Week 5: 23rd January

A mixture of work to do this week – firstly had to look at the Atlas to keep the Laverda show on the road. Monday morning I thought would be my first VFR day of 2012 but ironically when I went to start it the battery was flat! However the Atlas which had given me grief all weekend in France started quite easily….It was not to last however and Tuesday night it failed to start at ‘home time’. Lucky I work at the site of the dustcart service centre and got help with a battery booster – although the battery was okay, the damned thing just wouldn’t catch. The tip I got was one I already knew which is to cover everything with WD40. I also found quite a quantity of water behind the pickup cover. All was well but the bike was not spinning quickly so Saturday it was off with the sprag and sure enough broken springs and crushed rollers – all this cranking had taken it’s toll.

The Atlas restored attention turned to the other derelict Laverdas. My plan was to get working on the RGS – I wanted to get the forks out for inspection. First off though I had to move the little 100 and to do this required the wheels to go back in.

It was nice working on the 100 – everything is relatively clean and just having it up on its wheels meant it was one step closer to being back on the road. I took the opportunity to look at the bore which is fine. I shall be looking this week at options to sort out the valves – I have a lead on a set but also need to investigate the 500 into 100 route.

The RGS was very much down on its luck. I put the starter motor back on and then wheeled it around to get it backed in so I could work on the forks. The silencers are rusty and the right hand has a hole. The back tyre flat.

I got the tank off and the road salt and general road grime presented a sorry picture. I had to prise the brake caliphers off the discs and then the forks wouldn’t drop through the yokes. I applied some WD40 and decided to retreat…tiredness and frustration normally end in tears and at least I’d made a start.