Drax Diaries

[Steve Gee]

doing too much top gear work and not letting the engine rev freely through the gears and also holding too high a gear at lower speeds. Thus having large throttle openings at low revs and this giving rise to the pump delivering large amounts of oil at low revs. Trouble is the engine is very good at pulling a high gear and will pull away from 15mph in top if you want too.

Not wanting to risk damaging my engine I thought I`d better follow this advice, most enjoyable ride home from work, although the good people of South Yorkshire ( if such a people exsist) are probably still shaking in their beds ! still if I`m awake at 2 a.m why shouldn`t they be ? Must have a look at that leaky exhaust joint tomorrow.

[dave perry]

The TRL engine is now with Graham, and the diagnosis is good. The marks on the housing bores are little more than a polish done by the hard carbon particles and all other components are fine. Several of the seal springs are rather worn and they will all be replaced.I have decided to switch oils to Silkolene Comp 2. This is supposed to be ash free, so should avoid further coking issues.In response to the issue of using the full range of engine revs; I very rarely short shift; taking the needle up toward the red most times; and the dear (very) old bus spends the greater part of her life at motorway speeds, no dawdling around town for us ! As I mentioned earlier, I am pretty sure that the oil cable behaves itself. I checked the ‘C @ 2000’ setting after a discussion at Margretting regarding getting more MPG “don’t choke combustion with a too high oil delivery” I ran with the setting a little rich, but not by much.Graham will replace the clutch hub rubbers; this should give the hydraulic clutch the chance to show it’s best side. I will go through all the loom connectors; lub the cables; check the pads etc etc while she is up on the ramp. Regards dp

[whiffling clara]

Dear me Dave. Rightly admonished by Richard for quoting the manufacturing limits of the seals and not the wear limits. Typical bloke I suppose - no need to read the manual properly - just read the technical specs in the front and not bother with bit in the middle about inspecting the engine internals. Think how much he's saved you now that you don't need a full set of seals - the ones you have are as good as new.Looking at the carbon in your engine I would say its about normal for the mileage and agree with Richard that the blackness of the carbon does indicate excess oil.Using Silkolene comp 2 is a good move though. It sticks well to the engine internals especially when the engine is stood. I have also heard knowledgeable people speak well of it for this reason when used in two strokes.

[whiffling clara]

[quoteNot wanting to risk damaging my engine I thought I`d better follow this advice, most enjoyable ride home from work,][/quote]Glad you enjoyed the ride Steve. Not much traffic on the road at 2.00am I bet. Don't overdo it though. Let it rev through the gears but don't thrash it to death.

[Richard Negus]

Dave, WC, et al,I fully endorse the use of Comp 2 Pre-Mix in rotaries ; although it's typically four times the price of Rotella equivalents, I'm now a pensioner and so well able to afford it for my own Commander.Comp 2 was specified by Mid-West for the aero engines because it wetted the end plates and protected them much better than mineral oils when the engine was not being used. I wouldn't recommend anything else for air-cooled engines.Another synthetic oil endurance tested and approved by Mid-West is Bardahl KGR. Blended in Italy, it is not generally available in the UK but is in Europe (storms in the Channel, Europe cut off etc...). MWE had it in litre and four litre plastic bottle, and 20 litre drums. They also had a US Bardahl oil sample which wasn't the same as Italian KGR and not tested / viewed with suspicion despite assurances that it was equivalent.Another advantage of the synthetics is that they don't smoke as much and smell better when burned.R.

[dave perry]

Feb 18 Super Fido !Fido and I at last got to Cadwell; and a fine time was had by all. We entered into the novice group, on account of 75 BHP, and even at one stage overtook an R6 whom had fudged a corner - not for long of course- but it felt quite good ! We did not get the tyres right down to the edge bead, as the side stand, and the mid length angle on the right hand heat shield saw to that. To get max fun therefore required some athletics to get the weight to one side or the other, but it was well worth it !I did send Geoff Madden an email a while ago re a lightweight exhaust, but I guess that I got his address wrong as I have had no reply - can anyone help ? . My reasoning is the better ground clearance, less weight and maybe a few more BHP would provide sufficient fun without having to resort to an ejector. A VFR league 90 - 100 ponies would be fine for my needs.When I reach this happy state I will have Fido resprayed and tidied, and will rename him the Norton VFR =Very Fast Rotary ! Many thanks for the advice and comments re oil gents, hope to see you all around at lots of meetimngs this year, Regards to all dp

[whiffling clara]

If the prop stand gets in the way then why not take it off for track days ?75 BHP not enough ??? Not that long ago that would have been enough to win the Production TT. Certainly some more ground clearance would be neccessary for reasonable lean angles at track days. An ejector would give more clearance and power but will be very noisey and some track days have obligatory silencers. Why not look at the systems used by Malcolm Stanley on his racers. Much cheaper and easier to make. Also the 100 BHP plus that an ejector will produce will give the gearbox ( not to mention the tyres and brakes ) a very hard time when used in full throttle track mode - I assume yours doesn't have the outrigger bearing.Lots more power doesn't allways result in faster lap times - A friend of mine was surprised to find that his fastest lap at Mallory Park on his Seeley G50 with 50BHP was 1.5 seconds faster than his fastest lap on his rather special Suzuki GSXR750 with 120BHP.

[dave perry]

Thanks for that Wiffer. I agree that an ejector is not a very user friendly way of proceding, too noisy & Fido would probably fail his MOT. I am in the midst of having discussions with Geoff Madden, with a view of getting a Peter Stanger type exhaust. I do agree that outright power is not the answer, but a few more, coupled with more clearance, less weight, and a bit more (lot) more skill would be the dogs do-das. Malc - where did you get your silencers? Regards dp

[Malc]

The silencers on the silver bike are Laser race cans, the silencers on the red bike are home made from aluminium tube and sticky back plastic and I am not joking about the sticky back plastic. I made the silencers so as they could be re-packed and to try and get below the new noise levels I layered the exhaust wadding around the absorbtion tube as tight as possible and held it in place with PVC tape, then another layer wrapped around and taped and then another layer taped so as I could try and squeese it back together.The idea being as the heat melts the tape, the wadding will expand and hopefully reduce another decibel.The old wadding, after approx 100 track miles had become ceramic and shattered as it fell out. I suppose I should use stainless 'wool' as Geoff does but I would need larger cans.Whatever type of system you choose, take your original exhaust with you just in case as one bike was failed for being half a decibel over last year.A court case against Croft for noise pollution was pending last year and the case was lost, Croft appealed in the high court and lost again having to pay a reported £150,000 plus costs. This has led to the cancellation of the Classic Club meeting there and it is also reported that other circuits have claims against them.To make matters worse, the ACU which governs motorcycle sport has deemed that all rotaries are checked at 6,000 rpm. They used to be checked at 3,200 when I raced mine.In 07, the silver bike was fitted with two megas with absorption type baffles. Just warming the bike up in the paddock burnt the chrome off and when tested were 113 dB, the limit is 105dB. I fitted the Laser silencers after polishing the stainless front sections only for them to become straw coloured as it warmed up this time.As I take the bikes for other riders to use who also have their own bikes entered, I am not losing the £125 track fee if they fail and can't go out. Mine only just got through last year but because they run so hot, the baffles become less effective with use.As you have found, the GRIN factor is massive!Good luckMalc

[dave perry]

Things are looking rather good ar Drax at the moment !I am to pick up the TRL.Com engine and the re-rubbered clutch hub tomorrow, should be back on the road at the weekend.I think that most of my clutch woes have been solved with new rubbers relacing the old, disintigrating ones. Certainly Fido's clutch is absolutely superb now. I have just spoken to Peter Stanger, what a nice chap. He tells me that his article in the Epitrochoid does not tell the whole story of Geoffs' lightweight exhaust system. He has since tried ACB needles, code CUD 1049, and they provide the correct fuelling to get a very noticeable increase in power, coupled with smooth fuelling. I have ordered a pair of needles from SU Carbs, and will speak to GM soon !!Just as a matter of interest, I previously reported that the Avon Road Riders that shoe Fido gave a rather flightly feel to the steering. They did however behave very well around Cadwell, no problems at all on what started as a damp track, and kept a big smile on my face as the tarmac dried and the lean angle increased ! They are a fair bit cheaper than Battax's, but I will fit the Bridgestones back next time.PS Peter Stanger uses Morris Ring Free XHD 40 oil, 51,000 miles and spotless engine internals ?? Ever heard of it ?? Best Regards dp

[Richard Negus]

Dave,I've known Peter has been using Morris's for some time, and am very interested to hear if anyone else has any experience.At least two advantages over other mineral oils, in my opinion :-. it's available in 5 litre cans. it doesn't smell quite as bad as the others (but not as nice as the synthetics)But - it smokes just the same as the other mineral oils.50,000+ is a good test.I would be interested to see how it performs in an air-cooled - an opportunity for you to be a leader perhaps ??R.

[dave perry]

Back on the Road Again !I finally finished fitting the engine and all the bits and pieces to TRL.com, rolled it of the ramp and went for a tootle around the lanes on Saturday. There were no leaks and no strange noises, quite a surprise ! It felt great to back on the dear old Bus once again.When Graham inspected the engine internals a month or so ago, he reported that the apex seal springs were very worn, and could not have provided enough force to effectively press the seals against the housing. This may have promoted poor combustion, which could have lead to the build up of the coke deposits. All the remaining components were fine for a second tour of duty.A good while ago, maybe last autumn, I rode the Commander over to Leeds to pick up a few bits for Fido. Graham walked out to see me off the premises, and commented then that the engine sounded as though it had a passing apex seal, but I thought nothing more of it -it was running fine after all ! Back to the now; I had an appointment with a Power Station near Cambridge at Sparrow F#rt on Monday morning, so a run down on Sunday evening was an ideal opportunity to get her warmed up good and proper. The 130 mile run from Drax to St Neots took just about two hours, with a quick stop for juice half way down. She ran without complaint and in usual fine style, and I did try and keep to the speed limit for a little while !The new twin headlamps look good, but it did not get quite late enough to try them in proper darkness. The dear old bus is due an MOT soon, so the lamps will get properly aligned then.Regarding engine oil, I will keep Fido on the Silkolene Comp 2, even at the high cost, and as I have 15l or so of the Texaco Ursatex 40 from the good old NML days, I will use this up on TRL.Comm. I’m sure that it will be fine now that the seals are sorted. Of course NML are still in business; I got a couple of fuel tap vacuum pipes last week – so check your stock of strategic spares while you can ! Graham also fitted an insert to make good a stripped calliper thread, very neat job. He also fitted a new set of clutch rubbers to the TRL hub, should help with the gear changes and neutral selection. I took me ages to clean the old clutch plates. An initial wipe makes them look OK, then a quick sluice with white spirit showed that there was plenty of sludge left in the nooks and crannies, took quite a while to get to a reasonable state. All is now well sorted, let’s hope for another 40odd thousand trouble free miles ! Regards to all dp

[dave perry]

Bl**dy typical - no sooner had the ink dried on my last misty eyed ramblings than TRL.Com started playing up !Down at the St Neots hotel she would not start, not a spark in sight. There was power to the white wire on the ignition unit connector block; all the lights etc were fine, no blown fuses.The ignition unit is a digital goody from Startrights, that sports an LED window; and normally shows red or green lights, steady or flashing depending on what the engine is doing and what temperature she is at- but not this time, no lights of any colour or flicker.I swapped the unit with a tested spare - still no joy; rechecked everything, even swapped the ballast resistor ( never be without one !) The only thing that I could think of, and no way to test it at the hotel, was that the trigger unit might have packed in.I slept on the problem, and the next morning had a last fiddle about, still no luck; then called up Ms Nash for a ride back to Drax on the back of a pickup truck, oh the shame of it !I put the key in the ignition barrel as a safe place to stow it, wiggled it about, and lo, on came the red LED ! Turned it back off, and on again, no LED, but with a bit of twiddling, got a red, and she fired up no bother !When I get home I will peruse the wiring diagram to see how the power and other connections control the unit. As well as the white lead (switched power ?) there are two blacks (earths ?) and an orange (no idea – but orange wires go to rad fan motor ?) I will also strip the old ignition switch (new one on the way from NML) to try and figure out how it can switch on most of the circuits, but not the one that matters most !Thinking about it, I am glad that the Startright Ignition Unit has indicator lights, otherwise I would have never realised what the fault was.What Fun We Have, Keep Smiling and regards dp

[Assen]

Hi Dave, had the same problem. Richard came up with the answer in my case, the 2 black wires connected to one of the studs of the voltageregulater were loose on my bike. Perhaps this tip helps....good luck!Jannes Geertsma,

[dave perry]

May the Fourth Be With You !Sorry for not keeping my diary up to date, things have been a bit hectic just of late !!You will have seen that TRL.Com is up for sale; I guess that I have decided that it is time for a change of tack. I do feel a bit of a traitor, especially after writing the piece in the Epitrochoid detailing how much better a machine with character is than a mass produced version !!Having said that the BMW R1200 GS is an awesomely efficient machine, with levels of comfort and handing that are worlds apart from even the superb Commander. I have always liked the big boxers, and it was a lovely R1100RS that went to make way for the Commander over four years ago.If you ever put anything on fleebay, then you might want to give some thought to the starting price that you choose. I chose £1,000 for the TRL, and looking at the bids, I get the impression that folk think that this is the sort of figure that I am looking for. I have had a couple of enquiries from the States, but I am reliably informed that the Commanders did not get Type Approval for the US, so I have put the guys off the scent.I do live in hope of getting a fair price for this unique machine, fingers crossed !Back in the real world, Don Green and I had a decent run, on our Commanders of course, down to the Lincs Aviation airfield to see a wonderful Lancaster at full throttle, taxi-ing out to the grass airstrip and back again. The plane does not have permission to fly, but still provides a wonderful glimpse into those far-off days, well worth a visit.Tickets to ride in the Lanc come in at £200, needless to say, Don and I stuck to the Ostrich Burgers. The deep south of Lincolnshire is a lovely part of our land, we must plan a trip to see more of it soon.Fido is looking a bit nervous in the corner of the garage, but is in no danger of being re-homed; it has proved it’s worth round Cadwell, but the GM exhaust will have to wait until the bank balance has recovered. Don and I have also joined the newly formed East Yorks Branch of the NOC, and somehow I have ended up as treasurer, how did that happen !!I hope that we will meet up again soon, and I will keep in touch, best regards dp

[Richard Negus]

a wonderful Lancaster at full throttle, taxi-ing out to the grass airstrip and back again. The plane does not have permission to fly, but still provides a wonderful glimpse into those far-off days, well worth a visit.best regards dp

On another forum, I see that the Victor at Bruntingthorpe also had permission for a 'fast taxi run' and was photographed recently 'taxying' some 10 -15 ft above the runway !Allegedly, a side gust forced the pilot to take severe corrective action resulting in unauthorised flight followed by a heavy landing to stop before the end of the runway.The Campaign Against Aircraft (aka CAA) are said to have taken a dim view and hands will be smacked.R.

[dave perry]

Well, no-one wants the TRL.Commander, well at anything like a reasonable price ! What did you think of my advert on fleebay ? Was my starting price too low, or have I spent too much (and therefore am asking too much) on the beast to make it a tempting proposition ? It has got to be worth more than three grand, or am I missing something ?? I guess that I will have to wait until Mr Right comes along !! I am off two wheels and jogging at the moment, having some pipework descaled, should be back at Cadwell in early June if all goes well, regards dp

[Interpol2471]

Dave you are right to stick to your guns your bike is worth much more than that and I guess especially to you, never give it away just for the hell of it. Ebay often has chancers on it looking for a bargain, if they had really wanted it they would have came and seen it and ridden it away. KEEP IT

[dave perry]

Thanks for your support IP2471, I should keep it I know, but what with the Beemer in the garage and the bank account dipped well below the horizon, it's time for a change. I will regret it I know, just like I did selling the Velo Viper, the R100/7, and recently the VFR 750. I am a bit of a makala though, and now that I have decided to sell it; it's as though it's not mine, more like the new owner has not turned up with the cash just yet !Having said that a guy is returning from Manila on Sunday, and will ring me from Heathrow, I think that someone is in for a bargain !!Have booked two Cadwell slots; an evening session for the beemer on June 3, and with the Morini Riders club on June 18, with fido of course !! Come join in the fun !!

[dave perry]

You will be aware that TRL .Commander did not go on fleebay, not a bid at the bargain price of £4,000 - I must admit that I am a bit stunned at the lack of interest in this wonderful machine. I do have a couple of guys interested, and hope for a result this weekend.The bike and I have just had a 3 day 600 mile round trip to various Power Stations, and also a run down to Maidstone, Kent, to show the bike to a NOC member, who seems keen. While I was down there my mobile phone rang, it was a very nice Police Officer who had seen the bike on Ebay, and in the M20 services car park, and thought that it was a long way from home ! What a Gent, do you know Tim Raymond Dave ?Needless to say the bike performed without fault the whole way, cruising in comfort and style, I will miss the dear old bus, but things move on.Poor old Fido has been very quiet of late, but those summer evenings at Cadwell beckon. I have June 3rd booked to try out the R1200 GS, should be a hoot if it stays dry !I will keep you posted, best regards dp

[kanonkopdrinker]

I have a feeling that I might know Tim Raymond ... at least the one I knew was a DS in the Met and funnily enough owned a white Krauser Commander ... could be the same one?

[dave perry]

Summer Update, It’s been a goodly while since my last post, a lot’s been happening !!The TRL Commander has found a new and very appreciative home, after a bit of a mid-life crisis forced a rethink in Drax’s most famous garage. This was brought on by a small case of angina, then some minor replumbing using a old biro spring, called a stent – the technology is truly amazing, thank goodness !!All this lead to an irrational desire for a BMW 1200 GS, crazy I know. I have ridden these beasts before, at the Off Road course in South Wales, and on a biking holiday in southern Spain, they are an awesome machine. It took three goes on ebay before an decent deed was done for the TRL. There were a fair of amount of timewasters and salad agitators to be dealt with, but we got there in the end. The new owner is very pleased with the bike, and has discovered quickly one of the very few disadvantages of rotary ownership, that of getting accosted at every turn by old boys and their standard comments regarding tip wear ! I hope that he has as many adventures as we have had with the dear old bus.One adventure that I would not recommend to anyone is that of sliding along the Park straight at Cadwell on one’s harse. This occurs when over-excitement and operator error combine to whack the engine crash bars into the tarmac while exiting Charlie’s. This results in a loss of grip at the front contact patch, which in turn leads to the afore mentioned sliding and tumbling action. Not too much damage was done to man or machine; time has healed the rather impressive bruises, and just over a grand saw the Beemer with new handlebars, switchgear, hydraulic reservoirs etc. The side panel and rocker cover can stay scratched to remind me not to be such a Malaka again ! I must say that before the off I was having a great time, those machines really do handle.The engine is horribly crude compared to the rotary; these latest Beemers have balance shafts to take out the vibes, which is nearly as bad as the Commando engines having to be suspended from rubber bushes to save one’s fillings from dropping out ! The whole package is fantastic however, and Kerry deems it the most comfortable thing ever – so that’s OK for me then.Fido the IP II is still running pretty well, and I have now grown to appreciate the benefits of the NML hydraulic clutch. At first I had the impression that it had a heavier action than the cable variety, with little to commend it, but after a thousand miles or so I feel that the action is so much smoother, and I have to tug on the lever much less than before, making the gear changes much smoother. Neutral selection at standstill is as advertised, reliably achievable. The only niggle with the bike is that the engine idling is not quite right. I am running with the temperature sensor in the ignition circuit disconnected. When I reconnect it at idle speed the engine dies. I might run it over to Grahams for a look see. Fido has the NML digibox ignition which has been run on their test rig; it has proven carbs from TRL.Com, and new o-rings everywhere; even new idle pipes ! Graham rebuilt the engine only a little while ago – what else is there to go wrong ?? I will keep you posted. Best Regards to All

[Interpol2471]

Sounds to me that you need to just reset the mixtures on each carb, it made a real difference to my idle

[dave perry]

It is with a deal of sadness that I have to report that, following the departure of the TRL.Com, Fido has also found a new home. I could have sold it several times over. It went because I could not get the idle issue sorted out, and was not therefore prepared to invest in a Madden exhaust, deemed necessary to get up to a decent speed on Cadwell's Park straight. Oh well, at least I tried, and dragged Fido from unloved obscurity to fame and renown within these hallowed walls. I hope his new owner has more luck/skill/talent than I have. I have had a great time over the last 10 years, and feel privileged to have met such a great bunch of guys & gals. Best Wishes to All, Dave and Kerry

[Interpol2471]

I saw it on eBay Dave and guessed the Drax diary was coming to a close You'll be back

[dave perry]

Hi Again this is rotary related (mostly) ! The East Coast Chapter of the NOC, with me as Treasurer, went for a spin out a couple of weekends ago. I have to report that I was on my latest effort at a track bike, a Ducati 900SS, what a snip at £1320 ! In my defence, of the six riders that showed, only three were on Nortons ! I digress, we went to the Craven Motorcycle museum, on the outskirts of York, well worth a visit ! Get to the point please perry - in the museum was what appeared to be a real Classic. It sported engine number LE 0099. I guess that someone keeps a record of these things, have you got this one ? Best Wishes to all Dave & Kerry

[TRL]

Hi everybody,Just a quick note to introduce myself and let you know the recent news about TRL.I bought TRL off Dave in June, collected it from Drax on the day of the NOC day at Donington and trailered it home in the afternoon via Donington.I have used it recently to commute weekly between my home and my dad's and have now clocked up 1400 miles in the 3 months since the purchase in June. I can honestly say I have enjoyed every one of those miles, even if the first few were a little daunting while I got used to the weight and handling. Dave did a good job of sorting TRL and it is sad to find he is now rotorless.I probably won't be logging as many posts as Dave, but it is interesting to read here some of the history of the bike before it came to my ownership, and some of the interesting technical discussions in other threads on this forum.regards to you all,Mike

[dave perry]

Many thanks for that Mike, I'm very glad that the dear machine has found a good home, Good Luck with everything, and keep us posted, best regards dave perry