Blimey a month has passed with no update!
Took the Atlas out for a 300 mile spin down to Waterlooville then up to Papworth and then home and got a headache from the exhaust noise! The noise wasn’t like a loud hole had appeared it was just that the exhaust felt harsh under power. Checked around the various joints and couldn’t find anything obvious so suspected the actual silencer had lost its wadding over time. I got the silencer off Atlas #1 and installed this and put a new clip on the connecting pipe as there was evidence of blowing. My initial thoughts were that I’d fixed it but now I’m not so sure.
Note roller on rear has ridge from being crushed. Note also the lip around the edges of the unhardened rollers which is again from being crushed
The damned sprag clutch and battery continued to give problems. The unhardened sprag rollers finally cried enough. I got my spare set of unhardened rollers and took them off to be treated. The local specialist welder heated them and then coated ’em in hardening powder for the princely sum of £20 which seems a lot. The silver steel bar cost £3.50 then there’s £14 to cut up six rollers and now £20 to get them hardened, I shall be looking at a cheaper way to produce these beauties.
Hardened sprag rollers as returned, hardening paste still on the surface!
The upside was that although the rollers wore there was no damage to the ring gear or the plungers and springs. I also found that the Zimmerman sprag construction provided a useful set of recesses where the plunger holes are machined to enable the use of a peg spanner to hold the crank for tightening purposes – no need for Mrs A to stand on the brakes!
The Harley battery failed along with the sprag. It was less than a year but I couldn’t face another round down at the Harley dealer and found a replacement sold by the KTM shop for £100 – same battery but nearly £40 cheaper! These ‘Harley’ batteries kick out the right amount of CCM but don’t seem to be able to stand up to constant use. I think I need to research a more modern lithium solution.
I boiled the chain to replenish it and along the way found that there is wear on the output shaft. I found a fresh lock washer as the old one was knocked about by the sprocket ‘wobble’ and used locktite to try and take up some of the slack. It’s clear that a solution to this perennial problem needs to be found if the Atlas is going to continue as long-term transport…
With the sprag and battery fixed I was back on the road. This was wasn’t the best ride ever as starting was far from instant which makes me nervous for the longevity of the sprag + the leak from where the alternator wires exit the engine case is still there despite a liberal injection of silicon- grrrrrr. There is also a noise from the alternator side of the engine which may be the sprag rollers or perhaps the chain…or perhaps the main bearings… At the end of the ride I put the bike back in the garage more than a little frustrated (angry?). Seems that the problems with the bike are all adding up and at this point I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by them.
Time is now ticking down for the Laverda Club de France rally in Bordeaux in just over a week’s time…
Always best to end on a positive so I’ll signpost you to the Trips section and the report on the Welsh National Rally.
Nick 🙂
Bent screwdrivers, big hammers and old Laverdas 