General Category => Other Things Simplex => Topic started by: Ricks on January 07, 2015, 08:37:42 AM
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I remember reading somewhere that the Military tested the Simplex for cold weather operation. Being that it was 15 degrees here this morning, I decided to see if my bikes would run. I am happy to report they all started up with just a few slow kicks to prime them, and then a couple of swift kicks! Of course they were choked for the start up, but I took them off choke after 15-20 seconds and they ran crisply.
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I heard John Treen describe the procedure at the Servi-Cycle Festival in Hammond, Louisiana, in 1993. The military became very interested because it was the only brand to pass the "cold start test". He went on to say that all of the other brands tested were four strokes!
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this would be a great day in upstate ny for a ride ;D
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this would be a great day in upstate ny for a ride ;D
Bill, I'm a downstater! They are calling for 5 degrees tonight, think I should take one for a spin? LOL
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-6 right now and calling for -20 to -30 windchill between now and 8 am. I think I will wait til spring.
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I guess it's just been too cold for anyone to even think about their Simplex as this board has been desolate the last week or so .
My '57 is stored in the deep freeze of mid Michigan , so thinking about it is all I can do . :(
Pete . :)
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I pulled the aluminium tank support and painted it black, and dyed my saddle bags darker to match the seat and grips for lack of anything else to do to it last weekend. Started it couple times using the new kick starter too. Amazing how easy it "pops off" with such little effort.(it's in the house and not outside tho)
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Paul ,
You trying to make that bike more stealthy so you can sneak up on folks in the night ? ;)
If you took a picture in low light would we still be able to see it ? :D
Pete . :)
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LOL, I had to offset the shiny new chrome air, crankcase, and fuel filters I put on it recently and the bags were too light compared to the seat. I need to "pull the trigger" on a 70's Vespa grande moped I found as a project, so I have something else to tinker with and leave the Servi alone. (although I am considering a different tail/brake light set-up for it possibly)
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Paul ,
Is that a seat stop sticking out of the rear fender at about 2 o'clock ?
That tank rail does look good black , on your bike .
Pete . :)
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Originally, I had the bags hung over the stud for mounting until I "hard mounted them" to the frame further back. But now...Yea, that's the idea and what I'll call it...LOL. I doesn't need it, but when I rotated the fender back for valve cover clearance, I figured I could fill the empty hole and call it that now. I like the look of the fender rotated back better also, so it worked out that way...
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You saying you'll have to eat a lot of pie and ice cream to see if it really works ? (http://www.jeepforum.com/ubb/laugh2.gif)
Pete . :)
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Or eat a hell'of lot of Kettlecorn in Portland from our friend there!!!
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Heavy on the butter , Please . ;)
Pete . :)
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The Simplex has been the last thing on my mind lately Paul, but we have been doing a lot of renovations to the new ice cream /popcorn shop, but as far as I know we are still planning on going to Portland in July...would love to meet you!
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Had an interesting conversation with a retired Airman at the coffee shop this morning, 25 years and posted all over the world during his service during the late 50's and into the 70's. He is always kind enough to ask what I'm currently building (always several builds going at any given time) & I mentioned the Simplex. He jumped on that and regaled me with several stories of his encounters with the military Simplex's and dependable cold weather starts and performance in Greenland was one of them. I didn't know about the military testing results related in an earlier post, this thread, but his story backs it up in my mind. There was a SAC base 15 miles from my home during the cold war & I remember well airmen on Airforce blue Simplex cycles and trucks on base during my youth. Thought they were cool and still do! Rick C.