yeah I'd tried to put out of mind the mixing and mis matching of customized colored wiring I found on minimalist Trixie so thanked the DPO to trim loom down for me and left it that way for next guy to deal with if they want too. Btw I now see k/n type filter mod as a bad ring life idea around here.

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Since 1982, I've referred to them as "rock screens"

Matt Spencer said:

Everyone knows ALL the wires are supposed to be purple .

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Hmmmmm....

I've only ever found ALL Red, ALL Green, or ALL Black.

Must be they don't sell Purple wire in Laredo...