Belgium calling
Haven't seen this one in a long time!
Despite the fake Ferrari-sound I'm still loving it !
Paris 5:00 am
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Alive 'n' Kickin'
It's taken all t' summer to fettle the 'Old Lass' (whoops - The Old Lady)
The leaves are now falling 'n' there's a nip int' air, summ'rs don' wi'.........
Get a grip Albert !
Saddle up and get thum wheels a turning.
I 'ain't frightened o' a bit o' cowld...nah ! I'm a Yorkshireman.....bred 'ont thum mo'wrs, brought up in't short trausers till I wo' 35 years owld.
So here's proowrf that I rid' 'Towld Lady' when it wa' belting it doo'wn wi' rain.
The leaves are now falling 'n' there's a nip int' air, summ'rs don' wi'.........
Get a grip Albert !
Saddle up and get thum wheels a turning.
I 'ain't frightened o' a bit o' cowld...nah ! I'm a Yorkshireman.....bred 'ont thum mo'wrs, brought up in't short trausers till I wo' 35 years owld.
So here's proowrf that I rid' 'Towld Lady' when it wa' belting it doo'wn wi' rain.
Sunday, 17 October 2010
The End is Nigh
Greetings once again dear Oilyracer fans. Albert here once more tip / tapping on the old keyboard with an update from 'The Old Sidevalve Bar'
It was with a heavy heart that I sat down and searched the almighty Google for information on pogoing and popping Viragos. It's my belief that there must be thousands of them about, a cunning plan by the Japanese to upset the stability of the Western World, making once healthy riders dizzy and blurry eyed......well your Uncle Albert is fighting back, there's enough dizziness and blurry eyedness in his life with the 'Special Falling Down Cider' that has to be consumed as part of the brewers responsibilityies at 'The Old Sidevalve Bar'. However......I digress.....
As you dear reader will be aware...Google is chock full of Bulls**t. What to believe ? and what do you laugh at with a hearty chuckle ? ? ? Ho Ho Ho...
Desperate fellows do desperate deeds..........and I Albert Crackleport stand before you all now and confess to a deed of such desperateness that I hang my head.....
I have joined the 'Fellowship of Phantom Jet Drillers'
Pause.................(while I compose myself once more)
The route of passage wasn't painful at all. In fact I now see why so many have passed into this secret fellowship. It's easy to drill jets with enormous drillingtons. Ha ! The catch ? It's impossible to turn back....drilling is forever.......a bit like a tattoo !
So, why did I do it ? Well I discovered this old magazine article on Google and decided it was true. Lured into the web like an small insect......
The Virago Holy Grail Link
Buying 10 x 0.50mm drills on line just in case I broke a couple I did as instructed, cafefully twisting the drill through the pilot jets by hand. (It was obvious this was not altering the hole by much maybe I can turn back....it's only like having a very small tattoo in a very secret place....who will know ?)
Back in with the jets, on with the carbs, fuel lines and the rest of the Billy Gubbings.
'The Old Lady' fired up and settled down to a faster tick over than before...hum...somethings happened. Adjust tickover...... Test ride .......
Ooooh ! Aaaaah ! The luxury ! The smoothness ! The quality ! What an experience !
'The Old Lady' has delivered a ride of sheer unforgetfulness !
The Bitch is Back !
(Now that is a song title and sums up the moment)
She's a goer ! Let's ride !
The Link to Complete Virago Owner Fulfillment
It was with a heavy heart that I sat down and searched the almighty Google for information on pogoing and popping Viragos. It's my belief that there must be thousands of them about, a cunning plan by the Japanese to upset the stability of the Western World, making once healthy riders dizzy and blurry eyed......well your Uncle Albert is fighting back, there's enough dizziness and blurry eyedness in his life with the 'Special Falling Down Cider' that has to be consumed as part of the brewers responsibilityies at 'The Old Sidevalve Bar'. However......I digress.....
As you dear reader will be aware...Google is chock full of Bulls**t. What to believe ? and what do you laugh at with a hearty chuckle ? ? ? Ho Ho Ho...
Desperate fellows do desperate deeds..........and I Albert Crackleport stand before you all now and confess to a deed of such desperateness that I hang my head.....
I have joined the 'Fellowship of Phantom Jet Drillers'
Pause.................(while I compose myself once more)
The route of passage wasn't painful at all. In fact I now see why so many have passed into this secret fellowship. It's easy to drill jets with enormous drillingtons. Ha ! The catch ? It's impossible to turn back....drilling is forever.......a bit like a tattoo !
So, why did I do it ? Well I discovered this old magazine article on Google and decided it was true. Lured into the web like an small insect......
The Virago Holy Grail Link
Buying 10 x 0.50mm drills on line just in case I broke a couple I did as instructed, cafefully twisting the drill through the pilot jets by hand. (It was obvious this was not altering the hole by much maybe I can turn back....it's only like having a very small tattoo in a very secret place....who will know ?)
Back in with the jets, on with the carbs, fuel lines and the rest of the Billy Gubbings.
'The Old Lady' fired up and settled down to a faster tick over than before...hum...somethings happened. Adjust tickover...... Test ride .......
Ooooh ! Aaaaah ! The luxury ! The smoothness ! The quality ! What an experience !
'The Old Lady' has delivered a ride of sheer unforgetfulness !
The Bitch is Back !
(Now that is a song title and sums up the moment)
She's a goer ! Let's ride !
The Link to Complete Virago Owner Fulfillment
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Another chapter in Alberts scrapbook
I'm here...reporting in once more on the 'Old Lady' saga. Yes, it is rather a long winded saga but stay tuned because the ending will have all those who reach it on the edge of their seats....Nail bitting stuff is fettling old Viragos...specially when they fight back.
So, where was I ? Oh yes, at the point where the phantom jet driller had been discovered. Crafty old Albert has fallen foul of these trigger happy Black & Decker sorts before. Can you believe they penetrated the 'Old Lady's' pert little fuel metering holes ? Nah, me neither....................but they had......it's criminal !
Lucky me ! I discover 2 un-abused jettingtons in a set of old carburettors that came as part of The 'Old Lady's' dowry. Quickly fitted my tale of woe should now be a tale of rejoicing. Let's party.....I have a special brew of Finnigans Wake set aside for such an occassion.........
Hold on.............hold on.........a test ride reveals a sideways movement and not an upward one....
Low throttle....it's like riding a pogo stick, open 'ere up and she's a goer. So I still have an issue on the pilot settings
How can that be ? You can well imagine that your uncle Albert is now very very sad and unhappy. The 'Old Lady' is not responding to the tender spannering that many Viragos could only dream of....
Crackleport - Yorkshireman - Not one to spend unnecessarily - Getting more grumpy by the minute
I am all the above and I can not spend spend spend money on Mikunis finest brass jettingtons when I don't know what size to buy....The inner circle of Sidevalvers would ostracize me from the Fellowship of Onion Ticklers and Picklers for ever. Outcast into a world where a Jacobs Cracker had only a slice of Wenslydale for company. Nay I say.......don't buy jets......Eating a cracker without a Picklington is far worse than riding a Virago with a splutter believe me.
I need help.......a highly sensitive tuning ear is not enough...Maybe ye olde worlde garage instrument called a Colortune can help. So a week was spent being outbid and then eventually buying such a device on the Ebay. Crikey everyone wants them...(at the price Albert wanted to pay)
Insert glass Colortune where spark plug lives and look at the pretty colours that are happening inside your engine. A guide to mixture settings. I'll be honest I've always thought these things to be a bit of bullshit but what did I find ?
PLENTY !
First off - No colour in the rear cylinder, none at all ! No fuel on pilot setting ?
Re-inspect jet...yes it's the correct one......fuel tap ? Strip and inspect..
Haha ! The rubber diaphram had slipped and was allowing air in thus destroying the vacuum required to operate the tap.
Imagine one very pleased Albert setting off on a final test ride.....Cracked it !
Imagine one very unpleased Albert returning.....The 'Old Lady' was still pogoing...(not a pleasant ride if you haven't experienced such a thing).
Insert Colortune.............no colour..........
Let me tell you that when Albert is on the hunt nothing escapes his senses....stalking his prey until the kill........relentless.....silently creeping like a cat and then pounce......I will win......(eventually)
Now why are the carburettors sliding up and down on the manifold as the 'Old Lady' coughed and wheezed on low throttle.
Because some previous owner had at some time fitted carburettors from a XV1000 and Albert had changed back to standard XV750s not noticing the different flange fitting.....
Once more into the dowry, rummage around, surface holding rubbers of correctness.
If I tell you that the 'Old Lady' still pogos would you believe me ?
(Is that the name of a song ? It should be !)
YES SHE DOES !
But her jumping, thrusting, rough riding days are numbered.......
I'm going to change her from a cheap thrill short rider to a smooth long distance stayer........
So, where was I ? Oh yes, at the point where the phantom jet driller had been discovered. Crafty old Albert has fallen foul of these trigger happy Black & Decker sorts before. Can you believe they penetrated the 'Old Lady's' pert little fuel metering holes ? Nah, me neither....................but they had......it's criminal !
Lucky me ! I discover 2 un-abused jettingtons in a set of old carburettors that came as part of The 'Old Lady's' dowry. Quickly fitted my tale of woe should now be a tale of rejoicing. Let's party.....I have a special brew of Finnigans Wake set aside for such an occassion.........
Hold on.............hold on.........a test ride reveals a sideways movement and not an upward one....
Low throttle....it's like riding a pogo stick, open 'ere up and she's a goer. So I still have an issue on the pilot settings
How can that be ? You can well imagine that your uncle Albert is now very very sad and unhappy. The 'Old Lady' is not responding to the tender spannering that many Viragos could only dream of....
Crackleport - Yorkshireman - Not one to spend unnecessarily - Getting more grumpy by the minute
I am all the above and I can not spend spend spend money on Mikunis finest brass jettingtons when I don't know what size to buy....The inner circle of Sidevalvers would ostracize me from the Fellowship of Onion Ticklers and Picklers for ever. Outcast into a world where a Jacobs Cracker had only a slice of Wenslydale for company. Nay I say.......don't buy jets......Eating a cracker without a Picklington is far worse than riding a Virago with a splutter believe me.
I need help.......a highly sensitive tuning ear is not enough...Maybe ye olde worlde garage instrument called a Colortune can help. So a week was spent being outbid and then eventually buying such a device on the Ebay. Crikey everyone wants them...(at the price Albert wanted to pay)
Insert glass Colortune where spark plug lives and look at the pretty colours that are happening inside your engine. A guide to mixture settings. I'll be honest I've always thought these things to be a bit of bullshit but what did I find ?
PLENTY !
First off - No colour in the rear cylinder, none at all ! No fuel on pilot setting ?
Re-inspect jet...yes it's the correct one......fuel tap ? Strip and inspect..
Haha ! The rubber diaphram had slipped and was allowing air in thus destroying the vacuum required to operate the tap.
Imagine one very pleased Albert setting off on a final test ride.....Cracked it !
Imagine one very unpleased Albert returning.....The 'Old Lady' was still pogoing...(not a pleasant ride if you haven't experienced such a thing).
Insert Colortune.............no colour..........
Let me tell you that when Albert is on the hunt nothing escapes his senses....stalking his prey until the kill........relentless.....silently creeping like a cat and then pounce......I will win......(eventually)
Now why are the carburettors sliding up and down on the manifold as the 'Old Lady' coughed and wheezed on low throttle.
Because some previous owner had at some time fitted carburettors from a XV1000 and Albert had changed back to standard XV750s not noticing the different flange fitting.....
Once more into the dowry, rummage around, surface holding rubbers of correctness.
If I tell you that the 'Old Lady' still pogos would you believe me ?
(Is that the name of a song ? It should be !)
YES SHE DOES !
But her jumping, thrusting, rough riding days are numbered.......
I'm going to change her from a cheap thrill short rider to a smooth long distance stayer........
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