Tuesday 29 June 2010

Bye bye Cubbie...

...as of yesterday, Cubbie is on holiday. How long for, I cannot say, but hopefully not too long. The MoT, tax and insurance are all due, and it needs a little spot of work for the MoT. So now I don't have a bike to ride, I can get cracking with a few jobs on my much neglected MZ Skorpion. The last tax disc is from 2008, but I don't recall riding it much that year, so it's probably about 3 years since it was on the road properly. It just needs a couple of bearings here and there, a new chain and a tidy up and then the pennies I could have spent on Cubbie's legal requirements, will be put towards Skorpy's new lease of life. Maybe the Cub will be ready for the autumn and then I'll take Skorpy off the road for the worst of the winter. Who knows, the best laid plans and all that.

One of the things stopping me from doing the jobs on the Skorpion was a lack of shed space. Ok, so I had a shed in which to keep the bike, but there isn't enough room in there to swing a spanner, never mind actually work on a bike. So over the last few days I've been rearranging The Shed. Unfortunately the hospital bed that was going to double as a bike lift had to go outside. There just isn't enough room for it - Slick gave it to me, and I don't want to throw it away, so if anyone out there who has a big shed, would like it, you're most welcome to come and get it. The Bultaco trials bike is now sitting on the small and once forgotten hydraulic bike lift that I bought from Costco or somewhere equally unlikely, a number of years ago. I put it under the sideboard in the front hall and forgot all about it, because I didn't have a shed to put it in. It takes up much less room than the bed, but I don't think it will be as versatile. Although I'm not yet so old and decrepit that I can't kneel on a cushion when working on bikes. The lift has a couple of 'legs' that fit into slots and take the weight, so I presume it's ok to leave a bike sitting on it for a while. Cubbie is by the shelf unit, the trials Cub project is spread out in various corners, along with Terry the Terrier's bits, and the 250 MZ (awaiting the creation of a sidecar) is just inside the door on the left. The 3 spare wheels that were in there are now in the old Skorpy shed, along with the strimmer, and it's just occurred to me that I could move the chain saw over there too. Filthy dribbly thing that it is. This leaves a nice big space slap bang in the middle for Skorpy.

After sticking the battery on charge for a couple of hours and draining the carb to get some new fuel through, Skorpy fired up and ran beautifully smoothly. Mrs BC assisted in manoeuvring it around the plant pots and up the ramp into The Shed, and I spent a happy 10 minutes removing copious amounts of thick sludge-like oil mixed with road dirt, grit and mud. It's amazing how much of the stuff was stuck to the suspension linkage.

Time for a new chain and sprockets too. And maybe a repaint on the swingy army bitty. If I get time.
A couple of posts on the very best MZ Skorpion forum in town www.mzskorpion.phpbbhosts.co.uk/index.php, run by our very own UN will provide the necessary information that I need along with instructions on how to do all the little jobs that have to be done. This is almost as exciting as working on Cubbie. Sleep tight little ones. PS, Darrell, Mrs BC says you can have 2 bowls of lamb stew for leaving nice comments like that.
Ooh, by the way, I found me another blog to read, thought you might be interested too. Pop over to http://www.myroyalenfields.blogspot.com/ to meet Jorge, a bagpipe playing Professor of Physics from Baton Rouge with a passion for all things Royal Enfield.

17 comments:

Darrell said...

So..now you're the "Gorgeous Bike-less Chick?"

Gorgeous Biker Chick said...

Now c'mon Darrell, don't you want any lamb stew???

Anonymous said...

Just took a quick peek at the Skorp forum...looks like GBC was logged in doing some research....and "Ben" from the clan "Hairy" is a member there....how funny....off to work with me. Hairy Larry

Gorgeous Biker Chick said...

Oh yes Larry, I've been doing my research alright. Clan Hairy, hehe.

The Chief Bodger said...

If you'll be needing some room, I can take the Bultaco from ya for a wee bit as I've got plenty of room at the Rancho Caimbeul. ;)

Darrell said...

Yes ma'am, I would like some lamb stew.
I'll behave.

Stuart said...

So, now Cubbie is taking a well earned rest, when are we going to see his heroic deeds in print?

Cubbie's Counties, the book must be due on the shelves soon, and how much did you finally manage to raise through sponsorship for those two worthy charities?

Stuart

Gorgeous Biker Chick said...

Yo Stu, the total raised was £2000 so that's £1000 for each charity. All the money is still sitting my special Cubbies Counties bank account, waiting for me to get around to making a date with them, when they can fit me in to come and get it. Time flies!

And as for the book...ah yes...sooooooon (I hope)....

Stuart said...

A space awaits on my bookshelf right next to Jupiter's Travels.(Have you read that one)

Stuart :-)

Gorgeous Biker Chick said...

Hey Bodge, you want the Bulto? Well you can't have it! Hey...but if I got it a day time MoT you could ride it at the Haggis...or maybe not...

I read Jupiter a few years ago, a good read but seemed a bit of a strange man. Maybe we're all strange though?

Stuart said...

Will Skorpy be ready for the Kelso Bike show, will you be going?

kawa said...

Well you got it finished yet? ;-)

kawa

Gorgeous Biker Chick said...

Nearly.

Anonymous said...

Does Skorpy really need new sprockets or just a new chain?

Nice tidy looking new shed btw :o)

Graham B

Gorgeous Biker Chick said...

Well defo needs a chain GB, and last time I put a chain on, the nice mannie who helped me sucked his teeth and ummed and ahhed and said next time quine, you'll be needing new sprockets. And that was probably about 5 years ago, ok, so only 2 of those 5 have been riding years, but I'd like to get it tip top and know that all is as it should be. I think I'm saying don't actually NEED, but want! ;-) Got a 2nd hand rear (ooh!) coming my way and the front one is only a tenner or so...

How ya doin' anyway bud, got any more books on the go?

Gorgeous Biker Chick said...

Tidy...yeah...er...well it was tidy for about 5 mins!

Bodger said...

I'll ride anything GBC except for a moped or a scoo...hairdryer or one of those Fantic Chopper things.

Still have bad dreams 'bout seeing the one riding through Banbury in a pack with other mopeds. Very frightning.

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