Toot Toot ! I can hear the Altette loud and clear Part 3

I've had a quiet day down in 'The Old Sidevalve Bar'  No Weasel War today. It can't be fire and brimstone all the time......Some days are best spent in overalls......
The Altette awaits......I'd mentioned previously that I thought it might be good to leave the scars of time showing. After stripping the paint on the main body the ancient casting was exposed. A coating of clear laquer was applied for preservation only.........Just look at the quality...........built to last.........
A light wire wheel soon took the surface rust off the chrome and the tin centre pressing was cleaned and also coated with clear laquer......
So, here the gorgeous hooter is after a bit of Vintafake Fettling.
 

Next on the hit list were the handlebars. Now, these little beaut's were once attached to the first bike I bought for racing. A Yamaha YDS7. ..Ah memories.......Waited 34 years they have......bit rusty, but lets see what we can do....

A good scrape with a file follower by wire wheeling and rubbing with emery cloth luckily removed not only the rust but the reamins of the chrome too.


Now.....I only have one gallon of nickel plating solution.......and a plastic box half the size of the handlebars but hey, this is 'The Old Sidevalve Can Do Bar'. A bit of selective dipping....(the plastic bottles for displacement purposes)

Now, I can't say it was easy.........in fact it took best part of the morning but I got a result.

A rub with Scotchpad followed by a wipe with WD40 and they are now officially VBobber bars.

Stay tuned. I'm signing off, Alb has a flagon that requires emptying....

Interluuuuuuude

Albertflagonallwaysreadius here...
Interupting the most exciting Altette saga ever written with a quick interluuuuuuuuuuuude.
A news update on the 'March Against The Weasels'.....
Last week a secret meeting took place under the patio umbrella in the dead of night at 'The Old Sidevalve Bar' and a strategy is now in place. A meeting of Yorkshireshireshires finest Bar Propers and Fire Bucket Polishers were eager to salute the Colours of  Sir Rodders Ticklebrush....and help me formulate a plan
 A Result -  I have held triumphantly in my hand a manifesto. For Basil K. a learned fellow in foreign object movements has the tactical knowledge to outflank those that have overstepped the mark of decency.

Hail the two fingers of Ticklebrush.................Hail Falling Down Cider....................Hail the Manifesto.......
and hail all those who sail in her....................
Albert over but not out............

Toot Toot ! I can hear the Altette loud and clear Part 2 with additional News Flash

Greetings to all 'Vintafaker Stalwarts.....and anyone else who knows me. Albert here.
Up early Saturday morning I was...oh yes, because before I could get back into 'The Old Sidevalve Bar' and continue correcting the design errors on the Virago a most important duty had to be performed.
Serious times these are ! I had promised to raise the family colours whilst the battle with The UK Border Bandits rages.....Luckily .I had inherited the aforementioned colours from my uncle Sir Rodders Ticklebrush. He had used then to good effect whilst fighting alongside Michael Caine in the film Zulu....(not a lot of people know that)

Strapped to the top of a turnip spade is where they will firmly remain. Because it's Govermental Turnips we are dealing with......with the occasional Mr Potato Head thrown in for good measure. 
Hoisted high above the battlements of 'The Old Sidevalve Pickling Belfry' for all Yorkshireshireshire to see flies 'The Ticklebrush V' 

Motto -  UNIS EST NUNQUAM SATIS - USQUEQUAQUE UTOR DUOS
              (ONE IS NEVER ENOUGH - ALWAYS USE TWO)


Ok, the line is drawn.  I shall pen a missive. Then await developments

In the meantime I made a bracket to mount the Altette onto the VBobber. I have the original bracket.......but I couldn't bring myself to modify such a valuable piece of motoring metalwork having owned it for many decades.

I like Speed holes .


That's all for now, it's Flagon Hour.
Albert over and out

News Flash........Crisis..You Bet !

We interupt Toot Toot ! I can hear the Altette loud and clear with an important News Flash...
I, 'Honest Albert' feel as if my country has deserted decency.........true Blightyness.......and above set up a whole bunch of Highway Robbers in a new goverment department......UK 'Chuffin' Border Control...
Hey Alb...what happened dude?
I fell foul of importing a tiny weeny tiddly fingy bitty for my ex Elvis CB72 motorcycle from over the pond.....ya know from that country of freedom.....!!!! Whatever !
Here's the offending article......a deliciously brand spanking new speedo drive..............45 years old and never been spun on a wheel......sweet.....

The aluminium curvatiousness...................only touched by one small Japanese person........an American residing in Kerrville Texas..............and me.....firmly located at  'The Old SidevalveBar' Yorkshireshireshire.

Anyways......as my little beaut came innocently into this green and pleasant land of 'Hope and Glory' a spotty faced goverment nerd spotted the package. CASH COW.....! CASH COW ! Went the warning buzzers. Charge every innocent Joe V.A.T. on vital antique motorcycle parts and then further inflict a sting by charging for the privilege !!!!

Total £13.95 !!!

What ya gonna do Alb ?
I'm going to make a stand on MY LAND............I shall raise my colours above 'The Old Sidevalve Bar' battlements...........
If you have colours you want raising too then send them to me and I will see that the wind blows freely through them............Stay tuned for part 2 of this News Flash.......
Corporal Albert of the Left Foot Forward Brigade over and out for now.

Toot Toot ! I can hear the Altette loud and clear

Greetings my old blogchops.
Albert here with this weekends report.
I started the weekend with a stressful operation. It was time to trim my copper fork shroulds to size........careful measuring.....and then some more and in a few moments the tops were cut to suit the fork set up...............Then ! !!!!!Eeeeekkkk  I decided the ball bearings in the steering set up were the wrong size....I was having difficulty taking the free play out of them.......Ohhhh ....
I shall buy some balls of a different size and keep my fingers crossed all is still good.
So....what to do now.....
Hey, I have a horn somewhere that would be just the ticket on the VBobber......
It's in one of these boxes somewhere

How delicious is this.....a genuine lucas Altette......Been in hibernation for 40 years (or more)
Time it saw some action....
Putting 12 volts across the terminals brought it back to life......Only slight problem is it's a 6 volter really.....
I'll investigate how I can step down the voltage over the coming weeks.........
In the meantime......a strip down and paint up wouldn't go amiss

 

Pure quality.........After starting the clean up I changed my mind on the restoration...........
Look at it !!!!!!!  Over 50 years old............I'm connecting with it............Just imagine where the guy who put this together is now..............Yeh right..... Long gone !.........I want to save some of the wrinkles........I like wrinkles...........
Stay tuned for part 2 of  Toot Toot ! I can hear the Altette loud and clear

Albert over and out.

A week in the life of Albert

Seven earth days hath passed ( give or take a day or two) since I have sent forth messages into the atmosphere...yes, beaming words of knowledge to all those with antenna switched onto receive.....
Earth calling ..........Earth calling.........Albert here.........It's me..... calling with electronic verbalities to enrich distant universes......and all those in Blighty who like to keep one step ahead of small nanu-nanu aliens.
This weekend I have been mainly ......soldering......
I like soldering.....
Sacrificing another Cuban Peso printing plate for the precious metal I turned two rebated discs. These would allow me to join the top and bottom sections of the VBobber fork shroulds together.
Time to get hot down in 'The Old Sidevalve Bar' with Big Bertha.........
Flame on , I'm ready to dip mi tip !

 
Steaming flux, sweated solder....wonderful.

 
I used the upturned fork leg as a jig to get everything in line.

Two has become one !
Time to clean up the joint.

Stay tuned Nanuuuuuuus.....There's always somefink happening in Vintafaker land.....
time for my flagon.......topped up to the brim with 'falling down cider'.......

More holes than Shinya

Greetings Vintafakers........Albert here......
It's been a long day.......Drilling, filling and polishing down in 'The Old Sidevalve Bar'
During the course of last week it came to my attention that a certain well known 'Custom Sickle' builder had also been creating a speedo mount.....well let me remind you all that I was doing such a thing before him........
There I was.........minding my own business.....
I'm not bothered !!!! Honest I'm not........hey......we are all allowed to drill and grind are we not ?
So.......Ill tell my story first.....
Remember last week I had carved out of solid brass the basic shape of the mount for my lovely delightfully delicious Delhi Speedo mount......this weekend I have fulfilled the dream...
Step one...

Drill 'Speed Holes'
 Step 2...

Buff to top shine....
 Step 3

Delhi Delightful....Million dollars
Now....here's a picture of Shinya's

Pretty much like a copy of mine.....
but whatever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He's ok......here's a link to his blog......http://shinyakimura.blogspot.co.uk/
I still say mine's more bestest........
so I win the flagon of Scrumpy.......CHEERS !