Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes... and travels... mostly on bikes!
Spring has sprung, now we have a few months of warm pleasant rain to enjoy after the cold and miserable rain of winter.
What excitement and adventures will this year bring?
What's New?
It's A Good Start
After justifying why he's mean to Sharon The Dynamic Muppets take on an arduous and testing journey to deepest darkest Derbyshire. This is a true tale of epic adventure through the harshest conditions... ish.
A Successful Winter's Break
Title page for a brief and fortunately pleasant winter break on two wheels to Ashbourne in Derbyshire
Home And Epilogue
There's very little to say about the final leg home so Ren lets us know what he thought about the trip. Did you know that from Liverpool to Potes is about the same saddle time as Liverpool to Fort William?
Days Of Luxury In The Final Summary
Oh my how the other half live! In contrast to Bogger's chaos and Ren's miserly way Upt' shows us that travel can be comfortable and luxurious. This is the final leg - the only question is will the weather and the chain hold out?
Chillin' At The Bruce Pollard Rally
A few notes from what ought to be an easy couple of nights in North Wales. It's Ren though innit, making the easy seem hard is his thing.
The Rest Of The Misery
The miserable crossing of The Bay Of Biscay continues for longer than expected or desired. The Dynamic Muppets keep their calm and even manage to keep their breakfast down too.
Old Men Crossing Rivers
I'm getting rather concerned for Bogger. Not much beer, early to bed, no-one lost, and no mechanical tomfoolery. There's a catch, surely there's a catch
Honda V Kwakker Headlight
Are Ren's eyes failing him? Are LED headlights just plain poop? Maybe Sharon's new Z5 can bring some illumination to Ren's world.
The Beginning Of The Misery
Ren is not having a good day at all. He's trying to stay positive by clinging to the memory of an excellent adventure and the handrails. I'm sure you'll all enjoy sharing his distress.
Dodging Rain And A Dodgy Chain
Considering we're covering Italy and France these are brief notes from Upt's homeward journey. He seems to be having a great time but he might be missing his shaft...
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Sharon Leads To Bala
Paul hughes said :-
Really glad you enjoyed bala but a word of warning if you come again, the weekend last both welsh travelled to Bala on our bikes and stopped as we always do at the BULLS HEAD, I don't know what's gone on but the young blond landlady made it obvious bikers were NOT welcome and when talking to about 25 scooter riders they all said the same with only 2 of there group being reluctantly served the rest walked out,
30/04/2025 13:47:43 UTC
It's A Good Start
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Ashbourne is a bit like Buxton or Leek, they have a fearsome reputation for snow in the winter months but it's not the towns but the high roads in and out.
As long as you're happy to let the snow melt and stay at home they're no worse than anywhere else.
My brother lives about 10 miles East of Ashbourne and higher up, I've experienced more snow there in the last dozen years than I have at home in Wonderful Wooler. Although "The BeaST from the East", would be an exception to that rule.
Talking of weather, it's a nice day for a Borders ride. Peebles anyone?
Upt.
30/04/2025 09:29:06 UTC
It's A Good Start
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I'm not tight - I'm prudent!
I'm sure we've been to Ashbourne before but as like as not we'll have merely passed through it rather than stopping to look around. Being there gives us romantic notions of moving there - and then you go and spoil it by telling me we would be snowed in from December to March!
30/04/2025 07:35:55 UTC
It's A Good Start
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Ashbourne you say.
Blummin lovely innit?
I'm a little surprised you didn't know it already Ed'ster. It's a regular motorcycle draw in the warmer wevver.
I used to cover the area in a previous life, right down to Hanging Bridge at the bottom of Swinscoe. It's only a mile from Ashbourne. Just thinking about it makes me shiver, I've dug my fair share of lorries and cars out of the snow on Swinscoe. It can be wild up there.
Upt.
Oh yes, you're tighter than a camels arris in a sandstorm.
29/04/2025 12:40:24 UTC
It's A Good Start
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
The evening was cool not cold... We'd already had a meal deal we only got the chips because I spoil that woman... Spend money? Get a grip man.
29/04/2025 07:59:53 UTC
It's A Good Start
Bogger said :-
Chippy tea, outside, in the cold evening! You properly know how to spoil a good woman Ren.
There's not even a fish, or a pie, nor gravy in sight either. Good God man spend some money.
Bogger
28/04/2025 22:42:10 UTC
Moto Winch Anyone?
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Damien,
Enjoy your trip.
Firstly, don't fall over.
Secondly, when you do, be careful.
Thirdly, watch the you tube posts on lifting Goldwings and Pan Europeans, there are techniques which can make it easier, as apposed to easy.
Upt.
25/04/2025 10:44:06 UTC
Moto Winch Anyone?
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Firstly Damian Galvin - you're braver than I am!
Your website is based in Bucharest, Romania so I'm guessing that's where you're from. To get to Georgia I figure you're going through Turkey as Ukraine and Russia are "a bad idea" at the moment. Good luck! It sounds epic.
25/04/2025 07:46:08 UTC
Moto Winch Anyone?
Damian Galvin said :-
I'm about to go in a long solo trip to Georgia & picking up my 300kg loaded Africa twin along gives me sleepless nights. Airbags filled via the exagaut cannot work as you can't run the engine when flat on the ground. The jack system looks possibly ok, but I'm very skeptical. But probably I have no choice but to try. I will share the trip experience on my blog here, in around 4 or so weeks
https://www.whitemountain.ro/blog-motorcycle-road-trip-romania-georgia-armenia-turkey-bulgaria-%7C-tips-hidden-gems-45.html
https://www.whitemountain.ro/blog-motorcycle-road-trip-romania-georgia-armenia-t...
24/04/2025 23:02:45 UTC
CB500X Poor Starting
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again.....
23/04/2025 14:16:35 UTC
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Glyn said :-
Nigel, That looks very possibly an answer to removing the press fit shaft centre of the roller bearing that was on the crankshaft. It was actually a very tight fit though and I had to deploy several methods to get it off. Grinding 80%+ of the way through plus the home made puller that I welded on to the remnants of the inner bearing. Ian, I’m not sure that the centre of the bearing, touching the shaft, would ever turn easier than the bearing itself unless the bearing was shot. This is the official bearing supplied by the Fantic parts dealer although the original is still available on-line. I think it would be very easy to return to the original set up unless the shaft was particularly badly damaged. The BSA engines I used to work on were all assembled in one half of the crankcases and then the other half was slipped on in the same way as this with the crank sliding through the bearing in the second half of the cases. Hopefully it’ll be ok as I’ve got the enter thing assembled ready to be returned to the frame.
30/04/2025 20:12:35 UTC
nab301 said :-
Glyn , current troubles aside, back tracking to the main bearing saga would something like this have been any use, I bought one years ago but misplaced it until recently , two tapered halves which are clamped together
Nigel
30/04/2025 16:15:29 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
It's quite normal to have a ball bearing one end and roller the other - the latter is usually the drive side as the roller can take more load. End float is as suggested to allow for expansion. Velocette singles, which unusually have taper roller main bearings both sides, need to be assembled with a few thou end float which disappears when the engine warms up. This arrangement allows a very narrow and stiff crankcase.
The only potential problem with what Glyn has done is that if the sliding fit is too slack there's a possibility of the inner sliding on the shaft in use thus acting as a very inferior plain bearing.
30/04/2025 09:58:36 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Nice work Glyn. Can I book in for next Tuesday around 11 am for a Lambda service.
You can provide the choccy biscuits.
You're welcome.
Upt.
30/04/2025 09:22:31 UTC
Glyn said :-
The original bearing naturally allowed end play because the crank could move sideways across between the rollers and crank sleeve. I thought it was for expansion. The new bearing was very tight on the crank and would never move sideways. With the bearing driven into the casing it was impossible to mate the two halves of the engine because you can’t really hammer the bearing onto the crank.
I managed to get the clutch basket welded but it took me hours to clean it up enough to get the first plate able to rotate within the basket.
30/04/2025 08:03:20 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
In my ignorance - why do you need end play? The only thing that comes to mind is expansion due to heat.
30/04/2025 07:37:58 UTC
Glyn said :-
I’ve got the crankshaft sorted at last. The replacement bearing was a ball type and not a roller as before with fixed inner race. It was supplied by the Fantic guys at AG Bikes. This does not allow end play which the roller type did. Therefore I had to wet and dry the crankshaft very carefully until I had a sliding fit. I also struggled to fit a Speedi Shaft repair to put a thin ring over the crankshaft where the seal sits. The new bearing and seal fit nicely. In the picture you can see the bearing and the Speedi shaft just to the left of it.
29/04/2025 19:54:09 UTC
Glyn said :-
It wasn’t that badly packed but doesn’t take much to break if hit from the side. The broken part was in the packing. Seller is reluctantly offering to take it back but that doesn’t help me that much. Anyone for alloy sand casting?
25/04/2025 17:33:18 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
If it were a 4 stroke you'd never have had to remove the clutch basket in the first place...
The defence rests M'lud.
Ally welding... anyone?
25/04/2025 10:55:35 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Nowt to do with being a 2 stroke Glyn.... The photo on ebay doesn't show that damage so it must have been badly packed?
25/04/2025 10:01:32 UTC
Latest Chit-Chat
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Upt'North ¹ said :-
Nidger....
The "experts" had it on there rig for about two hours and ran every check they said they could carry out and no faults were found. Their best guess is a non oem exhaust and cat which was fitted a couple of years ago. Obviously putting a £2K plus eggshost on a 12 year old Seat Mii is nuts.
This could of course be why the "experts" picked this guess knowing I wouldn't do it?
If it has to stay with us for another couple of years so be it, if the £5 fix works I'll be mightily impressed. I might even pay a tenner!
No, that's daft talk.
Upt.
30/04/2025 18:45:18 UTC
nab301 said :-
Upt , as mentioned before you need the actual DTC (powertrain) P ****code via a proper code reader / scan tool and then you need to look at live data related to the code , so if the lambda sensor is involved , look at fuel trims and live lambda to see if the lambda sensor is switching correctly and it's not correcting for a lean (air leak)/rich mixture , as Ren says it may be a poor connection wiring fault or even an incompatible replacement sensor but I'm guessing it would default presumably to a base set up and limp mode and as it does 63 mpg and drives fine there can't be a huge amount wrong with it!
Nigel
30/04/2025 17:15:47 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Thanks Ed, interesting stuff.
The car uses precisely nowt in the oil department. Never had to top it up in over 12 years.
The usage is a little strange in that it doesn't do proper short journeys that often.
The journeys are generally 15 or 20 miles. Park up for an hour then drive home. This usually about twice a week. So with man maths.....about 35 to 40 miles per week but only two trips. So let's say about 200 miles per month, or around 2500 miles per year.
The extra 1500 probably come from the odd trip to Newcastle or diagnostic experts in Ashington. It returns and always has around 63 mpg without trying.
I've had a reply from elsewhere that the Lambda extender did work for someone with a Volvo.
I put a Redex fuel system cleaner in it yesterday and it may get plugged into a Snap-On machine on Friday if my buddy can sort out the loan.
Upt.
30/04/2025 09:15:03 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
This is worth a read too
https://forum.rac.co.uk/threads/7094-Lambda-Sensors-and-Catalysts...
30/04/2025 08:06:35 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Also check for leaks in the exhaust as these mess up the levels of air and exhaust gasses which confuse the lambda sensors. This page is "informative"
https://www.walkerexhaust.com/support/tech-tips/5-steps-to-take-before-replacing...
30/04/2025 08:04:27 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
OH and wiring. You might be throwing sensors at the car but if the wire between either of the sensors and the ECU has a high resistance or intermittent short or disconnect then the ECU sez "what's this nonsense/I can't hear the lambda sensor!"
It'd be fiddly as hell but bypass the wiring with fresh wires?
30/04/2025 07:58:09 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
A quick google tells me a lambda extender (lambda spacer) is... right. It screws into the exhaust where the lambda sensor should be, then has a short tube then the threads to screw the lambda sensor into. As such the sensor is out of the serious flow of the exhaust, just getting a whiff of the passing gases. This allows the sensor to think everything is hunky-dory with the o2 levels even if they ain't.
Now you say you have 2 lambda sensors. I believe there will be one before and one after the catalytic converter? My initial thoughts are thus. The car is 12 years old with 49000 miles. That's 4,000 miles per year. Would I be correct in thinking it is used quite often for shorter journeys rather than occasionally for long journeys? I'm thinking the cat is blocked and the sensors are trying to tell you the readings aren't making sense.
Does it burn any oil by the way?
30/04/2025 07:53:05 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I'd try the magic box. For a fiver you're not risking much. Unless it fries the ECU......
29/04/2025 14:51:42 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
To clarify Rod, I'm not aware (and I've looked) of any code reader which will permanently delete faults if the fault persists. Hence the EMU has been out and on the bench but couldn't be read.
I might try licking the terminal again.
It can't hurt!
29/04/2025 12:49:06 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Thanks Rod.
I was told if I stand on one leg, wave my arms wildly about and touch the battery terminal with my tongue it would probably work. It didn't.
What you're suggesting Rod is a full system reset. Done already I'm afraid. Dint work. Light came back on. Does anyone know a cure for madness.
Upt.
29/04/2025 12:45:30 UTC
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