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Showing posts from 2006
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Well after an encounter like this one the 4*4's on limestone Avenue pale into insignificance. Nice ride today.. commute again.. brisk and a headwind. rode the MTB. bit slower but oH so nice on those continetal tyres. just bounds along. Nice coffee in Mitchell then off to work... Return trip was great too. Tail wind. No trafic hassles..
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Klaud the buter!
Winter has lifted if it ever came. Dusted of the Claude B for the commute to work. We see how we go. Feeling a bit bloted after a layoff due to colds and weather. Always make a good excuse.

Little things like hoses

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Robin drove our 144 (74) to the little house up north in Muttaburra. It had new supension. New UV joints. A recoditioned unleaded head with new valves and seats. But... a old bottom end.. Should have expected trouble but she made it with a little mre under body oil than we had hoped! Rear oil seal was not.. Crank was pressurising. Engine breathers were on as per before but it was the wrong way round. The crank is ment to vent to the airfilter case not the stupid PCV valve. Maybe it will be better on the way back. We'll see.

"manifold" gifts

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I've been struggling with the ideal replacement for the CV's on my 145 (74) "Helga". CV's just won't last long with the higher octane fuels as the diaframs go "all sloppy". The replacement diaframs just do not have the qualities of the older original rubbers. (Where have I heard that before?) With "esperanca" the partners 144 we ovecame this by fitting a wonderful set of new SU's from SU Mindel in Sydney. $650 odd for the two NOS. Worked wonderfully. Helga the Orange 74 beast was to be converted to K Jetronic but... Too much away from the kiss principle of home life. Soo now we have a wonderful "lynx" single weber crossover manifold. 45 Weber to follow. First I have to access the spare engines to see if it is better to fit another or go the reconditioning route. Whatever some changes to the cam and head will ensure it has more torque and less likely hood of pinging on crap fuel.

Why so many cars?

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So many people have fetishes. One series of mine have 4 wheels on the road and were made by volvo between 1968 and 1975. 1** "series" volvos. Why? Wheres the hat? Because they are wonderfully built and can be fun once you get past the jokes. This blog will cover the goings on of my collection. 7 at present. Hmm maybe I do need to take those drugs for that compulsive sysndrome again.
Winter is upon us Well the weather is s fowl but still managed to drag the old Claude Butler out for a commuting trot yesterday. 26 KM in the dark and against a fowl headwind seemed to take forever but.. Twas only a tad over 1;15. Best since my return has been 1:09. Klord is wonderful just lopes along. Must add a photo. Maybe later.
Been Slack Posted some photos to my other web site. see http://web.mac.com/zzdhalla/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html /dlh
Some thoughts on Bikes and Bits. Coming from a chrome molly tube touring bike background to the idea of actually doing a tour on a “mountainbike” was hard. I mean surely they were and invention of the devil rather like the transistor-radio :-)! I’ve had to rejig my whole outlook. Time and miles will tell me how correct some of my alterations have been. Tyres Argh yes funny things that keep the rim off the road. My giants original Hutchinson tyres are great balloon like 2 inch plus things with a protuberance of knobs. They will be great for the gravel and sand but not for anything else. they are like pedalling thru mud even on the best cycle path. Slicks have improved markedly and also we’ve seen a development of “expedition” tyres which have a slick centre and knobs on the edges. I’ve tried the following 26’ slick tyres over the past 10 years mainly for commuting. “Specialised” make some nice Armadillo tyres mine eventually failed when the side walls weathered. I felt they were very s

You are mad!

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Why ride a bike from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kurrumba in Queensland? Because I found someone to take my bags. Thanks Outbike http://www.outbike.com.au/