1974 800cc V twin in BMW R80 Frame.

coachgeo · Post by **coachgeo** » Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:27 pm

pietenpol2002 wrote:Estonian - as evidenced by the URL suffix ee.

thanx. first ee suffix I've ever seen.

Mouse · Post by **Mouse** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:31 am

Picture the scene, dodgy battery, neighbour letting me jump start from their car, rain, tick-over set way high so it wont stall before I can get somewhere for a new battery.

Then slowing for a busy roundabout and changing down a gear the clutch cable snaps and the engine thumps on at very high tickover but now at full power and I am launched forward like a drop-kicked cat. The rear brake is not enough to stop it and the front just skidded in the wet and the back of the shiny new van loomed up faster than my next insurance premium. So rather than hit the van I pulled the bike sideways and took a glancing angle at the curb and a perfunctory pull at the bars to bump it up but to no avail it just crashed first on one side then bounced up and over and onto the other side and I bounced off the handlebars and into the air landing on my face on the pavement in front of it. All at about 20mph but still fast enough.

I had to limp over to the bike which was dutifully still running at fast tickover as if laughing at my continued failure. Filled with numbness I knew will soon will replaced with pain and I shut the bloody thing off and marvelled at the hundreds of cars flowing past and not one slowed or asked if I was OK.

After geting the bike on the sidestand which was shear agony I took a taxi home and went straight out on the Bandit to get bits to mend the diesel bike etc but after about 40 mins of escalating pain it was obvious I was in need of a visit to casualty. A diagnosis of almost certainly cracking a rib was made and I left with a cocktail of pain killers and told to take it easy. Meanwhile I had to deal with a broken bike on the edge of a busy roundabout so called the cops before going to casualty to tell them it was a simple break down and all was in order and I was arranging for the bike to be trailered away to avoid the £150 recovery fee if the police trailered it for obstructing! My mate who works in the car breakers across town got it with their wagon and took it to their yard and his boss only charged me £20 which I thought was very generous even though it was less than a mile each way.

This is the damage, hardly spectacular but I thought you'd enjoy my continued fail only this time with real pain and misery!

Cracked rocker cover.

Bent exhaust and splatted air filter.

Mangled and maladjusted alternator bracket.

smashed indicator.

Feked footpeg.

General disarray.

[UPDATE]

That was last Thursday (its now Wednesday) and I've since had the head ally welded and attended a party 150 miles away towing the dog trailer all the way. I'm healing and have just put myself on half the original pain killers so I can think clearly again

The 300 mile round trip went very well and I continue to think the bike is a success despite this last blow which was more painful than mechanically catastrophic like the previous ones

Sphere · Post by **Sphere** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:36 am

I think plenty people would have called it quits already, but you just keep on trucking

Hopefully I can see this beast for myself some day. Best of luck with your injuries, wish you a speedy recovery.

Zem · Post by **Zem** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:25 pm

Yea, have a good recovery! That could have happened with any other bike, too!

best regards

Hans

johnfireball · Post by **johnfireball** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:51 pm

Hi,
Looks like a handlebar kill switch might be required. Broke ribs myself in an enfield crash,they take ages to heal I had to sleep in a sitting position for 2 weeks as to lie down was accompanied by extreme pain. Get well soon as cant wait to hear about more escapades on this seemingly cursed bike. Perhaps get it exorcised by local priest.
Regards John.

coachgeo · Post by **coachgeo** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 4:17 am

Can't wait for the movie. This book is getting better and better all the time

Post by **Stuart** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:44 am

I heard a similar story from Germany the other year. Broken clutch cable at a T junction and the bike just didn't stall, pushing itself out into the traffic. Luckily there was none but this could have ended in a similar way.
I think maybe us twin cylinder riders should consider thicker cables, perhaps like those on my Triumph street triple. The inner on that is noticeably bigger than Enfield and most other bikes I see.

Sphere · Post by **Sphere** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:50 am

The Enfield cables are shite. Sorry, no other word for it. I had some new, and they are 1) thin 2) flimsy. I'm sure these two properties are related in some way. For the clutch I now have a home-brazed cable, which is much better.

For my front brake I intend to upgrade the cable as well, because there is quite a bit of stretch in it

Zem · Post by **Zem** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:23 pm

On my bikes, I change the cables for the front break every 10000 km / 6250 miles, no matter how they look like.
All the other cables, especially the clutch are giong to be changed when they start to splice out.

It is, obviously, a problem if the engine makes to much torque to get killed by breaking.

Mouse · Post by **Mouse** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:24 pm

Again with the fails, This time it was pissing out oil like a pissy out oily fountain thingy. Mind you I just scraped in another 500 miles since the last time it packed up.

I looked down and there was more than the expected level of oil on my knees so I stopped to investigate.
Classic copper vibration fatigue on where the olive crushes down onto the copper tube in the compression joint.

UTube vid of the oil leak......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9_t8FdmKjU

This shows it dripping, after poking the tube experimentally the drip tuned to a squirt and almost got me in the eye!

A pleasant place to stop, a nice layby rather than stuck on a fast blind bend!
Molly is retardedly happy as usual.

The oily puddle that formed in about 5 mins tick-over while I poked and prodded about and a failed attempt to nip up the compression joint.

The offending copper tube removed for inspection.

On a closer look there is a crack next to the olive. Blowing down one end of the tube with my thumb over the other resulted in oily bubbles confirming my suspicions about a fatigue crack.

As I carried all my tools to work most days I was equipped with my larger pliers that snipped the end off the tube.

The end was then hammered flat with the aid of the curb stone and a rock.

The end was then carefully folded over a couple of times.

And fitted on the high pressure side of the filter. No oil leak but I was now low on oil so stopped off at the nearest petrol station for a bottle of the most expensive!

I cant see me fixing it properly for a few days

NOTE: On this engine of such a vintage the concept of a oil filter was daringly new and in its infancy of development. Because of this the filter (now replaced with a modern paper element one from a VW diesel car) is an auxiliary component off the main oil gallery. Had I done this to a modern engine filter supply the engine would have had no oil to the bearings and as a result would have been totally destroyed on startup.

Sphere · Post by **Sphere** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:37 pm

Sure hope to shake your hand at Big Knock 2011, the entertainment value of your topic is great

pietenpol2002 · Post by **pietenpol2002** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 1:35 am

A testament to your ingenuity Mouse that you could diagnose and remedy the problem in the field. Your build thread has been both extremely entertaining as well as educational. And I loved Molly's response to the whole matter. But how does she keep her eyes in their sockets with that trailer being unsprung?

Some argue that several coils of the copper tube will absorb some of the vibration and reduce the chances of a vibration induced crack/failure (emphasis on reduce. The potential is still there).

Another option is to go with the braided stainless lines like the chap is using on the Estonian version of your bike for his fuel line. But also more expensive that a piece of copper. And while he has a substantial fuel filter and oil cooler, I see no evidence of an oil filter.

http://static2.album.ee/files/922/41/or ... 7_rnQ1.jpg (click on the pic for the close-up)

Keep up the good work and may Molly enjoy many more.

smokyjoe · Post by **smokyjoe** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:29 am

Hey Mouse, I have to say it, you are beautiful, Bro! That dog trailer is the most innovative thing that I have ever seen in my life! And your dog seems to enjoy it. Your bike is pretty darn good, too. My helmet is off to you, job well done!

I had copper tubing crack like yours did on a pressurized fuel line on my '47 Willys pickup hot rod (more like rat rod) I had when I was a kid. It sprayed gasoline all over the exhaust headers and I to this day don't understand why it didn't go up in flames. It cracked at a fitting same as yours that I had connected to a hose fitting. I didn't think that it had any strain on it at all since the hose was pretty flexible. I wouldn't use copper tubing for anything that was subject to the least vibration at all after that. I've had luck in the past scrounging stainless steel tubing at a few scrap yards, it is sometimes used in refrigeration equipment.

Keep up the posting of your trials and progress!

zarquon · Post by **zarquon** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:44 am

Mouse, are this some shots of your bike?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anachrocom ... 61/detail/

Mouse · Post by **Mouse** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:56 am

Yea, that was a trip out to a Dorkbot evening in Bristol. A 50 mile round trip including the Severn toll bridge (free for bikes)

Mouse · Post by **Mouse** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 11:52 am

The diesel bike is dead.

Last Tuesday it rattled to a halt on the motorway and I got trailered home and today is the first chance I've had to charge the battery and investigate. Horrible banging and clattering and no compression on the left pot (which coincidently has always been the good side)

It's dropped a valve or holed a piston or snarled a con rod or something but either way when I cranked it over just now it sounded like a bucket of broken bits falling down the stairs. Its fecked and I no longer have the energy or motivation to mend it again.

I've had just about five thousand miles clear motoring since the last time it went badly wrong if you don't include the odd oil leak and the exhausts falling off. I'm guessing a total of about eight thousand miles since the day it first went on the road. As it was built as a fuel / money saving exercise and taking into account the fact that I hit the breakeven point of fuel pennies saved over parts bought to build it last November I'm doing to declare the whole project a partial success.

Ironically I received a re-taxing / SORN notification today so its going to get filled in and the bike taken off the road to no doubt be resurrected in some other morbidly mechanical motorised maner.

Post by **Crazymanneil** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:24 pm

Sorry to hear that Mouse, I always liked your creation! Looking forward to seeing the VW beast shaping up.

Neil

zarquon · Post by **zarquon** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:47 pm

heartfelt condolences

Sphere · Post by **Sphere** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:51 pm

Sad

But I'm sure you will return in a fashion noone is expecting

Benzine · Post by **Benzine** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:23 pm

Hey mouse, sorry to hear about your bike

I've read through all this thread and I loved it, you're a real inspiration

Anorak_ian · Post by **Anorak_ian** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:13 pm

That's a dirty stinking shame after all the hard work that you put in.

Dougy · Post by **Dougy** » Mon May 09, 2011 9:32 pm

Its defo not a fail mate, I've just read your thread from start to finish and have learned loads ! as have plenty of other people too probley

MORE MORE !

zarquon · Post by **zarquon** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 2:33 pm

... perhaps with another engine

http://www.allegromat.pl/aukcja64047#gallery

http://www.fotosik.pl/pokaz_obrazek/dfb ... 8fadf.html

http://www.mzmiuw.krakow.pl/index.php/a ... -pad8-3400

Mouse · Post by **Mouse** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:16 am

zarquon wrote:... perhaps with another engine

NNNNOOOooooooooo................the nightmare will never end!!!

dervmonkey · Post by **dervmonkey** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:02 pm

Mouse - I've just seen you on TV - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... _Chancers/

I read this thread a few weeks ago (love the engineering by the way) and then watched this show tonight and recognised it.

I guess the old bill didn't see the funny side of it, sorry to hear that!

Dougy · Post by **Dougy** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:51 pm

jeeze they hated the trailor didnt they, on the plus side though it was bombing along an most of its an easy fix

but I must admit I did chuckle when they said the flashy things broken

Anorak_ian · Post by **Anorak_ian** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:02 pm

I think we should have a new section on the forum for this sort of thing, maybe call it Fame at last or Hall of fame

I hope this doesn't bugger up your future insurance chances Rus.

Mouse · Post by **Mouse** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:16 pm

It was a fixed penalty and fine, hardly serious and also declared on current insurance policy and they said it was no problem. I explained my lights weren't working and the copper was obviously having a bad day

From what I know was also discussed on the night (but not screened) and from what the followers of the show + comments from one of the editors who called me to check consent for publication. The PC can be mean when he wants to. So yea I got off with the proverbial slap and a warning, probably in the name of good TV.

The IPlayer link will die soon so here's the best parts of the show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Uj6_7M ... re=feedlik

Also a comedy edit a friend did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO_7nN-h ... re=feedlik

I've recently scored a Kubota Z482 that the bike will be resurrected with. I've had the offer of a replacement V twin but it's on the far side of Germany and also nearly 500km from the person that spotted it. So even if it was free the logistics and cost of transportation prevents it being a serious option, plus I'm sure you'll understand when I say I've had a guts-full of that make / model

Enjoy.

nanno · Post by **nanno** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:36 pm

We shall watch with great interest...

Dougy · Post by **Dougy** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 10:06 pm

Oh man your defo my hero of the week, I swear I was crying when he said in a deadpan voice ' it's not got much going feh it' I thought yeh cheeky bastard you haven't read his thread

it's Police brutality at it's worst, i'm off to watch it again

DieselBike.net

1974 800cc V twin in BMW R80 Frame.

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