ONEXPERTS

It would be a rare issue of RC that didn’t inspire me to put virtual pen to the aether. Last month it was Frank’s opening Shed Tales paragraphs on RealExperts: exactly right, spot on, they are a breed apart. The difference is not just their knowledge and expertise but also their approach to repairing a motorcycle. A RealExpert does not compromise, he does not just repair that which is broken, he also repairs that which will break before too long. He does not refit worn parts or dodgy fasteners. He, in short, is one for the longterm solution.

I have some experience of this. My Triumph Tiger 650 had been extensively rebuilt before I bought it. The dealer even told me the engine builder’s name but it meant nothing to me at the time and I do not recall it. Now, well over 20k miles later it is more than evident that he was a RealExpert. In fact his rebuild has outlasted Triumph’s original assembly.

My first attempt at an engine rebuild was less successful. Not so much because what I did was wrong but because I left i’s undotted and t’s uncrossed. A PO had fitted a new big end and managed to block the oil feed to the bottom end. I diagnosed the effect (who couldn’t?), over-oiling of the top end, worsening vibration and worrying noises. What I did not do was take that step back and take the time and trouble to find the root cause.

RealExperts did much of the realwork on my Commando engine. Curiously, both were named Richard. Richard N tackled the bottom end, quietly dismantling the timing chest as we chatted. ‘That’s a Wolverhamptom camshaft,’ he observed, ‘it will not last’. There was very little wear, true, but it was only a matter OF TIME before the inadequate case hardening gave way. The replacement ‘chill cast’ camshaft was not a cheap option but what price peace of mind?

‘There should be a spring and plunger there,’ he continued, pointing to the lack of anti-sumping valve. A quick look at the barrel. ‘Ah, a broken fin,’ and ‘that will smoke’. The corrosion pitting I had seen but the fin – it had been bonded in place and unnoticed by me like so much else.

The other Richard worked on the head and barrel and was nit-pickingly precise with all aspects of his work. He was a little surprised to find an exhaust valve seat had very little material holding it in place but quickly proposed a solution involving weld build-up and machining. More time needed but the work was first class and at a fraction of the cost of a replacement head.

I have learned much from these and other, similar experiences, not least being the extent of my limitations. You can only get so much from manuals and fellow RealEnthusiasts. The rest comes from RealTalent and many, dedicated hours learning their craft. Ah, an email just arrived from another one, not called Richard, my G80CS crankshaft repair is done, invoice attached. Yes, there is a price but we enthusiasts would be in a proper pickle without them.

That said, I am getting the hang of the venerable AMC gearbox although, if you look carefully at the picture of the inner cover, you can see that RealExpert status is some distance away. Martin Peacock, member 453