Michel's Motors

[Zelandeth]

Not liked for the bike getting dropped, at least it sounds like it came off okay. Managed to do that with the old Honda once.

Went for the horn to get the attention of a mate I was looking for (in the back of beyond, and rolling down their drive at walking pace), instead hit the *other* unlabelled black push button...engine stop. Instant locked back wheel, bike over and me propelled off it straight into the hedge. We both just about died of laughter. Thankfully no damage to the bike as it was only on loan (and battered to Hell anyway) from a friend who was travelling abroad.

[Michel]

I once fell off when attempting a wheeliie in the works car park, many moons ago. Gave it a handful of throttle from a standing start, didn't notice the diesel it was stopped on. Didn't even move forwards as the rear wheel spun up and spat me off.

Car wise, I've still got my friend's Xsara Picasso I said I'd recomission for him... six months ago. I came to work in it today now, as Mr Hell Razor will be relieved to hear, I got a proper rear-view mirror for it. It all seems to be running ok, but I now need a decent set of alloys for it off A.N.Other 15" wheeled Citroen, quickly, as they tyres are shagged and need replacing at the end of the month for the MOT. The panoramic sunroof whistles too, but most of all, I need one or two new remote keys for it as the only single key we have , the buttons have worn off totally and the circuit board is ruined - ideas for a non-too expensive replacement greatly appreciated.

Next task on it is to replace the illumination bulbs for the climate control panel, as it's no use to man or beast totally blacked out. I also want to put a bluetooth stereo in it..

[CitroJim]

In all my motorcycling past - and it was quite extensive - I only ever dropped a bike one and that was in the very early days when I had a little Honda C50

I never dropped anything bigger...

I've dropped a pushbike more times though... Mainly through failures to unclip from the pedals in a timely fashion It happens to all cyclists on a regular basis...

[Zelandeth]

I can't help but notice that I've been developing a great want for any "pedal and go" 50cc moped I could get my hands on. I've no idea why, especially given the fact I live in the one place in the country where it's the least useful.

Seems to follow the general theme lately on my interests focusing more on really mechanically basic vehicles that it's easy to get your head around and you only need a spanner and hammer to take apart. The Activa is the exception that proves the rule.

[CitroJim]

I can't help but notice that I've been developing a great want for any "pedal and go" 50cc moped I could get my hands on. I've no idea why, especially given the fact I live in the one place in the country where it's the least useful.

Look out for a nice Mobylette Zel

Or the British equivalent - a Raleigh Runabout...

Or just get one of those (highly illegal) electric powered scooters making a significant appearance on the MK Redways!

[Michel]

Well, I haven't updated this blog for ages, as I've had , and still haven't anything remotely of interest to say.

Loan Xsara Picasso - working fine, has been doing since about September when the starter was replaced. I did put new bulbs in the AC display too, but that's all I've done apart from put diesel in it and check the oil now and again.

Skoda Octavia - working fine, put on 1200 miles in the last 7 days. I did have an issue with a boost hose disintegrating, and being told by a garage it was the intercooler at £300 inc fitting+vat that needed replacing, but further investigation showed it to be a £30 hose and a £1.30 clip, which I sorted myself. I still need to resolve the non-working rear wash/wipe and the occasional overboost issue, but the overboost only happens on uphill autobahns in top gear when accelerating at three-figure speeds, so it's not absolutely essential. It's used absolutely no oil or water since I bought it, despite it's 180k miles and a good thrashing.

Suzuki SV650S - it's a motorbike, it always needs some kind of minor maintenance. I have been using it to commute 50 miles a day to work, in all weathers. It's not as horrific as it sounds to be honest, the *only* issue I've found is spray from other vehicles making vision extremely poor in the wet, otherwise no problem at all. I fitted a new (Honda!) regulator/rectifier to it, and wired it direct to battery instead of via the loom, as pre-2003 Suzuki wiring is of similar quality to a Friday afternoon built 2CV. I now have good electrics and proper charging. I gave it a damn good clean the other day, a service and adjusted the chain etc. Supposed to do it every 600 miles (clean and lube chain) and adjust every 1500 miles.

own work

own work

The other major problem was it eating yet another speedo drive. They're made of cheese. The little arms inside them break off, and cause the speedo to stop working. It's a pain to change too, the front wheel has to be come off and replaced *very* carefully to avoid simply breaking the new unit straight away. I've decided it can wait until I need a new front tyre this time, so found my old Tom-Tom, some velcro , wired in a 12V socket behind the fairing and....

own work

Finally, I did the Reading Toy Run with my neighbour Zuzanna at the start of December.. here's one of us before we set off, note the Christmas tree (Securely) placed in my top box..

own work

and I got my picture in the paper. That's me looking decidedly unamused on the left...

Wokingham Paper

[Michel]

I've no idea why the pics are in the wrong order. The third pic down, which is a duplicate, should be the one of the Tom-Tom from the bottom of the post. As far as I can see, the code is right..

[GiveMeABreak]

It looks like one of the images was changed within an attachment tag. Sorted now.

[Michel]

It looks like one of the images was changed within an attachment tag. Sorted now.

thanks Marc!

[Hell Razor5543]

Looks like fun all round.

[Michel]

Well, I hope you all had a happy and enjoyable new year's eve and day, whatever you decided to do.

I got up early yesterday, and my neighbour Zuzanna and me rode down to Worthing from Twyford, through the Surrey hills with a stop-off at Newlands corner for a coffee on the way, as despite the sunshine and lack of wind, it was a lot colder than it looked.

Not so many bikers out, there was only 10 there, yet the car park was rammed with cars. It's usually the other way round.

Newlands Corner

Some lovely views over Surrey, there, so we sat on a bench and didn't talk to each other, as we are both anti-social gits, which is why we get on so well

View over Surrey

Cold woman looking over Surrey

From Newlands corner, we rode on down to Worthing. She does some Treasure-hunt thing from one of her clubs, and one of the objects she had to get to was the Teacup ride at Worthing Lido, which we duly found.

Worthing is a weird place, it was like arriving in 1965. Nothing appears to have been updated since then - the seafront architecture, the roads, the pier, the Amusement parks and rides. It really was like a curious trip back in time.

Worthing Pier

Got a decent parking space though...

Worthing Parking

Of course, no ride out is complete without adventures and breakdowns. First of all, once we parked up by the sea and decided to get something to eat, Zuzanna locked her helmet to her bike with a cable lock. Seeing I was going to carry mine around town, she offered to lock mine too. This is when it became apparent that the lock was knackered. The barrel had popped out slightly and the key wouldn't turn. Obviously this presented an issue as she couldn't ride the bike with no helmet on. Using the few tools we had proved futile, and pillock here actually managed to snap the key in the lock.. Taking the skin off my thumbs in the process.

Ironically, as I was cursing this, I received an email from Mr. H. Razor of this very forum, asking if I had a nut-splitter. I was going to send a curt reply advising of my current status, and if I had one, I'd not be stuck where I was. Sadly my battery went flat. Anyway, a call to the AA had a nice man with us quickly, and a helmet released from it's capture.

We then set off back after something to eat, via Cranleigh as another treasure hunt item was a church there. However, accelerating away from some lights, something happened (again) to my motorbike. It seems, and I don't know why, that if one really gives it the beans in 2nd gear, *something* sticks open in one of the carburettors and simply dumps a lot of fuel down - this results in a lot of smoke, rough running, and horrendous economy. It's done it once before. I had probably half a tank left, and popped and farted, freewheeled when it cut out, the next 26 miles, slowly, to Cranleigh where I intended to have a fiddle. About 6 miles out of Cranleigh my low-fuel light came on, and as we got into Cranleigh, it ran out of fuel. I usually get 30 miles once the light comes on... My partner-in-crime went ahead to look for a petrol station, but it was about a mile away, and closed. I set off pushing, when out of a garden leapt a man who I will remember forever - a fellow biker, who'd seen me pushing and went and found a gallon of petrol in his garage, which he gave to me and would accept no payment. The bike started, and as before when this happened, proceeded to run spot on thereafter. Managed to find an Esso petrol station about 10 miles away after we'd taken photos of the Church for her treasure hunt.

The rest of the ride home was dark and cold, if uneventul!

[Michel]

My Japanese motorcycle and Czech car continue to work wonderfully well <touches everything in the vicinity made of wood>

Due to this lack of frustration with odd french car issues, when a friend rang me up and asked me if I wanted her 07 plate 307 1.4 Petrol X-Line, with a couple of faults that she said made it uneconomical to repair for her (she's had it from new) I couldn't resist. Especially as it was free. Yes, totally free, no cost, nada. It's even got 4 new tyres and new discs and pads on it.

Pug 307

307

So, what are the major issues with it that made it free, I don't hear you ask at all. I'll tell you anyway.

1. It is due a timing belt. As these are people who take it to a dealer for even a light bulb change, yes, a timing belt is expensive.
2. It has a leaky radiator. It started leaking at a petrol station in Goring. The AA man put sealant in it. It made it back to Burnham with no further issues. A new radiator can be had for £30 at ECP with their WEEKEND37 code (Have one ordered)
3. It has the standard 1360cc PSA motor oil leak. The dealer did much tooth sucking at this, and said it would be very expensive. It's either a fiver of a job to reseal the cam covers as on my old 207 or sticking a blob of chemical metal on the leak on the outside of the head once the engine is clean and cold.

It has 100k on it, and MOT until June. I shall spend a few days repairing it and using it, then decide whether to use it, sell it, or trade it in against a Hyundai Terracan or Santa Fe, for a family camping bus..

[daviemck2006]

I thought that 1360cc tu engines were made and came out of the factory with that oil leak. The pug dealer would have been wanting to sell a new pug and not have to give any allowance on the old 307.

[Michel]

I thought that 1360cc tu engines were made and came out of the factory with that oil leak. The pug dealer would have been wanting to sell a new pug and not have to give any allowance on the old 307.

My mate bought this one new, dealer has made much out of them but they also bought a Touran new in 2008, and a new Polo two years ago, so there was little hope of them being convinced to buy another car. It's one of the sad things about modern society - a hundred quid or so and a morning of my time, and this is a damn good little car for someone instead of it going to pollute as scrap.

[Michel]

Oh, and in an act of probable insanity, I test rode a Suzuki Hayabusa last week, as I've always wanted one. All 190bhp of it.

Do any of you recall Hammond's reaction when he floored the throttle in the Renault F1 car, despite him having experience of many fast cars?

That. Exactly that. I think I even involuntarily said swear words when I cracked the throttle wide open in 2nd..