Michel's Motors

[Michel]

Didn't these have camshafts or cam gears made out of chocolate? I seem to remember issues with early ones, which is why I bought a CBR600 instead back then!

That's contrary to what everyone else told me about them, bullet-proof cam gears. Maybe it was the smaller VRF/VRF400's that had the problem?
600 sports bikes are ok but need a lot of work to get the most of out of them.
I test-rode VFR**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff], VTR1000 and CBR900 back to back and disliked the CBR the most.
I did have brief ownership of a Kawa KLR650 but that spat it's cam out shortly after purchase, as did the Aprillia Pegaso750

It was actually the precursor to the VFR**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff], the VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff] that had chocolate cams. My mistake.

I had a CBR900 for a while too. The handling was wonderful, typical benign trusty Honda but the riding position was very hard work! I also had a GN250, a RGV250 (loony!) and a couple of NS125 two-smokes.

[bobins]

My 19 year old VFR**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff] is still going extremely well and with no problems... mind you, it has only done about 24k

[Michel]

My 19 year old VFR**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff] is still going extremely well and with no problems... mind you, it has only done about 24k

Yeah , it will. It was the older VF that was rubbish.

This 06 plate 125 I picked up has a genuine documented 4098 miles on it!

[Michel]

Well, today I've been "working", so no car or bike related happenings of note. Not that I usually have any anyway, before anyone else points it out

I did order service parts for the motorbike though. Cost me a bloody fortune! £9 quid for oil! £2.59 for a spark plug! £4 for an air filter! £5 for a headlight bulb that will hopefully be more use than the small glass bowl full of damp gloworms masquerading as my headlight at the moment.

It looks like servicing it will make servicing the 107 look like a tedious long job, though I'll probably remove the clutch cover and check the oil strainer gauze while I'm at it, though it's a once every 3500 mile thing and it's only done 4100.

I've decided I shall refrain from riding it to work until the clocks go forward. I don't mind dark around town, but the headlight, as previously mentioned, isn't great, so I shall not bother even attempting it when I have two 4 wheeled vehicles with good headlights to ride over the unlit back roads.

I shall also have to re-acquaint myself with adjusting valve clearances. It's been a very, very long time since I did any of that.

[CitroJim]

I had to giggle at the headlight comments Mike...

They must have been designed by the same person who designed the Xantia/XM headlights

[myglaren]

I had to giggle at the headlight comments Mike...

They must have been designed by the same person who designed the Xantia/XM headlights

Just replaced mine - had a dipped beam out, bought a pair of Philips Xtreme Vision +130%, delivered yesterday.
Bumper off in the rain
Headlight out. Bought the wrong ones - H4 instead of H7.
No matter, fitted the new H4s anyway, looked for H7s at Halfords as it is only a mile away.
Silly prices and no Philips bulbs.
Ordered from ECP, Osram nightbreakers though. Texted daughter for a lift. No reply.
Went over after a couple of hours and she had lost her phone somewhere in her house and hadn't looked for it.
Borrowed her car and went for the bulbs. Filled her car up, called in at Screwfix for a ceiling switch for her shower then picked the H7s up.
All back together and working well, much brighter that previously but £74 poorer in spite of savings on the bulbs.

[Hell Razor5543]

I cannot remember what vehicle it was, but I knew a vehicle that had such weak headlights the light barely made it through the lenses, and then collapsed, exhausted, in a small puddle of light (there was not enough light for a pool) just in front of the car, where it evaporated in the dark, it was so weak.

[Michel]

I cannot remember what vehicle it was, but I knew a vehicle that had such weak headlights the light barely made it through the lenses, and then collapsed, exhausted, in a small puddle of light (there was not enough light for a pool) just in front of the car, where it evaporated in the dark, it was so weak.

You could be talking about any XM or Xantia there James. 2CVs had decent lamps, but I think that was because they were too slow to need good ones.

[Zelandeth]

I cannot remember what vehicle it was, but I knew a vehicle that had such weak headlights the light barely made it through the lenses, and then collapsed, exhausted, in a small puddle of light (there was not enough light for a pool) just in front of the car, where it evaporated in the dark, it was so weak.

Original Fiat Panda fits that description!

[Hell Razor5543]

If cars could travel FTL would their headlights still work?

[bobins]

A quote from a book about Land Rovers that I've used on here before....
"Early Series IIs had Lucas 700 series headlamps with separate bulbs of only 45/40W rating. These Tungsten filament headlamps cast a lovely warm yellow glow over an area extending about 10ft in front of the vehicle. As an aid to seeing in the dark, they are not especially useful"

[CitroJim]

I cannot remember what vehicle it was, but I knew a vehicle that had such weak headlights the light barely made it through the lenses, and then collapsed, exhausted, in a small puddle of light (there was not enough light for a pool) just in front of the car, where it evaporated in the dark, it was so weak.

That might well have been the 6V lights on the early Renault 4..

I know them well, I had one.. never needed to dip them as it was impossible to dazzle oncoming cars

[Michel]

After taking Mr. H. Razor to get his car from the garage earlier, I had a spare half hour before my son's school play so as I had the bits, and the engine oil was warm, I serviced the 107. All done, plugs, oil, all filters, a wheel off to check the pads and hinges greased. 27 mins.

[CitroJim]

Excellent

It's one of the joys of the C1/107 - so simple and so easy to service and look after...

I hope that ethos is carried over into the new post-2014 model...

[daviemck2006]

Did that include a tea break and a fag break Mike?