Every now and then you notice that you have a lot of loose notes. These are separate comments. Readers' messages or things from Facebook, the social medium for seniors.
Olafs photo makeovers
There was a reaction from a somewhat refreshed old photo. The photo is a youth photo that once featured in AMK and it is also available in the 2.0 version by Olaf Bok, motorcyclist, computer man and photo geek. Olaf can not only refresh classic black and white photos, he can also digitally restore them. Olaf does this out of fun and for a mutually agreed, almost symbolic, payment. We don't know if his online photoshop course is still running. Olaf (Media ann) can be reached via Feestboek
Italian caveats
The 'little' Guzzis are still very undervalued. They are machines with some real Italian idiosyncrasies. The air filter can hardly be replaced. The jiffy has a built-in warranty for many types. The gearbox vent exudes greasy on top of the block… That sort of thing. They can all be solved. But many of these V-twins have Motoplat ignitions. They are almost perfect. They are only somewhat sensitive to heat, cold, vibrations and water. They are also no longer available. Small Guzzis with a broken ignition should therefore also cost nothing. Because the best replacement for the broken Motoplat is that of Silent Hektik. And that is not a cheap solution. Also nice to know: Guzzi does not supply undersized crankshaft bearings. A broken crankshaft bearing is therefore the end of the block. Good, used crankshafts are rarer than false teeth for goldfish.
Order by number
For the really early Japanese there is certainly still a lot of used stuff for sale from the States (E-bay). But Honda, for example, in its early days, say up to and including the early CB750s, made quite a few 'small', interim changes to production. And then it may just be that the cylinder block from the States fits fine, but that there is just 5 mm difference where the oil from the block should enter the cylinder. You can buy parts for classic Japanese with the original for comparison, next to or by frame number and year of manufacture.
Instant nostalgia
Classic Russian motorcycles are no longer the laughing stock of the week. They have passed the cult stage and are appreciated for what they are. In addition, the prices have not risen to enormous heights, but the days when you had an M72, Ural or Dnepr for € 1.000 are over. In the meantime, the (recent) enthusiasts are now seriously going for 'original' with the M72s from the same time of Harleys 'Liberators'. Beyond that, the characteristic open-mindedness continues to reign. For example, for purely nostalgic reasons, you can easily replace a 1986'er 650 cc overhead valve block of 36 hp with a 23 hp 750 cc side valve of about thirty years older. That just fits one on one, it sounds great, looks fantastic and is fast enough to stay ahead of any traffic jam.
Improper use
In the 2CV - Ugly Ducks world, originality is trumps at the moment. The owners are a bit more flexible in the leather than those of classic BMW motorcycles, but still. The scruffy cars have also become priceless. However, there are still free spirits updating their ducks. For example - in England of course - you can buy sets of hardware to massage BMW four-valve boxers under the hood of Ducks. We think that's a mischievous fun concept.
Do something about it this winter ...
Our classics often have more than patina. They have a past. You can respect that, but sometimes it is useful to do something about it. This way you regularly come across wiring that is no longer quite as they had conceived in the factory. But: the case has been kept on going. And bypasses don't just work well in the heart area. But all those plugs and things are sources of potential problems. And measuring such junk work can make you crazy (rabid). Talented people with patience can make a whole new wire harness themselves. But usually those confused but useful parts can still be ordered. An idea for this winter perhaps?
Spraying ...
Have things professionally sprayed? That costs money. Fortunately, not all classics have paintwork like the R90S or the seventies 'candy' paintwork. Then you can get started with a 'rattle can', a spray can. With the Action you already have such beautiful things for a few euros per bus. But spraying does require a lot of work. For example, some lacquer types 'bite' each other. Then you go to bed very satisfied and wake up the next day. And oh yes: the heat-resistant lacquer of the Action is heat-resistant, but not waterproof. We noticed that on a set of exhaust bends. But maybe we hadn't read the manual properly, something we men are known for.
Ha, Dneprs for 1000 euros were just expensive at the time. My first Dnepr with sidecar cost 420 guilders and for that money was also delivered neatly at home from Poland. Admittedly. the thing only had two gears being the three and the four, but with creative clutch use it was no less. The in-depth investment of 40 guilders and a ride to Friesland gave me a different bucket. An hour of tinkering and the thing functioned as it was intended again.
And rightly so! Get over there with a German or Japanese six-cylinder 🙂 Tightly into the garage. The Ural asks again for Love and Attention…. The good thing
Spray cans of the Action or private labelKarwei etc are quite reasonable.
But to be honest, I think the Motip gives a better result than the cheaper ones.
Yes, they cost a lot more.
But cover a bit better in 1 "swing" so there is often more colorant instead of more "carrier".
It is easier to put on a nice covering layer of lacquer.
Certainly white and red are often difficult in the cheaper version to obtain a sufficiently covering layer.
And tip: keep the cap with the color number on it.
If you have another damage or part that has to be in the same color, the cap often has a sticker with name, color number, article number, etc.
Good tip! Thanks