Manky Monkey Motors

Left a bunch of mates where we'd been camping in Pewsey, Wilts, didn't get far! Just around the corner onto the main road, put it into 2nd, nasty rattle and no drive!

Finally got home via the dear old RAC again - rang them at 6pm and arrived home at 11pm - it's only 56 miles!

Now I got two dud trikes and nothing on the road!

Sorry to hear that Bobbi. Not your year so far. Hope you can get them sorted out.

Are you on first name terms with the nice RAC chap yet? Any idea what the problem is Bobbi? I thought those GT Kwackas were pretty bullet proof.

Well I think the rattle was coming from the gearbox.........

...which I already had rebuilt in about 2002.

But I'm a pessimist, someone today said it could be the erm...  er...  not the clutch but the clutch something or other!

I'm defionitely not renewing my sub with the RAC tho, they still sent a patrol van even tho I said the gearbox was broken.  But of course I'm a woman, what could I possibly know?  The patrolman didn't even mess with it, just sent for recovery!

The clutch basket?

Aren't the RAC Great. I had a flat battery cos my alternator was knackered so I called Laura to bring me my spare one and a couple of tools, the spare was flat also so I thought seens as I am only 4 miles from home I'll push it, I asked Laura to take my helmet and bag home to save me carrying them which she did. Got a mile up the road and the police stopped and asked what I was doing (as if they couldn't tell) so I explained and he was adamant that I had to call someone. So I called the RAC and explained to the lady what the issue was and that I had no helmet and that I would need a flat bed, (Laura was going straight out after taking my helmet home and she couldn't bring it back to me). OK she said I'll arrange that for you. About 40 Min's later I received a call from an RAC man saying he was 10 Min's away from me. I asked if he was in a tranny van or a Flat bed, Tranny he said. So then I had to explain to him the same as I told the woman, Even if he did charge my battery enough for me to get home I wouldn't e able to ride it cos I had no helmet. So before he even got to me he radioed the depot and asked them to send the flatbed. If the woman had done that in the first place like I had suggested I would have been home earlier. Ah well.

sorry to hear that B.G hope you get it sorted. ok

could you not just take the £30 fine for not wearing a helmet and carry on on your way?

He explained that I should have had my helmet even tho I was only pushing it (which I already knew, but I neglected to tell him that) and I said to him, Oh crap so does that mean I'm going to get a fine now as well then? and he said "No, you're having enough bad luck" and toodled off. He did come back up the road about 10 Min's later I presume to check that I wasn't pushing it again lol.

Well today I phoned a bloke whose number I was given by Bryn (of Hardly Davidson fame) at least a year ago, to sort out the auto trike.  He's going to come with a trailer and take it away in a day or two.  When I said I now had 2 trikes off the roadf he asked about the other and said "It's a big trailer, do you want me to take both of them?"  So I said yes please!  Watch this space!

That's great. Fingers crossed he gets them sorted for you without being too expensive.

Well one of them is going to be sold when fixed which should help to pay for the fixing!  Dunno which yet - I told him I wanted the auto trike sorted enough to get an MOT and try riding it.  If I like it I'll have some more stuff sorted but if not it's going to go.  And if I keep that then Gertie must go (gulp!).

That'd be a shame Bobbi. You've shared a lot of miles with Gertie.

Yes but needs must!  I really need an auto, and if I have one I don't need Gertie.  Whichever one I sell will pay for the other.

Tough choice.

Life's full of 'em!

Had a call from Maf yesterday afternoon, the GT is sorted with a good s/hand part!  And the mini should be ready later in the week, MOT'd an all!

This man things, speaks, and fixes stuff at about twice the speed of sound, and really seems to know his stuff - he's not very good at explaining it tho cos he talks so fast I'm still trying to get my head round the first bit when he's moved onto 'what it could really do with is....'

He asked if I'd like him to something a bit more permanent with the 'golf club arrangement' - sacrilege!

The golf club gearchange is a brilliant bit of lateral thinking Bobbi. Never fails to make me smile -keep it!
So give your man a free plug -always happy to give helpful chaps a mention. A happy customer's the best recommendation you could have for a business.

there used to be a guy near me who rode an old Ariel outfit, trouble was he had a false leg so he could only press down on the gear lever, his false foot wouldn't lift the lever so he fitted a poker to it. worked a treat.

 ;D

Got Gertie back today, was great to be riding again specially on a day like today, the grin nearly split my face!  It was the shaft drive at fault, the whole problem was down to a metal sleeve about 3in long with splines at one end that was supposed to have splines at the other end as well - but they were all broken off!  He said it was totally dry, no grease at all, which makes me think it wasn't greased the time it was in a workshop (not that one!) and I asked for it to be done - but that's water under the bridge now. 

He's getting my Mini auto trike sorted as well but I think that one's definitely going on Ebay when I get it back, he says it runs really sweet but very sluggish taking off - I think I'd hate that after the GT which is pretty nippy.

Had a busy day today - from home to Dorchester to pick up daughter cos she left her campervan there for a small bodywork repair, then to Shrewton to collect the trike, back to home to drop off trike then back to Dorchester to pick up Lucy's van and home again - 150 miles without going anywhere very much!

Was quite funny to see Lucy being anxious about driving my automatic car - she's driven a Mercedes Sprinter campervan all round the French Alps in winter!

Oh the wonderful man with the workshop is Maf Welsh of Expressive Motorcycles in Shrewton not far from Salisbury.  I don't think he needs a plug, he's got a lot going on in his workshop!  So I will check with him before I put the phone number on here, he did say that at one time he took too much on and got a bit bogged down so he doesn't like to have more than two 'big projects' on hand at the same time.

He knows about bikes n trikes n cars n campervans and probably anything with wheels and an engine!