My 2 non Hondas

[MrDavo]

The Zed and the HD outside together last week.



the Zed is fine but sometimes there's a dribble from the carb overflow that soon stops (I need to recheck the float levels, one may a a bit high), plus a leak from where the Pingel tap goes into the tank, more PTFE tape needed?

We're off to the Hebrides on the HD next weekend - I only keep it as our 'holiday' bike, but the bike has other ideas. Having got an MOT a couple of weeks ago, we went for a test ride on Sunday, only to find a fork oil seal had failed - the right side of the bike was covered in fork oil, it was smoking where it had gone on the pipes and my leather jeans now have one leg more waterproof than the other! Luckily it didn't get on the brakes. I'm afraid I ain't going on the Z1A, I don't want to mess it up from its brand new condition plus I worry if I can't see it, it's worth thousands in bits. This may bring me to sell it, no point in keeping it if I'm going to be so precious about it.

New seals ordered and in the post, it should be sorted by Friday as long as I'm not let down, glad it went now and not once I got to Scotland! I'll keep you posted.

[philward]

Bet you have to stop for petrol quite often Dave - judging by the size of the HD fuel tank!

[MrDavo]

Yes, it holds a whole 2 gallons, but at least the bike does 50mpg! There is a bigger 'Custom' tank, but its nothing like as cool - a Sportster with the 'peanut' tank (apparently 'borrowed' from an HD lightweight for the dirt track bikes back in the 50's) had been on my bucket list since I used to buy 'Easy Rider' from the newsagent as a spotty youth.

Its been round most of the coast of Ireland on it (at the cost of a crank, it got me home but with the big end making a noise like a skeleton abusing itself in a dustbin), as well as the North Coast 500 in Scotland, so yes, range was a challenge at times. We were lucky on the first day of the NC500, meeting, at a petrol station, a load of scooter riders who were just finishing the ride going the other way. Realising that they have tiny fuel tanks like lawn mowers I went and had a word, and came away with a copy of a list of all the petrol stations that they'd put together, including whether they were open on Sundays! Once upon a time we'd have been trying to murder each other, these days we all have 2 wheels in common so that's fine.

The nearest we got to running out was going over the A9 near Dalwhinnie, having gone onto reserve miles before, I pulled off the main road to find the old road going through the village, where there was an open cafe with a petrol pump! Also Malin Head in Eire we had a similar drama, that's as remote as it gets, but we found a shop nearby with a single pump, I could have kissed the lady running the shop!

[MrDavo]

A quick update, On Sunday, after our ride I ordered a set of Pyramid fork seals from xanadu-eight on the bay of fleas. I stressed the urgency, they were posted first thing Monday and arrived Tuesday.



The seal, and dust seal above were well shot, and had split halfway up. The biggest bugbear I've always had with that bike was that it was assembled dry, a few cents worth of assembly lube would make such a difference 17 years down the line. The fork yoke screws (steel into alloy) are the same, never been out, exposed to the elements where the yoke is 'split' and they were so not moving that there was every risk of breaking them or buggering up the torx heads. Not too bad if you have weeks, not an option when you have 3 days, so it had to be done with the fork tubes in place, making it harder.

I'm doing the other seal when I get back, too much of a coward to try doing both to such a tight deadline in case I screw one up, but I'm taking the spare seal to the Hebrides with me. We had a test ride yesterday, and a test pack today, we set off after the cats are safely in prison tomorrow. Saturday night we will be finding out how the Scots do the Jubilee by visiting the Wetherspoons in Dumbarton for a bijou dining experience. What could possibly go wrong?

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Weatherspoons are overbooked & have run  out of beer.

[taysidedragon]

Well done Dave. I hope the bike doesn't let you down on your trip.
Are you coming over to the East Coast, Dundee, Angus glens, Arbroath area on the journey? The Davidson Legacy cottage is over here, where Mr Davidson grew up before moving to Yankeeland. A big pull for H-D fans.

[MrDavo]

Not this time TD, we went over your side when we did the NC500. We're going up to Oban, then its a 4 hour ferry out to the most southerly part of the Hebrides and then we work our way North. Coming back to Ulapool from Stornaway, then back south again.

I didn't know about the Davidson heritage, when we went to do the NC500 we found Aviemore was full of HDs, the Thunder in the Glen rally. Nowhere to stay so we pushed on but it did look fun.

[taysidedragon]

Not this time TD, we went over your side when we did the NC500. We're going up to Oban, then its a 4 hour ferry out to the most southerly part of the Hebrides and then we work our way North. Coming back to Ulapool from Stornaway, then back south again.

I didn't know about the Davidson heritage, when we went to do the NC500 we found Aviemore was full of HDs, the Thunder in the Glen rally. Nowhere to stay so we pushed on but it did look fun.

The islands are great. Have a good trip! 👍😎

[MrDavo]

Well we’re in Dumbarton, and the weather is glorious!
We had a couple of pints sat in the sun at the Counting House, then a Staroprama at the ‘Spoons. The bus driver coming back was a bit unsure of where we were trying to get to, but let us ride for free, great as my bus pass doesn’t work in Scotland. Petrol prices are horrific but at least the Sportster does 50mpg.

We have realised that the dark skies in the Hebrides will be a bit of a washout because this far North it doesn’t get that dark in June, when we went to Iceland in the summer we never saw it go dark, people were wearing sunglasses at Midnight! 

The bike is behaving itself, tomorrow morning we’re off to Oban for the ferry to Barra. No pictures till we get back, I can’t host then until I get back to my PC.