MV50 back on the road - Fingers crossed?

Puch MV50 back together after recent seizure (see previous blog). Seizure suffered by bike not owner. Although I have obtained a new barrel and piston Jim Lee (well known Puch expert and motorcycle raconteur) advised I could try to carefully file down the high spots on the old piston and reuse. So I have done this. I read a story the other day that if you have a spare for any vehicle part the original will not go wrong. I am banking on this.

Took the bike out yesterday with great trepidation as I don't know what the cause of the original fault was. My worry was that the crankcase seals had gone allowing an air leak into the crankcase, a weak mixture and consequent overheating. Jim doesn't think it is the seals otherwise it would be more difficult to start. I have made sure that there are no air leaks en route from the air filter to the cylinder. When the bike seized I was using, for the first time a Miller 2T oil supposedly for older and vintage engines. For the trial run yesterday I went back to a modern two stroke oil.

What happened. The bike started and sounded a little strange for a short while but this settled down and I went for a run of about eight miles keeping the speed to around 20 mph with no obvious mishap. The plan is to repeat this slowly increasing speed and distance if there are no further calamities. Blog to be informed

How Mrs Pilsworth got Community Care

Mrs Pilsworth was an elderly women who lived on Mill Lane in the Lincolnshire village where I spent my childhood and early adult years. I think she probably lived with her grown up children and her grandchildren. She was obviously beginning to suffer from dementia and memory loss because one day as I walked past I noticed a board fixed to the front gate proclaiming the message "Don't let Mam out". The gate was tied shut.

Thereafter Mrs Pilsworth could be seen from time standing at the gate imploring passers-by to "let me out duck".

Snowdrops at Kelham Hall

Great display of snowdrops at Kelham Hall today. A cheering sight. You do wonder who planted them all. Prior to the building being the headquarters of Newark and Sherwood District Council it was a theological college. Would the monks and their students have dibbed the bulbs in?

Sam Radford, the vicar at St Wilkfreds Church Metheringham in the 60's did his training at Kelham. He used to recount to parishioners and we gullible choirboys stories of his times there but I don't recall him telling any horticultural tales. He later became a probation officer I believe.

I seem to recall a story he told that theological students had to climb upon and polish the copper domed roof. In those days we believed everything that policemen and vicars told us but looking at the roof now I am a bit sceptical. Anyway it would have required an awful lot of Brasso.

1976 Honda C90 for sale

The latest aquisition. A 1976 Honda C90. It looks as though it started life in London and somehow wended it's way over the years to Sleaford in Lincolnshire. I got it from a man in the town who bought it from his neighbour who was a "bible basher" who used the bike to go to a near by village to tend his ducks (you would have thought it should have been his flock).

Anyway the "biblebasher" packed the Honda in in favour of an electric bike. Sadly he was recently knocked off it and is currently in hospital being treated for head injuries "no crash helmet, see". I didn't really want the bike but having gone to see it felt obliged to make an offer. It needs work as there is no spark (bit like the new owner). However I have as they say on Ebay "gto two meny other projets m8" so it will have to go. My usual trick is to spend money and then sell at a significant loss. However as I am approaching retirement and penury this philanthropic activity must stop and so I start being more disciplined and it will be for sale as it is.

If u want it tel me no quik m8 lol.

Crash Helmet Painters Art circa 1963

Mr Pilsworth of Lincoln Lane, Metheringham in Lincolnshire gave me the crash helmet in 1963. He had a 192cc LE Velocette as I recall. The helmet was probably unsafe when he passed it over to me. Alan Woolley a local young apprentice signwriter was the artist of choice for most helmet owners in the locality. But I thought (having "O" level Art and being a knowall) I would do mine myself. So I found some green and red house paint, complementary colours see, applied them carefully and left the helmet to dry on a shelf in the garage. When I returned I found my mother had knocked it off into a tub of sawdust. She probably did it on purpose as she was always trying to curtail my charisma with young women.

Repainted the lid in the black, white and blue Dulux which remains today. I was the only local lad with a woodchip helmet.........cool or what.

Either my head has got bigger or that hat has shrunk!

Leigh on Sea

Trip to Leigh on Sea to see Amy, her partner and grandson Orson. Absolutely freezing on the banks of the Thames estuary. To Burnham on Crouch on Saturday. Absolutely freezing on the banks of the Crouch. As usual visit to daughter meant too many fattening foods consumed and wallet lightened "haven't got my purse Dad I'll give it to you when we get home". Urgent need to increase statins and decrease spending. Hackney Slasher appears to hold no hard feelings.

I think it is a dragon fly

Snapped in the garden earlier in the year, wings so delicate the camera can hardly capture them.