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#Post#: 872--------------------------------------------------
Another bad day for Italian motorcycles
By: cryospeed1 Date: July 6, 2015, 2:23 am
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Saturday dawned bright and beautiful and we had some friends
staying who were en route to the American car show at Tatton. As
my mate and his wife have no sense of direction and struggle to
read a Tom Tom I normally guide them to the show in the early
morning on one of my German bikes. This year I thought I would
use the falcone as its only about a 30 mile round trip and it
was starting and running OK what could go wrong.
Well not starting was what went wrong!. Oh well out came my
recently acquired V65 nope that wasnt having it either so I
tried my Enfield which has a poor record in the starting stakes
and that too was having an off day. My mate was by now highly
amused so it was the California that answered the call with a
first press of the button start. With honor restored off we went
for a lovely run through the Cheshire lanes a california 3 LAPD
leading a bright blue and white 1956 Corvette. We got to Tatton
after a pleasant run and I decided to weave through all the back
roads to get home. The bike had different ideas and after about
4 miles of lanes the clutch cable snapped. Fortunately I managed
to get to a main road with no clutch then got the better half to
pick me up so I could trailer the bike home. My mate and I had a
play with the falcone and got it running again on saturday night
but it died and refused to start. I had planned to go on it
yesterday to a local bike do at Astley Colliery museum with some
of the locals in convoy. Having replaced the cable on the
california our convoy consisted of a new Enfield, a Routemaster
double decker,a california and a Matchless 550 combination plus
my son on a BMW to pick up all the bits. Average age of the
riders and bus driver (ignoring my son) 78.
No convoy home after a great show as it was everyman for himself
when the thunder clouds appeared. Todays job is to try to get
some bikes started! The V65 is a puzzler ans there is no spark
on one side and a very weak one on the other. I have already
replaced leads plugs caps etc I am thinking the electronic
ignition may have had it. At least the Falcone has points.
#Post#: 873--------------------------------------------------
Re: Another bad day for Italian motorcycles
By: banquo Date: July 6, 2015, 9:37 am
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Sounds like an eventful day, but not the one you were looking
for!
On the plus side, my experience of the Falcone is this; it
starts first kick every time.
When it doesn't start, there is absolutely no point in kicking
any more, attempting bump starts or any other such tomfooleries
because something fundamental must be wrong.
On mine, after months of messing around, it turned out to be the
coil, as Mr Bosch had given up the ghost. Fortunately, a visit
to Halfords replaced it with a nice BL Mini item which has
ensured 1st kick starting ever since.
Does yours still have the original coil?
I'd already replaced the HT lead as a first step, and spent a
long time with a toolbox full of spare plugs to screw in when
one fouled.
I convinced myself it must be carburation, but as the old saying
goes, "90% of all carburation problems are electrical". Hope you
get sorted soon.
#Post#: 874--------------------------------------------------
Re: Another bad day for Italian motorcycles
By: Bruno Date: July 6, 2015, 10:12 am
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If your V65 has a Spanish Saprisa electronic ignition,they
ALWAYS fail.I used to work in a Guzzi twin shop and we did not
bother trying to fix them,only replace them.
#Post#: 875--------------------------------------------------
Re: Another bad day for Italian motorcycles
By: cryospeed1 Date: July 6, 2015, 1:27 pm
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The coil is a new one George fitted. I reset the points and
there was a spark at the plug so I am leaning now towards
carburation. I will need to remove the tank for that and as the
tank is now off the V65 I was concentrating on that one today
between the showers.
The V65 is curious as I have 12 volts at the battery but by the
time it gets to the wire at the trigger unit it is only 9 volts.
The ignition system is a Lucas Rita but I cant blame that yet
till I know its getting its 12 volts. The yellow wires from the
alternator even with it stopped are showing 2 volts so I am
wondering if that is 2 volts of the missing three. As I said
curious. I contacted a well known supplier who suggested Id be
best forking out £310 for a german ignition system. I think that
might also need the full 12 volts.
I fitted a new set of points to the Enfield and retimed it and
reset the valve clearances. I am hoping for a sunny day tomorrow
to see if any progress has been made on that one. It blew the
carburetor off its rubber manifold a few weeks back at its MOT.
It passed I think mainly to get me and the bike out of his
workshop. It was a very loud bang and the manifold was trashed.
The tyres on my trailer are wearing out faster than those on my
bikes. ho hum
#Post#: 876--------------------------------------------------
Re: Another bad day for Italian motorcycles
By: Bruno Date: July 6, 2015, 4:40 pm
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Lucas Rita systems are very reliable I have personally never
known one to fail.They were made by Mistral Engineering in North
London.
#Post#: 877--------------------------------------------------
Re: Another bad day for Italian motorcycles
By: cryospeed1 Date: July 7, 2015, 6:41 am
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Thanks for that info Bruno which led me to a web site by AO
Services which has a very detailed checklist for testing a rita
system. According to those tests it is not the electronic
ignition which is causing the problem.
#Post#: 878--------------------------------------------------
Re: Another bad day for Italian motorcycles
By: Bruno Date: July 7, 2015, 9:09 am
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The only problem we found from customers who bought a Rita
system from us were bad earths that had developed on their bikes
prior to fitting the Ignition kits.
#Post#: 879--------------------------------------------------
Re: Another bad day for Italian motorcycles
By: huub Date: July 7, 2015, 10:51 am
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i blew the lucas rita of my 1980 900ss twice by running the bike
with a poor battery
we have a meeting for classic ducati's locally,
it took me three tries to get there, the first two years the
trip ended on the trailer ;-)
#Post#: 880--------------------------------------------------
Re: Another bad day for Italian motorcycles
By: cryospeed1 Date: July 8, 2015, 4:11 am
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After a day of checking everything through and remaking some
connections the V65 burst into life. It has done this before so
I am not sure if the bike is repaired. The bloke from A O
services says from the tests I have done he thinks the Rita is
OK but having mismatched coils may be the culprit. I currently
have a Bobina and a motoplat. That sound right as he says one
faulty coil will cause issues on both sides if they are in
series. My fault seems to be no spark on the Bobina side and a
weedy spark on the motoplat side. I didnt think on to change the
leads over while the fault persisted. I am going to replace the
coils for a matched pair. The bloke I bought the bike off a few
months back says he had the cutting out issue for years off and
on.
#Post#: 886--------------------------------------------------
Re: Another bad day for Italian motorcycles
By: Bruno Date: July 8, 2015, 7:42 am
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I don't know if it applies to the V65,but on a big twin you had
to change the 12V coils to two 6V coils (they came in the kit).
When I fitted a Rita kit to my Triumph Trident T150V many years
ago,I had to fit three 4V coils,also supplied.
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