
January 18, 2020

Thanks. If it helps, Classic Car Leds sells a plastic BA9S holder that is 12mm dia and a fairlry good fit in the hole (he does say can be used in Smiths chrono speedos), but will need holding in with something though.
Incidentally, the speedo has holes or slots in the sides, if you only take the top cover and glass off, especially for the purpose of getting at things to apply a bit of lubrication. Namely, both ends of the odometer spindle, the cable entry worm drive, and directly opposite, the balance wheel, which is the fastest moving bit of the lot so would be a good idea to make it accessible for checking it's general state of health, and oiling. I am well impressed by that.
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.

January 18, 2020

Thoughts I had early this morning -
1. I now think the speedo cable was a new one, complete, but never been greased. It looks like ditto for the clutch nd brake cables.
2. There are four new grease nipples, but not any others replaced. Why not all of them? A bit odd so I bought some more as I was able to unscrew a couple more of the originals. One of these is for the steering head, which appears to have been rebuilt, as there's a trace of clean new grease on the outside at the bottom (and I didn't put it there). removed, I can look through the hole to the stem inside which is also painted green!
3. Ditto left hand rear plunger, could poke a plastic tube from a WD40 can through then look through and see the centre rod and it all looks clean. However neither (this or the steering head) have since seen a grease gun (yet), else there'd be loads of grease.
4. And why do all this but not put a new rear chain on? Maybe he ran out of time, or money. All a bit bizarre, the way some things are done OK but other things are just left or bodged.
5. All along I've been convinced this is actually a D3, 150cc, but now I'm not sure. My basis was the head and barrel shape. It looks exactly the same as my first 150cc D3. However engine number says D1, battery lighting. Even that's not right because there are only two wires in the generator, and two of the four terminal posts ('2' & '3') are not used ('2' is completely missing & '3' doesn't have a screw). This says AC lighting, backed up by the centrally mounted toolbox (no battery holder).
The engine is a replacement at some time, it is not the original, the number is different. Stamp is saying "DDB", = D1, but head and barrel style are saying to me 148cc D3. Did the 125cc top end change to the later more rounded 150cc style at some point? Or, can you put the 150 barrel head and piston top end onto a D1? (but see below...)
Addendum
Then I saw some info here about carbs, so I looked, the carb says on it 361/1, which again, I've just learned, should be D1 only!
Meanwhile, the tank filler cap being on the right side is saying D3.
Mysteries, mysteries!
Answers on a postcard to .....
Addendum - kill the front page
Right, I've just seen a post talking about "the early 'Pineapple' barrel type D1's" versus "the later 'Round' barrel D1's" (re head gaskets)
So that answers that question! It IS a 125 then.
Unless it's been modified ......
Addendum III
OK! So I have a stud pitch of 55mm. What does that tell us? Late D1 onwards... correct for 1955 (except the engine No. is not the original)
Carry on regardless...
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.

June 23, 2013


April 19, 2018

Earlier bikes a had a left hand filler. The right hand filler cap was a later mod. Supposed to give more chance for the fueloil to mix before reaching the fuel tap. Apparently. 🙂
'55 D3 Battery; '58 Square Four (project); '59 D1 direct lighting plunger; '59 Tiger Cub; '60 5TA; '76 FS1-E; '91 GTR 1000; '97 Honda Sky SGX50.

January 18, 2020

Thanks both. I recently learned about the filller cap, ir's so the oil don't go straight down to the carb as soon as you put it in, and has a chance to get stirred in.
Next Question
Any tips for locikng the gearbox sprocket using the chain? I DON'T want to tear down to top end just to used the small end eye for that.
Any reason not to put a bar thru the back wheel?
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.

November 16, 2011

** Please log in to view **
Left-hand thread of course.
I`m happy to use a small piece of hardwood between sprocket teeth and a STRONG area of crankcase alloy, only using the spanner, no extensions or hammers. Employed that method on many bikes, using my noddle obviously.
As a fellow owner of Guzzi v-twins, who wants chains eh...
Blue

January 18, 2020


January 18, 2020

Notes on LED lighting.
The warm white BAY15D from Classic Cars Leds is same brightness and colour, as far as I can see, as a 6V 21/5W incandescent I got (new). At least in terms of the tail light, not sure about the brake light.
I much prefer it to the all red LED BAY15D which is too red! And much lower current than the warm white, to me this seems wrong, want more power than that surely? The warm white draws >=140 mA for tail, >=270 mA for brake, so I am going with that for the mo.
The BAY15D incandescent bulb doesn't fit the Lucas pattern rear lamp properly! is slightly too long.
The LED versions fit perfectly.
A comparison test showed the low profile BA9S warm white LED (also from Classic Car Leds) is brighter than the equiv 2W incandescent bulb, so that's staying in the speedo. The hard white BA9S, with the sort of hardness that makes your eyes hurt, that's gone in the headlamp pilot position, it might be annoying to look at but I got an idea it might get me more noticed on the road.
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.

January 18, 2020

Few more photos.
Bit of a milestone point – the speedo is the first finished bit that can be bolted back on when I'm ready.
Shiny new bulb holder (original missing) with warm white LED BA9S bulb, shiny new long nuts (the single surviving original is manky horrible rust):
Shiny new dial!
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.

January 18, 2020

Rear mudguard nearly finished.
Shiny new screws and nuts, shiny new plate from Tippers, looks and fits more betterer ...
New wiring going in:
Onwards ...
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.

January 18, 2020

Question
What do you guys use for the rear spindle locknuts? Looks like needs a very flat open-ended spanner. I can't remember what the hell I did before... maybe just tightened the outer ones! (?)
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.

November 16, 2011

Ah you see, you`ve gone all metric on us...but you couldn`t metric-fy that area 🙂
Some of the old open-enders were nice and slim for these sort of jobs, bicycle spanner thin almost. My toolbox has a few open-end spanners I`ve ground down for fiddly shaft and stem jobs. I have a few ring spanners I`ve ground down too, to get rid of the radius into them, that causes slippage on old nuts that may be a bit worse for wear.
Blue

January 18, 2020


January 18, 2020


November 16, 2011

A decent bicycle spanner might be strong enough to hold a spindle nut to tighten another onto....it`s only a little Bantam. Those nuts aren`t going anywhere once you`ve wanged up the main outer nuts.
Is Stickney carboot up and running yet...usually plenty of old spanners there? Also very often some old motorbike/bicycle spanners on a well known auction site.

January 18, 2020

No idea. Also possible, gas bottle spanner, aka, bottled gas spanner.
T'Internet has furnished two possibles, we shall see. Yes only needs to be summat to hold nut still, bicycle cone spanner is one candidate, t'other is gas bottle spanner.
All will be revealed in due course ...
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.

January 18, 2020


January 18, 2020

Lost my bag of new engine screws, hate losing things really winds me up, the amount of time I spend looking for stuff. Was not in the "usual places" (piles and boxes of Bantam stuff) as it should be, so then I thought "wait a minute did I" – sure enough I had "filed it" away in one of my boxes of stock nuts and bolts in the spare room – still slapping myself for being an idiot. Really didn't want to have to buy a new set, although I have done that in the past, can't find a thing so end up buying a new one. Then about 7 months later the original turns up in a totally unexpected place that you wouldn't think to even start looking in 'cause it can't possibly be in there! One time, I'd put a thing in the filing cabinet FFS – "to keep it safe" – yeah so flippin' safe I can't find it again. Also, must never move things, else that's it, kiss of death that is, that's why my place always looks so untidy, just must not tidy up. Or that's it, gone!
Anyway – project stalled due to lethargy, I am blaming the weather, but also since I realised it's not going to all happen in a rush anyway. Originally it was going to 2 or 3 days just to get it ready for the road, but as we've seen it's turned out to be much more complicated. Nearly everything I take off has some silly issue with it that needs sorting. Today's is sorting out new pinch bolts for the bottom yoke clamps. The originals are very tired looking and been painted over.
Also I've been designing the new wiring and working out a way of adding a battery, since it'll have to be rewired anyway, and then designing a regulator, that's done and I am now waiting for a batch of PCB's to be made. Got the components waiting so can make a protoype when they come through.
Meantime need to get on with what I've got, I have spent a frightening sh!t load of money over the previous month, not all for the Bantam admittedly, but it's bread and cheese for the next couple of months!
Also I need to get the Ural ready for its first MOT, had to remove the sidecar brake disc because it doesn't work (how much time have you got for an explanation) – and the MOT rules say a sidecar does not have to have a brake but if it does it must work. So although there's no caliper and the hydraulics that go with it, I figured a disc on the hub is still going to look odd. This was a total complete barsteward to remove, due to the button head Allen screws being glued in with loctite. 2 came out, the other 3 had to have the heads drilled off, then an almighty struggle to unscrew the studs using molegrips. They fought back every single fraction of a turn.
The other tidy up for the MOT, when I changed the dualseat to a Lycette pattern single saddle, I left the pillion footrest on; it is also the bolt had holds the R/H silencer on, previously (the first time I tried a single saddle) I had got the short stud that is used instead in the absence of, but it is further complicated by that it also includes the rubber rebound buffer for the swingarm on the right side. So all this has to be replaced. Anyway already had it so just a case of swapping them over because again it's going to look odd for the test having a pillion footrest sticking out (it's not a fold-up type so can't just take the folding up part off) and no pillion seat to go with it.
Onwards! If we've got enough energy ...
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.

January 18, 2020

Can't get the clutch cable off at the gearbox end – seems to be hung up somehow – I've reversed it so it's pointing backwards, pulling and pushing, levering with screwdrivers, nuthin. Don't want to know. And of course can't see in there properly. What am I doing wrong? Memory (from my D3 I had before) says it should just fall out.....
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-
Apart from that, I'm so glad I didn't try riding it home from Doncaster – look at the state of this (same clutch cable) ...
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This is apart from almost no oil in gearbox, knackered chains, rear tyre rubbing on mudguard (wheel misaligned + chain too long) etc. etc. etc....
Almost everything I take off this bike has something wrong with it. That's partly why it's taking so long I have to keep stopping and work out how to sort a problem out.....
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.
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