Running and riding

My take on older strokers is that if the crank seals are on their last legs they’ll soon let me know; if they work okay then it’s a bonus. Likewise the same with the mains, big-ends etc. Not every used or old bearing is a reason for total engine rebuild. If the bike makes it to and from the local MOT station I’ll have greater confidence in it and run it on longer trips looking out for any tell-tale signs or issues. If it performs and runs as I hope then it may get used consistently across 2016 before being worked on again seriously at the back end of the year. There’s a whole host of plans in hand for the ignition, cylinder heads and intake system but these are going on hold for the immediate future. I’ve heard good things about a couple of modern ignition systems on these earliest of RDS and it would be sensible to ensure the bike has the best sparks possible. Another area that I really want to look at is the cylinder heads which are less than ideal for modern fuel. Although the bike was sold as unleaded/low lead compatible back in 1973 the reality is that its internal cylinder head profile is more compatible with the burn pattern of a period leaded fuel. People in the know tell me the heads are high compression with a poor squish band and this set-up can also deliver perforated piston crowns. Another bonus of the proposed upgrade is that the bike will be able to run ES rather than HS plugs meaning there’ll be an extra few millimetres of alloy at the hottest point in the engine to conduct the heat away. Know that stroker cylinder heads are one of the vital/key areas on these engines and this seems like a very sensible proposition to me.