Offseason Tinkering - 2020

The past year has been a hectic one as noted in my previous writing. This being said I was fortunate enough to get a substantial amount of riding in during the past season. It also means I had a fair amount of antique motorcycle maintenance to complete.

Just about an antique.....on a trip to Northern Michigan on the Trophy this past fall and parked across the street from a vintage car run. There's something about hand crank cars that make kick start bikes seem modern....

A thorough cleaning of the plates plus a nylon lined cable and we are good for a few more years.....Routing the cable in this pic...

After 15 years of minimal attention it was time to take the Norton clutch apart and clean it out as it had become a bit grabby. The pull effort was also excessive. I wasn't expecting any issues a good cleaning and cable lube wouldn't cure but was alarmed to find my hardened center is getting pretty boogered up. It will need to be replaced soon. Time for a belt drive kit? Maybe. The OEM cable was lubed with no noticable results. It was replaced with a Venhill teflon lined unit which dramatically reduced pull efforts.

A Venhill clutch cable....Trust me....get one of these.....

I have put substantial efforts into making the 70 BSA start easily while being battery free. This winter I finally threw in the towel. Starting was never as effortless as it should be and the horn doubled as a kill switch if employed under 4000 RPM. A few bits modified, a battery added, and we will give it a go in the spring.

So let's put a battery in here... A few mods are in order....

The Interceptor ran great as I continued to put miles on it although a leak appeared at the top of the engine cases and I was not certain where it was coming from. The oil filter was changed with a new gasket being added, the pressure relief valves were reseated and the oil line to the head was cleaned and reset. Aviation Permatex was applied to the appropriate areas. The oil filter looked great with minimal soiling and no metal bits on the magnet. I was very pleased with this.

Something here is leaking but it is not apparent which bit is the culprit. 

Apart they all come and resealed they now are......

My new bike, a Triumph Trophy 1200, is on the verge of being an antique. I made great efforts to hit the 60k mile mark before winter but fell just shy. I will overcompensate next year I am sure. The clutch master cylinder started to leak toward the end of the year and needed a rebuild. This was a new experience for me but was pretty straightforward. My custom made glass packs also rotted out and the stock units went back on. I will miss my customs.

A few pictures, a shop manual, a youtube video, a new snap ring plier, and on we go....

In the past I have relied on paper maps and an old GPS to find my way on longer trips. My eyes no longer corporate with either of these things so it's time for a new setup. My next attempt is to use my Iphone and Google Maps. I am not convinced that this will be the ultimate setup for me but it should be an incremental improvement. Let's see if the Iphone survives the BSA's vibration....

My new holder.....quick detach mounts and charging cords all around....

So which bike am I daydreaming about these days? A trip to the local Triumph dealer tells me I need a 1200 Bonneville Scrambler.....It sits real well.....