Housekeeping

Here’s to everyone enjoying the final flurry of nice riding days! Although I do love those surprise autumnal or winter days where the roads are dry and the sun, for a few hours, is our friend. That’s the glory of not having immaculate bikes – they are always available for an impromptu ‘blat’ out.

Here at Hullville, we can tell it’s getting colder; not because the bike meets are getting quieter and darker; not because that jacket liner gets put in. We can tell because come late evening, the slugs move into the kitchen. I just cannot find where they come in, slimy little buggers. The kids think it’s hilarious. I don’t.

They’ve been seeking warmth for years; just like my BSA not starting when it’s still warm. Dynamo and magneto are all right, carb settings work and feel fine, but I dread trying to start it after 30 minutes or so, especially now Maria’s using it more. Little niggles are what make every day different though, I suppose.

Bike-wise, we’ve had a quiet month; well, apart from the BMW valve clearances, which are rather vocal in reminding me they’re loose. I popped to see my friend

Ben at TTT Motorcycles in Sudbury, where the guys in the workshop were putting a badly-restored Triumph back in shape. I also got to try a brilliantly tuned new Royal Enfield Interceptor they’d got just perfect – more on that next month – and the great roads in that area.

Elsewhere we’ve been making a list of jobs needed on the old family Ford

103E that took my mother and father to hospital to have me, to see how big a task it is. Great news is the chassis – what there is – is in strong shape and the bodywork needed is pretty minimal. The suspension and the non-hydraulic, rod-operated brakes will need some love and the 1172cc sidevalve engine is asking for the full works. And bearing in mind it hasn’t the performance of an M20, that engine weighs a ton! Bikes or cars? I enjoy them both.

And heading further back in time, our good friend was recently offered some old working trailers, so what better way to pick them up than steaming up the Garrett traction engine? For those not into steam power, traction engines are incredible machines that feel so alive when you’re next to them. To top it off they just happened to be coming down the road as the level crossing was closed for the Mid Norfolk Railway testing a Standard class loco at the same time. There was more steam than a holed Scott radiator and more whistling than the workshop kettle. A wonderful sight and smell that made up for the lack of shows this year.

Workshop beckons. The ES2 is actually making progress; I’m enjoying it again.

The B31 needs an oil change, a couple of niggles and the tank repainted, the BMW needs a service and possibly more – I suspect the crank seal is leaking, causing the dry clutch to slip slightly. And I’m fed up with never having any room, so I’ve decided to have a clear out, sell some bits and bobs and general stuff, to be able to concentrate on what’s left. Then, maybe, I’ll find some time to stop the slugs.

Hope you enjoy this month’s magazine, we’ve tried to bring a nice mix of bikes and stories. If you think you have a bike or story that others will find interesting, or want to correct something, you’re all more than welcome to email me.

Be good