Sorry, it was the timing chain that drove the magneto. I wasn't thinking. It was just a loop of chain about 6" long. A few screws to remove the cover, and all was revealed. You can see it here on a Square 4, which looks identical:

https://ariel-square-four.blogspot.com/2019/08/ignition-timing-and-nearby-jobs.html

 

The passengers could sit wherever they wanted. There's no requirement to sit in the sidecar, though you'd always want to fill it up first for stability.

 

That video was cool. I'm not too sure why he was changing gear though. I don't remember doing that too much with mine.

Those old engines were so simple to understand and do things with and you could do major strip down work with pretty minimal tools.

Cooler King is a UK company, but their bikes are themed on motorcycles and made in China. They appeal to me but I don’t think many on here share my enthusiasm for them.

 

 

I have 2 cooler king ebikes bought over the summer, but one has now failed completely and refuses to start although fully charged, and although I had asked paul, who runs the company, what happens if one of their products breaks down, he said that they never break down, and also he would, quotes 'looks after me', anyway, now they are chargingn £200 to pick up the bike which doesn't seem reasonable as the product has clearly failed within a guarantee period.

Hooligans!!

 

The good old days. There was a lot good about the seventies - as long as you don't think about the fashions and the hairstyles.

 

The laws about sidecar outfits were very strange. As a learner, you could ride up to a 250 motor cycle then, but no pillion. The same license allowed you to ride a sidecar outfit with a big engine and carry people, but I think.... not sure.... they had to be in the side car. I didn't take the motor bike test back then. I just rode that big old beezer around with a tiny, minimalist side car on it and carried on until I bought my Morris thousand in 1973/4. I had no driving lessons in that either. A pal of mine who had a license but had never driven, sat in the Morris with me while I got accustomed to the gears and the steering wheel, and a couple of reverses around the corner, and then I just dispensed with the plates and just drove it - even driving it back from London to Newcastle. Six weeks later, I passed my test. When I arrived at the test centre, the guy looked over the car and then frowned and said, 'Where is your accompanying driver?'

I said, 'He's gone a message, he lives near here.'

'What will you do if you fail?' he said.

'I'll have to walk around to his house and get him,' I replied.

 

He knew and his face told all.

 

Anyway, he passed me and that was that.

 

Did the Aerial VB have a CAM chain? I never saw an old Brit bike that didn't have gear driven camshafts. Could you mean the magneto chain? My A10 had a gear driven magneto, but a chain driven dynamo on it.

 

Here is an aerial VB at Andy Tiernans - looks pretty mint.

 

 

One could ride an outfit (any size engine) on a provisional licence, you did not need any passengers. I had a go on a mate's BSA A10 outfit once, I did not enjoy it.

 

When I was 17, I walked into the Swindon Motor Co. with a deposit and rode out on a gold Honda CB250K4. It had a top speed of 82MPH. No lessons, no CBT, nothing. 20 quid a month. It was like, "Here's the keys, off you go."

 

When I eventually took my test in Portsmouth, a bloke stood on a street corner and watched me go round the block a couple of times.

 

I loved that bike, I wish I had it now.

 

(not my picture)

 

One could ride an outfit (any size engine) on a provisional licence, you did not need any passengers. I had a go on a mate's BSA A10 outfit once, I did not enjoy it.

 

When I was 17, I walked into the Swindon Motor Co. with a deposit and rode out on a gold Honda CB250K4. It had a top speed of 82MPH. No lessons, no CBT, nothing. 20 quid a month. It was like, "Here's the keys, off you go."

 

When I eventually took my test in Portsmouth, a bloke stood on a street corner and watched me go round the block a couple of times.

 

I loved that bike, I wish I had it now.

 

(not my picture)

 

 

There is a guy in a village near here that has just bought a bike that looks almost exactly like that. It is a 175cc though. It has power way above what you would expect for an engine that size, in my opinion. It has an extremely low mileage on it - just a very few thousand miles. The guy is in pretty terrible health with COPD and collapsing veins in his legs, so he doesn't ride it. Previous to this bike, he had a really low mileage, early 1960s (I think it was 1961) BSA B40 - a sort of bigger version of the C15. That bike had one owner from new and had done just slightly over 10,000 miles. It was in nice condition. He sold it because he could not kick it over because of his health problems, though it was easy to start and I started it a few times. I actually nearly bought it for £2000, but since he would not let me ride around the block to check out the gear box, I bought a new (almost) Royal Enfield 350, with 63 miles on the clock. Some old geezer had bought it and was frightened of the weight of it (198kilos).

 

I got this pretty cheap at £3,500, which was a good discount on the new price and at 63 miles on the clock, the bike was really almost new.

 

There is a guy in a village near here that has just bought a bike that looks almost exactly like that. It is a 175cc though. It has power way above what you would expect for an engine that size, in my opinion. It has an extremely low mileage on it - just a very few thousand miles. The guy is in pretty terrible health with COPD and collapsing veins in his legs, so he doesn't ride it. Previous to this bike, he had a really low mileage, early 1960s (I think it was 1961) BSA B40 - a sort of bigger version of the C15. That bike had one owner from new and had done just slightly over 10,000 miles. It was in nice condition. He sold it because he could not kick it over because of his health problems, though it was easy to start and I started it a few times. I actually nearly bought it for £2000, but since he would not let me ride around the block to check out the gear box, I bought a new (almost) Royal Enfield 350, with 63 miles on the clock. Some old geezer had bought it and was frightened of the weight of it (198kilos).

 

I got this pretty cheap at £3,500, which was a good discount on the new price and at 63 miles on the clock, the bike was really almost new.

 

 

Nice one. I think that RE350 will be a million times easier to live with than a 1961 B40...bullet dodged IMHO

Nice one. I think that RE350 will be a million times easier to live with than a 1961 B40...bullet dodged IMHO

 

Yes it is. I've not ridden it much though so that makes it even easier to live with. It has still only only covered 304 miles! I should probably just sell it.

 

My go to bike is a 1997, Honda 250 twin. Light as a feather, and fantastically economical and so cheap that if it gets dropped or dinged it doesn't matter. I only ride the motor bikes at silly low speeds around the country lanes hereabouts. I'm not looking to get killed or paralysed these days.

 

This video is a test out of a home made chest harness for my car dash cam.... Works, but not perfect. I don't like riding the busy A road shown in this video, but sometimes you have to.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOypOBH-qoY

When I eventually took my test in Portsmouth, a bloke stood on a street corner and watched me go round the block a couple of times

With mine (1967) the tester ducked through back street alley ways. On one bit I was riding along a a road when a parked van driver swung his rear door out in front of me. I stopped and shouted at him that "I'm doing my test" and carried on. When answering questions from the examiner back outside the test centre that same van driver came past tooted his horn and waved at the examiner and he waved back ! The examiner gave me a pink slip and I asked if I had passed. He said read that when you get home. By this time it had started to drizzle and the examiner told me to be careful as the roads would be treacherous. I left the test centre and within a quarter of a mile I had to brake and promptly slid off outside a Fireplace Specialists shop. The employees rushed out to get me and my bike to safety. I was OK just wet luckily I was wearing a helmet, but my bikes footrest was bent vertical. The shop allowed me to use their telephone to ring my dad who after inquiring if I was OK told me to take my bike to the bike shop where I had got it which was not far away, for them to sort the foot rest out which they did. Had I passed my test turned out that I had.

Edited January 15, 20251 yr by esuark

I loved that bike, I wish I had it now.

So that you could puzzle over how to fix the non-existant camshaft bearings?

 

I had one of them too, though I don't remember riding it, and I can't remember how I got it, but I do remember advertising another bike for sale with free Honda CB250K2. The top end was completely worn out with millimeters of play in the camshaft bearings. I also had a CB350K4, which my wife rode to a rally in Holland. Now that I think of it, it was the K4 that was sold with the free K2. The step up in power from 250 to 350, makes a massive difference. The same applied to the K5 250/360, CJ250/360T, the Dreams and Super dreams 250/400. The 250s were gutless by comparison, so if ever nostalgia makes you want to get one of those bikes, get the bigger engine version. Everything is identical except the pistons/bores, carbs, drive sprocket and CDI on the later ones, so it's pretty easy to upgrade a 250.

Edited January 15, 20251 yr by saneagle

I have 2 cooler king ebikes bought over the summer, but one has now failed completely and refuses to start although fully charged, and although I had asked paul, who runs the company, what happens if one of their products breaks down, he said that they never break down, and also he would, quotes 'looks after me', anyway, now they are chargingn £200 to pick up the bike which doesn't seem reasonable as the product has clearly failed within a guarantee period.

All ebikes work pretty much the same. We could probably have helped you to fix it if you had given more details.

So that you could puzzle over how to fix the non-existant camshaft bearings?

 

I had one of them too, though I don't remember riding it, and I can't remember how I got it, but I do remember advertising another bike for sale with free Honda CB250K2. The top end was completely worn out with millimeters of play in the camshaft bearings. I also had a CB350K4, which my wife rode to a rally in Holland. Now that I think of it, it was the K4 that was sold with the free K2. The step up in power from 250 to 350, makes a massive difference. The same applied to the K5 250/360, CJ250/360T, the Dreams and Super dreams 250/400. The 250s were gutless by comparison, so if ever nostalgia makes you want to get one of those bikes, get the bigger engine version. Everything is identical except the pistons/bores, carbs, drive sprocket and CDI on the later ones, so it's pretty easy to upgrade a 250.

 

Yeah, so when I say, "I wish I had it now" what I really mean is, "Stuff that for a game of soldiers." I could not ride a motorbike in winter now, although I used to, daily, until my mid-forties.

 

I believe all CB250s were sleeved down from 350 for the UK market.

So that you could puzzle over how to fix the non-existant camshaft bearings?

 

I had one of them too, though I don't remember riding it, and I can't remember how I got it, but I do remember advertising another bike for sale with free Honda CB250K2. The top end was completely worn out with millimeters of play in the camshaft bearings. I also had a CB350K4, which my wife rode to a rally in Holland. Now that I think of it, it was the K4 that was sold with the free K2. The step up in power from 250 to 350, makes a massive difference. The same applied to the K5 250/360, CJ250/360T, the Dreams and Super dreams 250/400. The 250s were gutless by comparison, so if ever nostalgia makes you want to get one of those bikes, get the bigger engine version. Everything is identical except the pistons/bores, carbs, drive sprocket and CDI on the later ones, so it's pretty easy to upgrade a 250.

 

There were a number of Hondas designed with no camshaft bearings. I had a CB250RS around 1990. I took my eldest son to Italy on it on a camping trip. They were notorious for wrecking their heads in about 20,000 miles, though only, I think, if the oil was not changed VERY frequently. The lore around this was that 1000 mile oil changes were essential. I change my two small hondas at that interval and put full synthetic in them. It comes out pretty much the same colour as it went in, but they have such a small oil capacity that it is cheap enough to do it that way. They have next to no filtering - just a sort of tea strainer mesh. On the Nighthawk that I have now seen above, you can't even get to that mesh without a major strip of the right hand cover and oil pump. total nightmare. I've never done it. change the oil at a ridiculous interval is far easier.

 

On our Italy trip on the CB250RS, I did two oil changes during the round trip. The bike performed perfectly. Cruised all day long at 60 for nearly 3000 miles with me and a ten year old and all our camping ear and tools.

 

 

 

The 'boy' now....

 

There were a number of Hondas designed with no camshaft bearings. I had a CB250RS around 1990. I took my eldest son to Italy on it on a camping trip. They were notorious for wrecking their heads in about 20,000 miles, though only, I think, if the oil was not changed VERY frequently. The lore around this was that 1000 mile oil changes were essential. I change my two small hondas at that interval and put full synthetic in them. It comes out pretty much the same colour as it went in, but they have such a small oil capacity that it is cheap enough to do it that way. On our Italy trip, I did two oil changes during the round trip. The bike performed perfectly.

I'm not sure about your one, but all the twins up to the late 70s had centrifugal oil filters that needed to be cleaned out. It's surprising how much stuff got trapped in it during the 1500 mile service interval. I often where it all came from because it looked like metal powder. Many didn't get cleaned at all.

I'm not sure about your one, but all the twins up to the late 70s had centrifugal oil filters that needed to be cleaned out. It's surprising how much stuff got trapped in it during the 1500 mile service interval. I often where it all came from because it looked like metal powder. Many didn't get cleaned at all.

Yes - you are right. I forgot that spinning gizmo. I have never cleaned the one in my little cg125, but I always examine the tea strainer in teh drain plug which is its only effective filter now. Since I have had mine on teh synthetic oil and thousand mile changes, there is never anything in that strainer now. There was when I got it at 10,000 miles. Bits of crap, but nothing since in six oil changes. Not a spec.

 

It is likely that the metal specs came from manufacturing debris and run in process. I've had two cg125s. One new in 1989. That one had bits of swarf in the filter at the first oil change and never anything else while I had it.

 

The centrifugal filter is designed to just pass the oil if it gets blocked I believe. I don't think it just starves the engine. Unfortunately the filter screen in my CB250 nighthawk is a pick up strainer and if that clogged, oil starvation would result and the result would be terminal. Getting at it is a real pain. I'm counting on the full synthetic to prevent sludge and cloggy deposits. The bike only cost me £650 anyway with about 11,000 miles on it. It is a great little runaround I find.

 

Yes - you are right. I forgot that spinning gizmo. I have never cleaned the one in my little cg125, but I always examine the tea strainer in teh drain plug which is its only effective filter now. Since I have had mine on teh synthetic oil and thousand mile changes, there is never anything in that strainer now. There was when I got it at 10,000 miles. Bits of crap, but nothing since in six oil changes. Not a spec.

 

It is likely that the metal specs came from manufacturing debris and run in process. I've had two cg125s. One new in 1989. That one had bits of swarf in the filter at the first oil change and never anything else while I had it.

 

The centrifugal filter is designed to just pass the oil if it gets blocked I believe. I don't think it just starves the engine. Unfortunately the filter screen in my CB250 nighthawk is a pick up strainer and if that clogged, oil starvation would result and the result would be terminal. Getting at it is a real pain. I'm counting on the full synthetic to prevent sludge and cloggy deposits. The bike only cost me £650 anyway with about 11,000 miles on it. It is a great little runaround I find.

 

[ATTACH type=full" alt="61793]61793[/ATTACH]

It's essential that you open up and clean the centrifugal filter. I think the interval is 3000 miles. There is always a significant amount of deposits in there. When it reaches the top of the vanes, no more filtering takes place. I've seen many like that. I reckon around 10,000 miles to fill up. Bear in mind that the oil goes through the gearbox as well as the engine, so any gear wear will end up in there.

Honda CB250K4.......

 

One of my old work colleagues bought one like that new after buying new 1972 A65 BSA lightning and only owning it for a week, he couldn't stand everything vibrating. Then had a BMW whose gearbox broke. Disappointed with lack of BMW reliability he then moved on to a 500 Honda four which I know he still has one to this day, along with a myriad of vintage bikes.

It's essential that you open up and clean the centrifugal filter. I think the interval is 3000 miles. There is always a significant amount of deposits in there. When it reaches the top of the vanes, no more filtering takes place. I've seen many like that. I reckon around 10,000 miles to fill up. Bear in mind that the oil goes through the gearbox as well as the engine, so any gear wear will end up in there.

 

 

Video showing how it is done on the CG125. The bits of metal in that centrifugal filter at minute 6, look exactly like what I took out of my brand new cg125 in 1989. That had the same scraps that looked like leftover machining swarf. That was at 300 miles from new when its factory oil was drained and changed. It never had another bit of that after that initial run in oil change. I suspect that unless the clutch disintegrates scattering bits of friction material, that is the end of sizeable fragments until bearings start to break up. Note the size of the crank main bearing at minute 6. Hugely over engineered for a ten horsepower engine. I know someone who has ridden two of these bikes to 90k and 100k miles and never opened the cases. OIL CHANGE every thousand miles - mandatory for long life on these and also, not riding them full throttle all the time, which many young lads do. Of course they are not really suitable for an long trips on an A road where you need to run at 55 -60 all the time. They will do it, but it seems cruel and heartless to me. I did once ride one from Newcastle to Steeple Claydon in Bucks, and back, but that was at about 50 -55, so not too harsh.

 

This particular small push rod engine was Honda's approach to early failure in engines exported to south Asia where the normal practice was not to do maintenance until something went wrong. The OHC engines back in the 1960s were failing all over that market because of late oil changing. This engine is still being produced there now and exists in big numbers.

 

How the CG125 engine came to be - https://global.honda/en/heritage/episodes/1975cg125.html

 

Video showing how it is done on the CG125. The bits of metal in that centrifugal filter at minute 6, look exactly like what I took out of my brand new cg125 in 1989. That had the same scraps that looked like leftover machining swarf. That was at 300 miles from new when its factory oil was drained and changed. It never had another bit of that after that initial run in oil change. I suspect that unless the clutch disintegrates scattering bits of friction material, that is the end of sizeable fragments until bearings start to break up. Note the size of the crank main bearing at minute 6. Hugely over engineered for a ten horsepower engine. I know someone who has ridden two of these bikes to 90k and 100k miles and never opened the cases. OIL CHANGE every thousand miles - mandatory for long life on these and also, not riding them full throttle all the time, which many young lads do. Of course they are not really suitable for an long trips on an A road where you need to run at 55 -60 all the time. They will do it, but it seems cruel and heartless to me. I did once ride one from Newcastle to Steeple Claydon in Bucks, and back, but that was at about 50 -55, so not too cruel.

 

This particular small push rod engine was Honda's approach to early failure in engines exported to south Asia where the normal practice was not to do maintenance until something went wrong. The OHC engines back in the 1960s were failing all over that market because of late oil changing. This engine is still being produced there now and exists in big numbers.

 

How the CG125 engine came to be - https://global.honda/en/heritage/episodes/1975cg125.html

I serviced many different bikes (all Hondas) with centrifugal filters including several of my own. They always have that sediment in them. What you see in that video is typical of any 3000mile service. You can see that his one had been cleaned before, probably many times. You're a fool if you believe that it's only the initial manufacturing swarf. As I said before, I have seen many where every space for the sediment was full.

One could ride an outfit (any size engine) on a provisional licence, you did not need any passengers. I had a go on a mate's BSA A10 outfit once, I did not enjoy it.

 

When I was 17, I walked into the Swindon Motor Co. with a deposit and rode out on a gold Honda CB250K4. It had a top speed of 82MPH. No lessons, no CBT, nothing. 20 quid a month. It was like, "Here's the keys, off you go."

 

When I eventually took my test in Portsmouth, a bloke stood on a street corner and watched me go round the block a couple of times.

 

I loved that bike, I wish I had it now.

 

(not my picture)

 

Do you remember when the examiner jumped out in front of you for the emergency stop. He should have been paid danger money for that.

I do. I took my test on my dad's Honda c50 'cos my beloved Enfield 250GT had been stolen.

The c50 had quircky leading link front suspension meaning that, as you braked, the forks rose up and over the axle. Under heavy braking the front wheel would judder/skip down the road.

This is exactly what happened when the examiner jumped out in front of me. Brakes were applied and the c50 dutifully skipped down the road and the front wheel ended up between the examiners legs with the mudguard just short of giving him a John Wayne walk for the rest of his life !

I passed. In fact he praised my bike control.

Do you remember when the examiner jumped out in front of you for the emergency stop. He should have been paid danger money for that.

My examiner in 1972 didn't jump in front of me but stayed on the pavement. He had already warned me that on my next circuit round the block that he would be waving his clipboard when I had to hit the brakes.

My examiner in 1972 didn't jump in front of me but stayed on the pavement. He had already warned me that on my next circuit round the block that he would be waving his clipboard when I had to hit the brakes.

Exactly what happened to me and he had to wave me forward as I was further down the road to give me my next instruction.

With my car test at a junction with cars steaming past the examiner said to me "Get a move on your holding everybody up behind". I thought I can`t move out yet and ignored him. I'm sure he was trying to panic me. We were in a BSM dual control car and whether he would have done that in a private non dual control car I have no idea. Passed any way.

Cooler King is a UK company, but their bikes are themed on motorcycles and made in China. They appeal to me but I don’t think many on here share my enthusiasm for them.

 

I think one of the aesthetics issues is it looks mostly like a motorcycle, but appears to be missing a chunk of it. Which as y7ou say doesnt appeal to that many.

 

Personally I think they are fuking hideous, but i did take a look at the website.

 

They have this

https://cooler.bike/collections/frontpage/products/ebike-sidecar

 

IT's A FUKING SIDECAR !!

 

Sidecars are cool. Bike itself might look utter shite, but throw on that sidecar and it suddenly looks fantastic.

I think one of the aesthetics issues is it looks mostly like a motorcycle, but appears to be missing a chunk of it. Which as y7ou say doesnt appeal to that many.

 

Personally I think they are fuking hideous, but i did take a look at the website.

 

They have this

https://cooler.bike/collections/frontpage/products/ebike-sidecar

 

IT's A FUKING SIDECAR !!

 

Sidecars are cool. Bike itself might look utter shite, but throw on that sidecar and it suddenly looks fantastic.

Right hand sidecars on motorcycles are illegal in UK. How does that work on 250w 15 mph ebikes?

Do you remember when the examiner jumped out in front of you for the emergency stop. He should have been paid danger money for that.

 

My examiner jumped out between two parked cars and waved his clipboard at me. He did not actually get directly in front of the bike.

 

I remember I went directly from the test centre to the nearest motorbike shop and traded in my 250 for a 500.

 

I think the end of all these lax motorcycle laws came about when Yamaha introduced the RD250 twin. They could reach 100MPH with a fair wind.

 

The 250 max cc for learners law was originally designed for bikes like the BSA C11G which could manage about 45MPH so long as you had a two mile straight bit of road in front of you to eventually get there.