Troubleshooting a JAP Special

[Rex]

I've just seen on a F-B group I'm on a tidy running Venom in the unusual red and black colour scheme on sale at £5750. No idea how that relates to Oz dollars but I'll bet it's less than 10k's worth.

[john.k]

A bit over $10k on todays rate......the card co gave me 49 p when I bought the valves .........anyhoo,you wont find any kind of 500 Velocette here under $25k (12k GBP).........there is a 350 AJS on ebay now with a start of $16k/8000GBP.....and no ,its not a 7R.

[R]

.there is a 350 AJS on ebay now with a start of $16k/8000GBP.....and no ,its not a 7R.

Imported from the UK. !
That alone would have cost him an arm and a leg.
The "1938" Norton there for $25k would take some beating. ?

The days of pirates about may not be be over....

[33d6]

You should check out the results achieved for old British bangers in the latest Shannons sale that finished a week ago.
Lot 108, 1950 Matchless G80, $7,200. Lot 109, 1953 Matchless G9 500cc twin, $5,100.  Lot 115, 1952 Triumph Thunderbird,$14,500. Lot 116, 1953 Ariel Square Four$17,000. Lot 121 Triumph X-75 Hurricane, $40,500.

The other eight Brit bikes didn’t sell

Those are actual sale prices, not eBay dreamer stuff. $16,000 for a 350 Ajay! Tell’im ‘e’s dreamin’.

[john.k]

Anyone know what Shannons sellers comission is? ...........have to be at least 10% ,Id imagine ,possibly more .

[Rockburner]

To carry on the Saga....


I've been tinkering with the bike recently and reduced the size of the main jet down 1 size.  This seems to have helped when WOT.  I've a feeling that giving the carb a good sitz clean has affected some of the fuel pathways and they're now more open than they were - thus messing up the ratios.

I'm going to reduce the size of the needle jet next - to see if that helps the lower-throttle openings - obviously after seeing what the needle is doing.

However I may also be having electrical issues: I took the bike round the block and it ran fine at WOT, roughly at lower throttle, but after about 2 miles it just died a death and I couldn't get it to fire at all.  The plug seemed nice and dry (and not sooted) when I pulled it out on the side of the road, so I don't know yet why it wasn't re-starting.

I also have the issue that the kickstarter splines seem to be going - no matter how tight I bolt up the kickstart lever I seem to able to twist the lever on the shaft after about 10 or so kicks.   Fingers crossed it's just the splines on the lever, and not the shaft....

I'm also going to take a good look at the coil - see if it's still measuring the correct resistance.

[Vreagh]

Might be time to file the slot on the kickstarter a little wider enabling the bolt to clamp more.

[Rockburner]

Might be time to file the slot on the kickstarter a little wider enabling the bolt to clamp more.

I've done that already - the slot physically can't close up.

[Rockburner]

I'd say that's more than tired.

[R]

Desperation being the mother of invention, I have taken a triangular file and a hacksaw,
and worked on something similar until it had a (short ?) another life !

Be aware that the quality of steels is a major factor here.
Really good stuff is likely to be more responsive than something akin to butter.
I must say I have met both, so Good Luck ??

Finding someone with a suitable broach may (possibly) provide better results.
Bear in mind these don't grow on trees ...

Took me a wee while to orient the photo.

[Rex]

Tread recutters were a common tool way back when, but in those days the tyre carcase was so stiff the bike stood up and rode with a flat tyre. Modern rubber is much more pliable but seems to rot quicker, as the three year old tyres on my car will attest.

[R]

I assumed that was the spline (remains) on a kickstarter ?

[Rex]

Looking again I'm sure you're right. I thought it was a poor pic of a perished tyre wall.

[john.k]

Eons ago,my boss' son had a Honda 350 with a knackered spline on the kichstart (if thats what the pics about) ...anyhoo they were going to weld it on ,however I dissuaded them from such a bodge ,and by simply drilling a hole that was more or less 1/2 and 1/2 ,and driving in a roll pin ,the k/s was persuaded to work properly again.

[iansoady]

A previous owner of my Norton ES2 did something similar and it seemed to work for them. I replaced the kickstart with a new one and it doesn't flap about.