Where’s that knocking coming from?
Well as you’ll see from the Trips section the final part of the ‘National Rally Trilogy’ – the Scottish ended in failure 😦
We got to Glasgow and although the engine pulled well the crank felt harsh and there was a knock under load. The engine had also drunk a half litre of oil in 400 miles but I don’t think that is related to it’s demise. Still the bike will remain in Keith Nairn’s workshop until he has finished my RGS crankshaft rebuild and then this and the Atlas will return via courier van.
Other things Laverda were meeting Piet from Germany with his RGS Executive – though this had to be rescued by Keith when its ignition failed. Chatting to Piet confirmed what I’d suspected that the Atlas gearchange return spring is different to that fitted on an RGS in that it is wound the opposite way. This construction means the spring doesn’t still parallel to the mechanism meaning it has to work across itself to work.
Talking of Laverda legends I also got word from Scott Potter that there are two sets of used but serviceable RGS pistons waiting pickup from the Royal Mail customs shed (USA import…). At the same time word has come back that the RGA barrels are within service limits (just) but I’ll need another set of liners for the RGS. So as the eight valve twin star falls perhaps the triple’s rises?
Oddly maybe I wasn’t too disappointed as it showed that getting all three rallies in one year on a 25 year old bike isn’t so easy. I’ve immediately started to think about how we can get it back on the road and the plan is to pool this engine and the original with the hope that’ll build one serviceable motor. I think the bottom end on the original is okay and similarly the top end of the incumbent works so we might have a plan!
Nick 🙂
Bent screwdrivers, big hammers and old Laverdas 