Glad to be here.

[reddog]

Hello everyone.

I've been browsing your excellent forum for a few weeks now and I registered an account about a fortnight ago so I suppose it's time I introduced myself.

My name is Tom, I'm closer to 60 years old than I am to 50, and I live in a village near Hinckley in Leicestershire.

I recently bought a 1989 c90 that I'm told was standing unused in a garage for the last 9 or 10 years, until someone fitted a new exhaust and a set of front brake shoes and took it for its MOT.

Apparently it passed, and the young man used it for a few months before moving on to a bigger bike.

When I bought it I had not taken my CBT so I couldn't really test drive it except for a couple of hundred yards down a Lane, but it seemed to run OK.

When I got it home I discovered (through reading this forum) that the gear pedal should also work as a cluch, so I adjusted it as per your instructions and now it does. Yay!

I also discovered that the oil level was so low that it didn't reach the dipstick, so I topped up with some semi synthetic from the shed. (this was before I knew there was an ongoing oil debate).

Anyway, I took my CBT yesterday and went out for a proper ride. There were a few issues but the engine seemed fine and didn't make any scary noises or bellow out clouds of smoke.

I have a bit of a problem with the kickstart. It's sometimes stiff and doesn't crank the engine every time. There's a thread on here from someone with an almost identical problem, and the common consensus was that he had clutch problems. I'll investigate when I'm a little more confident.

Well I seem to have rambled a bit so I'll shut up now and try to add a photo.

[Leiba]

Nice looking Cub, very clean. Oh, and welcome to C90Club.

[stevew]

Mat the splat is a Hinckley based C90 owner (also my son!) who has done a fair few miles on his !

Here he is in Ireland

[reddog]

Mat the splat is a Hinckley based C90 owner (also my son!) who has done a fair few miles on his !

Here he is in Ireland

That's a great photo. I would love to do something adventurous on mine one day.

I'll keep an eye out for Mat, so if he sees some old fogey waving at him like an idiot, that'll be me.

[Newtsalad]

The kickstart thing is indeed common. I don't think anyone has seriously nailed the problem, it seems to be a combination, of worn or sticky plate, possibly using oil with synthetic in, too many variables really.

The problem isn't intolerable until the clutch starts to slip while riding. It's an urgent problem then, as the slipping wet clutch will fry the engine oil, doing it no good.

Boo's advice has always held good. "Press on the kickstart, as if it is made of glass" It works for me.

Oh well, have fixed the horn on the Virago, back off out to sort some niggles on the Guzzi!

Welcome to c90club!

[Diesel Dave]

Check the clutch adjustment first...

[reddog]

Check the clutch adjustment first...

Lol. I've adjusted the clutch a couple of times but to be honest it seems to be working fine om the "Feel some resistance, turn back a frazzle and lock" setting.

Is synthetic oil syndrome reversible by just changing the oil?

I'm not really familiar with c90's (yet) so I don't know if this is a fault, but mine makes a whiney noise, (like an old car reversing) at low speeds, and it seems very clunky when it's just idling along but I don't know if that's normal.

On the upside, I did manage to modify and fit some old bicycle panniers while I was waiting for my CBT.

[boofbee]

Adjust the clutch by screwing clockwise until resistance is felt then anti-clockwise until the same thing. Then in a smidgen and tighten the locknut. The oil debate is just that but many use 10w 40 semi to no ill effect. These bikes are often called crunchies and now you know why. The gear change, particularly on a hill requires a bit of practice. Swap your rear shocks for some decent ones and this will transform the handling. Enjoy

[Leiba]

Adjust the clutch by screwing clockwise until resistance is felt then anti-clockwise until the same thing. Then in a smidgen and tighten the locknut.

When you're tightening the lock nut, be sure to hold the adjusting screw in place with the screwdriver at the same time.

[reddog]

Well it seems that my whiney noise and clunkyness was due to about 3in of slack in the chain. I tried to adjust it but the wheel was back as far as it would go.

I've ordered a new chain and sprockets and in the meantime I've taken a link out of the old one.









One of the adjusters has a stripped section in the middle too. I had to cut the nut off and replace it.







The bike has stopped whining now. (Can't say the same for myself).