Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Rex

Pages: 1 ... 69 70 [71] 72 73 ... 79
1051
British Bikes / Re: Old British Bikes
« on: October 02, 2009, 08:45:22 AM »
With repect, without pics or info it's just a guessing game. You don't even quote the HP or cc.

Has the "racer" got any provenance? Still in racing trim?  :-/

I would take a wild guess a say probably £10,000 the pair but if it's not a "real" racer then that could decrease considerably.

But if it's got evidence of someone famous having ridden it, the price will rise too.

Just about impossible to say.....

1052
British Bikes / Re: Old British Bikes
« on: October 01, 2009, 10:33:12 PM »
About five quid each for scrap, but I'll PM you and give you a score for the pair out of the goodness of my heart.
Deal?

Failing that a Google search may bring up past ads and auction prices. The NUT is probably the most sought-after, but without seeing condition or knowing the history (if any) it's hard to price accurately.

1053
British Bikes / Re: 65 bsa bobber/chopper
« on: September 14, 2009, 08:21:41 AM »
I suggest you either get your mate to check out the plugs, points and possibly timing, or buy a manual and check it through yourself.

It's very easy to do, and a basic maintenance task, but running through the whole deal with my one-fingered typing would take me most of the morning... :'(

Probably nothing that ten minutes wouldn't sort anyway.

1054
British Bikes / Re: 1969 BSA Starfire Info Needed...
« on: April 13, 2009, 09:48:31 PM »
I think that's a little unfair. The old over-stressed hand grenade is another 'Net myth which has grown steadily since the days of impoverished youth revving the crackers off some poor old nail which had been rebuilt using nothing more sophisticated than dad's Stillsons and a penknife. Oh, and a tin of Red Hermatite. :'(
The results were as expected.

Fast forward to now and using some skill, decent parts and care they can be good little bikes. Look good too, for a 250.... 8-)

1055
British Bikes / Re: Truimph
« on: August 30, 2009, 10:01:47 PM »
The head combustion chamber shape changed drasically in 1967, and the pistons became much more high-top. The earlier pistons would work but give a low (possibly very low) CR. Should make for a very gentle engine, but not exactly in the Daytona class.............

1056
British Bikes / Re: TR6C wiring problem (continuation)
« on: August 18, 2009, 11:07:21 PM »
From what Bob actually said originally, the seat was shorting the negative battery terminal to earth, therefore the fuse would not have been protecting the positive wire, which was the one that burnt out.

All the more reason to have multiple fuses, ie one for each battery pole.

A typical late 60's Triumph would have:

50W Headlamp main beam
6W Pilot/Park (stays on with headlamp as far as I know?)
5W Tail light
21W Brake light
3W Speedo light
3W Tacho light (if fitted?)
2W Ignition warning light
2W High beam warning light  
25W+ (approx) Ignition system
60W+? Horn
_________
= 177W
Theoretically, all those circuits could be in operation simultaneously, so would draw around 14.7A of current 177W/12V = 14.75A).
And with the normal extra (20%?) safety margin added it would become 17.7A continuous.
So a 17A continuous (35A blow) fuse would be about the right amp rating I think?  

You forgot the diversity factor. While theoretically possible to have everything drawing current at once, in reality it's extremely unlikely, so, just as in domestic and industrial systems, the fuse can have a lower rating.
The total steady load for a night ride is reckoned to be about 90W so a continously rated fuse of 7/8A would be sufficient. It wouldn't need a 20% safety margin either, as the rupture current (by design) is much higher, as you've already mentioned.




  
 




1057
British Bikes / Re: TR6C wiring problem (continuation)
« on: August 18, 2009, 12:43:08 PM »
Not disputing what you say re fuses, but to put it at it's most simplistic, if wires are burning and the fuse ain't blowing, the rating is too high!

Sadly the old auto fuses (as in the pic) always were the most insensitive fuses made; nothing more than a nod to "it's got a fuse" thinking. Presumably they're now knocked up in a Taiwan back street, and the sensitivity/accuracy is anyone's guess. The rupture current could be 20A or it could be 60A, who knows?

Adding up all the load on a TR6C's system, and it's nowhere near even the quoted 17.5A, so my point remains the same, ie add more fuses and use suitably rated fuses too.

1058
British Bikes / Re: TR6C wiring problem (continuation)
« on: August 17, 2009, 09:37:29 PM »
Some worthwhile mods there, but have you considered both reducing the fuse rating from 35A (which is much too big) and fitting a fuse in the other battery line, ie one each in both pos and neg wires?

The factory looms were cheap and primitive, but there's no need for wires to be burning in 2009.

1059
British Bikes / Re: BSA Bantam D7 cutting out and failing to start...
« on: July 27, 2009, 10:19:34 PM »
Must be painful to ride with a throttle cable that loose, but I doubt it's your problem.
I'd be looking at ignition coil (in the flywheel mag) or capacitor/condensor breaking down, and my money would be on the capacitor.

1060
British Bikes / Re: D7 Bantam Flat Battery
« on: August 05, 2009, 08:41:53 AM »
That could be me you're referring to regarding the duff capacitor (I seem to recall) but that was in response to the engine failing query and not battery charging.

Doesn't the D7 have the flywheel mag? If so, the state of the battery's charge won't matter, and so you probably have two problems, ie battery not charging/discharging, and an ignition/carb fault too.

1061
British Bikes / Re: M O T ing a Brit Bike
« on: July 29, 2009, 09:02:05 PM »
Sorry, but this is a classic example of the MOT tester playing policeman,-or as you say "safety officer" (which of course he is not) yet again!
As I see it, the MOT tester's job is to check what does or does not constitute a pass or fail within the guidelines of the MOT test rules? And not to pass or fail a vehicle based on personal judgements about whether he thinks a bulb horn (or anything else) is inappropriate for a particular vehicle.

Absolutely, and I couldn't agree more!
As it happens, my bulb horn is a motorcycle one (rather than a kiddie's bike thing) and therefore designed for just this job. Also, it's as loud as some of those after-market 6V repros which are so common now.

But presumably some twerp MoT guy could fail it (for reasons given above) even though it's actually "better" than a cheap electric one.
Now tell me again about how the MoT tester only has my safety in mind..... ::)

Apparently some testers are still failing bikes for no brake light  when applying for a daylight only MoT too; so there's more of them who either can't read the regs or think they know better....





1062
British Bikes / Re: M O T ing a Brit Bike
« on: July 29, 2009, 03:04:59 PM »
I agree with Mr Griff. Bulb horns were common in the 1940s and weren't exactly rare up to the 1970s on choppers and trials bikes, and no-one batted an eyelid.

As a generalisation, there's a pretty good chance that a 1947 A7 is going to do minimal miles annually, so to my mind a little discretion would've passed it but given a quiet word that next time the Altette should be fitted and working.

There's the letter of the law, and the spirit of the law, and they ain't necessarily the same...

[And yes, one of my old bikes from 1948 has no lights or electrics but does have a bulb horn....and an MoT]

1063
British Bikes / Re: b31 ignition
« on: July 29, 2009, 03:10:33 PM »
Although I've never worked on a B31,Lucas mags are pretty generic. Once the mag is removed from the bike and the various brushes removed from thier 'oles, the points assembly removed and the end-cap taken off, then the armature should slide out.

Oh, and don't forget the safety screw if fitted...

1064
British Bikes / Re: b31 ignition
« on: July 28, 2009, 08:39:21 PM »
Quote
OK thanks.
So, if it's a common fault, does it always show itself in this way? [/i]

Usually the capacitor and/or armature ages and acts just like this. Just send the armature off for rebuild (it's where the cap is too). Some like the electronic mag conversion, but I like to KISS, so a mag does it for me every time.

1065
British Bikes / Re: b31 ignition
« on: July 28, 2009, 03:08:50 PM »
It's a common fault with old mags, so budget about £100-140 to sort it.
Sounds steep, but it'll never let you down again.....

Pages: 1 ... 69 70 [71] 72 73 ... 79