Motors: page 1
I’ve finally found some time to look at my old remote control car again - I was so happy when I bought it as a kid nearly twenty years ago. I’ve still got the original nickel cadmium battery (all 1300mAh!) and charger so I charged it up expecting that there’d be little to no response from the car. Amazingly the kids and I got about 5 minutes of full throttle action out of it before it slowed to a halt. Read more ⇒
Winter motorcycle storage: battery and electrical systems
There are many things to consider as you wrap your bike up for winter such as ensuring your fuel does not go stale, but the electrical system needs attention too. One of the most common failures when placing your motorcycle in storage is the battery losing charge and eventually becoming damaged beyond repair. Causes of battery failure Most vehicles have a residual draw that slowly saps power from the battery even with the ignition switched off, but this is exacerbated by the fitment of alarms or other after market accessories. Read more ⇒
Winter motorcycle storage: suspension and tyres
This is by no means an exhaustive list of steps for long term motorcycle (or car for that matter) storage, but a few tips I have picked up along the way. When a motorcycle is put into storage it will often remain in the same position for extended periods of time. This is not the intended purpose from factory though and as such the tyres and suspension will not thank you for it. Read more ⇒
Winter motorcycle storage: fuel system
This is by no means an exhaustive list of steps for long term motorcycle (or car for that matter) storage, but a few tips I have picked up along the way. The most commonly known issue with bikes in storage is bad or stale fuel, which I have described the causes of in a previous post; Why does fuel go stale?. Generally petrol is fairly stable and won’t break down all that quickly, but motorcycle fuel tanks present problems that dedicated fuel containers do not. Read more ⇒
FullOctane: Bike and Car Blog I have setup a site to post all my automotive related discoveries. Currently I have two posts up there about fuel degradation and storage. Putting motorcycles into storage or “winterizing” can be an involved procedure so I have decide to cover it in a series of posts beginning with the fuel system in the post entitled ‘Winter Motorcycle Storage: Fuel System’. Continuing the fuel theme the reasoning behind previous post is backed up by a technical article that addresses the question; ‘Why does fuel go stale? Read more ⇒
When stored correctly, high quality gasolene should continue to be stable forever (well almost!). There are few factors that contribute to the degradation of petrol with the two primary concerns being oxidisation and water. Oxidation If petrol is not stored in an air tight container then the process of oxidation occurs. Fuel that has been exposed to air flow will begin to look cloudy and get darker in colour. Sometimes you may even be able to see particles floating in the fuel if it is badly oxidised. Read more ⇒
Lancia Stratos Replica Fast Lap on Top Gear UK
During a reasonably long and fitting homage to Lancia (Fulvia, Montecarlo, 037 and Delta) on Top Gear last night “The Stig” was given a Hawk HF3000 (that is the Alfa V6 based one) replica to drive around the track. It sounds fantastic but the bucking and diving under braking looks really scary! Hawk are not the only maker of replicas as I found out when I did some research a couple years ago. Read more ⇒
I never thought I would see one of these little one seater cars running around largely due to their obscene price tag (£27k+), but the other day in Auckland I did. This was a photo I quickly snapped of it on Victoria Street outside the Sky Tower. This little car has been loved by reviewers for its ability to be driven like a car but still give you the fun of banking into turns like a motorcycle. Read more ⇒
I spotted this wonderful Italian rally car whilst I was on our Honeymoon and visiting Amsterdam. I am a big fan of the Lancia rally cars including the Fulvia pictured here, Stratos, 037, Delta S4 and Delta HF Integrale. Some interesting reading on the HF in Lancia Fulvia HF and Lancia Fulvia Gold Portfolio, 1963-76 (Gold Portfolio). I am so tempted to get myself a scale model like this though: Read more ⇒
Suzuki Bandit Carburettor Clean
Suzuki Bandit in the snow When I went away on holiday the other year I left my Bandit standing for about 3 weeks and it must of had a bad batch of fuel in the tank. The bad fuel turned into jelly in the carburettors and of course the bike started running like a dog. In the back of my mind I had thought I should drain the float bowls before leaving, but it got forgotten in all the excitement of the trip. Read more ⇒