MI-VAL PROJECT
Stu Thomson plainly enjoys a challenge. Not content with restoring a Gilera Giubileo to the road, he’s now tackled something even less usual – at least in the UK. And here’s how…
Stu Thomson plainly enjoys a challenge. Not content with restoring a Gilera Giubileo to the road, he’s now tackled something even less usual – at least in the UK. And here’s how…
Stage 5. Electrical wiring, Components
The electrical system on this machine is powered by a flywheel magneto with one coil for lighting and battery requirements and one coil for the ignition, with a battery fitted to give consistent voltage to horn, lights and brake light on some models. Pretty simple stuff. I decided to rewire the bike with more modern wiring and connectors, after all, the existing wires are getting on for 62 years old and even I managed to find a wiring diagram to work to in the MI-VAL manual.
The wiring diagram however did not quite fit the wires and switches that were in the headlamp, and there was no battery shown in the diagram as it was designed for direct lighting. One of the differences I think between the different models in the MI-VAL range, the battery lighting being for the more expensive up-market models. So even more confusion as to what my model actually is: frame from a GS and some cycle / electrical parts from a GL.
There is an ignition switch which is a simple push and turn affair and a 3 position light switch, and then of course there’s the standard design CEV type handlebar / horn push switch. These came in round and oval designs. As I have rebuilt a few Italian bikes I seem to have accumulated a few bits and bobs of switches which are quite interchangeable, hence from three broken ones I made one half-decent one.
I looked around at other bikes of the period and managed to find a wiring diagram that exactly matched what I had on the bike and was much clearer – this was for an MV Agusta 175 so that was the basis for my design.
On this particular bike, to continue the unusual… The ignition coil is a very large unit similar in size to that found on Laverda twins and mounted in the petrol tank, via a large wavy circlip and a spring. This seems a bit strange, but then Morini and other manufacturers did the same with some of their models. It does somewhat complicate the tank removal, but the bonus is that the electrics can be accessed quickly.
The original coil had some small damage to one of the connections, so I replaced it with a same size Bosch coil (actually from a Laverda and in my stock).
I brazed a couple of washers to the ends of the circlip to enable installation / removal with circlip pliers. Without this, one has to poke about with a screwdriver which can damage the coil connections and paintwork – hence I think the damage to the connection.
Stage 6: Dating, NOVA, V5 registration and number plate
One of the more complex operations in rebuilding an old bike these days can be the paperwork, and it is not getting any simpler.
To prove that no VAT is due on a machine, a NOVA form (Notification Of Vehicle Arrival in the UK) has to be filled in, stating the year of manufacture. Sometimes even for a vehicle that has never even left the country the DVLA are requesting a NOVA registration before they will issue an age-related plate or reregistration.
My brother had recently registered his Lambretta and the data submitted to DVLA from HMRC with the NOVA did not agree with the dating letter he received from the Lambretta club. The upshot of this was that the DVLA sent his application back to him and said they could not register it! I told him that he should contact HMRC, which he did, and they sorted it out but would not change the date on the NOVA documentation as it was too complex to do retrospectively. So in one department it is a 1962 machine and in the other a 1964. He eventually was able to get an age related plate. So I thought that I would get a dating letter first so I would not have the same problems with the MI-VAL. My first big mistake I think…
When I brought the MI-VAL into the UK I realised I had no proof of the date of manufacture. The guy I bought it from said 1954 but could not back it up with any paperwork and in the back of my mind were the problems my brother had so I contacted the VMCC, filled in the search forms and sent off the info and a cheque. As soon as I received the dating cert I filled in the NOVA forms and sent the data off to HMRC.
A few weeks later I received a letter from HMRC stating that no VAT was outstanding due to the age of the vehicle but… because I sent in the NOVA form outside the two weeks limit after importing the machine they would penalise me at £5 for every day I was late – this amounted to a large amount of money as the dating had taken over a month due to the searches that were required and at the time a little turmoil in the VMCC library. Also the time for the post to be recorded at HMRC was delayed, so that was quite a few days.
After my first shock and when I picked myself up I thought the only thing to do was to appeal the fine. So I wrote a letter to the personal transport unit of HMRC explaining the circumstances in detail regarding DVLA registering and having the age of the vehicle proven and the reasons for obtaining a dating cert and the reasons for the delay.
I was pleasantly surprised that a couple of weeks later I received a nice letter from HMRC saying that in this case they had reviewed the details and circumstances and decided to cancel the fine – phew! But that I must (if I import another vehicle, which I probably will) send the NOVA forms to them as soon as the vehicle is brought into the country.
So It is worth (sometimes) appealing against fines, and it proves there are still real people looking at the submissions.
Stage 7: Finished bike. Does it run@?
As the bike was wired and ready to go, I checked the spark with the short reach plug that came with the bike (a Magneti Marelli; modern equivalent is a B6HS, S for short reach) and it seemed to be nice and healthy. I put some fuel / oil into the portable 2 litre tank, connected it up and primed the carb. Surprisingly after a few kicks the bike burst into life and sounded pretty good. The exhaust note was louder and deeper than anticipated. This was the period I think before two-stroke tuning and expansion chambers, so the silencer is virtually straight through with no restrictions and retains the exhaust boom.
After warming up the engine it settled into a slightly off beat tickover, a bit like the old 1965 Lambretta I used to have. So the carb must still be in serviceable condition. Normally when I start up one of these small Italian bikes they run well but the slow running is really difficult to set. I have considered getting a small Mikuni to try to see if it improves the slow running. A friend has put a Mikuni on his Velocette and it ticks over like a diesel (but without the noise), something that is difficult to obtain with the old Amals or Dellortos.
Beauty, as usual, is in the eye of the beholder, but for the year it looks quite advanced. The double level seat with the matching pad on the tank looks quite stylish. The pad was interesting to manufacture. I made an aluminium template, did a sketch along with a photo of one I found on an original bike and sent it off to Leightons. I think they made a great job and it fitted perfectly.
I opted for black handlebars as I think they suit the bike better and of course fitted the obligatory bicycle speedo in addition to the CEV NOS item. I found a new MI-VAL speedo on Italian eBay but it only went up to 80kph and was a small diameter so must have been for a smaller model. This one should have 120kph speedo.