what make car is your boat

[Nine of Hearts]

...much the same as boating is classed as a "contact sport" by some steel boat owners.

 

But it is! Else why the expression "barged out of the way"?

[David Schweizer]

Those old Riley's could have either a 11/2 or 21/2 litre engines.Once whilst an apprentice i was helping MOT one,up on the ramp rocking the steering ect,when Tom underneath shouts out push the brake pedal which was very spongy,it nearly went to the boards,and then, come down and look at this.

Someone had botched a leaky metal hydraulic brake pipe by inserting a length of that clear plastic petrol tubing with two clips,it blew up like a balloon on pressing the brake.In those days the qualifications for an MOT tester were i think 5 plus years as a motor mechanic or of course a City & Guilds ticket that was all and no one ever came to check.

 

I have a Dinky toy model of an RM.

The Riley RM would stop irrespectice of the faulty pipework, as they had hydraulic front brakes, and mechanical back brakes. When the hydaraulic piston reached pressure, (or the end of the cylinder) the pedal linkage pushed the cylinder forwards, which being attached to the rear brake rods would apply the back brakes. But your foot would almost reach the floor doing so if the pipework was faulty.

 

One of the problems which MOT (or ten year test as we called it!) mechanics frequently dwelt on was the freeplay in the steering geometry, which was deliberate in order to compensate for independant front suspension and the rigid rack and pinion steering. The workshop manual (which I still possess) gives the maximum and muinimum clearances, but many garages refused to accept it. So much for the five years mechanical experience of the examiner!! I used to take mine to Wesbell Engineering, a Riley specialist in Ealing to have mine tested.

 

I also have Dinky toy of the Riley RM

Edited February 3, 2012 by David Schweizer

[Arge]

I thought it was classed as an occupational hazard for a motorcyclist...

 

Hi all

The last one to get me lived on a dead end street,it was raining so he looked up and down the main road, nowt coming

so he gets in his car and reversd out in front of me,i pushed his metro about 7 foot sideways but i went over the top for about anothr 15feet, woke up in hospital three houres later, three broken ribs and a broken schaifoid bone [i dont know how to spell it ], and a very bent Z900.

Arge.

[Guest]

Only by some car drivers...much the same as boating is classed as a "contact sport" by some steel boat owners.

 

 

Classic exampe of a car driver , surrounded by glass and cant see a thing !

 

It was meant in the context of motorcyclists unfortunately have come to expect it due to the carelessness of some car drivers...not that it is acceptable...

Edited February 3, 2012 by MJG

[bizzard]

The Riley RM would stop irrespectice of the faulty pipework, as they had hydraulic front brakes, and mechanical back brakes. When the hydaraulic piston reached pressure, (or the end of the cylinder) the pedal linkage pushed the cylinder forwards, which being attached to the rear brake rods would apply the back brakes. But your foot would almost reach the floor doing so if the pipework was faulty.

 

One of the problems which MOT (or ten year test as we called it!) mechanics frequently dwelt on was the freeplay in the steering geometry, which was deliberate in order to compensate for independant front suspension and the rigid rack and pinion steering. The workshop manual (which I still possess) gives the maximum and muinimum clearances, but many garages refused to accept it. So much for the five years mechanical experience of the examiner!! I used to take mine to Wesbell Engineering, a Riley specialist in Ealing to have mine tested.

 

I also have Dinky toy of the Riley RM

Yes the Austin A30,A35 and A40 Farina and others also used a similar brake system but with an extra large slave cylinder with the

handbrake linkage included in its surrounding operating stirrup.

[carlt]

It was meant in the context of motorcyclists unfortunately have come to expect it due to the carelessness of some car drivers...not that it is acceptable...

I never once fell off my motorbike.

 

Every time I unexpectedly parted company with it, I had invariably just been hit by a car driver.

[lexicon]

hmmm i think at present a old alfa romeo

 

spend more time fixing it than using it

shocking electrics meaning the engine doesnt run.

etc etc

 

but when it does work it really makes you smile.

[Guest]

I never once fell off my motorbike.

 

Every time I unexpectedly parted company with it, I had invariably just been hit by a car driver.

 

Indeed -

 

hmmm i think at present a old alfa romeo

 

spend more time fixing it than using it

shocking electrics meaning the engine doesnt run.

etc etc

 

but when it does work it really makes you smile.

 

I'm afraid if you put an old Alfa anywhere near a canal it would dissolve in about a week....

[simon&jan]

I never once fell off my motorbike.

 

Every time I unexpectedly parted company with it, I had invariably just been hit by a car driver.

 

 

Or trying to avoid one ," sorry mate didn't look/ see you coming " , hi-vis jacket ,lights on , wot do they need 20 ft neon sign ? Soz about that bit off topic but it makes me mad !!!!!!

[lexicon]

Indeed -

 

 

 

I'm afraid if you put an old Alfa anywhere near a canal it would dissolve in about a week....

 

 

not much different to being on dry land then

[Guest]

Or trying to avoid one ," sorry mate didn't look/ see you coming " , hi-vis jacket ,lights on , wot do they need 20 ft neon sign ? Soz about that bit off topic but it makes me mad !!!!!!

 

This has come up before on here and whilst not making excuses at all there is a theoretical psychological phenomena that was discussed at the time where car drivers do 'see' the bike coming but subconsciously dismiss it as a 'threat' and still continue to pull out....

 

I am a very reluctant 'main road' cyclist for the same reason and tend to keep to the likes of cycle ways where they exist and walk/drive where they don't.

 

not much different to being on dry land then

 

Correct - I had a mate who had an AlfaSud and I swear you could see it rusting before your very eyes...when he scrapped it finally it must have weighed half what it did when it was new...

[Athy]

Ferrari.

 

Too scared to take it out in case it gets scratched.

Very neat!

I wanted to add a smiling thing but when I press my "emoticons" button nothing happens).

[simon&jan]

Didn't realise a little bike can be so threatening . Does seem funny that car drivers dont pull straight out in front of a HGV's ? Simple fact they see m/c coming ( if they look ) and think stuff em , blah blah blah , get the old " la la fingers out "

[Guest]

Didn't realise a little bike can be so threatening . Does seem funny that car drivers dont pull straight out in front of a HGV's ? Simple fact they see m/c coming ( if they look ) and think stuff em , blah blah blah , get the old " la la fingers out "

 

I don't know how true it is, of course there is a huge difference in size with an HGV which possibly accounts for why drivers don't pull out in front of them so often, and that is the exact point, the sheer size obviously automatically says 'threat' I'll stay where I am, where as with motorcycle/cycle it's much much smaller...

 

I certainly don't believe any or certainly many car drivers would knowingly pull out in front of motorcyclist in the way you describe, the theory is it's a sub-concious thing.

 

that is a theory anyway..

Edited February 3, 2012 by MJG

[bag 'o' bones]

I had a 2 litre Vitesse once - superb motor. Eventually replaced it with an automatic Vauxhall Magnum (nearly as good!)

 

Dave

Me to....in bits.

 

Never did get round to restoring it. Sold 3 years later for roughly what I originally paid for it!

[Leni]

" sorry mate didn't look/ see you coming "

In my book, "Sorry mate, I didn't see you" is an admission of 'Driving Without Due Care and Attention', and the driver should immediately be prosecuted for said offence!

 

Yeah, you can tell we've been on the receiving end, can't you?

[Guest]

In my book, "Sorry mate, I didn't see you" is an admission of 'Driving Without Due Care and Attention', and the driver should immediately be prosecuted for said offence!

 

Yeah, you can tell we've been on the receiving end, can't you?

 

I think that rather depends on a number of other factors though don't you??

 

What if the approaching motorcyclist was riding recklessly/speeding (I'm not saying you were BTW)

 

- the immediate response of a driver might be to say just that but the reason he did not see them was because they genuinely didn't see them before they emerged too fast from around a bend or from behind another vehicle...

[simon&jan]

I don't know how true it is, of course there is a huge difference in size with an HGV which possibly accounts for why drivers don't pull out in front of them so often, and that is the exact point, the sheer size obviously automatically says 'threat' I'll stay where I am, where as with motorcycle/cycle it's much much smaller...

 

So they think only small,sod it i'm going for it? Are they only worried about being hit by HGV and not m/c or cyclist?

 

I certainly don't believe any or certainly many car drivers would knowingly pull out in front of motorcyclist in the way you describe, the theory is it's a sub-concious thing.

 

that is a theory anyway..

No not sub-concious , un-concious i think you'll find ,dont understand it i aint hit anyone in my time on the road, maybe thats because i care and others just dont , one of the reasons im getting a boat and turning my back on the roads

[Guest]

No not sub-concious , un-concious i think you'll find ,dont understand it i aint hit anyone in my time on the road, maybe thats because i care and others just dont , one of the reasons im getting a boat and turning my back on the roads

 

I think the causes of Road Traffic accidents are many and varied ranging from driver/rider behaviour through to vehicle, road and junction design and not simply just about whether people care or not that said taking care is I agree a significant factor and there would indeed be fewer accidents if people took more of it.

[wandering snail]

A tractor. (We're stuck in the Fens.)

[Guest]

A tractor. (We're stuck in the Fens.)

 

 

I've PM'd you ref. your blog

[headjog]

A Bedford bus

 

It's old & dated but still looks good for it's age.It lumbers along & keeps going,but the thought of trying to get it out in the traffic, fetch it back & park it, frightens the crap out of me. Which reminds me, it needs a wash as soon as.

[Ray T]

First Time? How many times did you get knocked off your motorbike Ray? Did you make a practice of it?

 

 

Unfortunately David I did.

 

The second (did it big style) and last time I was knocked off by a Renault of some sort.

 

I lost 5 teeth, lower jaw broken and had to have 3 plastic surgery operations to get my nose in some sort of semblance of order.

 

Needless to say never been on a motor bike since!!!!

 

And yes he did come out with the classic line "Sorry mate I didn't see you".

Edited February 4, 2012 by Ray T

[billh]

English Electric Type 4- it's about the same length, was painted dark green, now it's blue with yellow bits and EE owned Bergius- Kelvin Co. for a while in the sixties. The engines in both sound great , the max RPMs are similar but there is some disparity in the power available , the F4 won't manage 2000HP , due to not being turbocharged like the 16SVT.

Someone mentioned Trojan vehicles- we had a 1ton Trojan van as Company transport, not that many years ago, Perkins P3V engine, the whole thing was a shed on wheels (literally and metaphorically). It has recently been rebuilt by enthusiasts as a breakdown truck, with a period Harvey Frost crane on the back and looks delightful.

Bill

[Timleech]

English Electric Type 4- it's about the same length, was painted dark green, now it's blue with yellow bits and EE owned Bergius- Kelvin Co. for a while in the sixties. The engines in both sound great , the max RPMs are similar but there is some disparity in the power available , the F4 won't manage 2000HP , due to not being turbocharged like the 16SVT.

Someone mentioned Trojan vehicles- we had a 1ton Trojan van as Company transport, not that many years ago, Perkins P3V engine, the whole thing was a shed on wheels (literally and metaphorically). It has recently been rebuilt by enthusiasts as a breakdown truck, with a period Harvey Frost crane on the back and looks delightful.

Bill

 

The first engine we put into the Edith (Leeds & Liverpool Short Boat), circa 1965, was a Perkins P3 which had come from a Trojan bread van - complete with David Brown van gearbox!

 

Tim