Buzzing After a Bimble

[jerrydevon]

Hi All
I've been out for a 70 mile bimble this afternoon and I've come back grinning from ear to ear. My bike is 21 years old and has only been used for ambling to work by the previous 2 owners, until I got my hands on it! I've been taking it out on longer and longer trips and have probably covered around 200 miles in the last couple of weeks (It would be more but work got in the way). It's held up and gone pretty well up until today. It seems that I've blown the last of the cobwebs out the engine because she absolutely flew and on the hills where she usually struggled, she was pulling.
I rode from my house in Northam (North Devon), past Clovelly, Kilkhampton, through to Bude where I had to refuel. Then onto Holsworthy, Hatherleigh, Torrington, Bideford and then back to Northam. They were A & B roads and took 2 hours in total.
There were a couple of big bikes that were filling up at Bude also, they took off but I came across them at Hatherleigh. The roads are windy and one overtook me but the other stayed behind for a while as I was keeping up with the first rider around the bends, but the funny thing was that they couldn't shake me off around the tight bends. I was flat out and still had them in my sights for a few miles and only lost them on the big hills. (Hopefully a new respect for the Honda Cub). Top speed 58, flat out most of the way and didn't miss a beat, fantastic!
It was great fun but it would have been better with a companion or two.
I am so looking forward to Rhayader.
Jez.

[Leiba]

The tortoise and the hare. I love all that. Living in London with it's congested streets you can't really get any speed out of it but it's a great bike for 'leapfrogging'. At the lights all the big stuff roars away at speed, then at the next set of lights up I come poodling through the traffic and sit beside them again. The lights turn green and we do it all again. Ho hum.
I'm hoping to have a little bimble on my 'new' bike tomorrow. I took it out today for the first time but it was to run errands mainly so only a small 12 mile round trip.
It does have a problem though that needs to be sorted.

[jerrydevon]

Hi leiba,
It was very satisfying to keep with these bikes and wandering what they were thinking. A HONDA 90!!!
It has been a great day for a ride now the wind has turned southerly, the temperature has gone up 8 degrees. I didn't need my scarf and didn't feel cold at all. I'm going to have to complete my VAT return tomorrow, so will not be able to go out. How frustrating! Never mind, the summer is coming and hope to have a few meets for a ride.
What is your new bike and what's the problem?
Are you going to ride it to Rhayader?
Jez

[Leiba]

It's a 2002 red 90 with 46++ on the clock. It's obviously been down with quite a whack as the silencer is pushed into the bike and there's a problem with the rear brake.


The brake lever is too high/footrest too low.

[jerrydevon]

I don't know what caused that, but it's had quite a wallop! A little re-bending needed but it doesn't look like anything major (but then I'm no expert). You need to get it done to be able to ride it to Rhayader. Are you going?

[Leiba]

Hoping to.
I'm going to diconnect the brake rod later and check to see if the brake arm is in the right place. it might have been set wrong to take up the slack in worn brakes.

[Boo]

Leiba... that brake pedal's definitely bent.
It should rest up under the exhaust pipe, which it looks like it's doing, so to get that high (in fact to be any higher than standard) it is most certainly bent upwards. It's definitely not anything to do with the adjustment at the rear end, so leave that be.

This is the only pic I've got and the bike's not standard, but look at the bend in the middle of this pedal - that's standard honda and yours has a much bigger bend. It'll probably have come off to be straightened (dunno how it will have happened - they're strong buggers!!) which means removing the centre stand pin. If I was there I could probably straighten it in situ, but with techniques I could do but not describe!! (accurate application of large forces) Any leverage heads in London to lend a hand??
I've a few spare pedals lying around you could have one but they're all in Lancashire.

[Leiba]

I beat the seller down on the price because of that and the silencer but at the time I didn't realise just how bad it was. I've just been out on it and I seem to have got used to it somewhat but I have to move my footsideways and up to use it. How the hell they passed it for the MOT I don't know. Maybe because they don't actually sit on it and try things it was missed because the brakes certainly do work.
I can easily compare it to Nuttys, (when I can get down in the cellar) but I don't think I really need to, it's obviously bent and so is the silencer bracket.
Maybe I'll wait until Rhayader and big strong men with know-how and muscles to attack it, gently.

[Pjam]

Oh I can bend stuff alright, famous for it.

Hope we haven't highjacked yer bimble there Jerry? You certainly have a fantastic patch for riding, I remember Holsworthy, Hatherleigh etc as I once lived in Okehampton. Lydford Gorge is, I think, one of the most beautiful places around!

[jerrydevon]

I am lucky living in this area and you're not hijacking anything. It continues the thread and is getting more interesting than my waffle anyway.