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Matty

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Hi
Seems you have done a great job, but at the other end of the scale from mine, which I try to keep looking like it did in1956 when I bought it to go to work on.
I do around 3,000 to 4,000 miles a year now and after a couple of engine rebuilds (last about 10 years ago) it still runs beautifully and is very reliable.
Will be riding it 240 miles to Liverpool in August for the Manx rally for around the 40th time and do not expect any serious trouble (I do however carry a spare mag and ATD)
Have had around 60 Japanese and German bikes over the years including Honda Fireblade, VFR 750s and K100 etc. but still think the COMET the most user friendly for everyday use.
Matty (only aged 82)
 

Matty

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Hi
Just to show my Comet is very original but not a complete heap of rubbish,
100_0673.JPG
here is a picture of it taken recently.
 

Colin

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
One other thing you MUST have on your rides, is a pair of VERY GOOD earplugs, then you won't worry about any noises. Also if it ain't broke don't mend it!. My Egli Comet owned for about 35 years rattles like an old gas oven being dragged across cobble stones, drips oil, until recently had a carb that was totally worn out, was dropped a couple of times a while back and now has more lock on one side than the other. Also as a natural born pessimist ("Blessed is he who expecteth the worst for him shall I not disappoint!) I carry EVERYTHING for a complete rebuild on the side of the road. Never had to use anything other than a plug spanner, a few yards of insulation or gaffer tape an some wire or cable ties. and oil. Good job too as I do not have the expertise to do a complete rebuild, let alone on the side of the road. It has NEVER been rescued by a breakdown firm, despite being clouted by a passing tractor in France, being hit up the rear by a BMW in Germany where it went over and broke off the gear lever and front brake lever.(I was carrying a spare brake/clutch lever) and a pair of Mole grips make a handy gear lever. Be a pessimistic optimist , ride it enjoy it don't listen to it. and good luck. Best wishes from me, often known as "Single Minded" PS Don't ever listen to any passing pundit who reckons a Comet is only half a Vincent, tell him it is a Vincent with the "difficult" bits let off. Keep you wheels BETWEEN the ditches. Here endeth the lesson for today.
SAM_3696.JPG
 

Martyn Goodwin

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
One other thing you MUST have on your rides, is a pair of VERY GOOD earplugs, then you won't worry about any noises. Also if it ain't broke don't mend it!. My Egli Comet owned for about 35 years rattles like an old gas oven being dragged across cobble stones, drips oil, until recently had a carb that was totally worn out, was dropped a couple of times a while back and now has more lock on one side than the other. Also as a natural born pessimist ("Blessed is he who expecteth the worst for him shall I not disappoint!) I carry EVERYTHING for a complete rebuild on the side of the road. Never had to use anything other than a plug spanner, a few yards of insulation or gaffer tape an some wire or cable ties. and oil. Good job too as I do not have the expertise to do a complete rebuild, let alone on the side of the road. It has NEVER been rescued by a breakdown firm, despite being clouted by a passing tractor in France, being hit up the rear by a BMW in Germany where it went over and broke off the gear lever and front brake lever.(I was carrying a spare brake/clutch lever) and a pair of Mole grips make a handy gear lever. Be a pessimistic optimist , ride it enjoy it don't listen to it. and good luck. Best wishes from me, often known as "Single Minded" PS Don't ever listen to any passing pundit who reckons a Comet is only half a Vincent, tell him it is a Vincent with the "difficult" bits let off. Keep you wheels BETWEEN the ditches. Here endeth the lesson for today.View attachment 22221
Remember .. Vincent's started life as singles - so in fact a twin it 2 comets!
 

Bill Thomas

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
One other thing you MUST have on your rides, is a pair of VERY GOOD earplugs, then you won't worry about any noises. Also if it ain't broke don't mend it!. My Egli Comet owned for about 35 years rattles like an old gas oven being dragged across cobble stones, drips oil, until recently had a carb that was totally worn out, was dropped a couple of times a while back and now has more lock on one side than the other. Also as a natural born pessimist ("Blessed is he who expecteth the worst for him shall I not disappoint!) I carry EVERYTHING for a complete rebuild on the side of the road. Never had to use anything other than a plug spanner, a few yards of insulation or gaffer tape an some wire or cable ties. and oil. Good job too as I do not have the expertise to do a complete rebuild, let alone on the side of the road. It has NEVER been rescued by a breakdown firm, despite being clouted by a passing tractor in France, being hit up the rear by a BMW in Germany where it went over and broke off the gear lever and front brake lever.(I was carrying a spare brake/clutch lever) and a pair of Mole grips make a handy gear lever. Be a pessimistic optimist , ride it enjoy it don't listen to it. and good luck. Best wishes from me, often known as "Single Minded" PS Don't ever listen to any passing pundit who reckons a Comet is only half a Vincent, tell him it is a Vincent with the "difficult" bits let off. Keep you wheels BETWEEN the ditches. Here endeth the lesson for today.View attachment 22221
I have always thought your Bike did not look like a Special, To me it looks Factory done, Very nice.
And I know it's Fast !!. Cheers Bill.
 

karl johnson

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
kenny nice bike, just food for thought in the riders handbook it does say that our bikes do over oil themselves at lets call it ( pottering about speeds ) but hi speed distance travel oil distribution does even out ( or it should) :) mainly remember this.. if its not broke dont fix it
 

Matty

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
If it does not rattle it doesn't go they say. Mine is not too bad and I think the racket is mostly a bit of slack in the steel timing gears which have been set up as well as is reasonably possible but give no trouble.
If you care to look on the forum about oil consumption you will find that I have been fighting a 150 mile to the pint problem on and off for the last 40 years - worrying about porous head, duff valve guides, glazed bore etc. The different oils I have tried did not seem to make any difference and the checks were quite thorough because I do over 3000 miles in an average year on the Comet, and have settled on Morris Classic 20/50.
Rebores, low expansion pistons, new standard valve guides, blocking the oil feed to the back of the bore, deglazing the bore etc did not seem to help over the years-and the engine has only sometimes ever leaked a small spot of oil, though it did smoke from the exhaust on the overrun and the exhaust pipe was always oily and black inside.
However I had Conways fit valve guides with seals last year, and after a thorough cleaning of the head I attempted to fix any porosity by heating the head to 100deg C and painting it with a special very thin Loctite 290 which supposedly gets sucked into the porous parts as the head cools. I painted it inside the inlet and exhaust ports and on the area above the valve guides.
Blue smoke has gone and I now do 500+ miles per pint which will have to be good enough.
Matty
 
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