CLASSIC REPAIRS
We are all classic bike enthusiasts at the cabin crew workshop and there's nothing we like more than to have the opportunity to work on old bikes. We will undertake work on all makes. Any work will be considered from a simple service to complete restoration, if we don’t have the facilities to get the job done we will find you someone who does. We are situated ten minutes ride from the . Billing junction of the A45 in Northampton. You r bike will be lovingly cared for by knowledgeable enthusiasts who will take the time to do the job right. We can collect bikes for a charge of £1.00 per mile and a minimum charge of £25.00. Our policy is to give customers the service they expect and so if there is a service you require that we don’t offer ask us and we will try to oblige you.
WET SUMP
This is a problem that many classic owners have to deal with when their bike is stored for days on end or over the winter months, the problem occurs when oil migrates from the oil tank past the oil pump and fills the crankcase. The result is the bike is difficult to start and runs poorly until the sump is drained There are a number of solutions. Some put a tap in the oil feed so the oil can be shut off whilst the bike is standing. This is a successful fix but carries the risk of forgetting to turn the tap on and so starving the engine of oil. There is a device on the market that overcomes this problem by switching of the ignition whilst the tap is closed.
ALL BRITISH BIKES LEAK OIL
This is a well recited phrase originally I heard it in connection with triumphs probably encouraged by tales of Slippery Sam the famous trident that got its nick name from a serious loss of oil. But now I often hear “Oh it leaks a bit but that's to be expected.”. Well is it. With modern materials and gasket compounds it shouldn’t be. I know the purists among us may object to using silicone to glue casings together but it really is wonderful stuff . Contrary to popular belief the casings don’t need to be separated with a Bowie Knife. I’ve had more problems cleaning old casket paper from old casings than silicone which peels of with ease, no scraping with screwdrivers or scalpels and risking scratching the surfaces. I remember when I first used it in the 1970s. It was bright orange and a orange line could be seen where casings joined from miles away. These days it comes in clear and is almost unnoticeable. There are a few places where I wouldn't advise its use. Head gaskets need to be newly annelid copper for instance. If you want an oil tight bike with old casings silicone gasket cement is the answer.
CHAIN PAIN
For some reason the most common area of neglect on motorbikes seems to be the chain. On old or new machines oiling the chain on a regular basis seems to get over looked. A chain should be oiled every two or three hundred miles and needs to be adjusted to leave about 25 mm or 1 inch of play. On several old machines there is a drip feed that keeps the chain oiled. On modern bikes a devise can be bought to do this but I don’t know of one that has it incorporated in the design. Old triumphs had a tap in the oil line so the rate of flow to the chain could be set. For some reason modern designers don’t do this. Often they don’t have a main stand either so the bike has to be rolled a few feet then oiled then rolled again, and so on till the jobs done.
