Modern motorcycle riders are spoilt with technology

[BigTed]

I thought I'd share...a chap I work with is right into scooters - I'm constantly poking fun at his "girlie" bike - and he gives it back to me in spades about the bus I ride.

Today he brought in a fuel gauge for his vintage 1960 Vespa VBB. This is a mechanical fixture you drop into the fuel tank to measure the fuel depth (also while filling).

Pictures of the model are here.

Attached is a photo of the fuel gauge. It works by placing the gauge in through the filler cap and lowering it all the way (touching the bottom of the tank). The yellow float at the bottom runs up and down a spiralled brass bar which pivots at both ends. At the top of the bar is the gauge. As the float moves up and down, the bar turns, which turns the gauge. Quite simple.

R.

 

[Whizz]

Simple?? not sure about that, but certainly elegant!

 

[Biggles]

Great concept beautifully executed with the perfectly designed twist in the shaft.

It's reminiscent of the fuel gauges in Tiger Moths and Piper Cubs- a visiglass tube at the end of the wing tank next to the pilot who can see the actual fuel depth in the tube.

We struggle with calibrating electronic marvels that let us down.  Sadly, there's no simple way to indicate the fuel level when you have a two-level tank system á la ST1300.

[Whizz]

Back in the period just before Pontius became a Pilot I was the proud owner of a fourteenth-hand Lambretta LD-150, this was whilst I was still in school which gives you an idea of how may decades ago it was. Anyway I had a problem with the gearbox and decided to fix it myself without the benefit of a workshop manual or anything other than my eyesight and nimble fingers, I was after all a budding genius (at least my mother thought so), and how clever could a bunch of Italians be anyway? 

The LD gearbox was housed between the back of the engine casing and the final drive shaft casing but had no case of its own, so when I removed the bolts that held everything together there was a series of loud tinkling sounds as the gears and shafts etc all fell out onto the concrete in a heap. It took a great deal of enthusiasm and quite a bit of manual dexterity to reassemble this collection of bits into something that resembled a gearbox and bolt the whole caboodle back together and I was very satisfied with myself for having achieved this incredible feat of engineering. 

I started the scooter, got on it, pushed it off its stand, put it first gear, let out the clutch and shot backwards like a guided missile, I will never forget the totally unexpected feeling of the scooter going BACKWARDS as I let the clutch out. 

It didn't take me long to realise that I had reassembled the gears backwards, and effectively had four reverse gears!  So I took it all apart again, this time being careful to catch the cogs and whatnot before they all fell apart again, and reassembled it again the other way round. And lo and behold everything worked just fine, a triumph of tenacity over complexity!

Leason Learned? Leave mechanical wizardry to those who actually understand it!!!

[Diesel]

 

Great story Paul!


I have to agree with the title of this thread, as when I did my IronButt Certified ride attempt (1,600km in 24 hrs), I remarked to a friend that I had it a lot easier than the pioneers first behind the idea of 'IronButt' riding.

For instance, I was luxuriated with cruise control, after market custom seat, air hawk, sheep skin, heated handgrips, highway pegs, mp3 player to while away the kms, comfy seating position, adjustable windscreen to keep the elements out if desired, 500km + fuel range, computer controlled 'tune as you ride' EMS, radio comms to friend, modern, lightweight composite materials for helmet, clothing and other safety gear, powerful twin headlight array and spotlights providing excellent forward vision at dark o'clock, CamelBak fluid dispenser for on the fly hydration, muesli bars in the convenient tank bag with other helpful items, modern suspension for better, safer ride, 24hr service centres for fuel and refreshments at easy intervals etc etc etc.....

Seems like hardly a challenge compared to this guy.....



He FarRode this 1948 WLA Harley 1000kms in 24 hrs. You could have fried an egg on the METAL SEAT! He rides it all over Australia and fixes it all over Australia as well!

It is still a great challenge in the planning and execution, and a personal test to triumph in, but full respect goes to these mechanical engineers in the dark ages who came up with these brilliant ideas!   

Cheers, Diesel

[Sabie]

I don't know..... It just seems all.....Italian to me.....

[Tipsy]

I started the scooter, got on it, pushed it off its stand, put it first gear, let out the clutch and shot backwards like a guided missile, I will never forget the totally unexpected feeling of the scooter going BACKWARDS as I let the clutch out. 

[/quote]

Harie G
Now there's a thought for you.........

Tipsy