March issue closing date -> we are closing
All dangerous things – column
“Motorcycling is dangerous”. How many times have we heard that? 'Driving a car, that's dangerous!' An acquaintance living in France was driving his Volvo 740 – yes, a classic! – neatly at speed and neatly in his lane through a long, continuous bend. Wooded mountainside on one side, a step of about 15 meters on the other side of the road. Then we switch to circuit language: there on the French circuit of the N-roads you have fast inside bends and apexes. No idea what those apexes are, by the way. But an oncoming motorcyclist with a circuit obsession took the inside bend at full gallop… Long story short: The motorcyclist entered the Volvo through the windscreen and left the building through the rear window. Our driver was really scared! He could have had a heart attack! That's how dangerous driving is!
But if you – like most of us classic car drivers – have your hormones somewhat under control, you can statistically prove that housework is much more dangerous. And with that you have a clear excuse to ban cleaning gutters, climbing on household ladders and pruning in the garden. Because: 'Too dangerous!' When vacuuming, you can trip fatally over the cord and when cleaning the toilet, it can shoot you in the back. Fortunately, we still have the stronger sex that dares to take those risks.
We are cautious and avoid risks
What we did do out of sheer sensibility, is to buy a solid lifting bridge. They don't cost the world anymore - just look at our advertisers - and despite a somewhat stiff back, they allow us to tinker without any problems. There is one caveat to this. It's nice if the front wheel catcher automatically folds down. Then your two-wheeler is at least upright. The bridge here was fitted with such a folding catcher afterwards. Which meant that another one had to be bought for what it was actually intended for: neatly storing mopeds in the overcrowded garage.
Fortunately, our advertisers also have those things for a nice price. With the front wheel in the clamp, the motorcycle stands upright. But it is not stable. And you will not be the first to lie surprised under your fallen motorcycle. So before you do anything else, secure the motorcycle with a set of tension straps. Even if it is on the bridge on its center stand. In addition, the tension straps at the front are not a panacea. Because in the event of pure coincidence or pure bad luck, the motorcycle can then 'hinge' around its steering head. Secure those rear tension straps as high as possible for optimum stability. The rear end is then supported in a triangle and rock solid.
When working on the engine, we use the rule on autopilot: "Battery disconnected when working". Except of course when you are working on the wiring. In terms of electrical safety, it is always useful to check whether components are 'fused'. Because with only 1 main fuse from the battery power supply, you are only poorly endowed. And if a hard core originality freak has comments on those additions? Give him right. That is enough.
In our classics, the full on-board voltage for the lighting tends to flow over the steering or headlight circuit. They can get pretty hot from that at a certain age. First, let the 6 or 12 Volt in the switch work with a relay. That relay then sends the on-board voltage in free fall to where it should be.
Then drive carefree, behave like a gentleman/lady in traffic and watch out for oncoming traffic in the same lane.
Nothing wrong.
One fine day (many years ago already) I saw a sidecar combination at a certain motorcycle shop in Hengelo. Nothing special in itself because that was his trade. Long story short; I bought it. It was a BMW R 1100 RS with a 1,5 person sidecar attached to it. I asked if you wouldn't have any problems with that if you cram 1.5 people in there, but apparently that was not known because I didn't get an answer.
This motorcycle comes standard with a beautiful fairing that can be finished fairly quickly with some screwing, except on the right side where some impressively stable pipes run to give the engine and the span a reasonably stable unit.
Because the original battery was apparently ready for retirement, I got a new Gel battery with it. (You can just put it in.)
That was a bit disappointing. To get to the battery, the fairing has to come off first (on the right side that is very difficult)< and the tank has to come off. That is actually quite easy, only if you want to loosen the front attachment point, the fairing really has to come off. So that means lifting it as far as possible and filling it with wood. At the cost of a few bruised hands, it is then possible to place and connect the new battery.
After 2 weeks the new battery was defective. After some statements that are not appropriate here I placed a car battery in the trunk of the sidecar and connected it to the engine with some thick cables. That is much more work than replacing a battery, but then you are done.
Towards the end of the year I thought it was time for some fresh oil with filter and a few fresh spark plugs. What could be difficult about that? Well, with this moped the spark plugs are not like with the previous models at 45 degrees in the head, but right in the middle. So you need a spark plug wrench with a decent extension. On the left that works fine, but on the right the sidecar is about 5 cm from the head. That doesn't work. So you first have to loosen the 4 previously mentioned sturdy rods so that you can pull the bike to the left and the sidecar goes to the right. This makes the distance twice as big that a wrench fits in. Always handy if the right spark plug gives up the ghost while on the road.
Then of course it is time for some fresh oil. Then the fun really begins. We start with the crankcase; where is the drain plug and where is the oil filter?
With a mirror (do it secretly because the wife is not always happy with a make-up mirror with engine oil) I searched the bottom and indeed, there was the drain plug and the oil filter. Of course, the thing is positioned in such a way that you can only loosen it with a suitable filter wrench, and of course you don't have one. When that problem is solved, the next thing immediately presents itself; the combination is equipped with car wheels and because of that and because some strong connecting rods run under the crankcase, no catchment device fits underneath to catch the oil. If we go to the cardan, we find the same problem with the ground clearance there. Then we still have the change gearbox. Where on earth is that filler and drain plug?
That turned out to be on the right side of the moped, so in that small space between the moped and the span. There appears to be a filler plug and drain plug above each other where the drains are in a deep bore of about 8 cm and because the exhaust is right underneath it there is absolutely no possibility to catch the oil. Filling it should go a bit better then?
So you don't have room to get anything in that hole. First try a 112mm copper tube with a bend.
Don't want to?? Inspect with a mirror!! You can't see it. Flashlight with it. In the opening there is a kind of cross that according to me can only serve as a coarse dirt filter. The only option left is an oil syringe, you know; such a small thing that you have to operate with your thumb or fingers. Do you know how much oil fits in the change gearbox of a BMW? and how much oil fits in such a syringe?
With a motor hoist I put the rear wheel on a ramp where you can drive a car on. Then I do the same with the sidecar wheel and finally the front wheel goes on the lifting table where the solos usually stand. With the foot pump I can then level everything. What a nice hobby we have.
After reading this story, you quickly get the impression that you are really dreading it when it is time for another turn?
Then you understood that correctly.
and
Still looking for a solution to get my Dnepr MT 16 with powered sidecar on my lift. Too narrow, the bridge then. Are there those who have experience with an attachment?
Many things can be dangerous, including tinkering with a motorcycle where it can fall over. As long as you can easily reach it without having to fold up or lie on the ground with a bad back, it is doable, right. Regarding the falling over, I have found my own method and it works fine. My very bad back benefits from it too. Disadvantage: Here is the attachment in the picture with which Blauwtje hangs on the hook. Disadvantage: That attachment is not universal, so for a different motorcycle a different attachment will have to be made.
In the past, there were also people with stories about lives that were saved by NOT wearing a seat belt.
Motorcyclists are 2% of traffic and 12% of traffic fatalities. That is a factor of six. It is no different….
The number of retarded drivers, with or without the influence of alcohol or drugs, is the biggest factor, sir!!
I don't tension the bike, but I do use an extra scissor lift under the block or frame tubes, with the rear wheel rotating freely.
The substantial investment of around €500 for a decent lifting table will be recouped with the ease of use of the keys (mind your back!).
If you have to lift a block in or out of a frame on your bare knees, you know what I'm talking about...three days of back pain.
My old side valves were not secured at all from the factory, but also had a lifespan of '30 days without maintenance'.
These were the demands of the US Army..
I fiddled a bimetal self-resetting automatic fuse between them for some security... I rarely drive with the lights on.
Now, electricity isn’t really my thing; I can still manage to install a wiring harness, but I prefer to leave faults and electrical gremlins to the real those-in-the-know.
To each his own..
Ha, tracking down electro gremlins is my thing.
I earn good money with it.