Now That's Odd...

[Willopotomas]

Aye.. good to have around.. Got a few set's for all sorts of lovely old threads.

As for sorting ye spanners Howard.. Whitworth usually has a 'W' after the size, so pretty easy to identify..

[D-Rider]

Aye.. good to have around.. Got a few set's for all sorts of lovely old threads.

As for sorting ye spanners Howard.. Whitworth usually has a 'W' after the size, so pretty easy to identify..

..... unless they're just the cheapo set you bought from Woolies .....

[Willopotomas]

..... unless they're just the cheapo set you bought from Woolies .....

unlikely. Not the kind of spanner sets you can get 'cheap' from anywhere..

[D-Rider]

..... unless they're just the cheapo set you bought from Woolies .....

unlikely. Not the kind of spanner sets you can get 'cheap' from anywhere..

.... and certainly not from woolies ..... though back in the day that Howard was a lad .....

[MartDude]

Eeh, I remember when them metric threads was all fields - called Whitworth, BSF, BSP, BSC . .

Always thought Whitworth had a better 'bite' than metric

Those names- Whitworth, BSC, etc - are deeply redolent of our industrial heritage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Standard_Whitworth

[Willopotomas]

They all work so much better than Metric too IMO..

Thing is.. When us Brit's built something.. Anything.. From a small bicycle to a huge ship, the threads used on various parts were used for a reason.. Not because they wanted to be awkward, they built stuff to last and to last well. These day's if they don't want a nut to fall off they use copious amounts of thread lock or locking nuts. Back then it all fitted together so well and had no need for it. If a nut needed to be secured on for safety, they would use a castellated nut with a hole through the bolt..

ooooooo ye got me started..

And yes.. Mr Whitworth was a genius!

[D-Rider]

And yes.. Mr Whitworth was a genius!

His dried fruit's not bad either.

[HowardQ]

They all work so much better than Metric too IMO..

Thing is.. When us Brit's built something.. Anything.. From a small bicycle to a huge ship, the threads used on various parts were used for a reason.. Not because they wanted to be awkward, they built stuff to last and to last well. These day's if they don't want a nut to fall off they use copious amounts of thread lock or locking nuts. Back then it all fitted together so well and had no need for it. If a nut needed to be secured on for safety, they would use a castellated nut with a hole through the bolt..

ooooooo ye got me started..

And yes.. Mr Whitworth was a genius!

OK. back in serious land, I can agree with this lot!
Threads were chosen for serious engineering reasons and worked well.

Also agree with Mango that a thread gauge at £2.63 is a good buy for the tool box.

Then again never was too sure about castrated or was it castellated nuts.
I was also well impressed when they brought out nylons, ooops there I go again, Nyloc nuts. (I do admit to not always using new ones!)
With the older castellated nuts I never seemed to get the split pin and the hole in exactly the right place. Always seemed to have to torque it a bit too tight or leave it too slack, in order to get the pin through.
Then again the right type of thread, and a split pin to make sure the nut never moved much, covered it in a simple way.
However back in my distant youth I can remenber getting my first torque wrench, it was a bit like having a magic wand for the first time!
Used it for everything!
All those days trying to get seized head bolts off with a strong socket wrench an a 6 foot length of scaffolding pole were over. Even better the the joy of not hearing the crack when the head bolt sheared off in the engine block!

On a different note the rear axle of my 2002 ZX9R has a castellated nut and split pin. Even worse the suspension linkages have "silly" grease nipples, like the ones on my Triumph Herald in the 60s.
What a ridiculously ancient thing to do!
Actually its a feckin brilliant idea on suspension linkages that we all know we should strip down and re-grease regularly but hardly ever do.
Wish the Falco had them.

[mangocrazy]

+1 for grease nipples - wonderful invention. You can actually buy them, drill and tap a hole and fit them yourself, but it's a hell of a faff and something the manufacturers should have done anyway...

[Willopotomas]

not much good to caged roller bearings though.. That's if that's whats on the Falcos.. Was the case on the VFR and they look very similar (yes, i know, different bike..lol..).

[D-Rider]

not much good to caged roller bearings though.. That's if that's whats on the Falcos.. Was the case on the VFR and they look very similar (yes, i know, different bike..lol..).

Nope - not in the linkages - full-compliment roller bearings in there.

These aren't Hondas, you know!

[Gio]

not much good to caged roller bearings though.. That's if that's whats on the Falcos.. Was the case on the VFR and they look very similar (yes, i know, different bike..lol..).

Nope - not in the linkages - full-compliment roller bearings in there.

These aren't Hondas, you know!

Thank goodness

BTW why the diff threads on the sidestand, I never even took it off

[Willopotomas]

I'm modifying the GSX one that was in the box(s) of spares you sold me with the bike. Should be done at some point this week..

[Gio]

I'm glad someones got round to doing it

BTW make sure before you fit it that the bike won't fall over as I'm sure its shorter cos of the angle.

[Willopotomas]

same as Andy's one.. And that looks more sure footed than the Falco one. Am also 'getting round' to sorting Andy's spare one out..lol..