Inconsequential ramblings of an Old Git

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yep, VAT can be charged at the sellers end under a certain amount, although I have to admit I thought this was only within the EU (and whatever TF we are now).

I would be inclined to start with the simpler explanation though. Can't check em all

P.S. mango for the sake of pedantry you're actually evading VAT with your American parcels, not avoiding it

[mangocrazy]

P.S. mango for the sake of pedantry you're actually evading VAT with your American parcels, not avoiding it

Quite so.

[mangocrazy]

The transaction for the Webike part has finally hit my account and it totals £62.32, which I'm very happy with. Webike quote prices in Euros, which in my case totalled €73.13 - this gives a conversion rate of 1.173 €uros to the pound which sounds about right, so all good.

[Sadlonelygit]

When I order stuff from a well known firm in Brizzel, they have a euro page for export stuff, which is vat free as I need to pay the TVA at my end in the country of destination.
Don't know why, and to be fair I don't care that my local postie just shoves whatever it is in my post box without a douanes penalty!
He does however get a nice bottle of red every year!

[mangocrazy]

The ride out on my LC with my mate Ash proved a number of things to me...

1. I am not bike fit
2. The clutch action on my LC is way heavier than it should be
3. The head bearings are well past their best (but then they are over 20k miles and 44 years old)
4. The gear lever needs adjusting

So we've both agreed we need to get out more on the bikes (point 1), and I've adjusted the gear lever position (point 4) and will try it out real soon...

That just leaves points 2 and 3.

I seem to recall in the dim and distant past that I added an extra plain plate to the clutch to stop it slipping. Realistically I need to give the clutch a proper coat of looking at over the winter, verify if I did add another plain plate (or was dreaming I did) and treat it to new springs and friction plates. I've also been advised to increase the effective length of the clutch actuating arm by 10mm to add leverage. This will entail some cutting and shutting and a trip to my tame welder friends.

Riding on some of Derbyshire's crappiest roads today brought home to me that the bike felt decidely loose at the front end. I know that 'they all do that, Sir' but this was above and beyond normal LC flappyness. So I've ordered a set of taper roller head bearings and whether they get fitted this side of winter depends entirely on the weather in the next month or so. Crap weather/return of the monsoon season will mean they get fitted sooner. Decent weather means it's another job for Future Mango...

[Eclipse]

2. The clutch action on my LC is way heavier than it should be

Not sure if it would help but Venhill make teflon lined cables

Introduced in 1995, Venhill Featherlight clutch cables are made in the UK, using marine-grade stainless steel inner wire that runs through a Teflon liner, reducing friction and giving a light action, easing pressure on the hand, especially in stop/start traffic and during long rides. The PTFE ('teflon') lining also removes the need for lubrication. Each cable is ‘bird-caged' – a special process applied to the end of the inner wire, which allows solder to penetrate the weave of the cable, making the bond with the nipple much stronger. To find the clutch cable for your bike go to Part Finder on the home page.

I am going out for a ride with my brother tomorrow to Dunstable Downs

[mangocrazy]

2. The clutch action on my LC is way heavier than it should be

Not sure if it would help but Venhill make teflon lined cables

Introduced in 1995, Venhill Featherlight clutch cables are made in the UK, using marine-grade stainless steel inner wire that runs through a Teflon liner, reducing friction and giving a light action, easing pressure on the hand, especially in stop/start traffic and during long rides. The PTFE ('teflon') lining also removes the need for lubrication. Each cable is ‘bird-caged' – a special process applied to the end of the inner wire, which allows solder to penetrate the weave of the cable, making the bond with the nipple much stronger. To find the clutch cable for your bike go to Part Finder on the home page.

I've used Venhill throttle cables and they are very good indeed. But the cable is a new (couple of hundred miles old) OE Yamaha part, so should be OK. If all else fails I'll give one a try.

[mangocrazy]

I've used Venhill throttle cables and they are very good indeed. But the cable is a new (couple of hundred miles old) OE Yamaha part, so should be OK. If all else fails I'll give one a try.

Make sure the cable is 90º to the operating lever on the crankcase.

There's virtually no scope for getting it wrong or (more accurately) not getting it the way Yamaha intended. The ferrule at the top of the crankcase cover directs the cable at its intended angle. The cable does describe an arc before it enters the crankcase cover, but it's a fairly gentle one.

DSCF4385.JPG (564.26 KiB) Viewed 1807 times

When you look inside the crankcase cover and see the mechanism there's no scope for misalignment. And with the mechanism disconnected from the clutch pushrod, the cable action is so light that there is virtually no resistance when pulling on the clutch lever. All the clutch 'weight' resides in the clutch itself.

DSCF4390.JPG (640.42 KiB) Viewed 1807 times

So my attention will be focussed primarily on the clutch itself. New clutch plates and springs would seem to be in order and if there is an additional plain plate it will be removed. But that can wait until weather stops play in November or December. For now it gets ridden.

[mangocrazy]

Have you looked at the clutch basket for wear?

That's on the to-do list when I change the friction plates and springs. But it can wait until the weather turns proper shitty over winter.

[A_morti]

Before you strip the clutch apart - is there any part of the cable where it might be damaged, kinked or pinched and only have friction when there's weight on it?

[mangocrazy]

Before you strip the clutch apart - is there any part of the cable where it might be damaged, kinked or pinched and only have friction when there's weight on it?

The cable is only about 6 months/100 miles old and is an OE part. It's as smooth as a very smooth thing when you pull the lever in with the actuator mechanism disconnected from the clutch pushrod (i.e. like it is in the second photo above).

I'm in no hurry to strip the clutch. It's a job for over the winter...

[mangocrazy]

I've been in France for a couple of weeks and on the bike front have verified that a) the new OE Honda clutch slave cylinder has fixed the VFR's clutch problem. No real surprises there. And b) the carburettor/lack of performance problem still persists. That is also not a great surprise.

I've brought a spare set of carbs down with me and if I CBA and have time, I'll fit them. As its stands the bike will accelerate up to 3 figures, albeit in a rather more leisurely fashion than I would like and it's perfectly OK to use as a shopping trolley. The lack of performance was a pain on the way down in July, but I won't be repeating that journey on the VFR any time soon.

Assuming the van is up to the job (this is yet to be confirmed) the Falco wil get loaded in the back of it and will return to Blighty, leaving the VFR to complete its tour of duty. Riding the two back to back highlighted just how superior the Falco is in every respect. But then the design is a good 15 years younger, so hardly surprising.

After reading this back, I have to admit this post is largely an exercise in stating the bleeding obvious...

[Sadlonelygit]

Have you looked at the clutch basket for wear?

That's on the to-do list when I change the friction plates and springs. But it can wait until the weather turns proper shitty over winter.

have you checked the pushrod for stiction? seen a few bow over the years

[mangocrazy]

Have you looked at the clutch basket for wear?

That's on the to-do list when I change the friction plates and springs. But it can wait until the weather turns proper shitty over winter.

have you checked the pushrod for stiction? seen a few bow over the years

The original one was changed out for a new Yamaha one in March 2022 (Fowlers still stock them) as the original one had a groove worn where it passed through an oil seal and I was trying everything I knew to stop an oil leak on the LH side of the crankcase. The bike's probably only done 500 miles max since then. So very much doubt it's that.

[mangocrazy]

They might have stuck extra strong springs in there...

Hmmm - not sure who these 'they' might be. I've owned the bike from new...

I do have a recollection that I might have fitted an extra plain plate to stop clutch slip, but it would have been getting on for fourty years ago and my memory isn't that good. All will be revealed when I strip the clutch over the winter.

Right now I'm best part of 1000 miles away from the LC and I'm fretting over a VW van, a Lancia Beta and multiple house-bothering problems...

[Taipan]

Aren't they CV carbs on those. It does sound like a diaphragm issue. Have you tried lifting and dropping the slides to see if they retrun in a damped manner?

[mangocrazy]

Aren't they CV carbs on those. It does sound like a diaphragm issue. Have you tried lifting and dropping the slides to see if they retrun in a damped manner?

Yes, VFRs have CV carbs, and they're very sensitive to getting the diaphragms lined up just so, otherwise you get the kind of issue I'm experiencing. One way or another that bank of carbs will have to come off, either to be replaced by the spare set or for me to painstakingly go over the set that's fitted and try not to cock it up (again).

Removing and replacing a set of carbs in a 90 degree V4 is one of my least favourite tasks. Just thought you'd like to know...

[Taipan]

Aren't they CV carbs on those. It does sound like a diaphragm issue. Have you tried lifting and dropping the slides to see if they retrun in a damped manner?

Yes, VFRs have CV carbs, and they're very sensitive to getting the diaphragms lined up just so, otherwise you get the kind of issue I'm experiencing. One way or another that bank of carbs will have to come off, either to be replaced by the spare set or for me to painstakingly go over the set that's fitted and try not to cock it up (again).

Removing and replacing a set of carbs in a 90 degree V4 is one of my least favourite tasks. Just thought you'd like to know...

I was more thinking of the diaphragm rubber itself deteriorating as to be expected with age. If you're not familiar with it, you stick your finger in the venturi and raise the slide up to the top then pull your finger out and the slide should drop back down in a slow-ish damped manner. If it just drops back down then its had it and as it cant hold a vacuum like that you lose full throttle/top end etc.

[mangocrazy]

I was more thinking of the diaphragm rubber itself deteriorating as to be expected with age. If you're not familiar with it, you stick your finger in the venturi and raise the slide up to the top then pull your finger out and the slide should drop back down in a slow-ish damped manner. If it just drops back down then its had it and as it cant hold a vacuum like that you lose full throttle/top end etc.

I have given the diapragms a good coat of looking at recently, and didn't see anything untoward, but what you describe is a far more scientific test and one that I think I should be able to manage without removing the carbs from the motor. I really hope so...

Thank you!

[mangocrazy]

The Falco went in to AP Workshops in Tamworth yesterday for a check up on the CO levels and throttle body sync. TB sync was spot on, and CO needed a minor tweak to get it perfect. Griff made the observation that hydrocarbons were in the 200-300 ppm level, which is very, very good. He reckoned the motor is as good as you can reasonably expect and everything is working beautifully.

Nice to know...