Old Irons - the clock is ticking...

Time to get ready for the Old Irons rally!
I have hardly even seen the Rising Star since I picked it up from uncle Fester with its dope new sissy bar.

Time is short so I can only think about the absolute essentials. This includes an MOT, which I had planned to do about a month ago, only I couldn't get the damn thing to start and I mangled the kickstart cotter pin in the process.

You've heard the story of the last drop that makes the cup run over, well this was it for me, and it has radically and permanently altered my relationship with classic British bikes. For the worst.
I realize that this is quite the bombshell to drop in a post about getting ready for a summer rally, but that's it, I've had it with this nonsense.
I will refrain from ranting about this here and now because otherwise I'll go on and on, but make no mistake: I have totally and irreversibly run out of patience.

So, after MUCH cursing and about an hour beating the crap out of it with a heavy mallet, I managed to get the cotter pin out. Then I had to order a new one, wait for it to arrive, and finally fit it.

Of course this still required a power drill, more hitting things with a mallet, all to have it not fit properly anyway.
We'll get to why in another post, the bottom line is that these things are just badly made, and I mean these motorcycles, not just the cotter pin, there's no hiding from this anymore.

Anyway.

The carburetter received a very thorough clean, thanks to a surgical-grade ultrasonic bath (thanks dad!), limescale remover, air compressor, etc.

With everything back in place, and everything clean, it started on the second kick (still no excuse for being badly made). I quickly adjusted the idle air mixture screw, and the idle slide setting, so we're good to go.

The rest is all about selecting some spare parts and tools; I'm only carrying those things that I really ought to have: clutch and throttle cables, carburetter spares and little else.

If a clutch cable snaps and you have a spare, you can get going again in under ten minutes. If you have to call a tow truck because you left your spare cable at home, you're an idiot.
That said, if something goes hugely wrong, like the engine blowing up again, I'm not going to be able to fix it by the side of the road anyway, so no point lugging around spare engine internals and every tool from my garage.

Perhpas more important than putting together a small box of spares is going over the bike and checking that everything is tight.

It passed the MOT, with onlookers marveling at the sight of such an unusual machine:

Again, thanks dad!

On to luggage: everything is rolled up and strapped down tight, I'll check this as I go but it should be fine. Debriefing and photos as soon as I get back!