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Messages - Orcade-Ian
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31
« on: March 26, 2024, 08:31:15 AM »
Hi Florence,
I've watched this particular thread with great interest having ridden a great variety of bikes for touring and know that asking a question like that could produce as many different replies as there are bikes. BUT, I fully agree with Davidcumbria regarding pillion comfort - that is so important and his idea of a Pan would give you that (as would a 1500 'Wing - but I'm biased!). For us, another very important feature, not bike choice related would be a decent intercom - we've used them for over 30 years, firstly wired, now wireless and you can link most to phones and sat-nav.
Integrated luggage is another consideration (with removable bags) - our 1500 'Wing was 2 inches narrower than my mate's BMW K100 RT.
Ian
32
« on: March 25, 2024, 12:30:04 PM »
Hi Mike,
You will find a great difference between LE and JOG - apart from the obvious distance. Lots of places around JOG that are more interesting and less 'touristy'. Fuel can be more difficult to find, so plan carefully but if you do make the trip, we might get over the Firth for a meet up - unless Orkney is on the cards for you too? Same applies though and depends on what we are all up to at the time.
Ian
33
« on: March 24, 2024, 01:09:16 PM »
Hi Ste,
and welcome to this great forum - lots of 400/4 owners on here (me too!) and a wealth of knowledge to tap into. I have a few bits and pieces from owning 5 of these bikes, shout if you need help. My Wife is a 'Sandgrounder' and I lived there for 30 years.
Ian
34
« on: March 24, 2024, 10:40:45 AM »
Sorry Dave,
Forgot to reply to your bit about the carrying strap - great idea! Not sure about the others but I'm averse to carrying anything about and prefer to shove the helmet, gloves and waterproofs in a top box but it also allows me to carry puncture repair stuff and maybe a flask and a butty if I'm away from sustenance. I sometimes even take my wallet!
Ian
35
« on: March 24, 2024, 07:59:07 AM »
Of course Simon,
Send me £5k and it's yours! I'll even throw in a Shiny Orange bike with it! But seriously, many thanks for letting me have first dibs on the silencer - I have done quite a few miles on it this last season and even took it to two of our shows - the Annual Classic motor show in August and the Science festival display by the St Magnus Cathedral in September. The staining was not that noticeable once fitted but it was certainly worth having it done. I'll get around to doing the front wheel when I get my bike bench free again and then apart from a bit of regular maintenance, that's about it for that one. Might be getting close to running out of projects!
As a complete aside I have just finished modifying a magneto drive sprocket for a mate up here - it's from a 1920's V Twin Blackburn engine that came from a Bleriot Whippet cycle car. He's fitted the engine into an old Sunbeam frame and calls it a 'Sunburn'. Another compulsive collector here has even got the old log book from the original car!
As you can tell we love being in Orkney, every day's a school-day!
Ian
36
« on: March 23, 2024, 06:44:09 PM »
You are right Dave (plus the others!) and I normally send my stuff to Prestige but their turn-around time is really long these days. Quality Chrome in 'Ull had made such a good job of my Ducati Elite parts, especially the clip-ons which were very poor, that I decided to send them an email with pics. Keith said he could tackle it, so off it went. I'm well chuffed as many will know they are virtually unobtainable, even secondhand.
Magpie, I hate travelling any distance without the ability to carry a few essentials and have somewhere to put my helmet if I go walkabout, so decided to make the rack which my Honda mount plate and top box fit. You can buy one but it means repositioning the indicators and it's not a 2 minute job to fit or remove and has to be 'sprung' over the shocker mounts. Mine is in two halves with those alloy top bars bolted on and very easily removable. I even made some dummy spacers for the cissy bar bolts when it's not fitted.
Ian
37
« on: March 23, 2024, 04:17:24 PM »
Just got the silencer back from Quality Chrome in Hull - this is the one I got from Simon last year which was battery acid stained. They have made a great job of it and it fits well with the overall condition of the rest of the bike - never meant to be a show piece but a rider.
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
I also re-rimmed the rear wheel and plated the spokes. Unfortunately with one of those heavily scripted DID jobs from DS.
Will do the front one when time permits.
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Also made a qd rack which fits without moving the indicators and can be removed in a few minutes if necessary.
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
Ian
38
« on: March 21, 2024, 12:49:01 PM »
Bryan will be right Johnny, BSF and Whit - my big Britool set (A/F as well) is at Leslie A's after the AJS work - you are welcome to use those when he's done - probably already. Not sure what happened to that big box of magnetos we cleared from the Watts shed in Stromness after he passed away. We shifted over 30 engines from there - some really rare ones.
Ian
Forgot to say, I have BSF and Whit taps and dies upto 5/8 if you need them Plus just a few CEI.
39
« on: March 21, 2024, 11:05:22 AM »
Wow Johnny,
That's a real find and you just HAVE to bring that one back to life. As you well know better than anyone, there is a big following for small stationary engines here in Orkney and probably spare parts buried in sheds. I'm sure Donnie, John (at Handest) and our new OVC chairman will know something about it. Shout if you need any bits machining. Looking closely at the second pic down on the lower right hand side - I'm sure you were wearing that shirt last time I saw you 🤡
Ian
40
« on: March 19, 2024, 04:44:38 PM »
I hope you are right Skoti,
Although I'll be 75 when I'm away on my trip, I can normally find my way around computers and automated systems but this last experience has made me all the more determined to kick against this and just vote with my feet. I've only scratched the surface in the original post of the problems I've had with these numpties and the number of wasted hours trying to sort things out - right from the first dealings with them and should have just bit the bullet with PJ. They (PJ) were very fair to say they wouldn't be competitive but if you include the time wasted and stress involved, it would have been worth any extra even back then.
This shite goes right across the board - energy, telecomms, councils, healthcare and much more - we need to rise up and put a stop to it,
Ian
41
« on: March 19, 2024, 03:42:01 PM »
The insurance on my latest steed - the Forza runs out mid April but because of this forthcoming trip to Germany and Austria, I wanted to increase the mileage for the next policy and add EU breakdown cover. I logged on to the 'portal' and tried to find contact details - I won't say the company name but apparently you only have to make 'One Call'  - except you can't! They send no reply emails, there is no phone number and if you receive a text, you can't reply to that either. So you request a chat - for the last few days i've been number 48, 37 and today 22 in the queue. I eventually got through (27 mins) and told them I don't want to renew and not to do any auto renewal. They then tried to re-quote cheaper but I gave up and ended the chat before I got abusive. All my classics and the Super Cub are with PJ but they said when I was buying the bike that they would not be competitive - hence a separate policy. After lunch today, 4 minutes after picking up the phone to PJ, I'm sorted and they will include the Forza with unlimited mileage and EU breakdown cover for a very good price. Hopefully I will escape ever having to deal with these 'Chat' systems again where you can feel your blood pressure rising and your life ebbing away! Too many rants used up today, will have to borrow some from next week! Ian
42
« on: March 18, 2024, 12:54:18 PM »
Hi Jan,
Never been diving but love those TV programs showing what's under water - another World. Obviously Orkney attracts many divers with all the wrecks and the rapidly decaying scuttled German fleet. Thanks for the PM - I'll be in touch as we might return to Europoort via Zierikzee to avoid those busy parts around south Rotterdam. I sympathise with you about having a 12kg belt made of lead - I've got one made of fat!
You are leaning against an open door Ted, having all this gear on and needing a pee can be troublesome - Christine has just altered my latest riding pants - they had an integral flap across the front and if you were not careful, the stream was directed in equal amounts down each leg!
Ian
43
« on: March 17, 2024, 08:31:05 AM »
Hi Jan B,
It's certainly a lovely place to have a ride - especially on a day like yesterday and great to have a visit from Johnny - that bike sounded lovely and he has already worked some magic on it but I'm sure there will be more to come.
Not sure where in the Netherlands you are but you too have some lovely coastal places to visit plus those very special islands to the north. We had a good friend in Friesland (Leeuwarden) who sadly passed away last year and we visited her for over 30 years in your wonderful country.
A small group of us are away on a tour in late May to Austria and will be riding from Europoort via Tilburg, Eindhoven and into Germany by Aachen, so will get to sample some Dutch hospitality on the way. Unfortunately we will not be on our Classic Hondas!
Ian
44
« on: March 16, 2024, 10:34:56 PM »
Ted,
From our place in the north west corner of Mainland Orkney where Johnny came for a visit, to the southern tip at Burwick, it's about 48 miles - so 96 miles round trip. If we make a few detours like to Deerness in the 'Far East' or round by Evie on the return, I have often done 150 miles on one trip. Bugger! I think I forgot to charge him for the tea!
Ian
45
« on: March 16, 2024, 01:19:45 PM »
Hello Hubert,
Yes, I remember that Run - must be some years back now? Let me know when you might be venturing North and I'll see if we can meet up. I'm away on the Forza to Germany and Austria late May/early June but around most of the rest. Are you still involved with the sheep? (Behave yourselves at the back!)
Ian
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