Page 108 - Motorcycle Trader (February 2020)
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Bikes
dragster. Even with the stock 35-litre (no, it worked, giving me a top speed nearer
that’s not a misprint) tank, range was going 160km/h (still 30km/h below par, but
to be an issue. acceptable), a motor that now happily
Then there was the appalling front revved beyond 3500rpm and something
brake, with a lever that went into the approaching acceptable fuel consumption.
handlebar and did a less-than-convincing Incredibly, it lasted the 1800km home.
impersonation of an actual brake. There Along the way, I’d already started
was plenty of clean fluid in the thing, so it ordering parts online – ain’t modern
would just have to do until we got home. communications grand? Replacement
As for the performance issue, the bike diaphragms, at $26 a pair, a front master
was getting fuel, spark and air, which cylinder rebuild kit at $145 and a couple of
I guess explains why it ran at all, but spare indicator brackets (one had broken)
something was badly awry. The float bowls at $44. Cheap. That lot was sent by air bag
in the carburettors proved to be clean, as by a mob called Munich Motorcycles in
did the main jets. WA and landed on my desk at work by the
I made a quick call to Spannerman, who time I’d returned to Melbourne.
himself was on a road trip at the time. His
prime suspect was the diaphragms in the DOWN TO BUSINESS
CV carbs, the one thing I couldn’t get to Replacing the diaphragms is a dead-easy
immediately as the tops were stuck fast. job and, having already had a practice run
An overnight soaking in penetrating in the NT, I was an old pro at this. What
fluid sorted that, then the full horror was I’ve done since is order a spare set, which
revealed. The diaphragms were indeed (to will live in the nifty storage compartment
use the technical term) rooted. Given we in the top of the fuel tank.
were in Marla in the NT, this was going to This was also a good time to give the
have to be jury-rigged to get us home. ’plugs a clean and just go over the thing
The solution turned out to be some very generally with a spanner. Something I
dodgy repairs with some vinyl race tape didn’t attend to until after the photoshoot
I happened to have with me. Incredibly was the rear ride height, which someone
106 MOTORCYCLE TRADER
