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Messages - Orcade-Ian
1
« on: October 18, 2026, 09:03:49 AM »
A belated welcome to this wonderful forum Tommi, I've not had a 500/4 but still have 350/4, 400/4 and more recently recommissioned a 550/4, bought from one of the forum members. I got lots of help and parts from many of the forum members - hope you are as successful!
I'm also a Mini man - have owned 32 of them and still have a Clubman Estate which I built from a very lightly damaged, almost new shell and all of the parts from a crashed 1999 Cooper LE.
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This was taken on our way to the IMM in Bavaria in the Neckar Valley back in 2010, all the way from Orkney!
My 400/4 also has a '666' registration but I'm not into devil worship!
Ian
2
« on: October 08, 2026, 10:04:46 AM »
I've got a really good tank and side panels to go with it! Just saying 😉
Ian
3
« on: October 06, 2026, 02:28:50 PM »
Very good original (not copies) tank and side panels painted in Ford Metallic black with gold decals. I did these (bare metalled) many years ago and the bike was ridden for about 8 years. I replaced them with Varnish blue ones and just put these away. Tank is rust free and complete with cap (some small pits in chrome) and original tap.
£250 plus post at cost.
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....and fitted to the bike
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Ian
4
« on: October 03, 2026, 08:05:41 AM »
Look forward to seeing it 'in the flesh' Johnny. A real 'Laverda beater' - sorry Dave! There are lots of guys over on the Scoot forum who sing the praises of Zontes stuff. Will yours have full luggage? I can see a very nice Pan coming up for sale!
Have a great holiday, see you soon,
Ian
5
« on: September 27, 2026, 06:52:09 PM »
When I was selling my 1500 'Wing, Ecosse Motorcycles in Aberdeen offered me a great price for it against a new 350 Forza Maxi Scooter. It was February and the bike was immaculate after a deep clean over the winter, so I fired the 'Wing down from Orkney to Aberdeen by Courier, together with all paperwork. The Forza was not due til early May and it never occurred to me that I had put myself in such a foolish position, with such a large company with another branch in Dundee. The Forza arrived without problem and a collection of the company owner's bikes disappeared from the Dundee showroom a matter of days before they went bust.
At the 'fire sale' of the assets, the 'Wing went for a fraction of what they paid me, together with a great many customers bikes in for service and repair.
Had this liquidation happened between me sending the 'Wing and receiving the Forza, I would have been seriously out of pocket - the insurance would not have been interested as I had 'given the bike away'
Lesson learned, never do a deal like that again,
Ian
6
« on: September 03, 2026, 09:25:41 AM »
Heck Pete,
What's with having a wisdom tooth extracted? I've been trying to get some put in!
Anyway, if you were to decide that the PDs were too much hassle, I have a set of 627Bs here (500) but jetted for 550. They were on my F1 that I got from JamesH on here and went right through them, zinc plating fittings and the ultrasonic bath individually. They are on original brassware and the only small issue is corrosion around the outside of the main jets - inside where the jets/o rings locate is fine on all 4. I ran the bike for a short time with them before locating a set of the correct 069s from the Netherlands and went through them too and that's what I have on the bike. Obviously the manifolds would need changing and airbox rubbers.
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Ian
7
« on: August 30, 2026, 12:49:09 PM »
Hi Graham,
Sitting on the bike with the front wheel dead ahead, does the headlamp seem to be pointing slightly to one side? Peer over the top to see relative to the front guard. The reflectors are threaded into the top shrouds, so that point is fixed however, the shrouds themselves can rotate slightly, causing your problem. Hence asking about the position of the headlamp. You can gently push on one side of the headlamp to make each gap equal.
Ian
8
« on: August 20, 2026, 06:31:30 PM »
Pete, I was born at the Town end of Beverley Road but lived in East Hull - someone had to! Did go to High School in the Wild West though. If you and your mate end 'Up North' again, give Orkney a go - lots of toy cupboards to visit here with all manner of goodies - ask Steve, our illustrious leader.
Ian
9
« on: August 20, 2026, 01:09:06 PM »
Hi Pete,
Welcome to the forum - lots of great info and help on here - many 550 owners too who will no doubt chime in at some point. As Julie says, quite a few from 'Ull, me included but now living in Orkney for the last 20 years. Still enjoying tinkering with a few Hondas and cars and still looking down on the grass!
Ian
10
« on: August 18, 2026, 03:55:30 PM »
I only remember 2 screws in Porridge, must have missed that episode.
Ian
11
« on: August 14, 2026, 09:06:27 AM »
I understand your problem Neil and the material Bryan suggested is easily obtainable. Do you have a 'Men's Shed' in your area? (Try searching ukmsa - UK men's shed association). They might have a suitable piece of scrap and if you took along the wheel they could accurately measure hole diameter and spacing to cobble something together. These sheds are all over the Country (in fact, the World) where folk get together for a yarn and a cuppa and many have good facilities and expertise. Don't forget to tell them wether it's left or right hand thread!
Just a thought,
Ian
12
« on: August 11, 2026, 09:08:53 AM »
When I started at High School in 1960, I had to get a bus into Hull Paragon Station, then another (usually a trolley bus) to the School and the same on return. I saw bigger lads jump off the bus platform and then run alongside to save a bit of time. "I'll have some of that" thought I, but my next bus departed from the opposite direction. I had obviously not worked out the physics, as I jumped down and promptly fell flat on my arse, to the great amusement of everyone watching! I did perfect the technique eventually, until the Atlanteans came along with folding doors at the front, under the watchful eye and control of the driver.
Ian
13
« on: August 10, 2026, 08:08:28 PM »
Ee! I'm right glad I used that misleading topic title, some great stories from all of you, ta!
The only bus one I can add was when I was sitting on the back seat of a newly restored Bedford OB (stop sniggering you lot!) there were no other seats apart from the driver's and we were off to Preston for its Ministry Test. It had been lovingly restored by my great friend Norman Wade (sadly no longer with us) and featured on Top Gear with Tony Mason on the Blackpool run. Happy days! Norman served his apprenticeship with HF Brockbank (Brockie) the well known BSA motorcycle dealer and racer in Southport, so there is a motorcycle connection somewhere.
Ian
14
« on: August 10, 2026, 06:07:16 PM »
That's similar here in Orkney Bryan, some of the ageing ferry fleet, totally unfit for service have been dragged out of retirement when the replacements - told by many that they are unsuitable, have broken down.
Ian
15
« on: August 10, 2026, 01:18:39 PM »
Thanks Bryan,
Sorry for the apparently misleading thread title then, I thought most folk knew that legend had it that there was never a bus when you needed one, then 2 would turn up at the same time.
Ian
Ian, this just isn't correct, these things happen in THREES! 
You are probably right about THREES but I think you might have to wait a lot longer for three 350/4s to turn up together at a small show in Lancashire - especially all the same colour! Ian
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