Lovely workmanship, eh?

**jellywrestler** · 21st July 2010, 14:17

I dug out one of my old bikes to put together hopefully to ride to this years Cold Kiwi and found this example of fine workmanship in the rear wheel.
A handful of spokes had obviously gone west in the wheel and the only ones the previuos owner could lay their hands on were too long, they've run them through the spoke flange on teh hub and knotted them around either other spokes or back on themselves.
Thankfully they haven't been inside the motor or gearbox!!

**YellowDog** · 21st July 2010, 14:25

Unbelievably stipid.

Good luck with sorting that lot out, hopefully via a swap meeting.

The engine and gearbox are the important bits, so you should be safe there

**MSTRS:Me** · 21st July 2010, 16:27

But do they 'ting' or 'thud'...

**jellywrestler** · 21st July 2010, 16:34

Originally Posted by MSTRS

But do they 'ting' or 'thud'...

not even going to try just get it right and safe

**MSTRS:Me** · 21st July 2010, 16:36

Go on. Heath Robinson did some good stuff at times...

**AllanB** · 21st July 2010, 17:42

What an superb example of the cush-spoke.

I understand that that is actually a very rare early cush-spoke - the theory being that the bent spokes could 'slip' a bit taking up the harshness of the drivetrain.

Whilst working as intended the obvious need to constantly re-true the rear wheel prompted the invention of the rubber cush drive behind the sprocket. Early examples of the rubber cush-drive in fact used whale blubber not rubber, but they found this leaked in an unsightly manner thus leading to the rubber cush drive not unlike the ones still used today.

Of special interest to historians of motorcycle facts is that the leaking whale blubber of the first cush-drives lubricated the chain - thus noticed by a Mr Scott and obviously lead to his invention of the first Scott oiler.

I thank you for posting this interesting motorcycling artifact and strongly suggest that you do not replace the cush-spokes with shorter ones as in it's present form it has a unique value.

**toycollector10** · 21st July 2010, 23:12

Most, if not all of readers of the Classic Forum will have stories and pictures of botch-ups by previous owners.

RTV to stop a leaking head gasket. Sump plugs re-tapped in some obscure American plumber's thread that no one in New Zealand has heard of, except old Jimmy who used to work here but he's retired now. That sort of stuff.

Who's got some more?

But that's a really nice looking bike you have there. I'm sure you're going to get into a full restoration so good luck. Why don't you document it here on the forum, there's lot's of interest?

It's important, for the sake of originality, that the Blubber Cush Drive Spokes aren't messed with too much. They're unobtanium now and I've seen them on eBay going for huge money

**Voltaire** · 22nd July 2010, 07:16

Most, if not all of readers of the Classic Forum will have stories and pictures of botch-ups by previous owners.

I found Guinness beer can being used to pack out the wheel bearings on my R75/5/Watsonian GP Combo...

....no wait..

..I did that..

...but hey it was on the side of the road in Norway.......

**Bender** · 25th July 2010, 09:39

A replacement side cover knocked up from a drench container by someone in the agrarian sector. (It actually worked OK)

**F5 Dave** · 26th July 2010, 12:52

Originally Posted by toycollector10

. . .
It's important, for the sake of originality, that the Blubber Cush Drive Spokes aren't messed with too much. They're unobtanium now and I've seen them on eBay going for huge money

Nah they're easy to get on that Japan Yahoo trading site. Bit pricey but doing a roaring trade as still used in all major japanese bikes just coloured black so people think it's rubber. What do you think all those boats were after? You didn't think they ate the stuff did you?