W/E 25th May 2015

Triple delights

Mrs A picked up a couple of cylinder blocks and the cylinder head for the RGS. I now have all the parts for both the RGA and RGS. I’m hesitating as I think I ought to get the engine nuts refinished before assembly – hmmm am I just procrastinating? It does feel a bit like the Atlas engine build when I had all the bits but found things to delay the rebuild. I am confident that the triple engines will be straightforward but I do need to spend time especially making sure the top end is 100%.

Atlas #2 has been testing the new metal inlets all week. They have completed 300+ miles without problems. I had wondered if the bike might be prone to overheating the carb in heavy traffic but the insulating plates between the manifold and carb’ are doing their job. There is also no discernible impact of the small step between the manifold and inlet track. The only change that I have noticed is that it takes longer to warm up.

The immediate focus is to now prepare Atlas #2 for the LCF rally in two weeks. I’ve got a fresh tyre and rear sprocket to go in, need to fix the speedo, replace the headstock bearings and sort out an oil leak. My aim is to write a trip report where my bike runs faultlessly…

Nick 🙂

Week 4: 16th January

A fallow week in terms of repairing broken Laverdas and attention turned to keeping the Atlas rolling ready for the Laverda Club de France AG at Amboise. I’d done most of the work which just left an oil change and trying to track down the cause of the poor starting. I never did get to this and so spent the weekend being bump started by Keith! I realise the ultimate Laverda accessory is a mate!

The weekend went well aside from the starting – once the Atlas was rolling she ran pretty well. Keith was on his XT600 and the pair were well matched. I had to hurry for the channel train due to a closed M20 and the Atlas handled 30 miles at a steady 80 MPH with no worries but for most of the weekend it was 60 MPH. The Atlas’s best feature – 50 mpg + a 22 litre tank came up trumps meaning I could fill up at Henley on Thames and then 40 miles south of Amboise the next morning. Petrol is really a problem now in France – it’s supermarche’s only on a Sunday which might be a problem on a triple.

With regard to motorcycles at the AG there were just 3! Keith’s Yamaha my Atlas and Phillipe’s Atlas – unbelievable the only time I’ve attended a rally (other than the Atlas Rally in 2011) where Atlas’s outnumbered any other bike!

Phillipe’s Atlas is from the original run and even features a colour coordinated top box! It also starts from cold…

Highlight of the weekend however went to Keith’s ready meal – just add water and it heats itself up – I’m told the chicken and dumpling stew was to die for!

It wasn’t a total wipe out with regards fixing broken Laverda’s. On Thursday I managed to get a replacement oil cooler for the RGS (non standard but pretty new and with all the fixtures) and at the AG met a chap who might be able to remanufacture rubber inlet tubes for the Atlas.