Laydeeez and Gentlemen ... I give you...

.... a running XL250 Motosport.

No, I'm not kidding. My "good" Motosport[1] went into a sulk last year
and I somehow didn't get around to investigating this until a couple of
months back. Given that I could kick the engine until I was blue in the
face, it had compression[2] and I did have a spark, it could only be a
fuel problem.

A quick poke around the float bowl had suggested a stuck float needle
valve, so I ordered one and a gasket set from Dave Silver. And of course
the gasket set got stuck in the RM strike and finally turned up on
Monday...

So today I pulled the carb and guess what I found - traces of someone
having been at it before. Oh joy, not a-fucking-gain. I had to dig a bit
deeper, extract a couple of mangled screws but between this carb, a
spare Motosport carb and a set of very manky 400/4 carbs, I actually
managed to cobble together a carb in decent condition. Blew all holes
through with carb cleaner, same with all the jets, cleaned out the float
bowl and put it back together. At this point I thought the float level
looked ab it odd, so I checked with my Honda BOL and of course, it
needed adjusting. After I'd seen the state of the original floats that
had been "adjusted", I just pulled the pivot pin out and adjusted them
off the carb. Fortunately they were pretty much spot-on on the first
try.

So, carb back on the bike, everything hooked up again and the big moment
comes. Keep in mind that the PO had said that it was a bit hard to start
when it had stood awhile (we actually had to push-start it when I picked
it up) but according to him this was normal. Ahem.

Prepared for a major kicking session, I pull the choke, kick and
.... barp barp barf. Oh phuck, here we go again.

Kick it again - chuff chuff chuff chuff chuff chuff fart.

Hmm. Better but not good. So I push the choke it, kick it
again. Scratch. ****, the kickstart is slipping (they all do that,
sir). Kick, scratch.

Kick ... doff doff doff doff doff doff doff brmmmm Brmmmmm BRMMMMMMM.

Wahay, a running XL250 - rode it up and down the drive a couple of times
and everything's working.

So now all I need is an MOT, but I then realised that I never received
a V5 for the bike (only got the little green strip) so I guess I'll have
to get one from Swansea before I MOT the bike. Oh well, at least that'd
give me the time to fit the brand new switch gear I've got somewhere in
my garage and sort out a few niggles at the same time. Oh, and break my
other Motosport so I can punt out all those parts I don't need.

If I keep it up at this rate, I'll have a garage full of running bikes
by about 2011...


[1] 12k miles, all original, even has the reflectors, indicators and
mirrors. Although one mirror is non-original, I think

[2] Yes WUN, this one actually *does* have compression.

 

Why?

 

Well, I do occasionally doubt my ability to buy a decent vehicle. While
I'm not exactly in the WUN league of mechanical ability, I do actually
know quite well what I can fix and what I can't...

Only during the first two months of ownership, and I've had it longer
than that. I just hadn't realised that there was something missing until
a few days ago.

 

Well done that Boxhead. We'll have to do a gentle off-road session with
my SL125.

Incidentally, did you know that the SL was considered by Honda to be a
smaller version of the Motosport, to the extent that they had a single
brochure covering both bikes?

 

You can.

 

...but why do you need to wait for the V5 to MOT it?

 

There's a idea - got to be very gentle though as I don't want to risk
the unobtanium bits on it.

It's actually the other way round - the Motosport is a follow-up to the
earlier SL250/350 models and as such, still has an 'SL' chassis number.

 

Doesn't really help though if the float needle valve is stuck...

 

AFAIK the local place (only bike MOT place in town) wants to see the
V5. Plus, I can't tax it without one, either.

 

Indeed. Same here. Anyone else in the south-east got a ShiteOldTrailBike
that needs exercising?

Anywhere round you that's off-roadable? We've got some trails near
Dorking, but I dunno if they're still legal. Last time I rode them was
15 years ago.

Ah, ta.

 

I really don't know, I think most of them are closed now. Barstewards
mutter mutter.

Mind you, the way it felt on the Laverda, we might as well try the M25,
that certainly felt rough enough.

 

Ah: suspension a bit on the firm side, is it? What's it like, anyway?

Ah, belay that: just seen your other posting.

 

Yep, in good old Italian tradition. And that's after the removal of the
"I want to be a hard tail" Marzocchis.

"Things in the rear view mirror are less blurry than they
appears". Ergonomically a bit strange (long stretch to the bars) but not
uncomfy. Vibes around and above 5k are rather uncomfy, though.

 

Does that mean you have some red Marzocchi Stradas for sale?

 

No, someone else presumably removed them a long time ago, unless this
bike came with Konis fitted from the factory.

 

You need a proper offroader:

http://www.trade-it.co.uk/AdRef/TW7...C,3D/Page/2/SArea/local/Web/FullAdDetails.asp

 

They _like_ to see the V5, but its not a legal requirement.


-

 

Now that I like.