mends on the move

[clive]

Just looking through my photos from the pre rally tour at the International Jampot in NZ Feb 2020. Borrowed a 500 single but the only tool I had was my trusty Swiss army knife. Anyway the screw dropped out of the dynamo cover and rather than risk loosing it I whittled a few sticks as securing pegs. It lasted well with a couple of replaced pegs until the owner Murray noticed a day or two later and produced the right screw from his backup vehicle. Any other on the move fixes to show?

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[dave16mct]

On the way back from the France IJR at Oxonne, a friend's model 20 started running very rough. On inspection it was found that the points gap was varying enormously due to the points plate being cracked in half. Another member looked in the hedge and found a drinks can. With his penknife fashioned a plate to wrap over the points plate which held it together. It was still there when he got home.
Dave.

[56G80S]

On the way to the IJR at Celles sur Belle I lost the cap for the primary chaincase. I'd never lost one before but the rear of the Matchless covered in oil and the chain, clutch rollers etc were going to end up running dry.

I'd already had a rear wheel puncture but hadn't thrown the old inner tube away. I managed to wrap it round the chaincase in such a way that I could cover the aperture. Fortunately I had a supply of oil with me and was able to top up and not wreck the primary drive parts.

Robin Gregory let me have his inspection cap for the return trip as he was getting trailered home and I'm still using "his" cap. Of course, I reimbursed him on my return.

Johnny B

[clive]

I love these fixes. Coming back from the Irish IJR the plastic monobloc carb float cracked along the join. I tried glueing the crack with no success so I managed to get to the ferry port by turning the petrol on and off. Got there an hour early, so whilst waiting to board I thought I would have a go at fixing the crack by heating a screwdriver to red hot on my camping gas stove and wiping it across the crack. Just as I reached the critical point Fred Surkitt turned up with his bike on a trailer. He offered to lend me his float. I was keen to try my fix but was overruled by Hilary who does not appreciate my approach to engineering and maintaining my bikes. Anyway I tried when we got home and it worked perfectly and is now installed as I had to return Fred's to him.

[Mick D]

Mmmm!!

Red hot screw driver, camping stove and petrol - fan of the Prodigy are you Clive

Firestarter.png

Regards Mick

[Stan Palmer]

Last time this was debated somebody came up with a photograph where a thick fencing wire had been used as a replacement for the split link. It was a field bike and looked as if the repair had been there a while.
Stan

[PGGuse]

It happened in the nineties at the British Bike Bonanza when I had to repair the frame of my trials bike - and it worked (temporarily)
Paul

[Yak]

Hi.
The head on my 350 cracked between the plug hole and the exhaust valve seat. I acquired another head and took it to an engineer of repute to have the seats re-cut. A week later much to my surprise he had bored the seats out and pressed in new steel ones. The exhaust seat was nothing but trouble and kept on popping out and lodging under the valve. Usually a few swift kicks and it would re-seat and I would get home. Whilst sourcing another head, I couldn't resist and took a ride to the National park. I pulled up half way through the ride and stopped the engine. Before I could put the motor to TDC I heard a little "ting". The flaming seat had popped out and no amount of Kicking would lodge it.
Out with the tools and pulled it down to remove the head on the side of the road. Plenty of looks from passers by. With the head off and the offending seat visible, I banged the end of the valve on a rock a few times and luckily it popped in. I slapped it all together again, it started and I got home. The whole operation took about 2 hours, and given my mechanical ineptitude, I was quit pleased with myself, less so with the engineer of repute.
I put the old head with crack in it back on and it served well till I sourced yet another one.
Ray.

[clive]

Mmmm!!

Red hot screw driver, camping stove and petrol - fan of the Prodigy are you Clive

Regards Mick

In my defence Mick I had put the float in my pocket for a while so my body heat drove out most of the fuel which had leaked in and the camping stove must have been at least the statutory two metres social distancing from the bike.