Reasonable Mods For Your Vincent: Part 5 - Vincent HRD Owners ...

Reasonable Mods For Your Vincent: Part 5Carl Hungness (Continued from Page 27 of MPH 730.)KICKSTARTER SPRING and SHAFT: Once your kickstarter shaft is in place you may note itfouls the exhaust. Vin-Parts International has come up with a shaft that is ¼” longer than stockand has proven to be a very worthwhile addition. Part number is G83L.I read of the modification whereby the shaft is drilled and tapped at its outer end. A ¼” BSFbolt is installed with a washer to hold the kickstarter itself on in case you have experiencedsomewhat loose splines due to over tightening the clinch bolt. Mine has been in place for thepast 18 years, and initially I thought I needed a new kickstart shaft. The shaft was easily drilled.I have experienced severe kickstart slip in the past, a condition that has led to a fracturedknee (I read of this during my first year or so in the Club of an unfortunate who actually brokea bone while attempting to start his bike). The G46 and G47 gears are held in place by a punylittle spring G48. When not fully engaged the gears can slip with the described disastrous results.Replace the spring, better yet, buy two and wind them together and re-install. See MO10 for adrawing, it is an easy fix.The Kickstarter spring G87/1 is going to lose its resilience sooner or later and will have to bereplaced. Vin-Parts International specify they have a heavy duty version, others may have as

well. Jacqueline Bickerstaff changed the spring in my bike on the pavement in front of her housewithout taking the cover off. With a pair of Mole grips she removed the old, wound a few twistsof wire around the loop of the new one, (to make a pull rope), inserted the spring and snapped iton. Then she cut the now offending wire and removed it.CABLES: While we know all of our cables are stocked by Vincent suppliers, some have gone toextra trouble to locate adjustors in sensible places. Clutch cables with the adjustor 16” from theclutch end and throttle/air cables with adjustors three inches from the bar end are available.The Twin pull twist grip available from (at least) The VOC Spares Company Limited is a popularmodification along with a nylon throttle cable junction box. Coventry Spares displays a nicelooking brass cable splitter for US$35.82.Personally, one of the best mods I have enacted on my machine is a device called the ThrottleRocker, for US$10. It is similar to a shark’s fin, slips over the twist-grip and relieves nearly allof the wrist pressure required to actuate the throttle. There was a patent argument over thisdevice and it was taken off the market for a time, but available in Canada. There are other similardevices on the market that utilise Velcro to hold it in place, but I much prefer the naked versionas it can easily be slipped to a most comfortable position depending upon how much you wantthe throttle open. E-mail: www.throttlerocker.comNUTS and BOLTS and TOOLS: Here we refer not to the fastening devices used on ourVincents, but to those that are not. In the USA the Whitworth fastener is easily pronounced butpainstaking to locate. We recommend www.britishfasteners.com Tel: 315 946 9400. Owner TomCaswell will sell a single tool or bolt. Also check Metric and Multistandard Components Corp. at:www.metricmcc.com/catalog/catalog.aspxTo our friends in the UK we have to say: ‘You are on your own. There are so many places listedin Old Bike Mart that specialise in British fasteners and tools we don’t have space to list them all.’However we know that if you contact: www.custom-fasteners.co.uk they will ship not only tothe UK but US as well. Thanks once again to Jim Wilson for the addresses.You do not require many specialised tools to fettle your machine, but a couple are worthwhile.Years ago I purchased a pair of thin ( 1 ⁄8”/3mm) wrenches to accomplish E80 nut tightening. Thoseare the nuts located between the brake backing plates and the forks. They are also used on thebattery carrier and speedo drive. Neal Videan now makes these wrenches available again and hasadded a ring end to one that allows work on the FF23 head stem nut. Contact information atend of the article.Removing and reinstalling, particularly the front spring boxes presents a problem. You’ll findat least three separate procedures for removal in Forty Years On in chapter one. Plus, if you canlocate a copy of MPH 522 the late Roger Haylett devised an extremely simple threaded rod/angleiron device that is illustrated in the magazine. You can make the tool in about half an hour. TrevorSouthwell leaves the top bolt in place and utilises a rope/windlass to remove the bottom, so as tomake the projectile hit the floor and not the fuel tank if your operation goes pear-shaped on you.To install and remove longer rear springboxes on the rear couple of pieces of aluminum, slottedto clear the centre bolt and just long enough to go past the diameter of the can itself can be used.Simply drill a couple of holes in the extended part of the aluminum and use a pair of threadedrods to clamp the cans (springboxes) and therefore reducing their length.Dan Smith gives me yet another worthwhile suggestion for working on our bikes as he notesthe new ratcheting combination wrenches, some with pivot heads are extremely useful. We won’tsee them in Whitworth sizes so Dan suggests we purchase: 7 ⁄16”, 13mm, 15mm and file them toour respective sizes 1 ⁄4” BSF 0.448; 5 ⁄16” BSF 0.525; 3 ⁄8” BSF 0.601.Ironically, while the USA is six times larger than the UK, our largest publication that caters tothe old bike market, Walneck’s, doesn’t come close to containing the amount of advertisers oreditorial content found in Old Bike Mart.Consequently, we highly recommend Old Bike Mart for anyone interested in, particularly, oldBritish machinery. Contact: www.oldbikemart.co.uk Walneck’s website: www.walnecks.com

For those who have to construct their own cables in the UK we can recommend JJ Cables Tel:01926 651 470. E-mail: cableman@btinternet.com and T. Johnson. E-mail: tjohnsongb@aol.comWe also recommend the making of a solder pot if you are going to make cables although notmandatory. One can easily be constructed with a short piece of galvanised plumbing tubing,capped and later heated with a propane torch. Making cables can be a dangerous undertaking forthe novice, (if you happen to be making a brake cable for example) so knowing how to ‘mushroom’the cable itself and properly ‘tin’ and clean the plot is essential.Once again, Jim Wilson wrote an article for The Clatter the Northern California NewsletterSection years ago about using a silver solder with a low 430ºF melting temperature which isperfect for soldering iron usage.He used a 7x7 stranded inner cable as well as the associated outer cable that is much moreflexible and lasts longer than the typical 1x19 for throttle, clutch and brake. 19 strand cheaperinner cable is found to break or fray more easily. The 7x7 can be put into service in a much tighterconfiguration and still work. These are available in the US at both Flanders and Barnett: ContactInfo: www.flandershandlebars.com and www.barnettclutches.com/products/cables.aspx bothUSA-based.Jim also uses Magura dust boots to cover the adjusters (along with short piece of shrink tubing)and advises the use of Messer’s MG-120 silver solder. It is cadmium free, low temperature, goodcapillary and wicking properties and great for bike cables. It is available in a small kit and has theflexibility needed to hold. Use 120 liquid flux or MG 120 paste flux. Jim doesn’t use a solder potand finds one unnecessary.Of course a cable lubricator is essential to keep the easy movement. Contact info: www.messerwelding.com/MG%20Products/Brazing.htm and www.scootertherapy.com/clubepage.html Tel: 262 255 5542. USA.I followed Wilson’s advice and successfully made all the cables on my Black Shadow. A frienddoing a multi-million Dollar Alfa used the Messer product and found it satisfying.Wrapping up a new clutch/comp. cable tightly and inserting into your headlamp could proveto be a prescient act as well.LONG FOOTPEG HANGERS: The hangars F52/11 and F52/12 are to a six foot rider, short. I wasable to obtain a set of longer hangers years ago, but no longer available. A competent welder cancut yours and add a piece in the middle and your riding position will be much more comfortable.With the short pegs I found it easy to get a ‘Charlie Horse’ in my (especially) right hip.CARBURETTOR PAINT: You are on your own when it comes to painting your bike but I want torecommend the ‘silver sheen’ paint referred to in Original Vincent Motorcycle referring to thecoating used on our carburettors. The Eastwood Company makes a product called ‘Carb Renew’item no. 10187Z that has been used on (at least) some of Ernesto Morales’ award winning bikes.Contact info: http://eastwood.results page.com /search?p=Qandts=customandw=carb+renewCRASH BAR: For some reason I have kept track of the number of times my own machine hasbeen on its side during my ownership. It has fallen over seven times and crashed once. In eachcircumstance my Britax crash bar, a bar that fits through the headstock sidecar fitting, has savedthe machine, and me, from damage. It is astounding the bike has received literally no damagewhatsoever each time it has tipped over. Even during my crash when the machine skidded outfrom under me in a curve and slid over 140’, and then flipped to the opposite side, the damagewas minimal. The VOC Spares Company Limited makes a stainless steel bar that clones the Britax(part no. CB1SS) and it may come from the highly respected Vincent parts maker/rebuilder ofMaughan and Sons whom we know manufactures this part.I milled slots in my own bar to accept a line of 12 LED lights that serve as turn signals. They notonly work great, but most say, ‘You don’t have winkers up front,’ as they don’t look at the bar asbeing a place of origin for lights. I more or less glued them in on a piece of wood.

AIR FILTERS: I can’t lay hands on the quote from Phil Vincent who commented something to theeffect of ‘It’s so wet in England that the dust is kept down.’ Thus some original bikes were fittedwith Vokes air filters that I understand did a pretty fair job of choking the engine. Fit a set of shortK&N Filters to your machine and your cylinders will be much happier and last a whole lot longer.The Vokes have been reproduced with modern day filters by craftsman Steve Hall. They sell forUS$695 per pair and you buy your own K&N Filters. I believe they are first class reproductions.E-mail: hallsmetalworks@aol.comHANDLEBARS and CONTROLS: The stock handlebar assembly can feel a bit confining to a tallrider. I fitted a set of touring bars, still available, and found the riding position much improved.The stock dip switch looks lovely and seemingly takes about a second and a half to actuate. Ihighly recommend you install a modern day turn signal switch (with turn signals of course) justfor safety. I used a switch off a Harley-Davidson Buell that is black. It happily befuddles theonlookers as well as they didn’t realise a 1954 bike had such a device.I am astounded to see the new style, squished rectangular mirrors installed on so manybeautifully restored bikes. You can still buy a new Stadium mirror that will mount on yourhandlebar end, but they aren’t the cast aluminum ones of old. Nevertheless, if you go online andlook up any good hot rod supply shop you can buy a small round mirror that looks all the worldlike an original Stadium and it can be made to fit your new bracket. If you are going to ride it,you need mirrors. Remember, the guy behind you is using his mobile telephone to text messagehis girlfriend.Mount one of those cute little chrome Amal horn buttons on your right hand twist grip and useit as a kill switch. It may not only come in handy one day, but with a little practice you can bumpit and your footshift at the same time to enact lightning fast shifts without fear of tearing up thedrivetrain. I know about such things when I get next to a Harley Sportster.Your original cork based fuel taps most likely leak and articles abound on how to fix them. Minereside in my ‘Original Vincent’ box as they have been replaced with modern petcocks.CONCLUSION: When you consider the vast amount of experience Patrick Godet has in the worldof Vincent motorcycles, his opinions carry very significant weight. Patrick is of course the manwho reproduces a new ready-to-run Egli and who also runs what is likely the most complete andlargest Vincent restoration facility in the world. This is not to say other restoration facilities turnout any less quality than Godet’s, nor do we respect other opinions any less than his. Moreover, inmy estimation his comments can be appreciated by all Vincent owners, new and old. Remember,English is a second language for Patrick and most of us can’t say, ‘What’s the time?’ in French!Basically, Patrick is telling us he doesn’t have very many modifications that he wouldrecommend doing to the Vincent. He’s pretty happy with it as manufactured:Dear Carl, Over 35 years of Vincenteering I have learnt a lot and still do. You might be surprisedif I tell you we do not do many fancy things on the 1,000cc engine.Our 1,000cc engines are 100 per cent to Vincent design plus ET100 modified. Our goal to supplyreliable trouble-free enjoyable machines has more to do with the attention paid to every detailand first of all before even thinking of building an engine:It took me several years to solve the grabbing and squealing problem of the multiplate clutch.We only use ¼” sprockets to allow ‘O’ ring chains.In fact in the light of my experience in travelling long journeys and racing we do everything wecan to get the machine as refined as possible with maximum docility.I have designed special breather caps and I still need to design a one way valve even thoughour system works fine without it. The problem is we re-machine inside the cylinder head so it isnot easy for the average owner.Every Egli wheeled out of here has an electric start from François Grosset and I am sold on hisignition system as well which is on every machine from here when the customer agrees.

I am happy too to advertise. I do it to wave the Vincent flag more than for the business I stillhave a few more ideas for the coming months and then I shall be quiet again.We manufacture our own crankcases and covers, cylinder heads, crankshafts MkII and MkIIIcamshafts pistons for our big bore and many parts we have also experimented diamond likecarbon coated cam followers in conjunction with our smoothing by tumbling no rugositycamshafts we use a formula one and motorsport process for our camshafts.Our 1,330cc engine has a fully nitrided and then grinded 100 stroke bob-weight crankshafteach side is one piece with 1 1 ⁄8” mainshafts. Our 1,330cc engine has our specific big port squishedcylinder heads which I designed some years ago for a 500cc racer project which has beenpostponed. I keep the technology inside for my customers’.My own machine is just a standard Series ‘D’ with improved breathing and ET100 modifiednicely ported inlet and exhaust port Amal MkII carburettors. Let’s say for the standard Vincent Ido not like modification, I love them as they are. I forgot we also have our gearbox mainshafts onneedle rollers and a seal and no more bronze bushes.Patrick credits both Fritz Egli and manufacturer David Holder for much of his success. Holder,as many of you know owns the Vincent and Velocette trademark names and manufactures manyof the exacting parts of our bikes such as gearbox and timing gears, primary drive and ESA, rockercover caps, liners, exhausts, hubs and spoke flanges, brake shoes, speedo ring gear, and the multiplateclutch previously mentioned as well as the new Rear Frame Member used on the Club’s‘new’ Black Shadow. He sells directly to the trade so his name isn’t one we are all familiar with.It took me a good number of years to make my own Black Shadow a truly reliable daily rideand most of the problems I encountered were either of my own making, or a lack of knowledgeof the machine. I recommend those new to the world of Vincent motorcycles use the Club forum,the jtan e-mail service and read through the many informative articles on www.thevincent.comto answer most any question. Remember, Tony Rose logged 100,000 miles in a little over a yearon his Vincent in the 1950s and encountered only minor difficulties.The machines were manufactured to be ridden and to be ridden fast and for long distances.Ride them, wear out some parts and learn how to work on the machine with your own hands.Both you and the world of Vincent motorcycling will be the better for it.Again, at least a couple of dozen Vincent enthusiasts contributed to this article and theyrepresent the helpful spirit I have found throughout my tenure of my own Vincent.Thanks to you all.CONTACT Sources:The VOC Spares Company Limited: Website: www.vincentspares.co.ukVin-Parts International: Website: www.vintech.co.ukConway Motors: Website: www.conway-motors.co.ukCoventry Spares Ltd: Tel: +1 800 451 5113.V-3 Products. Neal Videan: nvidean@optusnet.com.au (Australia). USA Agent: Steve Hamel.E-mail: gearheads@comcast.net UK Agent: Vince Farrell. E-mail: vince.farrell@blueyonder.co.ukwww.vincentownersclub.co.uk or www.voc.uk.com: The Club’s websites. Membership of theVOC required to access some information.www.thevincent.com: A phenomenal amount of technical information included on this site forevery part of your Vincent.voc@jtan.com: Highly recommended list-based e-mail service catering to Vincent owners. Sendan e-mail to: voc@jtan.com with the word ‘subscribe’ in subject line. To remove yourself, sendthe word ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject line.Maughan and Sons: Patriarch Tony Maughan learned the art of machining while serving in theBritish Navy, and the world of Vincent motorcycling became much richer for his knowledge anddedication. His son and son-in-law now run the firm and are very well known for their superbrebuilding and manufacturing efforts. Tel: 01529 461 717.

Terry Prince: My conscience won’t allow me to conclude this article without a mention ofTerry Prince, a man who has dedicated much of his existence to furthering the performanceof the Vincent. Terry has produced everything from complete cylinder heads, big bore kits to arolling (Egli-style) chassis. His products have received praise world-wide. Currently however, weunderstand he is making very few parts and may ramp up his efforts in 2009. Tel: +61 245 682208. E-mail: clmotorbikes@esat.net.au Website: classicmotorbikes@esat.net.au Steve Hamelwhose address is listed above is Terry’s North American agent.Patrick Godet: Tel: 00 332 35 75 9656. E-mail: godet-motorcycles@wanadoo.frTrevor Southwell: Affectionately known as Clever Trevor, he has encyclopaedic hands on mastermachinist knowledge of every inch of our machines. Does not advertise but is one of the mainbehind-the-scenes forces for many technical innovations. E-mail: clevtrev@discali.co.ukSid Biberman: A Club Honorary Member with half a century plus experience racing and tuningVincents. A fountain of knowledge. E-mail: bigsid@webtv.netJim Wilsom: Jim is a decades-long enthusiast who has a proclivity for locating and saving tidbitsof information and websites relating to our bikes. He’s always helpful for technical questions.E-mail: vinceotter@prodigy.netGlen Bewley: Glen is another who has amassed a great deal of knowledge of our machines andis an active rebuilder most willing to assist. E-mail: bewley998@bewleystudios.com s