The journey of one man and his Mule(s)

[ashley]

Good job mate

[slipping clutch]

Do you know what Phil? thats sounds a lot more car like/civilised than it did on the video links you sent me at the track. I am betting the more it goes up the rev range the more bike like it sounds though.

[Ben]

Looking good there dude

[Magic Beans]

Do you know what Phil? thats sounds a lot more car like/civilised than it did on the video links you sent me at the track. I am betting the more it goes up the rev range the more bike like it sounds though.

It's about the same volume as a normal Busa bike really, maybe a few db louder... . Once you crank the throttle and hit revs though it does get pretty damn loud

I think I'm going to make some adjustments to the throttle and clutch, to make pulling off a bit easier. The issue I have now is that the clutch biting point is pretty high and then such a small window when you get there. Combine that with an ultra sensitive throttle pedal and it's buckaroo time sometimes My plan would be to either adjust the clutch so it's closer to the floor, or alternatively put a clutch stop in just beyond the point it's fully disengaged. That way you're not hunting for the biting point for ages before you go. The throttle can be adjusted to it's slower to respond initially and then quicker the further down the pedal goes. It's the opposite currently so if you just tap the pedal lightly it revs, meaning that if the car judders when you set off you're more likely to tap the throttle again and make the whole thing worse. Not really issues as such, more me tailoring the drive to suit how I like to operate a car.

Still stalling it... It's not exactly a common car either so people remember

[Ben]

Wrong bike engine, clearly



Doubt I could do any better though!

[Magic Beans]

Just taking a while to make my foot do the job of a hand. It's a little like this but on four wheels..

[Magic Beans]

She went in for an MOT today. To be honest I really wasn't looking forward to it as I'd had a hellish drive back from London, was ultra tired, headache and it was raining heavily here

However.. Whilst being miserable weather it did stop raining for the time I was out and she passed her MOT with 0 issues found Not that I didn't expect that to happen, it's just that when you have one of those days everything tends to go terribly wrong.

It was good to find a thorough yet honest tester, so I'll be back there in the future. I suspect a photo of her will be appearing on their site at some point in the future too

[craig]

Can't beat a zero issue MOT!

[Magic Beans]

More job done. I'm now fully in my element as I'm tinkering on stuff just for the love of it and not because something is broken or was fitted by a chimp. Immensely satisfying!

First up was that I'd noticed a few drops of oil on the undertrays, which seemed to be coming from the oil tank (dry sump system). After whipping the nose off I noticed the oil tank breather was pointing downwards, so if the oil got up that high through spirited cornering etc it would seep through the filter. It would pretty undermine the whole purpose of the breather too, as it would choke it once it was saturated.



A couple of seconds with a screwdriver later and it's the right way up. Note how unbelievably clean that engine bay is! See OCD in people is a good thing, especially one's you're buying cars from



I've now also have to make sure all pipes and hoses are black (Thanks, Peter. You see what you've done to me! ). So I'll be swapping the rest out the next time I drain the coolant. This was a start though.



Next up was something I've been thinking about for a while. Something which should make a huge difference to the drive, mainly because it will help me to stop stalling the thing all the time After a bit of thinking and research I decided that I'd fabricate a clutch stop, as the biting point of the clutch is pretty high and the bite window is fairly small. Unless you're giving it the beans and launching it I've found it difficult to do a clean pullaway. All down to me I must add.

The donor parts.



Add a Nyloc nut and a couple of washers.



The work area. Note how there's no panel above the pedals, which makes this kind of thing sooo much easier. It also means you get a nice heater effect from the engine as you're driving along



The current stop point, so I could measure and mark up where the rod needs to be located.



Pilot hole drilled in the footwell side, then the final hole drilled from the engine side.





Mounted as a first fit.







Cut to the next day and it was time to dial it all in.



A few test runs later (rolling up and down the drive) and it's exactly where I want it to be. Gives around 15mm of clearance between the pedal being fully depressed to where the clutch bites.



Measuring 10 times means things line up when you do the actual job. See, OCD does have it's benefits



The pedal now feels perfect and you no longer need to hunt for the bite point whilst trying to balance the ultra sensitive throttle pedal. It's also fully adjustable and easily done too, thanks to the twist grip on the end.

Happy days

[slipping clutch]

Excellent work Phil, - your level of interest in this car is really starting to show now.

[Ben]

Glad to see you still tinkering

Forgive my ignorance, but do you need to use the clutch for changing gear or just for start/stop?

[Magic Beans]

Excellent work Phil, - your level of interest in this car is really starting to show now.

Very much so. It feels like the good old days, back when it was exciting and interesting

Glad to see you still tinkering

Forgive my ignorance, but do you need to use the clutch for changing gear or just for start/stop?

You can upshift without using the clutch, however it's something you'd do more on a track etc. For everyday use it's better to use it, to avoid gearbox wear. Downshifts currently need the clutch, although when I fit the Trickshifter you can get away with not using the clutch for them too. It also does a bunch of other stuff like blip on downshifting etc, very cool bit of kit.

http://flatshifter.com/flatshifter-expert/

Need to work out how to fit it first though I suspect I'll pay someone to do it, as it's not something you want to get wrong

Hoping to fit the new exhaust system tomorrow, to see what it's like in comparison to the Aprilia muffler. It also has a Cat, which I'll probably remove to maximise flow. I also wouldn't mind if the noise was a little louder, it is a good noise

[Gullzter]

The amount of detail you put into this is amazing! Its good that you are very attentitive to your car, i wouldnt know where to start on my car so i just do things when i get a chance..
I try not to go looking for it because before you know it the car is in pieces

[Magic Beans]

Oh that happens, it's just back together by the time the photos are up

[GeorgeL]

......

Absolute beast you have got there. That's got to be an absolute blast to drive!

I love the red one... But the yellow one is something else!

[Magic Beans]

......

Absolute beast you have got there. That's got to be an absolute blast to drive!

I love the red one... But the yellow one is something else!

Yep, she's definitely an exciting drive! Easily the rawest feeling car I've ever been in, in an enjoyable way. Very drivable, solid and planted. Even in the wet (had to do a couple of wet drives, no choice at the time) it feels safe and secure. Well, so long as you don't get all brave with the noise pedal

Been working on a few bits recently. I'll whack up a proper update at some point

[GeorgeL]

......

Absolute beast you have got there. That's got to be an absolute blast to drive!

I love the red one... But the yellow one is something else!

Yep, she's definitely an exciting drive! Easily the rawest feeling car I've ever been in, in an enjoyable way. Very drivable, solid and planted. Even in the wet (had to do a couple of wet drives, no choice at the time) it feels safe and secure. Well, so long as you don't get all brave with the noise pedal

Been working on a few bits recently. I'll whack up a proper update at some point

I'll look forward to the update bud.

I imagine the rev range is awesome on this one compared to the red one.

B roads will get absolutely inhialated by it... I'd be interested in some videos Phil 👍 definitely want to see it go!

[Magic Beans]

Maxes out at 13k

B roads are a bit surreal really, as you're almost cruising around bends you'd normally be braking for. You get the feeling everyone is just pootling about, until you see the lean they have on!

Videos are on the To do list. I did one a while ago but it looked like crap (Go Pro lens was dirty, so the contrast and noise were way off ) and the wind noise dominated things. I've got another mic (external) coming which will improve things massively Just need to learn how to throw together a good video, one that's not dull. Photos I can do, video not so much

[pistol pete]

you lucky i am unable to do interesting vids or photos.. i just enjoy doing what i'm video'ing

[Magic Beans]

you lucky i am unable to do interesting vids or photos.. i just enjoy doing what i'm video'ing

But you're special in other ways, Pete