Charlie's Shed - USB charging port

 Lately I have been using my Beeline motorcycle sat nav which I won in a competition (I'll tell you about that another time) and I have been worrying that it will flatten my phone batteries - consequently I've decided to fit the same USB charger as I have on the W/NG to the Huntmaster.

I buy these from eBay for about £15 - they are very nicely made.

The eBay description says:

• Square Dual USB Super Fast Charge + Voltmeter
• Input voltage: DC12V
• Monitorable voltage range: 6-30V
• Product material: ABS high and low temperature resistant flame retardant environmental protection material
• Qualcomm 3.0 quick charging standard
• Output voltage: 5V3.4A/9V2.5A /12V2A

I found that they seem to work perfectly well coupled to a six volt battery because of course I'm only looking for a five volt output from the USB ports. The voltmeter is quite useful if you can actually see it - but you use it for diagnostics not when you are riding your bike!

You have the option to fit these things with a bracket or a handlebar clip and they come with a length of cable and a fuse holder.

I wanted to fit the charger inside my left knee above the battery and in front of the toolbox and I made a stainless steel bracket to bolt underneath the dynamo regulator.

As you can see in the picture it's too low and you can't get the battery back in. I might modify this bracket or make a new one to give it higher and further in board to allow it to stay in this position:

Nevertheless I can wire it up and show it working:

Until I get around to making another bracket, for which I really need to remove either the seat or the toolbox or both, I will use the handlebar mount and fit the charger above the Monimoto, behind the toolbox.

AJS Model 30 - the 'what bits are missing' dry build

 A few days after the Model 30 kit arrived in Norfolk, it's outside in the street for a degreasing session which will help us understand what we have, what we don't have and how it goes together.

The main frame parts are all there and most of the big studs as well.

Some of them are not in great shape and will need replacing or building up with weld and the threads recutting. And option would be to buy a complete new set at vast expense but we are not there yet!

The centre stand, it's bushes, stud and spacer are all there:

Footrest bars, footrests and side stand are also there as is the spindle for the swinging arm – but the cotter pins appear to be missing:

We have two sets of fork yokes but unfortunately the steering head races are a bit worn. We will see if they need replacing later on:

AJS Model 30 - a new bike joins the family

 Well, his has been a long time coming. A few months ago, son Thomas & I conceived a plan to buy a project we could build together with the kids - to give them some hands on experience and learn some new skills. I wanted Tom to buy something he really wanted, and we looked and bid on a Sunbeam S7, a BSA B50, an A65 and looked at an Ariel NH (which was a very good deal but wasn't a project).

I'm delighted that we ended up with this, a 1958 AJS Model 30 - Tom says there is a poetical symmetry to it, since I had a 1957 example when I was at university which we sold soon after we bought our first house.

It's an eBay find, described like this:

• AJS Model 30 Project rebuild or spares.
• Frame and engine are 1958 model 30
• Was going to rebuild, but will never happen, so must go.
• Engine fully rebuilt by local AJS Model 30 club specialists 15 years ago, still turns over fine. Comes with AMC gearbox and clutch etc. and majority of all major parts to rebuild, look at photo and you’ll see what’s included.

Obvious things that are missing are the silencers, mudguards, speedo and rear shocks but if we really have a properly rebuilt engine for less than £900 we will have done well!

Main frame and wheels above and most of the rest of the cycle parts below. Siamese exhausts - a sidecar bike? The rear mudguard stay looks like one from the CS model; there's a chainguard, brake pedal, battery carrier and lots of other bits:

A box of bits, including a new looking set of engine bolts:

Another view of the same curtain - there are two tanks in the kit that arrived and we see fork legs, some very high bars, a set of yokes (one of two), headlamp shrouds, one of two headlamp shells, centre stand, a head steady, footrests, frame rails, sidestand, oil pipes, engine plates and covers and the toolbox:

A tidy 58/30 engine with dynamo, gearbox, oil tank, primaries and clutch:

We can't wait to get stuck in!

FH - update

 The FH has been the go-to bike recently, and it is shaking down again after it's 500 mile service. I'm getting on top of the carburation helped by Hitchcock's (or Amal's?) guide to tuning the Mk1 Concentric, and now that I have it ticking over with a #30 pilot jet and the pilot air screw 1/4 turn out, I might go to a #25!

It's flying along and looks great:

Notice that the rear wheel is nicely off the ground in these pictures!

The only problem is - it's still burning oil. The head is going to have to come off again to inspect the guides which is a shame, because the leaks are cured...

Model A - carburetter needs some bits...

 The Model A uses an Amal 6/112 carburettor, often known as a pre-monobloc. The Type 6 carburettor has the pilot air inlet in holes around the body and is similar to the Type 76 - the difference is that the 76 is cast alloy and the 6 is cast brass; the later Type 276 has the pilot air inlet inside the bell mouth. The float chamber design associated with each of these carburettors is also quite different in that the earlier float chamber has the extension pipe banjo retained to the float chamber itself with a screwed joint - for the 276, the extension pipe banjo is a part of the float chamber casting.

Whilst the carburettor that arrived with the Model A is complete, it is also pretty tired. The slide is very bad, the main jet is missing and we know from experience that the needle jet and needle will be very worn as well. 

The specifications are listed here:

• Size: 1"
• Main Jet: 4/042-160 (still available new)
• Pilot Jet: none
• Needle Jet: 4/061-106 (still available new)
• Needle Position: 6/065, position not recorded
• Slide: 6/0524 - that's a #4 cutaway, or 1/4"
• Float chamber: 14/004

Folk with some experience of Amal carburettors will realize that these part numbers are used for the Type 76 and Type 276 as well - and are still available from Burlen Services, or Hitchcock's Motorcycles.

I put in an order to Hitchcock's for some bits and sent the body, jet block and jet block nut to Joe the Carb on the 23rd of July:

It came back from Joe on the 8th August with a cylindrical bore, a slide to match, and he has refaced the mounting flange so that it is nice and flat. It looks like it has been vapour blasted too:

Until I make up the cables there's not much else I can do with this carburettor (other than replace all the gaskets and fibre washers), so we'll fit it back on the bike and leave it for now.