Bob popped round this morning while I was out. After our trip to Newark Air Museum and a whole load of phone calls, I may have managed to source some parts. This is essential as without them the whole project stalls. While I’m waiting to hear about that, all kinds of design problems that will need to be resolved are being mulled over.

Like…

Is 7:1 compression enough?
How do I change the valve timing from 60/05 to 30/30?
What’s the best drive solution for the sleeve?
How will it be oil fed?
What will I use for ignition timing? Advance & retard?
Pointless?

The list goes on!!

The good news is that design work is free, it’s just a background thought processes to fill in the blanks. Bob was kind enough to dig out a few volumes for me to read. It might not look much but there’s a fair weight to those papers, and a real gem in rarity terms.

Sure, Google will tell you anything. But the information here isn’t on the net. It probably never will be, and the folks at Cranfield University who worked on it won’t be there now either. Information like this is being lost to the new generation and it’s a crying shame. I shall be doing my best to restore the balance by reading it thoroughly, and trying to understand it!

Making an engine of my own design isn’t going to be easy, even if I have the Head, Barrel, Sleeve and Piston to get me going. But I’ve set off down this course and I’m enjoying the challenge so far. I’m 50 in just under 4 years – what better milestone for completion??

It might not look like much at the moment, but what you can see is the makings of a new workbench. The plan is for an all steel bench across the back of the workshop, 3 and a half metres long.

I’m welding it up with a mate as a made to measure item, with under shelf. It’s over engineered at m6 plate and box section with a 5mm wall, but strong is good and you never know when you’ll need an impromptu bomb shelter.

In fact when I’ve installed my lathe and I’m working on a former bomber engine, on my bombproof bench, the irony won’t be lost on me!

It’s a slow process but eventually the workshop will be up to the job. By that time I should have my design finalised and the big question (can I get the parts I need) answered!

Well not exactly. I’ll be commuting by bike right up to the wire on the 23rd, but this was the last ‘ride’ in the social sense. Oddly enough it was also the first with this particular group of friends, organised through the wonders of Facebook no less!

I’ve always relished that about the biking world, the fact that friends I know well are known by their nicknames. Often I wouldn’t have a clue about someone’s real name, phone number or even what city they lived in. Yet staying in contact was never an issue as I knew we’d be at the same rally sooner or later.

Recently I’ve found more and more folk I’ve known for ages turning up on the great book of Face. I now know their real names and we’ve even started calling each other by them! Organising a ride out is that much easier with groups etc., so it’s all good – right?

Well maybe. I just can’t shake the feeling that something has been lost somehow. The romance of being part of a select minority? Perhaps not lost, stolen more like. We’re all online now and once you’re on……

Ok, so you can’t quite make out the words, but Bob’s engines have seen some good coverage in the motorcycling press. Looks like he’s just the man to assist me!

Well you couldn’t make it up. I was out in the garage when and old boy walked in and asked if he’d heard a bike the other day. We got chatting and it turns out he’s my new next door but one neighbor. (We moved house 2 months ago). After look at the 4 bikes I was invited to go and look at Bob’s bike next door. I’d heard an old brit the other week so I was expecting to see one.

There was a restored Norton Dominator that was nice, but lurking in the back of the garage were three very special bikes. The first was a Norton race bike from 1961, single cylinder modified by Bob to run horizontally in a Scott frame. Total loss oil system and as it turns out this was the successful ’61 race winner! But behind that was a hybrid I’d never seen before. I can recognise most engines but this had me stumped.

What’s that engine Bob? Oh, that’s one of mine.

Bob was an engine designer at Vauxhall and when he retired, he decided to build all of the engines they wouldn’t let him make at Vauxhall. Mostly unconventional, the bike in the garage was running a 500cc 2 stroke sleeve valve of Bob’s own design. Scratch built including engine cases, crank and all. Very clever! Bringing up the rear was a Norton running a 1200cc 2 stroke square 4, made from a pair of Scott 600cc two strokes. Not two 600s nailed together, a single engine with common crankcases. So very clever! On the shelf is a 500cc 2 stroke sleeve valved diesel, patiently waiting to be fitted into a frame and tested.

Bob was very interested in my ‘single cylinder engine from a radial aircraft engine’ idea, and I may have found just the encouragement I need to get started. in the picture is Bob’s own design 4 stroke 500cc sleeve valve single, tested at Cranfield university making 40bhp and revving to 10,000 rpm. Interesting!

I’ve seen three bikes now with V-Twin engines made from radial aircraft engine cylinders and heads. Some very clever people have produced their own crankcases and crankshafts, camshafts and suchlike to create an engine. Two of those were in Australia and I didn’t get any photos. One was a race bike and the other made into a ‘servicar’ (hybrid trike / outfit). The third is the Flying Millyard. A quick google will tell you all about that.

I did wonder about doing that as a project, but the trouble is – it’s been done! For the amount of work, hassle, expense and general effort it’s not worth it (in my mind anyway), to be just ‘another one’.

A while ago I was talking to the guys in the Enfield owners club and they jokingly suggested I made a single cylinder bike engine. That would be something like a 2.5 litre single cylinder bike! Actually I really like that idea. I’ve always had a big single chopper in my mind, or flat track racer. Food for thought anyway…..

So one thing I considered is building an Aeroplane. Not a kit, but from plans – right from scratch. I wanted something old school, open cockpit with bags of character, but stopping short of a biplane as I don’t want to have to build 2 sets of wings. The Peitenpol Air Camper is a proven design from the 1930s and looks just the part. It’s a 2 place machine so taking passengers will be possible, but realistically it’s a lot to take on – and I’m not that fussed about working with wood.

I have the space (just about), but then there’s transport, storage and learning to fly added into the mix. No-one else at home is that bothered about flying so I think, for now at least, that I won’t be building one of these.

Shame – it’s be a lot of fun!

Here’s a thing. After becoming my workhorse and faithfully taking me up and down the M69 daily, the KLR650 seems just as happy as it did climbing rocky mountains in Mongolia or crossing deserts in Australia. It doesn’t seem to care that the journeys are the same each day, the weather is cooler and the distances are shorter. (But speeds are higher). I suppose that’s because it’s a machine and not a living thing, even though it’s nice to anthropomorphize now and then.

But milestones are approaching and today the bike just clicked over 66666.6kms. To some people that’s a highly suspect number, the mark of the devil and best avoided at all costs. I’m don’t believe that – I mean if the speedo measured in miles it’d be 41427.0, so is that any more or less dangerous? Or do motorcycles with speedos set in miles get to go further before eternal damnation? Hardly!

Nonetheless, it’s another milestone and worth recording for posterity.

It does lead me to the next milestone in our household, my Birthday. Not exactly imminent, but it just over 4 years I’ll be 50 years old and that does tend to light the imagination. Is another big trip on the cards? Possibly, I’d love to do that and I know Chip and Ken are keen. But what about making something? I haven’t had a good project on the go for a while now, and if I start on my Birthday I’ll have 4 years to achieve something. But what? What do you make that’s so different and worth doing?

Answers on a postcard please!

No, I haven’t converted the mighty KLR to run on LPG. I’m referring to the longest place name in Wales, and probably the UK too!

Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch

I’ll leave it to you to pronounce it, but I’ve often heard it referred to as Llan PG, or LPG. I didn’t realise how close I’ve come to it so many times, with it being just off the main A55 in Anglesey. Right on the way to Ireland!

Luckily I pulled off for fuel and ran into this petrol station. 🙂

Form filling must be a nightmare if you live here!

No, I haven’t converted the mighty KLR to run on LPG. I’m referring to the longest place name in Wales, and probably the UK too!

Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch

I’ll leave it to you to pronounce it, but I’ve often heard it referred to as Llan PG, or LPG. I didn’t realise how close I’ve come to it so many times, with it being just off the main A55 in Anglesey. Right on the way to Ireland!

Luckily I pulled off for fuel and ran into this petrol station. 🙂

Form filling must be a nightmare if you live here!