So, work is progressing on ‘becca, Jonathon’s sent me more photos – which show just how completely knackered she was, and how much of the previous restorer’s work has had to be cut out to make a structurally sound vehicle. Thanks to yesterday I’m not really taking this in the positive light in which I should be.
Unfortunately, after running like a dream all the way to work, on my way home yesterday Charlie (the bike) decided to die. Completely and totally. In a very civilised way, thankfully. In fact, initally – given the 2 Degrees C in-town estimate and the -4 degrees C possibility I assumed I had some carb-icing going in. This, for the unaware, is something you only generally get on air-cooled vehicles and is where the air being drawn through the carb is so cold, the water in it freezes and forms ice when it contacts the carbs innards. This as you might imagine fubars the mixture/throttle/everything else settings and the engine, in general, dies.
Thankfully, the warmth of the engine will normally thaw out the carb and you can set off again, often somewhat more gently. My counteraction to this is to try and funnel warm air over the carb in the winter.
But anyhow, that was my assumption – as I limped to the side of the road. A few minutes later the bike perked up again, and off we went. For a mile. Then it died, and this time would restart and rev, but applying load killed the engine. Fortunately, I’d been prepared prepared and dashed for the hard shoulder, yanking on the anchors mere feet from an SOS box.
I called the illustrious AA. One and three quarter hours and several increasingly cold calls to them later, a recovery truck pulled up. He looked at the bike with the air of one considering fixing it, until I pointed out that it now had a flat battery in addition to whatever was wrong with it before (the battery having held the lights illuminated for about an hour and a quarter) at which point he decided to load up and take me home – despite the AA’s protestations that they should take the bike to a ‘place of safety’ and then I should await a repair vehicle.
I don’t know, because I’ve not looked, if it’s something simple (like it’s oiled it’s spark plug – but then it’d normally not start at all) or something more complex. It runs and idles fine. Starts adequately. Lord knows if it’s the replacement carb, or if this is something that was coming anyway.
But it leaves me in a frustrating position. The DAF is currently ‘for sale’ – and someone is vaguely interested in ‘er. That leaves the Volvo – which is meant to be for Kathryn to use, and the Minor – which is very much not ready yet. Do I drag the MZ down the road to the bike shop (if it’ll come); do I take the DAF down to the ‘air-cooled specialists’ a few streets away… Gah.
And to top it off, I slept like crap last night. I was frozen after the near 2 hours in -4C (25 degrees F) and it took an age for me to warm up enough that my body would stop announcing it’s need to be warmer to me – even then I couldn’t get to sleep and in the end swigged some night nurse because my brain wouldn’t shut up. When I finally got to sleep I got 3 hours before, for some reason, I got agonising stomach cramps for about an hour. I promised Kathryn I’d take her to work this morning, but she looked at me and said “you’re falling asleep sitting up” – and I realised I probably wasn’t really safe to drive. I feel like a zombie I’m so tired – which makes the idea of making a decision somewhat harder…
