Money Can't Buy

Cut a few slices off a Short Horn Rump in preparation for a light Sunday lunch. Quite obviously there's very little to say about the meat - it speaks for itself really. This beef comes from a top secret source in County Diplo and its value is measured in smiles, whimpers and gasps - it can't be bought for money. The fire will be lit at midday and I shall hop on the CB Special (sun's shining) for a five minute ride to the nearest pint of Digfield Ale's "Fool's Nook". By the time I get home the fire will be in tip top condition to recieve a fleeting visit from the rump. These slabs are an inch thick so will get about 2 minutes each side. I've been alerted to a very credible report that red meat taken in excess of around 70 grammes !$%&??!!*%$!! a day is sure to do you in. I'm obviously encouraged - more for us then. MORE RED MEAT !

Play Stops Work

Obviously things have ground to a halt at Diplo HQ with the arrival of Sideburn #7. Threatening messages plastered to the front door for the last week, warning the postman to take extreme care, worked and I was roused from truss loading calcs and wind-sheer forces by a very enthusiastic thumping on the office window. Can't talk now really because, as you can imagine, I have some reading matter to deal with. MORE HOTLY ANTICIPATED DELIVERIES !

That Second Cup

Consumption of Yorkshire Gold at Diplo HQ is inextricably linked to the amount of 'shop time spent. I have never been comfortable venturing forth on a fettling session without a steaming brew to hand. To keep the elixir in tip-top shape for a second cup, insulation is required and I'm delighted to have put the new chequered cozy into service. MORE BLACK & WHITE !

Stress-Free Fuel Testing

Last month I was saved from taking the gas-axe to the CB special by the expertise and wisdom of Mark at BSD (see earlier post). Being a huge fan of experts, pretty much regardless of the field, it was an easy decision to ask Mark if he'd tackle the fueling work on Diplo Jnr's XT. Diplo Jnr has made a quantity of ethanol by distilling last autumn's cider production. The resultant juice is around 82% ABV and suitable for blending with aprox 15% by volume of gasoline to make his own, home-grown version of the commercial E85 available at some forecourts. (The 15% gasoline is required to aid cold starting as it has some of the more volatile fractions missing from straight alcohol). Re-jetting to get the simple, normally aspirated, sluggish 4 stroke to run on alcohol involves dispensing an estimated 30% more fuel. Much as I love trial and error (the largest department at Diplo Technologies Inc) it seemed wise to keep stress levels at bay and ask Mark at BSD to take on the challenge in the comfort of his dyno room.
Within 10 minutes our expert had the XT running sweet on some commercial E85 that we took along by upping the main jet, re-drilling the pilot jet and raising the needle a tad. We actually get a 5% power gain at this point. Next stage was to switch to Diplo Jnr's own fuel. We got the bike running but intermittent missing and spluttering was tracked down (by Mark's nose for these things) to excess water in the fuel. Conventional distillation should enable us to get a maximum of 96% pure Ethanol, beyond which unsavoury chemical processes can be applied (the use of benzine is the most common !!!!).I know we're way short of that and our target of 85% should be good enough. Back to the 'shop and we'll re-run the still to see if we can get rid of a bit more water. MORE DISTILLATION !

Size Matters

I've been looking for a vintage Bell RT for years and they don't seem to come up that often. This one's just arrived in the post this morning. Absolutely mint (don't think it's ever been used) - wonder why ? Now, I've tried a few Bells and they seem to size up small, I was under the impression they only made 2 RT shells ( one for the S sizes and one for L ) and the XL is too small. This one was advertised as XXL so I thought it was worth a punt - same shell bit less padding. It's actually sized 8 1/4 or 66 in metric-land. I guess they did make a third shell size because this one negates the need for any panniers or tank bags, you could quite safely stash enough gear for a weekend away in the helmet and still leave room for your head. I may keep it as part of a collection but if any body knows somebody with a ridiculously large head that wants one - I could be persuaded to flog it for what I paid for it. MORE BRAINS !