just as good anyway. It also went through Jels, which boasted a Planetarium, so I popped in there,
but I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to visit it. Denmark is pleasant on the H.R.D.
due to light traffic and gentle countryside, but heading west on this occasion was taking me
into a fairly heavy headwind, especially on the exposed causeway to the island of Romo. It is in
these conditions that the H.R.D., laden with camping gear, really struggles to maintain speed, and
I prefer to go slower rather than thrash it. Fortunately, being only a little motorcycle it doesn’t
usually hold up traffic much, if I keep well over when I think overtaking is safe for those behind
(this is not advanced riding practice, which is to take ownership of your lane, but holding traffic
up isn’t good either).
Ribe is a very nice place, but I should have remembered that visitors to Denmark need a
camping carnet. I used campsites twice, so my forgetfulness cost me dear (the alternatives being
to buy one there or pay an extra ‘transit’ fee for each stay). As the pound is doing badly against
continental currencies money went a bit faster than expected, so I was glad of the plastic. What a
contrast to the days when I first ventured abroad, there was no plastic, and we were only allowed
to take a limited amount of currency — I nearly wrote ‘a small amount’, but my recollection
of may circumstances in those days is that even £25 was a lot of money to me then! I hadn’t
been to the Ribe Viking centre on previous stays in Ribe (just out of town, and different to the
Viking museum which is in town), so a visit there provided a pleasant way to spend my last day.
A lot of staff, some of whom must surely be volunteers otherwise the books couldn’t balance,
demonstrated fighting with swords and spears, archery, falconry, and all the trades of a replica
Viking age Ribe market. The farmer was doing his shallow ploughing with oxen, which I think I
have only ever seen on TV.
Then it was time to catch the boat and go home. The trip home is around 150 miles from
Harwich and took 4½ hours, as an indicator of H.R.D. speed. Nevertheless, I had enjoyed the trip
once I got on my way (except for all those dug up roads and detours). I had been thinking that
the days of riding it outside my own locality were, over, but, perhaps, with a bit of care selecting
suitable areas, the H.R.D. and I may still have a few rides and tours in us yet.
s
The 2011 International
Bill Norton
THE
VINCENT H
.R.D.
OWNERS CL
UB’S 2011
The entries are starting to come in at a good rate. We are hoping that
Internationa
people enter
early, and not later — thanks to all. Doug Wood has stepped
l Ra
Shipping lly
forward and volunteered to handle the chore of our overseas Members
Details
bringing their bikes over.
He has already been in contact with Arthur Farrow from the UK and will offer
his help where necessary. Doug can be contacted via e-mail at: [email protected] or by
postal mail at Doug Wood, 28 Hess Road, Boyertown, PA 19512, USA. If writing please enclose
a IRC/SAE. s
While
uses. Aft
part num
One c
two Twin
I reckon
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A thin
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looking f
Other than cleaning and polishing, most of us leave finish work (plating and painting) to a
professional.
our tired and tatty-looking Amal carburettors, though, we can do the
Regarding
work ourselves
and inspect/fettle and perhaps replace bits as we go.
Many (most?) old Amal carburettors were painted silver, but unless your machine stayed
inside and was never run, its paint is now probably long gone, looking sort of greenish-grey with
brownish fuel stains. Some like this gnarly, used look — it may blend well with a not-so-shiny
Vincent’s patina. Also, others have their carburettors plated or polished, which has its appeal, also.
I like mine with paint. And, there are not many parts to paint: carburettor body, the cap on top
and the float with its cap.
I woul
In Parkin
After
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While
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Denny
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Upon
around t
his neck
MPH 730
NOVEMBER
Carburettor Painting
Bev Bowen
4672_MPH 730_November 2009.indd 22
PAGE 22
NOVEMBER 2009
23/10/2009 09:24
in there,
he H.R.D.
king me
o. It is in
eed, and
t doesn’t
e behind
ng traffic
need a
es being
y against
. What a
allowed
ollection
I hadn’t
nt to the
last day.
balance,
a replica
I think I
les from
the trip
ing that
selecting
s
H.R.D.
B’S 2011
Rally
et or by
enclose
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ng) to a
n do the
e stayed
rey with
so-shiny
eal, also.
p on top
MBER 2009
While there may be many brands and types to choose from, I asked Ernesto Morales what he
uses. After all, his machines always look elegant! He recommends Eastwood’s ‘Carb Renew’ Silver,
part number 10187Z, and I ordered mine on-line, see ww.eastwood.com
One can of this paint will be enough for multiple carburettors — Ernesto says two sets (for
two Twins). I have some left over and did my Red Rapide’s 276 items and my Comet’s 229, so
I reckon four is indeed the magic number. Eastwood also sells Diamond Clear Satin for Painted
Surfaces (part number10197Z) to enhance fuel resistance, but so far I haven’t seen any need, but
it sure couldn’t hurt, and maybe next time I will try that. It may or may not be glossier with that,
though, and if it is, that would not appeal to some of us. There’s another product recommended
by Eastwood, called ‘PRE,’ part number1679Z. It is used to provide a final cleansing of the surfaces
to be painted. Just spray it on and wipe it off and go painting!
Probably most Vincent owners have no problem disassembling the carburettors, and I won’t
go into all that, but if you’ve never done it before, heat the throttle body in the oven (after all
fuel cleaned off) so that the jet block will drop out — pounding it out is a no-no). Otherwise,
disassembly is pretty much unscrewing and pulling out split pins. This is a good time to clean
things up and see if the slide is in good shape, etc. Clean/wash the parts to be painted with
something sensible. A few words about bead-blasting: if you do use one, do it lightly and of
course make sure you give a gentle, yet assertive burst of air through all passageways. Go by the
hardware store and buy a few small split pins for securing the throttle cable to the slide and the
tickler plunger to its spring flange. Use narrow masking tape and paper towels to plug the inside
of the parts and to mask internal threadways. To me, there’s no worry in painting the external
threads on the carburettor body, as the paint is very thin and won’t get into the fuel flow.
A thin coat is all it takes. This paint is somewhat translucent and allows the metallic hue to
show, so that it takes on a flat, yet somehow splendid texture. With the carburettors reassembled
with all metal bits and new washers, they just look great! And, every now and then you can
get a cotton swab saturated with Honda Polish or some other paint/body cleanser and remove
the brownish drip from the tickler, etc., before it petrifies, thus keeping the carburettor paint
looking fresh.
s
The Peeled Eye: Parking Lot Entertainment
Carl Hungness
I would wager an entertaining book could be put together entitled Vincent Motorcycles Repaired
In Parking
Lots and Other Places Far From Home. Here’s another tale that could be included…
After spending a couple of weeks sorting a slipping clutch I set off on a 700 mile journey
to a beautiful little town named Cannon Falls in our lovely state of Minnesota where I was to
attend the 2009 North American Rally hosted by the Minnesota Section of the VOC. The trip was
uneventful and most enjoyable as my 1954 Black Shadow was now capable snicking into low
gear without a trace of noise and the clutch itself, along with the rest of the machine performed
as its makers intended. Member Tom Nelson from Ohio had sent me a tulip style rod that would
lift the inner clutch plate squarely while eliminating the C42/1 adjustor on the left hand side. My
steady 60–70mph touring with some boy racer bursts to 90 and 100mph assured a continual grin
under my full face helmet.
While on the way to the Friday evening barbecue I noted the Godet/Egli mounted Denny Delzer
had turned left rather than right and I accelerated after him to let him know of his error. As I
pulled next to him and hit third gear we both heard an audible ZING! from within my lump’s
innards that brought a grimace to both of us.
Denny knew where he was going so I turned around and made the three-mile trek, but felt a
bit of a judder in third gear.
Upon arrival in the parking lot I told one Dan Smith about the problem and he said, ’Ride it
around the parking lot and I’ll listen.’ I got no more than 50 feet away when I saw Dan slicing at
his neck with his outstretched fingers, and I cut power immediately.
NOVEMBER 2009
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