Tin / can openers?

[NT]

time for an electric one then. Hand ones in such situations just arent a smart choice imho.

NT

[T i m]

Agreed.

She was even saying she had trouble holding the petrol pump trigger open today. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[Gib Bogle]

The brand is WMf, the steel CROMARGAN, the warranty was 10 years, I think.

[ARWadsworth]

I had a problem holding the petrol pump trigger as well today. It was the £1.20 a litre price that caused my problem;-)

Adam

[T i m]

Interesting thanks.

Is it either of these?

T i m

p.s. I was thinking the idea of being able to put the top back on might be particularly good when camping?

[T i m]

;-)

I've been putting '20 quids worth' in my cars for quite a while now. It nearly started to be too little an amount when I had the 2L Sierra Estate (even when just running about locally) but when I got this old

218SD Rover I found it ok again (as it did twice the mpg of the Sierra). I generally note the mileage when I do add fuel and even only putting 20 quids worth in it's sometimes been a couple of months between doing so! But then I haven't just 'gone out for a drive' for years, tend to get more stuff delivered (mainly because of the high fuel costs of getting it myself) and if I do go out in the car, try to combine as many things as I can on the same trip.

What was weird is that the old BMW R100RT motorbike was used quite a bit because it did over twice the mpg of the Sierra (and more efficient in traffic etc). When the Rover came along it suddenly made the motorbike less efficient (especially because I can carry twice the people and 20x the goods in the car, in the warm / dry and without having to dress up like a spaceman).

I still love the old BM though and might even get round to putting it back together someday ... ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[Bruce]

It's worth it for the low fuel consumption. My 1150 RS drinks fuel, comparatively speaking. I suppose that's "progress".

[T i m]

No, it wouldn't be, it would be for (mainly) going on motorcycle / camping holidays with the family (well, just the Mrs now the Daughter is doing her own thing etc).

We don't like going abroad and the Mrs (used to, not sure with the arthritis now) love riding her XV750 so with the two bikes (daughter pillion on mine) we were looking at 25 mpg again.

I guess it's the cleaner burning, massive power and running all the tech that doesn't help.

My old Moggy Minor van was doing 50 mpg all those years ago but then it didn't weigh anything.

If I really wanted to go someone economically I've still got the little CB 250 (Nighthawk) and she's now got the YP250 (Majesty) and we could both fit on either at a pinch.

It's funny though isn't it. 'Over here' many now consider a 500cc motorbike 'small' and wouldn't go on a long trip with anything under

1000 cc (well, not everyone of course ). Mum and Dad went all round the country on a Francis-Barnett 250 Cruiser (probably power equivalent to a modern 125) and I have done more miles on mopeds when a kid than I have on bigger bikes ever since.

It pleases me when you see on the TV, 3+ people and a box of chickens being carried on a 125cc motorbike often over terrain we would have to have a 4x4 to even drive on? These people are still in a world where such things are 'essential transport'.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. If I ever had the money to be able to afford a newer bike (dealer maintenance for the very tech stuff these days) I think it would be a GS of some sort. Not only because at 6'2" there aren't many bikes I can't flat-foot but because of it's versatility and competence.

[Bruce]

OK, understood.

I would have hoped for better steady speed fuel consumption, not worse. :-(

There are quite a few Minors round here, mostly Travellers, several in beautiful condition. I got talking to one owner at a bacon butty van in a lay-by and he said "It's all the car I have ever needed". He paid £5500 for a comprehensive restoration in 2003 and it looks like a year old car. It's from 1968.

I did 150 mile trips on a Honda 50 and toured widely on a CB175. The panniers slowed it down a bit. Well, a lot. ;-) After that. it was a Triumph 650 Saint (ex-Police) with a dustbin fairing. After a gap of a couple of years sans bike, after a good friend was killed, I went back to 2 wheels. Since then, I have always ridden BMWs.

If by "versatility" you mean off-road, that's not for me, except of course unintentionally. :-(

[T i m]

The best pootling fun I've had was on my Royal Enfield Bullet (Madras flavour) 350. 70mph, 70 mpg and a lovely relaxed ride / sound (at 50 mph). ;-)

I guess that's the difference (between big and small engined bikes), the RT isn't slowed down much by 100kg of camping trailer.

I think it's nice to see Triumph still out there.

Never a nice thing no matter how it happens. ;-(

I came to BM's by chance (I've never yearned for any particular car or bike) as one of my delegates was selling one when I was IT training. It was an R100R that had been 'done up' to look like a 90S. In spite of needing lots of work doing to it it went ok and gave me the feel for the boxer engine (and I bought the 91 RT s/h). When the clutch splines tore out (at 33K miles?) and I got relayed the 175 miles home in frustration I borrowed the shop 900 Divi for a week. It was everything the RT wasn't, except for the 'character' and I took it back with another 100 miles on the clock. Maybe if I *needed* a bike it would be a different story.

;-)

No, I meant just being able to carry decent luggage (they don't look any uglier with a pair of wardrobes bolted each side) and with all the potholes etc 'on road' is the new 'off road'.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. I took my XT350 over a Moto-X course once so I know what 'soft roaders' are. Daughter was ok on her TY80. ;-)

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember T i m saying something like:

Common problem with them. The Borg'nBeck or AP plates (unrecall which) were OEM and all others were prone to cracking around the centre boss. To make sure, it was worthwhile springing (geddit) for the original dealer-bought item. It happened to me once, after about 10K and after that I fitted a genuine part with no more trouble.

Final drive splines were another weakness, but making sure the drive was well-lubed with moly grease at every tyre change kept the wear down to a minimun. What got me was that I have a Suz GS850 that's done well in excess of 200K and is on the original swinging arm complete, with no wear in any of the bits - ironically it was pretty much a copy of the Beemer design, so wtf couldn't BMW get it right.

[T i m]

I didn't se that in this, it was just a combination of the clutch plate hub spines and input shaft splines worn away. I think I remember at the time something about a batch of input shafts that weren't up to par. Apparently they are supposed to be lubed at the major service intervals (don't know what) but this had only done 32K when I got it and with a full BM dealer SH. I think the reason it isn't done as often as it should is because it's an awkward job to do (dropping the gearbox off the back of the engine). I think someone had invented a remote lube, something I was interested in for when I nail it back together ... but then again, if it's lubed properly in the first place and / or if the parts are up to spec it should (and does for many people) last for ages.

The new clutch is a BM one. I took the opportunity of renewing all the gearbox bearings, springs, detents, pawls and seals while I was there.

Good question. I've done about as may miles on the BM as I did on the Enfield and that never let me down once. The Mrs has towed me in on the BM with her Yamaha at least twice! ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[Dave Liquorice]

That price doesn't help. The problem with the trigger is that the pumps are so slow that they time out before I've filled up...

[Huge]

If you use diesel, find a garage that serves HGVs and use their pumps.

*Serious* flow rates...

[Andy Burns]

I've only done that once, didn't realise I'd pulled up at a HGV pump, the wider nozzle only just fit into my car's filler, then squirted about a pint of diesel at me when it had filled the tank.

[Dave Liquorice]

One of the ones I use does have a HGV button... But knowing the length of the filler tube I'm reluctant to try it, diesel is messy stuff to get covered in. B-) My average fill up is only 70l not the

500l that a truck tank will take...

[geoff]

In message , T i m writes

Yes, my old BM does seem to be a bit thirsty when you're doing over

90mph

The only other alternative is to morph into dennis

can't see that happening

[Chris J Dixon]

These days I find it hard to believe that I regularly went over Woodhead pass on one, as part of a Barnsley - Manchester run.

I do recall that I had ample opportunity to contemplate the newly installed Armco barriers, put in place after somebody significant (MP?) has gone over the edge. For me, it would simply mean that it would break my leg before I plummeted, head first. I recall one occasion when I had to resort to 1st gear in order to battle against the wind whilst going downhill.

I didn't usually do the trip in midwinter, but there was one February at the end of term (thin sandwich) where I had to get it home to Barnsley. As I began the run the throttle started sticking open. Stripping it down in sleety rain wasn't an attractive proposition, so I just pressed on. As it had an automatic clutch, I was a bit unsure how I would cope, but it made it OK. Changing down, the engine was slowed enough to cope, changing up was a bit more vicious. There was only one stop line, and I managed to crawl across with judicious braking. Turned out it was water in the slide that was jamming it, and a bit of oil was all it needed.

Before that I had my Dad's old NSU Quickly (a bit of a misnomer), and I often had runs out to Emley Moor, to see the remains of the failed mast, and the subsequent construction of the new one. The pedals were required from time to time.

Other trips were to watch the M1 construction nearby. In retrospect, I had a closer squeak than I realised at the time. The local road was closed off for through traffic that day, and although there was a light-controlled crossing for the heavy scrapers which were thundering to and fro, they had turned them off because the road was closed :-(.

Chris

[T i m]

;-)

Similar happened to my girlfriend of the time on her 350LC. Lad pulled into the layby and asked 'What's wrong mate' (she was still wearing her helmet). Long -short, after de-frosting the carb(s?) for her he left with a "now you know what to do next time mate .." ;-)

(Depends on yer perspective. My 26" wheel, two speed was faster than the Honda P50 it replaced ). I then had my Dad's then Uncles Lambretta LD150. A shaft drive scooter no less. ;-)

And part of the definition of a 'moped' then I believe. My mate had a Fanticmotor chopper style moped and I think the pedals could be swung round to form symmetrical foot pegs (couldn't you also do that on the 'Fizzy")? The only time I used pedals on my Quickly was starting and pulling away when I needed the extra boost. I did use them once when the points > condenser wire broke and the spark was so weak it would

*just* maintain speed once you got it there. I eventually stopped (exhausted), removed the cover and worked a slot in the condenser solder with a small screwdriver, through the hole in the flywheel. I then put the wire in the slot and peed the solder over with another screwdriver and a stone. It ran fine after that, imagine fixing a CANbus bike that way. ;-)

Fascinating I bet. I love watching machinery at work.

Daughters b/f sent me this link:

that's what I call a wood bit. ;-)

Daughter has use one like this:

control etc. That could be fun in Robot Wars!

Neither any good if you can only get to the stump through the customers house (without a crane etc). [1]

Cheers, T i m

[1] I think the tracked one she used can make itself narrow for getting though gates and alleyways but still not the sort of thing that most people would want down their hall. ;-)

[Bruce]

Hmm ...

My first C50 was written off after three days because a lorry reversed over it. I was behind the lorry on the approach to a roundabout when it reversed without warning - no reversing lights in those days. The driver was delivering to a small supermarket and had spotted a parking space to reverse into, but had no means of signalling his intent.

His employers presented me with a brand new bike. ;-)

After that, I did 9000 miles on it in 15 months.

Oops!