what've you been up to?

[Hairy_Mark]

just wondering,
This week, I have been mostly eating....pickled cabbage. apart from that, I've had Bella on a dyno, to see if taking all the inlet restrictions off and putting 'decent' cans on made her run lean...no probs, still over a hundred bhp at the back wheel and nothing lean. In fact, she's a wee bit rich up to 5000, so it's true...take all the gubbins off and they run fine. Mind you, there's an air control valve in the bottom of the air box that i've got my eye on...seems it's been put in to restrict power....I may get a power commander and dump that off.
Also, put half a tonne of concrete into the garage, together with a 6.5 tonne hardened steel lifting eye to anchor Bella to. That way, I don't have to drag her in and out of the kitchen in the summer.
What have you all been doing?...or shouldn't I ask? (I know that some of you are a bit weird, unlike my good self, who is straight as a die and won't bother sheep, without their consent*)

*Sometimes, I know that Baaah means yes, even if their solicitors say it meant 'No'....What do solicitors know about sheep, anyway?

[Bear of Little Brain]

Hi, HM

Just so you have at least one reply and don't feel ignored by the Rappista/Rappistosa (we need a collective noun, like "Cognoscenti" or "Mafia", something Italian-sounding)

I'm currently obsessing about the little plastic in-fill bits under the seat. Probably because I was running around last year with Oxford saddlebags/panniers strapped on, I've had the plastic mounting lugs either shear off (one) or crack (all the others). Yes, I should have thought about that happening, but there you go. So I'm now fiddling/fettling to get them repaired and slightly modified since, when you get really picky, the fixing holes just don't line up properly and Cagiva seem to have used flanged/panhead self-tappers with even bigger steel washers underneath to hold these very lightweight mouldings in place in such a way that they are almost bound to crack somewhere. Muchos commentos and fotos may follow quite soon. (Still no idea how to post photos though).

Yesterday, my Ventura grab rail set arrived and will be fitted soon (£££ ouch!). The next step is to figure out what has to be done to modify them so that the saddlebags are held clear of the plastic under-seat panels. I'm thinking welded-on tubular steel bent to form rather long grab handles/rails, but projecting outwards then curving up to protect the plastic bits. However, the more I think about it, the less elegant it seems.

Any (polite) comments/suggestions on this most welcome.

Just to add to your power output comments, when I had my Rappie dyno'd a couple of years ago by CMW in Chichester, just after buying it, it peaked at 96 bhp @ 8700 rpm (at the back wheel). The spec says 105 bhp, but since they also serviced it then I've been aware of a distinctly tappety rear cylinder, so maybe that's where some of those missing 9bhp went.

But what was impressive to me was the torque "curve": ran rapidly to 52 ft-lb at 3200 rpm, held that to 4600 then gradually rose to a peak at 63 ft-lb @ 7200 rpm, dropping steadily back to 53 @ 9500. I think that is pretty flat (about 21% increase over a 4000 rpm band). Not that I really know what I'm talking about. A quick flick through "Motor Cycles and How to Manage Them" by the Staff of The Motor Cycle (Iliffe, 33rd edition, 1960, 7s 6d in real money) shows no bhp or torque curves for comparison, not even a Panther 600. But I'll swear that a 500 Goldie was very peaky (and loosened any tooth fillings after about an hour).

Oh, on that dyno run, I notice that the air/fuel ratio printout shows at below the lower limit line (12.5:1) from about 4200 to 5600 rpm, runs pretty much on that limit up to 7200 before going very low from there on. I suppose a low ratio is a rich mixture and confirms your comment. So, is that good (cooler running?) or bad (high fuel consumption and less power)? Not that I know. And to think that I wanted to be a bike mechanic when I was a kid – one less idiot in the trade. Anyway, I thought you were supposed to take out the spark plugs and check their colour as per the Champion pictures in the Haynes manuals.

As to everything else that's been going on… You don't want to know. And I'm keeping my head down!

[Bear of Little Brain]

What do solicitors know about sheep, anyway?

More than you think. Then they take what they learnt and … (censored)

[shebee]

I have been mostly attempting to get my mother a car.... but she is a nightmare for decision making (this is an ongoing project so far taking 8 months) .... and has now (currently) decided to keep the current one and just fit reversing sensors.... if she changes her mind again she is on her own... there are only so many sensible automatic cars a dutifull daughter can drive and look interested in before Matricide becomes the prefered option. She is staying over tonight and having wasted another sunny day looking at cars (and hoovers, and mobile phones and garden centres) I'm leaving her in the tender care of Boss in the morning whilst I go out for a ride!

[Hairy_Mark]

Bear of little brain,
I got carbon in-fills and the lugs have snapped off those too, without any luggage! Just pulling them off, however carefully, did the trick. I've tried glueing them again, to no avail...they hang on by one lug and the bolt.

As to the dyno, Bella,s torque ran pretty steady at 60 ft-lbs to 5000, then climbed to a peak of 68 ft-lbs at 7000.

You will get minor differences due to the atmospheric conditions at the time of testing, cold air is more dense than warm air and can give more power etc.

Bad adjustment of tappets can affect power. The tappets adjust the valve opening and therefore how much air/fuel can get into the engine. generally more wear, less opening of valves, less power. Also the opening and closing timing goes out with worn tappets, so the valves are not open as long. There is less overlap on inlet and exhaust valves, giving the engine less ability to purge exhaust at high revs...less power. At lower revs, this can actually improve torque. General rule...get your tappets checked and back in spec! Also, I've removed the air restrictions, so that may have made a difference.

[Miz]

I have been mostly attempting to get my mother a car.... but she is a nightmare for decision making (this is an ongoing project so far taking 8 months) .... and has now (currently) decided to keep the current one and just fit reversing sensors.... if she changes her mind again she is on her own... there are only so many sensible automatic cars a dutifull daughter can drive and look interested in before Matricide becomes the prefered option. She is staying over tonight and having wasted another sunny day looking at cars (and hoovers, and mobile phones and garden centres) I'm leaving her in the tender care of Boss in the morning whilst I go out for a ride!

I get a "sensible automatic" as a company car, its also a hybrid, I am now finding it very relaxing to drive, and not having to change gear means eating sandwiches and drinking coffee is just so easy

[Crap Tartan]

just got home after being away for the K2B walk yesterday. feeling rather knackered after a night in Barrow last night and having to get up at 3 am the previous morning!

[shebee]

Mum has gone home, "normality" has been retstored... I took the HD out for a ride to the sea side this morning (she is louder than the Raptor and I felt the need to be loud! ) then spent the afternoon in the garden applying sunshine to the psoriasis, drinking coffee and watching Boss applying burple paint to the bracketry on the trike.

Life is pretty good

[snapdragon]

just back from delivering the dragon's kwak to her new home with my brother, 230 miles ish, furthest I've ever ridden her (too tall for me)
visited son&daughter-in-law'1' and grand-daughter on the way there - and on the way back.
Then spent this afternoon coming back home as passenger in a car listening on crackly car radio to his footie team winning (finally after loads of tension and stressfullness) the cup (no I don't know which cup - but it's a cup)

[weirdo]

Spent the weekend with CG at Northwich for the Thundersprint .

Played 'formation raptors' during the cavalcade ride (with a little help from Scott Leven's V-Rap)... It's amazing how even though Raps have been around for quite a few years, they can still turn a lot of heads, especially when there's more than one around.

Had a great ride home via the Cat & Fiddle .. then got lost

[dizzyblonde]

I took the ZZR14 for a ride..........

OMG............Mr Sulu, warp factor 10 please!

[cagiva_girl]

Spent the weekend with CG at Northwich for the Thundersprint .
Had a great ride home via the Cat & Fiddle .. then got lost

Well that's what happens when you haven't got me to follow was a great weekend and would be nice to see more Raps there next year - especially if someone will be brave enough to race, its only a little car park they use

[pod]

Got through the MOT, got advisories on tyres and sprockets.
New Pilot road 2s now fitted and chain /sprockets from Talon, noted the front sprocket is a far better quality than what was previously fitted. The old chain and alloy rear still had plenty of life and no bad stretches but the front sprocket was terribly hooked. Strangely the front sprocket nut is always loose when I come to change it, only the tab washer keeping it from undoing, and thats with it being fitted VFT every time using a breaker bar.

During decent weather have had a couple of good 200 mile + runs , over to Knockhill, over to Dundee and points North.
Found some new to me twisties just South of Comrie when looking for a short cut to avoid Crief.

New tyres had a great effect on stability , s'funny how the gradual deterioration goes unnoticed.

MPGs seem amazingly consistent no matter what style of riding, consistently getting 175-180 miles before the warning light ( 650). Compared with 150 or so when I first got it years ago with the original crap chain and no front fly-screen.

Its been un seasonably cold , on one pit stop at the burger bar in Glen Ogle it was snowing a tad, the keise heated waistcoat has been essential kit, must get better cold weather gloves though.
The indicator relay is failing, new one in the post.

[Mister_Ee]

Had a top day at the Thundersprint, good weather, great racing, lots of interesting bikes in the paddock, t'was good to meet up with some people off here and pick up some hints and tips, Wierdo, give me a shout if you still want the key protector

[weirdo]

You've got a PM mate