- Thu May 23, 2013 11:27 am
#25333
Well good news and bad news!
Good news is that the 500 engine pulling 350 gearing gives the outfit a LOT more poke. I haven't checked where it tops out yet. Amazingly after 18 months of occasionally turning over in the garage the engine, once fitted, started first kick! Now the bad news, once I got it away from the mechanics it started coughing and spluttering and then expired outside my kids school. I should pat myself on the back that I didn't respond in my usual way to the bike conking out. I just did a lot of muttering under my breath! Turns out the spark plug wasn't sparking, at all. A visit to the local garage, who had to phone somebody to ring his boss out what the markings on the NGK plug were. The boss having arrived to see what kind of obscure vehicle the plug had come out of procured a nearly new spark plug from his box of assorted bits and pieces. It seems the 'new' spark plug had come out of a Morris 1000 he reckons about eight years ago. Once fitted and with a couple of muttered prayers the engine fired! I suspect I'll have to give the carb a REALLY good clean, the bike still coughs and splutters if you surprise it with a hand full of throttle, no big deal there, at least I can get at the manifold nuts, unlike the Amal on the 350. While at the mechanics we also noticed the rear wheel bearing were duff. Rather frustrating since I replaced them at the last MOT. Currently I suspect it is a draw over which is wearing out more quickly wheel bearings or clutch cables. Of course the best bit is now the bike is parked outside it's RAINING!! Grr!!!
