Motorcycle General Discussion

[thaiguzziParticipant @thaiguzzi]

Posted by Mike Poole on 08/07/2018 09:55:43:

Yet another tragedy for the Dunlop family. The 1977 film Roadracers sparked my interest in road racing, the three stars of the film are all dead and all in racing accidents, RIP Frank Kennedy, Mervyn Robinson and Joey Dunlop. I love road racing but it wreaks havoc on the families of the young men who die for very little reward. Motor cycling is not the only dangerous sport and as usual there will be calls to ban it. We should resist the nanny state as humans need to do dangerous things, even as kids we climb trees, see how fast we can go on our push bikes etc. I think part of the thrill for a road racer is to beat the circuit as well as the other competitors, many of the racers at the IoM TT are there to pit themselves against the fearsome TT course and have very little chance of winning the race but just taking on the circuit is enough. I wonder if as a spectator I encourage these men to risk all or would they do it anyway even if nobody watched? Racing motorcycles has probably been going on since the second machine was built but even when you are riding on your own you see if you can go that little bit quicker than last time, you are always looking for a personal best for something.

Mike

+1. Well written post.

RIP William Dunlop.

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

I will be over to Northern Ireland in a week or two for the races at Williams home turf in Armoy, staying on for the Ulster Grand Prix. RIP William Dunlop, we will be thinking of you.

[MeunierParticipant @meunier]

Blast from the past yesterday, a red Laverda with a white flash rumbled past our place – unfortunately it was only a combine harvester.
DaveD

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Could have been a Lambo….

[MeunierParticipant @meunier]

Posted by Muzzer on 09/07/2018 20:41:13:

Could have been a Lambo….

Nah, it was a big beggar Laverda with its cutting head towed behind it. I particularly noted the curved white flash, as in https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fst.mascus.com%2Fimagetilewm%2Fproduct%2Fd7c727e1%2Flaverda-225-rev%2C60d2ee4b.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mascus.co.uk%2Fagriculture%2Fused-combine-harvesters%2Flaverda-225-rev%2Fyixinizc.html&docid=SEy0QpyigMvhZM&tbnid=lyedwdNzgEhY3M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwi2vrWx5pLcAhXDwxQKHXmGAW0QMwhyKDIwMg..i&w=1024&h=576&bih=694&biw=1008&q=laverda%20combine%20harvester&ved=0ahUKEwi2vrWx5pLcAhXDwxQKHXmGAW0QMwhyKDIwMg&iact=mrc&uact=8

well, at least the pic stayed up this time, sorry about the non-link

but didn't notice model number. Started y'day afternoon and finished at 4pm today – 4large fields of wheat. Hope he had aircon, it was 32degC today.
DaveD

Edited By Meunier on 09/07/2018 21:15:01

Edited By Meunier on 09/07/2018 21:16:18

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

The cabs in the Lambos look as if they are space capsules and of course the latest top end tractors have sat nav guidance and all sorts of stuff we city folk wouldn't understand. Which I suppose is how they get to run massive farms with almost no farm hands these days….

Murray

[MeunierParticipant @meunier]

Last year was interested to watch a similar Klaas machine turn up in the field next-door with 'cutting head' in tow.
Wandered over to have a look, as one does. The cutting head is oriented rotationally on the two sets of trailer wheels and the head fixing on the combine has two upward-facing hooks which locate on a bar, then the driver lifts up the head by the hooks and a latch engages. Two loose hydraulic lines are then coupled up. Asked the driver if he needed to bleed the lines but apparently there is a sufficiently large hydraulic reservoir for any air to vent to the surface of the reservoir. Remember now seeing the same fixing system used on JCBs for changing buckets.
DaveD

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Reliable old tubs. I drove one for a few minutes last year. 6m header. Not long enough to even learn the controls. It was a great deal less money than a new combine, but got the job done.

It is about 15 years since I did a bit of rape swathing for the same friend. I would like to try his newer swather, but I doubt he will need me to help him out this year. I cut my teeth on a 6 foot RSJ trailed combine back in the early 60’s.

BTW, I expect he would not have been able to disconnect the hydraulic hoses unless there was no pressure in that part of the system, so no air, or very little, would enter the lines as they are self sealing connectors on both sides.

[thaiguzziParticipant @thaiguzzi]

Off topic, sorry, but my current tractor is a Kubota 700cc single cylinder diesel, c/w pto and hydraulics, only 14 hp but so much torque it will go up the side of a house. Figuritively speaking.

Google Kubota KRT140+ if interested, it replaced a 4000 Ford.

[MeunierParticipant @meunier]

ndiy, thanks for filling in the picture on the hydraulics, makes sense now you mention it !
DaveD

[JimmieSParticipant @jimmies]

I assumed that most people were aware off the 'My little Honda 50' song but it appears not. Should you be one, enjoy the experience.
http://www.behance.net/gallery/15295957/My-Little-Honda-50

[John OlsenParticipant @johnolsen79199]

Well of course before that there was the Beach Boys in 1964…

**LINK**

[colin wilkinsonParticipant @colinwilkinson75381]

Who can forget Jasper Carrott and "Funky Moped" or Chris Spedding and "Motor bikin' "

[John OlsenParticipant @johnolsen79199]

Then of course there is this one…

**LINK**

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

**LINK**

Dumpys Rusty Nuts were always good entertainment.

Mike

[thaiguzziParticipant @thaiguzzi]

Posted by Mike Poole on 31/07/2018 06:27:51:

**LINK**

Dumpys Rusty Nuts were always good entertainment.

Mike

+1, down memory lane. Ta velly much.

[JimmieSParticipant @jimmies]

When I was a lad ………..

**LINK**

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

https://youtu.be/KyP7lCO6WBg

Geoff – I keep forgetting can't 'Embed' in iOS 😡

Edited By OuBallie on 06/08/2018 14:03:08

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 17/09/2018 18:23:20

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

Tonight at 7:45 pm on Talkink Pictures channel is a short film with a young Charles Hawtry made in the 1940's entitled 'How To Refuel Your Two Stroke Motorcycle Engine'.

I wonder what smokey old two stroke he is riding.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Lathejack on 17/09/2018 17:04:41:

I wonder what smokey old two stroke he is riding.

[Involute CurveParticipant @involutecurve]

Quite a while ago it was mentioned in this thread about John Bradley's Racing Motorcycle books, these now sell for silly money second hand ont interweb, anyhow I received an email from John today informing me his latest book Volume three is now available, during a subsequent telephone conversation John informed me the plates for Volume 2 got destroyed when the publisher went into receivership so its unlikely to be reprinted, these book are the best ever written on this subject, especially if you build or prepare race bikes, but also have tons of info on suitability of materials etc, my guess is it will be a short print run, its available direct from John below

http://www.broadlandleisure.com

I should point out I have no commercial interest in this other than as a chuffed customer, who is looking forwards to his new book arriving soon.

Shaun

Edited By Involute Curve on 20/09/2018 17:30:44

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

I had an enjoyable day on Tuesday at Elvington final top speed meeting of 2018.

As I'm interested in high speed steam vehicles it was good to see Graham Sykes doing stability tests towed then released at 90 plus mph runs on a steam rocket bike.

When he has finished the on off valves for the De-Laval nozzles it will be fired in anger commercial valves are not up to the job.

Once the removable heat source has heated the water the motorcycle has no electrics it's all hydraulic and pneumatic controls.

Helen and Andy two speed friends Andy did his first 200+mph a few months ago Helen the sand queen of Pendine at 137mph she went faster today 143.502mph on a £500 Honda 600cc.

Steve Bland did 259mph on a Busa .

A Skoda that had just driven back from a Prague motor show has a Tatra V8 air cooled engine powering it.

Another car the Hulk did 242mph there were plenty of conventional bikes as well as some unusual ones.

[thaiguzziParticipant @thaiguzzi]

Windy,

re the above post – "like" button pressed.

The Schkoda is hilarious.

Nice one!

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Keep it coming, my racing days are over but I love the speed scene.

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

Posted by Chris Evans 6 on 20/10/2018 10:09:29:

Keep it coming, my racing days are over but I love the speed scene.

It keeps me feeling young seeing old and new friends at these speed attempts.

As many of us know the clocks ticking but the more I see the age of some riders the more I want to get my project finished.

Helen and Andy have a complete Honda minus engine for my steam machine that would save a lot of time as just buying the cycle bits separate would be expensive.

The V8 Skoda was driven to Prague in the company of Grahams Hillman Imp and an old Mini they had a few minor breakdowns on the way but like many old cars you don't need a computer to do a roadside repair.

I'm back in the workshop whittling the full scale crankcases outside dimensions that is mainly cosmetic so ally is flying.

[Author]

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