Having just put this GP through its paces for 1200 miles across Scotland (the picture below is in Ullapool), I have come to a few conclusions:
Good:
The DSC tuned GT186 engine, now on a first oversize RD350 piston, continues to perform well. It’s about 9 years old now and has been to Davos and Adria during this time. We had plenty of heavy tools and spares slowing us down but it was as at home climbing hills in the Cairngorms as it was on the M90 and M8. It did struggle, understandably, to keep up with a GT240 though.
The simple home made sock air filter worked well. It was clearly dirty by the end but I still did not get the sense that the engine was being strangled in any way. Having said that, I am going to change carb to a Mikuni TM24 but that’s just because I really like that carb and feel it would suit this engine well.
The Chiselspeed rear shock absorber ( I am pretty certain this is the same shock as made by Protech), set at a mid position, along with a standard springed seat, made for a comfortable ride. Since I have come back, I have changed front dampers to a set of Indian ones though.
Reverse pull front drum brake. I did spend some time setting this up so I am not surprised that it works really well. I wouldn’t use such a set up on anything more powerful and, it has to be said, I didn’t test it in emergency conditions, but I was pleased with how progressively it worked.
Bad:
The in-line spare wheel carrier. They look good, in my opinion, and if I ever decide to go back to a Snetterton seat, it may get reinstated. However, for the time being, it is going. Difficulties accessing the toolbox, filling with tank and getting your leg over when you are vertically challenged
, make long distance travelling hard work, well harder work than it needs to be.
The exhaust, an old Mb/ bgm Clubman which has had major surgery twice, would need a third cutting open and welding again if it was to continue in service. I have decided to replace it with a Ron Moss ex box over the Winter.
The legshields. These are original but heavily patched and welded. Having lived with them for a week on the road, I am thinking that maybe my passion for reconstituting old stuff blinded me from the reality that the GP needs new legshields.