Jafa rides again! Briefly.

[PirateJafa]

After nearly four months off the road after a nasty highside, I'd been given the all-clear to ride from the men in funny coats. Excellent! I think to myself. After all, I had bought a 1978 Yamaha RD250E a month previously. So with the help of Ixion yesterday, we complete the last repair - fixing the impossible clutch, and the bike is finally ready to run.

Luckily I have a mate who is a complete tool, so he pops down from Orewa to give me a lift from my humble abode in Albany, down to Mt Eden where the bike has been for the last week, to ride her home.

Get geared up, (Took a while since my arm doesn't really bend) and hop on the RD. Ooooooh yes she starts instantly and runs like the little beauty she is. Head for the motorway north. Cruise over the Harbour Bridge, enjoying the kick of the powerband on a 350cc power-valveless bike, and all is going fine until just before of Northcote Rd offramp.

Clunk. Not the best sound one might wish to hear on a bike. Revs instantly drop off, and then the engine cuts out once they hit around 2,000RPM. At the first clunk I had whipped the clutch in and started making my way across the three lanes of traffic to the shoulder.

Okay, time to troubleshoot. Electrics appear to work. Bike changes down into neutral, yes. Bike kicks over, yes. Bike kicks over slightly easier than normal? Maybe it is just my imagination. Either way, I'm getting no love here.

Mate eventually gets back. Okay, lets head up to my flat, and grab my tools and my car with the towbar. Just about to pull out onto the motorway when suddenly I see red'n blue behind us. Surely that was not a pang of a guilty conscience? No, not me. Honest.

The charming policeman takes down my details and the bike's details, so that any passing rozzer doesn't think she's been crashed (then magically stood up again by herself?) and start looking for a rider in the bushes.

Head off to steal the Dilworth trailer, and dig some trenches in the school grass. Had to empty it of mulch first (although I suppose it could have stopped the bikes rolling around?), then off to rescue the bike. Get a txt on the Harbour Bridge from a friend - oh dear, good thing we brought extra strops!

Pull the spark plugs. Right cylinder is beautiful - not too light, and not too dark. Perfect. Left cylinder - has been knocked in and is covered in a rock-solid grey stuff. Not good. Prognosis is currently that she's holed a piston. Load her up and we're off out west.

[censored]

Cruise back to Mt Eden from Great North Rd, and unload the bikes right back where the RD had just left that morning. Oh dear - deja vu is kicking in now.

Result of the day? I rode 13 kilometres, and enjoyed every single one. Good thing too because it looks like they're the only k's I'll be putting on the bike for a while!

Dang it is good to be back on two wheels.

(Edit: although the car looks nearly ready to pull a wheelie with all the bikes on the trailer)

[Nordy]

Good to see you enjoyed it before the bike threw its toys out of the cot.

[gijoe1313]

Names to be anon for the extra pickup? All good, glad to hear you are back on the horse after your last escapade.

Two strokes eh? It's what they do, that's why we luvs them so! (to quote a certain rider who has forgotten more about two strokers than I will know!)

[Ixion]

Oh dear . Oh dear. It was such a happy little fellow after its clutch was fixed.

A orrible plug doesnt necessarily mean a holed piston though. Usually with a holed piston they'll keep going just fine on the other cylinder - I rode the arzhole back with one piston gone at 140kph. Sure it's not out of petrol? Or just wet.

Anyway it's aircooled , hurrah, so whip the heads off (five minute job) and see what's inside.

[klyong82]

Maybe Conelius had something to do with it....

[Ixion]

Whip the heads of tomorrow. Literally 5 minutes.

Doesn't sound quite typical for a seizure. Not that a seizure is any big deal, it's what they do, is why we luvs them so .

Sometimes a seized piston will stay locked up until mr Block and Mr Mallet have a wee chat, but when it frees up on cooling (and you said it licks over OK), you can usually restart. Certainly on a twin.

Maybe it just decided to clunk. It's what they do

Did you try restarting , with maybe a push (they're often sulky after a nip up)

Anyway, it's not likely to be a big deal. Mr Joe seized Pippi about half a dozen times, a few words from Mr Block and Mr Mallet and she was as good as a new one.

Pity it happened so early in your two smoker apprenticeship. But maybe she's just testing you, to see if you are worthy of the accolade of two smokership, like. Like them princesses when I was young, who, before they'd let the knight errant into their pants, insisted on sending him off to kill a brace of dragons and take out the local ogre. Just to prove himself, like (always seemed to me they had an exaggerated opinion of their pussies, mind, the local innkeepers daughter was always a better root.). 'Cept when the knight got back, complete with pickled dragons heads in his saddlebags, he found her six months gone to some poxy minstrel who got her pissed telling her the wine was distilled from the Virgin Mary's tears or some such crap. But, I digress - though if anyone is interested in buying a couple of pickled dragon's heads, never used; or knows of the whereabouts of certain minstrels, let me know.

Meanwhile, pull th eheads.

[Slyer]

Luckily I have a mate who is a complete tool

Last time I pick his ass up from the side of the road to be honest. :P

[Donor]

Oh for the love of Beelzebub...

...what has EJ done this time?

[gijoe1313]

Oi vey is that a little FXR on the aforementioned trailer with RD on it!

Was it needing a rest in sympathy with what happened to the RD?

Never mind, nothing that won't buff out?

[Ixion]

Have you got the heads off yet. Mr Joe will brief Mr Mallet and Mr Block to be on standby.

[PirateJafa]

Negative Ixion - I am unfortunate and actually work for a living. To remedy this, Justin is kind enough to be lending me a bike so I can afford to get over to the shed in the evenings to take her apart. +rep to you GiJoe.

Soon. Soon!

Just need to find out what exactly has gone on in there. Luckily most of the gaskets are re-usable as I understand.

[Ixion]

Yep. Providing you're careful , all should be reusable. If it doesn't make any nasty noises when kicked over could be worth trying to restart it. Y'never know. Two smokers are odd that way.

[Ixion]

So, have you pulled the heads yet? The crowned heads of Europe await this information, the chancellories are agog. Do you need a hand?

[McJim]

He's been asking me about inexpensive Desmodues on the QT......(from 2 strokes to 2 cylinders an 2 valves per cyl!)

[xwhatsit]

So, have you pulled the heads yet? The crowned heads of Europe await this information, the chancellories are agog. Do you need a hand?

Methinks he's enjoying GiJoe's YPVS and watercooling a little too much.

I was about to say, perfect opportunity for the famed 350-top-end-mod -- but I seem to recall you saying that that particular modification (and the uprated oil pump too, hopefully?) has already been performed?