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CHAPTER FIVE - 28
The
bike coughed and spluttered most of the way back but I kept in front of
the rain cloud. It was one of those localised rainstorms, very heavy for
20 minutes or so, then bright sunshine. I managed to get to the site,
stop the bike and throw myself into the tent just before the rain
started again, although it didn’t really matter as it was through to my
skin in places.
Once
the rain stopped I looked out of the tent and saw that several others
had also returned, all in the same rather soggy condition.
Time
to look at the bike, I managed to start it, and the first thing I saw
was a water spray push up from in between the barrel and the head, this
now explained why it had lost power. With the Ural tool kit again I
pulled down the head nuts, which turned half way round. These nuts
ideally should be pulled down with a torque wrench, but when in a field
a simple spanner would do and I set the torque at 2 wristfulls. Once
done the tappets needed to be adjusted as well and put back together
ready for another start. It started and sounded quiet nice, I was now
ready for the return journey. Just like to say that the bike won the
“Best Solo” award, with this I felt very pleased indeed and it was all
worth it.
The
return journey was quite uneventful, but I could still feel the ‘driving
on ice’ feeling which I had become used to but made your legs ache; this
happens when you tend to place extra pressure on the tank with your
knees thinking that the more you hold on to the bike everything will be
alright, as you go round the corner. I started wondering what could be
causing the wobble and came up with various options like; the bearings
are loose; the tyres are flat; the frame is out of line, but the one
thing that stuck in my mind was that when the parts went for spraying I
couldn’t get the swinging arm bushes out, so off went the swinging arm
to get sprayed with bushes intact. What I didn’t realise at the time was
that all the painted parts had to be oven cured at around 200°.
Question, has the rubber stood up to the baking process? Don’t know is
the answer to that.
I
made another decision on the way home, that Enfield seat has to go, I
stopped twice to let the blood run back into my rear-end. It’s a very
uncomfortable seat or perhaps it’s me not being the right shape or
something, but no matter what it is, it won’t be on the bike much
longer.
Now
the beastie is back in the garage I can set about tightening everything
up, the first thing to do was to have a look at the oil. Having drained
it off I had a feel around and was pleased to feel that there were no
great shards of swarf in the bottom from disintegrating bearings, but of
course the oil needed to be changed, as did the oil in the gearbox and
differential.
The
run to Banbury was done at 40 – 45 mph and I came back at 45 – 50 mph,
in all the trip meter said that I had done 195miles. I would consider
that a good run-in journey, I will keep the speed down to 55 for the
next 200 miles or so, give it a good tighten up and then see what it can
do. Apart from changing the seat and the wobble factor I am very pleased
with the outcome, the only other part I would like to acquire for the
bike is either a Russian Bear or a Cossack Dancer. There is a screw hole
in the front mudguard that is not covered, something must have been in
there at some point and I never had it filled when the spraying was
done. I would like to find one of those 2” metal models for it but as
yet I haven’t seen anything. If anyone sees such an object I would be
glad to hear from you.
I
think that the story will end here for a while but I will be placing
updates for you to read now and again.
I
hope you have enjoyed the story as much as I have putting the bike
together, I know that I have missed out an awful lot, but it would have
turned into a novel, then perhaps I could call it “David Cox and the
Ural Quest”. You never know I may be up there with Mr. H. Potter?
Would
love to hear your comments
Very
Kind regards to all
Dave
Cox |
