My Blog List

Tuesday 31 March 2015

Moto Guzzi seized engine bolt

If your front engine mounting bolt hasn't been removed and re-greased/copper slipped for quite a while then it could be worth checking.
  I bought a low mileage - stored for years - Cali 1100i project bike approx 3-4 months ago and checked the two main long engine bolts (I have come across at least one rear seized bolt before now) a couple of weeks back and found the front one stuck fast. I tried heating it up (plumbers type gas torch) and WD40 with no luck and even a heavy lump hammer had no effect.
   Left it to soak with a mass of WD and tried again a few days later with more heat and initially no luck at all. Tried again with a lot more heat everywhere including the frame and got a fraction of movement,so with more heat came more movement and so it went on. Still took the lump hammer and a drift to finally shift it completely.
  Now that's free I'll be happy to take the bike apart if anybody is interested in a 96' Cali frame ( rails chopped off behind shock mounts) with V5 for not a lot of money.  Got to decide what else I don't need,but definitely the swingarm,side panels,foot levers and ........??    

Tuesday 24 March 2015

Moto Guzzi S3.........

..........TON UP BOYS !
   Adam of Italian Motor Magazine sent me this great little piece of footage of him and his two mates on their annual run down to Brighton following the route of the Pioneer Run.

Lucy Ward

After missing out on going to see Justin Townes Earle and the Decemberists already this year (I'd got too complacent about getting tickets,so all my own fault) and the soon to be playing Sharon Van Etten - also Sold Out Nick and I went to see Lucy Ward at Frenchay Village hall here in Bristol last Friday evening. A seemingly strange choice, but it is apparently the main venue for the Downend Folk Club.
  We both had mixed feelings about the gig as she started off with a number of unknown-for us at least-songs and without any backing band they were just well sung folk songs(some from her forthcoming album?) that didn't really do a lot for us. Neither of us are purely outright Folk music fans.
  Anyway,just before halfway through the set and her 15 minute break she played one of her own album tracks and this was the immediate lift that we both needed. She came back and did more from her two albums including a Brilliant 'Elbow' cover. She has a amazing powerful voice even doing three or four acapella style.

Monday 16 March 2015

Amazing Motorcycle models

I don't often look at Bike Exif,but I still get email alerts for new posting and occasionally something catches my eye. Also my friend Joe sent me the link too.
http://www.bikeexif.com/motorcycle-models
http://www.bikeexif.com/motorcycle-model
No No idea why I can't highlight this link here,but I can on a email,but don't let it put you off checking the feature out as the models are fantastic !a

Sunday 15 March 2015

Ford Zephyr Pick Up

We went to the VMCC Autojumble at Shepton Mallet the previous weekend and spotted this good looking Ford Zephyr Pick Up conversion.
  My friend Martin,who was with me this day now tells me that this isn't a conversion,but apparently a Ford Australia production line 'Ute'