Recent content by Paul Sutton

Has anyone asked AI if it is bad??

Do your Hitachi carbs have the green slides? With the Hitachi HSC40 CV carbs the bowl fuel level is controlled by the float valve. If the carb keeps flooding then the first thing I'd check is fuel level and the float valve and valve seat condition. But there are other slight differences to be...

I have a Virago 1000 with Version 3 Hitachi carburetors and they are running well now after much effort. Which Virago do you have and what are the issues you are experiencing with the carbs, perhaps I can help???

Welsh weather may take a turn for the worse tonight. Forecast is for thunderstorms moving up out of France in the early hours of the morning. Fortunately we don't get supercells so our idea of large hail is bits the size of peas. Edit 2nd May: It didn't happen.

The seal on the left side of the crank can be replaced without removing the engine. All you need to do is remove the side cover and alternator, rotor + stator. You will of course require an extractor to pull the rotor off the crank taper. The next trick is to remove the old seal. I have done...

I mowed the lawn this morning and now it's back to "Pi$$in’ drizzle, cold pi$$in’ drizzle; but without the dollars!" That all said, there is hope for sunshine this coming weekend...🏍️

A "trof" is what cattle drink water out of.

Nicely done toglhot and of course Signal's puzzle solving skills!

Today it is fine but a little cool in Wales UK: I made my trip to the Elan Valley's lower dam - Approximately a 170 mile round trip. Not a drop of rain was seen, unlike Yesterday.

The weather did not hold out. I ran into rain near Merthyr and only went as far as Pen-y-Fan. It is quite common to be fine in Cardiff and wet when you get up into the hills and valleys.

Cardiff Wales UK: Blue sky today but a cool wind. I gave the Virago an oil change so ready for tomorrow's blue sky. I used a 20w50 but hope someone can suggest something better?

Did a little search and found the following: You have to use non synthetic dextron II, the synthetic dex III will not mix at all with acetone. Another person suggested adding a Basil Leaf.

Try changing gears on a little ride, say a 100 metre ride. After being stored for so long it will take a little time for the clutch to free up completely. The alternative would be to sit on the bike while on centre stand with engine running and change through the gears with a slight load on the...

On the gear selector star behind the clutch assembly there are two springs. If these break, as they do, does this prevent gears 2 to 5 from being selected, or does it just result in the gear jumping out unpredictably?

Just an observation: NGK plugs have a shiny metal plating to help release the threads when unscrewing. When heated the plating burns away as you commonly see on the ground electrode. Photo taken from Entry #8: The plating is heat stained/burnt halfway up the threaded region. This is an...