W/E 15th & 22nd September

Took the previous week off for some family time – aaaaahh!

This week however I tried to get the Atlas back up together. Took off the split inlet manifolds to find that the left hand inlet port and carb outlet were covered in a black coating. It wasn’t oily and probably the suggestion that it was just muck sucked in from the split it right. Whatever it wouldn’t come off easily with paraffin so I decided to press on get it back together with the expectation that once running the petrol would clean it over time.

It was interesting looking into the inlet port and seeing the way the port divided to feed the two inlet valves – all very TSCC! I could also see that there was no oil on the back of the inlet valves so a good sign in terms of valve condition.

The Atlas wasn’t in a cooperative mood however and it’s fought me all the way. The new manifolds went on easily enough but the external oil feeds caused a problem – well specifically the oil feed going to the left hand of the cylinder head. I started to tightened the banjo bolt and it just felt like a cross thread. Having learned from Keith Nairn the importance of making sure things are right I spent some time messing with the bolt until deciding to step away and get a tap and run through the thread. £25 later it seemed ‘okay’ but still not as sweet as the other two. I pressed on.

Atlas tried to start but the battery needed a charge which it got. I also took the time to remove the ignition plate which had oil on it at the side of the road during the Scottish Rally. Pleased I took it off as there was a goodly amount of oil on it so cleaned it all up and we should be good to go.

Cranked the motor and it started only for oil to piss out of the left hand banjo junction. Guess I need to go back round this and probably replace or at least anneal the copper washers. I got a couple more turns on it but I’m worried about the thread so backed off and changed the oil on the VFR so I have Monday and work covered.

I must admit to being a bit fed up – I am tight for time this week and just needed the Atlas to through me a line…Still next week on I will have more time and probably its best I walk away for now. Also it’s time for me to turn my gaze onto the triples in the garage as these are a better long term bet for reliable ‘Laverdaring’.

Nick 🙂

W/E 8th September

Did it! The Atlas rolled into Crainlarich on Sunday morning to complete the Scottish National Rally. This meant I achieved my challenge for 2013 which was to complete all three National Rallies in one year – each on a different Laverda.

Full story can be found in the Trips section of the blog.

Nick 🙂

W/E 1st September

A bit of an inactive week due to a holiday in North Devon – very nice and managed to spot this ‘Formula S’ in Ilfracombe on the Sunday.

However not a completely wasted week because I took a trip out to Alan Bell’s to pick up an oil cooler off a Diamante + some Brembo levers for the triples.

The Diamante oil cooler isn’t a straight fit. The principle differences are the oil lines are thinner and the edges of the cooler enclosed (this makes the original Atlas fitment redundant and I’d need to find an alternative way to mount the cooler). Anyways I thought it best to have the Diamante cooler just in case but my focus is to get the original sorted using Quik Steel.

Sunday gave me a bit of time (although I spent most of the day at the British Motogp round) so I set about making up a new push-pull rod for the choke. The coat hanger proved just the ticket both in terms of width and pliability. I think I have improved on the old arrangement and if it works won’t go back to the choke cable setup which it ought to have.

The bad news however is that the damned oil cooler still leaked on start up – more Quik Steel tomorrow and fingers crossed as I have to set off for Scotland on Wednesday…

Nick 🙂