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Tech. Advice: Series 'B' / 'C' 500cc/1000cc Bikes
Alton generator
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<blockquote data-quote="Peter Holmes" data-source="post: 108454" data-attributes="member: 302"><p>Some good points have been made here, none of which apply to me, if you have owned a Vincent long enough, in my case coming up to 54 years, there was a time when there was simply no choice to be had other than 6volts of very inadequate, unreliable electricity, riding at night was quite frankly dangerous, before Chinamos, Altons and reworked 6-12 volt dynamos, car alternators were probably the only way to go, I clearly remember 50 odd years ago Harvey Bowden installed a car type Lucas alternator driven off a pulley attached to the outer clutch plate, and I remember the delight Harvey expressed when he was able to blind inconsiderate oncoming car drivers with a dose of their own medicine, it all looked bloody awful, but it was all reversible, and it worked.</p><p></p><p>Anyone who regularly carries a pillion passenger simply has to go fully sprung, if you want to retain your pillion passenger that is, or you only ride on billiard table flat roads, and there are not to many of those around these days, I have run with a CTG carrier and Craven Dolomites for many years now, that set up got us over the Grossglockner Pass a week ago, two up with luggage and in comfort, despite the fact that Sue had ruptured her achillies tendon the previous evening whilst dancing at the international gala dinner, ( she is now wearing a huge surgical boot and will be out of action for possibly 12 weeks, what a pain, do not dance, it is dangerous)</p><p></p><p>Elephant trunks in their various guises do look hideous, and although the jury is still out they do seem to serve a useful purpose, I run with one having tried various types over the years, I did use the Ivan Caffrey, or was it Mac Read, bouncing nylon ball valve thing, but the extra metal tubing and the clatter did not sit well with me, I now have a simple atmospheric breather running off the ATD cover, it seems to work, and again is reversible in 5 minutes. I was at the Godet workshop a couple of months ago and was shown a really neat solution to engine breathing using replacement valve caps, almost indiscernible from standard, might look into those at a later date.</p><p></p><p>Well I have tried other bikes with all these improvements built in, the first was a Yamaha FJ 1200 which did everything OK in an anodyne sort of way, drank loads of fuel though, Sue was not overly impressed, much preferred the Vincent, then came the BMW R100R Classic, I was rather drawn to this bike, last of the BMW Airheads and I liked its classic teutonic looks, wasn't that keen on the flywheel effect, much prefer the way the flywheels effect the Vincent, Sue did not like the BMW at all, I still have both of those bikes if anyone is interested in them.</p><p></p><p>So a much modified Vincent will remain my everyday steed, all totally reversible when the need arises, not anytime soon I hope, strangely enough all mods do not seem to detract in any way from the admiration the bike gets whilst out and about, it can be be a little irritating when you are all suited, booted and helmeted, and roasting hot and someone wants to chat, but I always try to maintain my accommodating happy disposition, it always reminds me of that old cigarette advert, you are never alone with a Strand, (Vincent)</p><p>Cheers Peter</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Peter Holmes, post: 108454, member: 302"] Some good points have been made here, none of which apply to me, if you have owned a Vincent long enough, in my case coming up to 54 years, there was a time when there was simply no choice to be had other than 6volts of very inadequate, unreliable electricity, riding at night was quite frankly dangerous, before Chinamos, Altons and reworked 6-12 volt dynamos, car alternators were probably the only way to go, I clearly remember 50 odd years ago Harvey Bowden installed a car type Lucas alternator driven off a pulley attached to the outer clutch plate, and I remember the delight Harvey expressed when he was able to blind inconsiderate oncoming car drivers with a dose of their own medicine, it all looked bloody awful, but it was all reversible, and it worked. Anyone who regularly carries a pillion passenger simply has to go fully sprung, if you want to retain your pillion passenger that is, or you only ride on billiard table flat roads, and there are not to many of those around these days, I have run with a CTG carrier and Craven Dolomites for many years now, that set up got us over the Grossglockner Pass a week ago, two up with luggage and in comfort, despite the fact that Sue had ruptured her achillies tendon the previous evening whilst dancing at the international gala dinner, ( she is now wearing a huge surgical boot and will be out of action for possibly 12 weeks, what a pain, do not dance, it is dangerous) Elephant trunks in their various guises do look hideous, and although the jury is still out they do seem to serve a useful purpose, I run with one having tried various types over the years, I did use the Ivan Caffrey, or was it Mac Read, bouncing nylon ball valve thing, but the extra metal tubing and the clatter did not sit well with me, I now have a simple atmospheric breather running off the ATD cover, it seems to work, and again is reversible in 5 minutes. I was at the Godet workshop a couple of months ago and was shown a really neat solution to engine breathing using replacement valve caps, almost indiscernible from standard, might look into those at a later date. Well I have tried other bikes with all these improvements built in, the first was a Yamaha FJ 1200 which did everything OK in an anodyne sort of way, drank loads of fuel though, Sue was not overly impressed, much preferred the Vincent, then came the BMW R100R Classic, I was rather drawn to this bike, last of the BMW Airheads and I liked its classic teutonic looks, wasn't that keen on the flywheel effect, much prefer the way the flywheels effect the Vincent, Sue did not like the BMW at all, I still have both of those bikes if anyone is interested in them. So a much modified Vincent will remain my everyday steed, all totally reversible when the need arises, not anytime soon I hope, strangely enough all mods do not seem to detract in any way from the admiration the bike gets whilst out and about, it can be be a little irritating when you are all suited, booted and helmeted, and roasting hot and someone wants to chat, but I always try to maintain my accommodating happy disposition, it always reminds me of that old cigarette advert, you are never alone with a Strand, (Vincent) Cheers Peter [/QUOTE]
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Tech. Advice: Series 'B' / 'C' 500cc/1000cc Bikes
Alton generator
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