So there I am, riding out on the F1, happy as a clam, climb up Garrowby Hill and there’s a cough and a splutter and she’s running pretty bad. The happiness is short lived, isn’t it always! I make it to a lay by and whip the tank off, nothing obvious and I have all electrics, its’ charging as I can see the lights brighten with engine revs.
Hmm, electrical or fueling, no cup of coffee for me at Seaways this morning. I turn round and coast down Garrowby and can get about 45mph out of her in top along the flat back to Stamford Bridge. Am thinking fueling, maybe there’s some water in the tank from a fresh fill up earlier, may the quick release connector in the fuel line has succumbed to E10.
I pop and bang my way slowly towards Elvington and finally a mile short of the pits, (Penso’s workshop), she stops. A quick feel of the headers and one and four are not red hot like two and three, so its a coil issue. I push into the pits, endurance style. Tank off and starting at the coil, the wires are still screwed into the dyna, following wires, pushing pulling for the loose connection, a bullit separates without too much effort but there’s no scorching on the connection to show its been shorting out.
“Anything else electrical that’s going to affect one and four, how about ignition pick ups” I ask. “Depends on whether its one or two pick ups” replies James as he disappears into the workshop for some pliers.
I unscrew the two 5mm allens on the ignition pick up cover and something falls to the floor, that’s not good I think, and I was right. One and four pick up is missing one of its retaining screws, not good. One of the screws is threaded but the crankcase thread is good. James disappears to find a substitute screw and a file to dress the pick up.
Pick up sorted we start the bike, she’s still popping a bit, “plugs” says James, he disappears again, takes one and four out while I put the bike back together. Returning with clean plugs, four was black, one was black and wet, having blow torched one, plugs in and she fires up like a dream, the miles home are cruisy, running clean, happy days. BIG thanks to James for his assistance, we all need a mucca in our lives that can and does just get on with it, to bounce ideas and thoughts off, cheers bud.
