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#Post#: 1755--------------------------------------------------
What to be aware of when test riding with a view to buying.
By: velocette 1 Date: January 29, 2017, 2:24 pm
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I will I hope soon be able to take a NF for a test ride and
hopefully if all is well become a proud owner.I believe the
present owner to be a skilled engineer and an honest human
being.I, however am of very modest ability with little or no
experience of the NF.To cap it all I tend to believe most things
I am told and can be a little naive.I would be grateful for any
advice on what to look for,I am particularly concerned about the
gearbox due to information I have read on this and other on line
sites.Finally with regard to the gearbox should I buy a problem
machine is there anyone in the UK (preferably not dealers more a
trustworthy engineer type) who could sort the gearbox out?
#Post#: 1759--------------------------------------------------
Re: What to be aware of when test riding with a view to buying.
By: nick949 Date: January 30, 2017, 12:54 pm
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Hello Velocette 1,
If my experience is anything to go by, the gearbox can be
a bit of a challenge, especially if you're used to bikes which
change gear when you ask them to and don't take all day about
it. My advise is this: change gear in a very slow and
deliberate fashion, giving plenty of time for all those robust,
whirring pieces of metal to connect with each other. When people
say, 'say Saskatchewan' (insert suitable regional variation
here) between shifts, they're not kidding. With any luck there
won't be too much grinding and gnashing, and you will have at
least a few gears to go along with a box full of neutrals. If
you can find four gears, you're doing fine.
My bike has the cunning trick of changing up through the
gears perfectly, lulling you in to a false sense that all is
right with the world, and giving every impression of going back
down through them again - except when you go to start off once
more, it's either decided upon neutral or third (usually the
latter). Never mind - just slip the clutch a bit and let the
torque get you moving. Ignore the gravel truck six inches from
your back wheel. All the gears are there - but they decide when
they'll come out to play.
Wiser, more mechanically knowledgeable folks will no doubt
roll their eyes and provide a perfect diagnosis for this
ailment, but it's been like that for the last 20,000kms since I
got the bike, and probably long before. When I test rode it, I
actually started off in fourth, (quite easily too) and had to
fiddle back through the gears to approach normality. I suppose I
could have identified it as a problem at the time but I just put
it down to character.
Even though I know my gearbox is...er, challenging, I have no
hesitation about loading the bike up and heading off on lengthy
rides. I guess it boils down to identifying what your
expectations are. I hear that some people have perfectly
normal, trouble free (although still very slow) gearboxes. Mine
just isn't one of them. If you expect gear changes like a
modern Honda - well, it just isn't going to happen. If you can
live with long delays between shifts and perhaps an occasional
bit of grinding - earplugs are cheap.
But the bottom line is........all the above notwithstanding,
it's still worth it! ;D
Nick
#Post#: 1761--------------------------------------------------
Re: What to be aware of when test riding with a view to buying.
By: velocette 1 Date: January 30, 2017, 3:44 pm
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Thank you very much Nick.I would be glad of more advice.
#Post#: 1762--------------------------------------------------
Re: What to be aware of when test riding with a view to buying.
By: nick949 Date: January 30, 2017, 3:51 pm
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As I said - just my experience. Others may have a smoother time
of it.
Nick
#Post#: 1773--------------------------------------------------
Re: What to be aware of when test riding with a view to buying.
By: banquo Date: January 31, 2017, 10:46 pm
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If your bike has been owned by a skilled engineer, I wouldn't
expect any major issues.
The gearbox is notchy, and very slow.
If you start off in first (many use second if it's a Militare
with stock gearing) then there's a huge gap between first and
second, and you must let the engine slow down before selecting
second, to avoid a lot of crunching.
There are neutrals between every gear, but if you shift firmly,
you shouldn't find any.
There is a change adjuster inside the timing cover to adjust the
selector, and if gear changes are stiff, or if you fail to
select the right gear, that probably needs adjusted.
Don't ignore a slipping clutch; plates are available, but
expensive.
It shouldn't burn oil, and it should always start first kick.
From cold; ignition off, full choke, kick over once to prime the
cylinder. Use decompressor to ease over tdc.
Ignition on, and one slow kick should start it.
Same for hot, but no choke.
Engine is mechanically clattery; that's normal.
If old, check for play in swinging arm. There's no grease
nipple, so it can wear.
If it still has the original Bosch coil, it probably needs
replaced.
Halogen headlamp bulbs are available from Paul Goff and are
worth it, as is a good LED rear, unless you like changing the
filament bulb every other trip.
Check for cracks in the rear mudguard, just behind the rear
mounting, on the vertical flat section. Common fracture point
from vibration.
Wheel rims rust badly.
Good luck.
#Post#: 1783--------------------------------------------------
Re: What to be aware of when test riding with a view to buying.
By: velocette 1 Date: February 1, 2017, 1:20 pm
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I can only thank you both for your detailed replies . I am sure
this will help me along as I am determined to become an Owner,I
am however struggling in my quest to find if there is any one I
could fall back on to sort out the gearbox if i fail.I would
rather strip an engine down to rebuild than a gear box it may be
just a mental block but is very real to me.Sorry to go on.Thank
you again.
#Post#: 1792--------------------------------------------------
Re: What to be aware of when test riding with a view to buying.
By: cloggy Date: February 9, 2017, 3:55 pm
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Compared with old british tin I find the gearbox excellent. It's
the flywheel that slows things down. Check the advance and
retard bobweights. and see if the bobweight springs aren't slack
[norton commando springs are supposed to work but I just took
up the slack with cable sheathing] Check the dynamo belt [mine
was perished]. If the bike's been sitting water in the DellOrto
will stop the engine as one of the jet ways slots through the
base of the float bowl. The oil lines are crap and can blow but
are easily replaced by thicker tubing. If the previous has used
good car oil then the clutch may slip. North Leicester say just
change the oil a couple of times to flush out the additives. It
seems to be working... If the spark arcs to the threads rather
than through the plug gap then change the condensor. Finally
there seems to be a general consensus that running the engine
hard without the generous standard valve clearance can result
in dropped valves. Looking at the size of the pushrods I think
they may store a lot of heat and be responsible for the gaps
closing up. The engine is short stroke and there isn't a lot of
power at the very bottom of the rev range compared to an M21.
There's a lot of momentum but not much torque. The bikes are
massively over engineered even in comparison to an M21, so they
are bloody heavy and thus sluggish; or on a good day serene...
These bikes were featured in "The Italian Job" and I never was
convinced of the Minis out running them, until I actually rode
mine.
#Post#: 1795--------------------------------------------------
Re: What to be aware of when test riding with a view to buying.
By: banquo Date: February 10, 2017, 4:22 am
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Re "The Italian Job", it's a common misconception that the bikes
were Nuovo Falcone.
The film was released in '69, and shot before that, so there
were no NFs around.
Stills from the film clearly show original Falcone Carabinieri.
HTML http://www.imcdb.org/i021628.jpg
The Falcone was quicker than the NF, with 23 bhp, and far less
weight, and could reach about 85 mph.
It was common to fit Dondolino piston, cam and carburettor to
achieve 105 mph performance, but I'm not clear that the
Carabinieri was ever tuned, in the same way that UK Police bikes
and cars were often 'sleepers'.
The Cooper S, would have had some advantage in top speed, not
relevant for the chase scenes, and it's debatable how
acceleration between the bikes and cars would have compared.
However, surely the most critical difference would have been the
cornering ability, and the Minis would have had a decisive
advantage, with 4 wheels and Kart-like handling.
#Post#: 1800--------------------------------------------------
Re: What to be aware of when test riding with a view to buying.
By: randall Date: February 11, 2017, 9:34 am
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Banquo, you are absolutely right in all the statements
concerning the Falcone; ;)
In that particular case of the Italian Job ,the moto chasing
Minis, was Polizia Stradale and not Carabinieri (one of the five
italian police corps) ???
(at that time , the Polizia Stradale was using, Olive Green
color and Carabinieri Dark Blue)
Randall
#Post#: 1803--------------------------------------------------
Re: What to be aware of when test riding with a view to buying.
By: cloggy Date: February 12, 2017, 3:18 am
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Thanks for that, even slower then....
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