October2013

8th October Club Night - Quiz!

Eastham Ferry Hotel Ferry Road Eastham CH62 0AU

Issue No 189

October 2013

W I R R A L A D VA N C E D M OTOR C Y C L I S T S Group Council 2013 ~ 2014 Web Site

IAM Group 5115 http://www.w-a-m.co.uk

Chairman

Rob Tutchings

chairman@w-a-m.co.uk

Vice Chairman

Tim Brown

vicechairman@w-a-m.co.uk

Honorary Treasurer

Lindsay Boston

treasurer@w-a-m.co.uk

Membership

Luke Windsor 0797 907 1701

membership@w-a-m.co.uk

Associate Coordinator

Derek Jeffries 07957341692 Rob Cooper 0151 648 4503

associatecoordinator@w-a-m.co.uk

Honorary Secretary

secretary@w-a-m.co.uk

Events Organiser

Dave Spotswood events@w-a-m.co.uk

Newsletter Editor & Minute Secretary

Peter Lovatt

newsletter@w-a-m.co.uk

Group Shop

Martin Titley 0151 632 3570

groupshop@w-a-m.co.uk

Chief Observer

Mike Boston

chiefobserver@w-a-m.co.uk

Other Council members Ian Roberts Nina Jeffries Ken Smith Rob D’Cruze

CONTACT WAM

MAGAZINE TEAM:

Rob Cooper Coopers Upholstery The Old Bank Everton Valley Liverpool L5 0RH

Distribution: Magazine Dispatchers and the Post Office!

Editor: Peter Lovatt Duplication: Martin Titley

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It’s 2014. You are sitting at the keyboard of your trusty Computer during those dark January nights. You are trying to fill 14 pages or so of an empty document, ready for the following month. But there is nothing to put in it. So what do you do? Do you crib material from another magazine? Do you copy something off the Internet? Maybe, just maybe, you have something to type that could be of interest to members…… Or perhaps just dig something out from the hazy past and use that, hoping that no-one remembers? So what would you do?

Hands up all those who want to be the next editor of the WAM magazine. C’mon, put ‘em up!! No?!!!? Oh, Ok, then. But keep imagining you were the editor.

Wouldn’t it be nice if WAM members could write something up for the magazine and send it to you? Wouldn’t it be nice if someone could take the time to write up a short article about something, be it their bike, or a ride out, or perhaps about their holiday on the bike? You would be very grateful indeed!!

Well that is what I’m like most months actually, trying to think of something to put in the Hallowed WAM mag. So get your quill out and get writing something, just something, anything really, on your favourite parchment so it fills up the pages, or type something up on your computer and email it (dead easy!) It doesn’t have to be an epic tome, just a couple of pages would be nice. Last month we had articles from Rob D’C and Nina. That is what we need!!!! Have a go and do something. Do you really want to read my drivel and clap-trap every month?

Hopefully the answer is NO! Pete

Send something to newsletter@w-a-m.co.uk

PS wasn’t Septembers club night a good one? Excellent banter from Guest Speaker and certificate presenter Chris Givvons. So thanks to Chris for turning up, and everyone else for turning up too!! Pix inside. And congratulations to all that have passed their IAM or Observer tests this year.

PPS October club night is one of Rob Coopers devious quizzes, go get hydrated, and read your favourite source of motorcycle facts in preparation!

See you all there!

Club night Venue Eastham Ferry Hotel Ferry Road Eastham CH62 0AU 3

Test Passes Congratulations to the people below in passing their IAM Test John Hughes Tim Williams Also a letter of thanks has been received‌‌.

Derek I know this is a bit late but I wanted to say a big thank you to Rob, Mike, the Observers and especially yourself for holding the recent course and helping me pass the advanced motorcycle test. I thought it would be big challenge at my age and not being on a bike for many years but the training was excellent and everybody was really friendly. I was a bit sad the course finished in the end. It is a credit to you all that you give up your time to pass on your skills to others. Many thanks once again.

And Here are all the people who got presented their Pass Certificates at the September club night by Chris Givvons (left) Individual presentation pix inside this issue!!

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The Trouble with Tigger……

July 20th. I decided to fill the Tigers tank up ready for the following day (Sunday), so kitted up, started the bike, and went for a quick 15 mile ride and then popped into the Shell at Upton, and filled the tank up to the brim. Tried to start the bike – dials did all the correct whizzy things, and pressed the starter button….

One wheeze out of the starter motor and all lights went dim, and the ECU went bananas with the idle stepper motor. Tried a couple more times, the same….

Hmm - a flat battery! Ok, so I pushed the bike to one side and phoned for back up support (my mum!) Anyway, to cut the story down a bit, I managed to get the Tiger going with jumper leads off Mum’s Suzuki Alto. So got it home.

I checked battery voltage – 11.1 volts with no engine running. Yep, a flat battery. After a bit of thought, I swapped out the (new) battery out of my ER-5 (it’s now an identical type to Tigers) and put it in the Tiger, and fired Tigger up. 12.2 volts with engine running, and 12.2 volts without engine running!!! (as a check, I put Tiggers battery in the ER-5 and just about got it going, and that gave 13.8 volts or so when revved, which is about right so it looked not to be a battery problem.)

So back to the Tiger……. I dug out the multimeter.......... The stator gave out 9.9 to 10 volts AC off each of the stator windings at idle and 30VAC at 5000 rpm And there was no short on each of the windings to earth. The basic diode test on the reg/rec also seemed to check out too......... These were very close to Triumphs minimum value guidelines in the Workshop Manual

I eventually took the stator off the bike, and there were burnt wires at the base of one of the windings. Interestingly, all the windings looked to be ok, with no charring at all. And I've done another check on the Regulator/Rectifier and on the diode test (between the yellow input wires from the alternator to the output wires) I got these values .535 .535 .54 So it looks like one set of diodes or whatever has failed in the unit. Looking closely at the values on the meter, one of the outputs from the stator was a fraction below the other two and the diode test, one value was different to the rest.

I suspect that the run to Barmouth the Sunday before may have initiated the problem, as it was soooo hot, and the cooling fan was on permanently, filtering past the half mile of standing traffic. I’m not sure if the stator took the Reg/Rec out or vice versa…...

So to cut a long story short, Tiger now has a new aftermarket stator installed, and

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a new aftermarket Reg/Rec unit. The Reg/Rec that has now been installed is of the MOSFET type, and is better at controlling alternator output and maintaining battery voltage.

Technical:What makes it better is that is a MOSFET controlled device rather than the crude shunt type that is on most bikes. Most reg/rec units are of the shunt type and use a thyristor to control the current coming from the alternator, and basically any excess current not used gets dumped to earth, which heats up the unit. Additionally this means that the alternator runs at max output ALL of the time. Additionally, the speed of switching this current is slow (in electronic terms), and so generates a little bit more heat. Heat is bad for electronics, and so will fail sooner, the hotter they get (feel yours & just see how hot those things get after a ride!!!! - don't touch it - you'll burn yourself - yes, seriously!) The problem is exacerbated because their efficiency goes even lower when they get HOT so it's a vicious circle.

Now the MOSFET uses a transistor to switch the current. The FET is very fast at

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Old unit on the left New unit on the right

switching, and has extremely low resistance in the conducting state and this results in a lower dissipated power from the device while conducting load current, as opposed to the Shunt type which shunts the maximum current across a significant volt drop, resulting in a higher dissipated power - and resulting temperature, much more so than the FET device. So the MOSFET gives MUCH better voltage regulation and runs cooler too due to more efficient devices and control circuitry. (MOSFET = metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor ) Quod Erat Demonstrandum as they say….

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Steve Lord receives his Qualified Observer Test Certificate off Chris

Steve Johnstone

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Bill Jones

Darren Bevington

9

Darren Palmer

John Hughes

10

Roger Kameen

Steve Barber

11

Peter Waterworth

Mike Roberts

12

Noel Shearer

And just for a bit of fun, here is Ken doing some electrical work changing the bulbs at the Eastham Ferry, so we could have some light‌...

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WAMbikes E-Group - http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/wambikes/ This is the forum to be on for all the idle chit chat and other stuff that goes on with the group that won't appear on the official forum. (see below) To subscribe to the group send a BLANK email to wambikes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to UNsubscribe to the group send a BLANK email to wambikes-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Group name: WAMOfficialForum Group home page: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/WAMOfficialForum Subscribe: to subscribe to the group send a BLANK email to WAMOfficialForum-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk Unsubscribe: to UNsubscribe to the group send a BLANK email to WAMOfficialForum-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk

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Diary of Events *************************

October 8th Club Night - Quiz with a difference with Rob Cooper *************************

Sunday 20th October 2013, 9.30 am.

There will be an Official IAM Wirral Group (5115) Organised Club Ride Out in accordance with IAM Policy, This Ride will be medium paced starting from the Tudor Rose Car Park, Two Mills, Parkgate Rd, Wirral CH66 9PD. The Briefing will be at 9.30am Please be prompt with a full tank of fuel.

To Llandudno and Snowdownia, North Wales.

Ride leader will be Robin Tutchings using the drop off system, and will be medium paced.

Route out from Wirral: TR, A540, TR A550, TR A494, and follow the A494 to Mold, Exit Mold on the A541 to Trefnant and onto the B5381 to Llandudno.

Possible visit to RNIB. TL A470, TR B5106 to Betws-y-Coed, optional lunch stop and optional loop: Follow A5, TL A4086 and TL A498 to Beddgelert, TL A4085, TL B4410, TL A487, TL A470, TR B4391 and TL B4407 to the A5 and turn right.

Return route to Wirral: Cont A5 to Cerrigydrudion, TL B5105 to Ruthin and follow the A494 to Wirral.

This is a Medium distance ride with each section between stops taking about 90 minutes.

For I.A.M. Insurance reasons this Ride Out is for full members and Associates. This is also a great opportunity for non members wishing to join WAM. They are permitted one Official Group Organised ride out per year following an initial assessment, provided they are considering joining the IAM group to complete the Skills For Life Course! Anyone requiring to be Observed please bring it to the attention of one of the ride out team on the day.

Ride pace: Relaxing, gentle and progressive covering a reasonable mileage.

The tail rider, probably Dave. He is the person riding at the rear who will have an enormous amount of patience, knows where we are going, and will look after the rear of the group!

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DISCLAIMER:-

The articles published herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Institute of Advanced Motorists Ltd, or the Wirral Group of Advanced Motorcyclists. They are the opinions of individual contributors and are published with the view that free expression promotes discussion and interests. So you have been warned.

Interested in doing the Advanced Car Test? Wirral Advanced Motorists are the people to see. Go to www.wirraliam.co.uk