Is this goodbye for my NC35?

Forum rules
Please can you post items for sale or wanted in the correct For Sale section. Items / bikes for sale here will be removed without warning. Reasons for this are in the FAQ. Thanks
Foxy400
Regular Member
Reactions:
Posts: 793
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:31 pm
Bike owned: NC35 NC29 Bonneville CBR600F4i
Location: Cheshire
Re: Is this goodbye for my NC35?

Post by Foxy400 » Tue Oct 02, 2018 9:00 am

The bike is back and most of the above suggestions have been tried but haven't worked. Had a chat with Graeme France and he's going to take a look, with the possibility of an engine exchange, which is half the price of an engine strip & rebuild. However he's a busy man so it won't be until December.

Suzuki416
Familiar Member
Reactions:
Posts: 298
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 10:17 am
Bike owned: 3 x NC35, 3x NC24, NC29, RC46
Location: London
Re: Is this goodbye for my NC35?

Post by Suzuki416 » Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:15 pm

That's really good news - if GF is looking after it then you really don't have to worry.

Foxy400
Regular Member
Reactions:
Posts: 793
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:31 pm
Bike owned: NC35 NC29 Bonneville CBR600F4i
Location: Cheshire
Re: Is this goodbye for my NC35?

Post by Foxy400 » Wed Oct 03, 2018 4:10 pm

Cheers, that's good to know.

User avatar
NGneer
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Reactions:
Posts: 1349
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:37 am
Bike owned: x3 NC30,Matchless G80s AJS16ms
Location: Köln
Re: Is this goodbye for my NC35?

Post by NGneer » Thu Oct 04, 2018 10:22 am

Suzuki416 wrote:
Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:15 pm
That's really good news - if GF is looking after it then you really don't have to worry.
:plus: What he said.

If Graeme is fettling your bike, it will come back properly sorted ;)

Foxy400
Regular Member
Reactions:
Posts: 793
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:31 pm
Bike owned: NC35 NC29 Bonneville CBR600F4i
Location: Cheshire
Re: Is this goodbye for my NC35?

Post by Foxy400 » Sat Mar 23, 2019 11:45 am

The bike returned from Graeme France in February and, as NGneer rightly said, it has come back properly sorted.

It didn't need an engine swop. Instead GF stripped & rebuilt carbs, reset valve clearances, changed plugs, fuel & filters and it now runs great. Interestingly, he strongly suggests we use ordinary unleaded fuel and not super-unleaded. My CDI was playing up so an OEM replacement has been fitted. He went through the whole bike and sorted a lot of other problems, some of which I was aware of and some I wasn't, including a refurb of the rear hub and fettling of gearbox doodahs. It's a long list I won't bore you with but the bike also has new BT090's and a well set-up Nitron shock. It's been transformed :grin:

GF kept in touch with regular updates, including many pics of the work. He's HRC trained and a bit of a perfectionist, which is no bad thing. Recommended.

He's now got my NC29.

cbr400rrn
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Reactions:
Posts: 1267
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:37 pm
Bike owned: NC29 CBR600F
Location: Lancashire
Re: Is this goodbye for my NC35?

Post by cbr400rrn » Sat Mar 23, 2019 10:44 pm

Why should you not use super unleaded? That'll be a pain having to drain it every month or two as it goes off after so long

Foxy400
Regular Member
Reactions:
Posts: 793
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:31 pm
Bike owned: NC35 NC29 Bonneville CBR600F4i
Location: Cheshire
Re: Is this goodbye for my NC35?

Post by Foxy400 » Sun Mar 24, 2019 5:06 pm

I'm glad you asked that question. GF is assuming our bikes are used regularly and the way they were intended. In other words they don't sit around for ages with fuel in the tank and carbs going stale. He tells me that super unleaded does not fully combust at high revs, whereas ordinary unleaded does. I think he's looking at it from a performance point of view. Don't ask me about the chemistry but that was his reason. I'm due to speak to him this week so I will try to remember to ask for more detail.

As people on here probably know there is an on-going discussion in the world of older motorcycles regarding the problems with modern fuels. All manufacturers that sell petrol in this country add ethanol to their ordinary unleaded. It is a legal requirement that their products contain a percentage of ethanol and they can, up to a point, choose where it goes. Some manufacturers are currently choosing not to add ethanol to their super unleaded. For example Shell's V-Plus is apparently ethanol-free.
There are problems associated with the ethanol in petrol. Ethanol attracts water. If fuel is left for a while it will absorb water from the air above it eg. in your half-filled tank that hasn't been moved for several weeks. Water is heavier than petrol so sinks to the bottom and can slowly cause a steel tank to rust. That rust can then of course be drawn into the carbs. Ethanol can also damage the rubber seals in carbs, although certain materials are supposed to be resistant.
Modern vehicles are designed to deal with all this and if you use your bike regularly this probably isn't a problem. But if you leave it unused for several weeks or months it is suggested that you drain the tank&carbs or brim it with super unleaded.

I could go on about the ethical reasons why the government :twisted: wants petrol companies to use ethanol and why it's bollocks but you're probably bored by now :grin: And of course the government :twisted: wants to legislate all older vehicles off the road (especially dangerous motorcycles), so if they can be destroyed with ethanol so much the better.

cbr400rrn
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Reactions:
Posts: 1267
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:37 pm
Bike owned: NC29 CBR600F
Location: Lancashire
Re: Is this goodbye for my NC35?

Post by cbr400rrn » Sun Mar 24, 2019 8:37 pm

Don't forget to ask him please,
i park the bike up around October time ( although it may have only been used 10 times that year so always gets filled up with super unleaded except over winter when it's drained completely.) It doesn't go back out until all the salt has gone from the roads so end of April time. ( hasn't been used for the past 2 years though and may not get used this year but you get the idea.)

Foxy400
Regular Member
Reactions:
Posts: 793
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:31 pm
Bike owned: NC35 NC29 Bonneville CBR600F4i
Location: Cheshire
Re: Is this goodbye for my NC35?

Post by Foxy400 » Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:54 am

It sounds like you're doing the right thing. If the bike is used infrequently then super unleaded is probably the way to go and if the tank is drained when the bike is left over winter then there's not a lot more you can do. I'll ask GF about it.
I'm sure there are good reasons why the bike is parked up but it seems a shame. I'm in Cheshire so not too far and I'm happy to do you a favour and use it for you ;)

User avatar
CMSMJ1
Moderators
Moderators
Reactions:
Posts: 9806
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 9:42 am
Bike owned: NC30-No9
Location: Chesterfield, United Kingdom
Re: Is this goodbye for my NC35?

Post by CMSMJ1 » Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:53 am

@foxy - it's probably not something you;d want to share, but do you have a ballpark figure for the restoration of the bike?
IMPERATOR REX ANGLORUM

The V4 is the law..

NC30 - No9 - my old mate


Post Reply