Amal carbs and spark plugs issues and concerns

Andy Higham said:
You probably wouldn't see or hear the car behind until it hits you!
Dumping the clutch at a red light will put you into the path of other vehicles
Clutch cable nipple pulls off, as above
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Saved me twice that I remember.

I never use the mirror while riding (turn my head instead), but I always do at a stop.

Putting it in gear and then dumping the clutch does the same so that's no reason for neutral. In fact, the extra steps are more distracting.

Clutch nipple coming off has nothing to do with stop lights! Much more likely to come of when pulling the clutch than holding the clutch.
 
I think andy said it. I've HAD a cable break sitting at a light with side traffic both directions. blind luck and tipping over saved me.

that was 60 years ago. About 10 years ago, my hat blew off, and since it was a good hat went back for it. Rather than shift into neutral, I pulled in clutch and I stopped, bent over to pick up hat, and end came off cable and of course, bars turned, over I went. And yes, my cables are well lubricated. Both times were on Ironheads, not Nortons.

As far as a car coming fast behind me- at what point do you pull into traffic? 30 feet? 40 Feet? more? Any less and it wouldn't matter. With hand over lever and foot on shifter. I contend within that distance the end results good or bad would be the same. Pulling in clutch and shifting takes very little reaction time when poised to do so, and the decision time, would be pretty much equal.
 
marshg246 said:
Saved me twice that I remember.

I never use the mirror while riding (turn my head instead), but I always do at a stop.

Putting it in gear and then dumping the clutch does the same so that's no reason for neutral. In fact, the extra steps are more distracting.

Clutch nipple coming off has nothing to do with stop lights! Much more likely to come of when pulling the clutch than holding the clutch.
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This has been discussed on here before
Personally I don't sit at traffic lights for several minutes in gear with the clutch in
I understand the reasons for it but it depends on the bike and the road conditions
You may well get away with doing it on a commando but you wouldn't on my old 860 GT Ducati
If I got stuck at lights in gear and sat there within about 30 seconds the clutch would cook up and grab , starting to pull away
So I'd hold it on the front brake praying for the lights to change or shut the motor down
Put it on the centre stand and re start it
The clutch on my BSA rocket 3 is extremely heavy and I wouldn't want to sit there holding that in every 1/2 mile at the lights
The triumph clutch on my BSA A10 wouldn't like being held in for too long there's not enough oil reaching the clutch pushrod ends
A modern bike would probably be fine I guess
 
baz said:
This has been discussed on here before
Personally I don't sit at traffic lights for several minutes in gear with the clutch in
I understand the reasons for it but it depends on the bike and the road conditions
You may well get away with doing it on a commando but you wouldn't on my old 860 GT Ducati
If I got stuck at lights in gear and sat there within about 30 seconds the clutch would cook up and grab , starting to pull away
So I'd hold it on the front brake praying for the lights to change or shut the motor down
Put it on the centre stand and re start it
The clutch on my BSA rocket 3 is extremely heavy and I wouldn't want to sit there holding that in every 1/2 mile at the lights
The triumph clutch on my BSA A10 wouldn't like being held in for too long there's not enough oil reaching the clutch pushrod ends
A modern bike would probably be fine I guess
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Yes, I was responding to a blank statement and therefore gave a blanket answer.

If you're westbound on US RT 50 approaching Patrick Henry and the light changes so you stop, neutral would be my choice once I and the car behind me are stopped. Why? That light takes a full 5 minutes to cycle back to you. I do not put it in neutral while coming to a stop but for long stops I will put it in neutral once stopped and no longer in danger of not being noticed.
 
Well if the clutch cable did break while stopped at the lights and if in gear wouldn't any smart rider be holding onto the front brake, whether you keep it in gear or neutral always smart to have your right hand holding the front brake while stopped, be prepared for anything while on our bikes and be aware what is happening around you at all times, I haven't broken a clutch cable at the handle bar nipple for 40 years since putting a dab of grease at the cable end where the cable runs through the adjuster as that is where the cable rubs and wears through and breaks.

Ashley
 
By the time I was 23 years of age, I could name about 20 guys who had died in road accidents. I can name 4 who have died while road racing motorcycles in the past 60 years. Australia is much better since our drink-driving and helmet laws became effective.
 
baz said:
Yes you are correct I hadn't thought of that
Do you sit in gear at traffic lights?
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But you are still giving the clutch rollers and thrust bearing a hard time.

I have ‘t checked, but I imagine that on a Norton the diaphragm, and adjuster, will still spin.
 
Having been hit from behind while stationary I think you are deluded if you think sitting in gear is going to save you. First I knew about it was when the bike started suddenly moving forwards and sideways throwing me off. I had been looking in the mirrors but there was a vehicle turning in front so was having to pay attention to that. Also if there are vehicles in front of you, where are you going to go?

Eddie is correct about the Commando clutch. The adjuster does spin so something will wearing at one or both ends of the pushrod.
 
Triton Thrasher said:
If turning freely at half engine rpm is a hard time.

I suppose it could be.
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Well it’s a harder time than not isn’t it?

It’s hardly a super robust design to begin with. IMO it is designed for infrequent use, I’d be very surprised if Turner designed it with prolonged use in mind (ie sitting at lights etc). Frankly there wasn’t any such thing as ‘heavy traffic’ when it was designed.

And, of course, this applies even more to anyone running a dry primary on a Triumph.
 
I got hit from behind at low speed last year on my BMW
I was at a tee junction I'd just started to pull away when bang I was shunted forward by a big ford 4x4 that had been sitting behind me
The bloke was looking up the road and not in front he told me
The weird thing was the front valance of his car had ridden up between tyre and mudguard, locking the bike to the car
Eventually he realised what was happening and slowly reversed back releasing the bike
No damage to my bike at all and the bloke was really apologetic so I let it go
 

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