240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I thought that was how it was done Alan, must be about 40 years since i discovered that so i think i did well to remember it, especially as a non-biker!

You could add a very simple changeover switch for the charging/bright lights and if you used the right bullet connectors, could make it a reversible mod as well. Also if you found the right LED headlamp bulb, you could leave it set at better charging as the lighting circuit wouldn't need as much current but still be considerably brighter than it is now.

https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/col...onversion-5-9v

Current draw on that one is 1.2A, not sure what you have now (45/40W maybe?) but guessing about 7A draw so you'd gain 6A (at a guess) which could be used for charging the battery and brighter lights as well - win-win situation! Entirely reversible too if you ever wanted to show it as it left the factory.

Thanks Dave,

I wish finding a replacement headlamp bulb was so simple. The type fitted is obsolete, still available here and there:

https://www.cmsnl.com/suzuki-b100p_m.../#.XxV7ep5KjIU

I've tried all sorts to make H4 and similar bulbs fit with no success.

:-(

[Othen]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

The Bloop is positively sophisticated compared to my last two bikes, Alan. Until recently, I ran a brace of Raleigh mopeds, '63 RM4 and a '65 RM6 (the original 'Runabout').

They were innocent of batteries, brake lights and indicators. There were just two coils, LT ignition (there was an external HT coil) and lighting, which powered the 15 W headlamp and 3 W tail lamp (little more than bike lights really).

There was an electric buzzer, which, when sounded, almost completely extinguished the lights should they be switched on. Even switching them on at tick-over, especially with a cold engine, often resulted in a stall. Many riders replaced the ineffectual buzzer with a bulb horn - as a motor vehicle, a horn was a legal requirement; a bicycle bell simply would not do!

These were your true 'ride to work' machines, against which the 'Bloop' was positively luxurious. I, and many others, did ride them to work in all weathers; the machines that I had more recently were strictly 'hobby' machines, ridden purely for pleasure and only when the sun shone.

Regards, John.

Hi John,

I recall riding similar (NSU Quickly, Puch and similar) mopeds and small bikes around farmers' fields as a boy (life was a bit simpler in those days). They were good bikes to learn a bit of riding and spannering on because they were so simple (and cheap).

In comparison the Bloop was more or less a proper bike :-)

[john.wigley]

I think my first 'proper' bike was an ex GPO BSA Bantam, Alan. Predating the Bloop by at least 20 years, it had approximately half of the power from a similar capacity engine. That is why the Japanese decimated the British motorcycle industry in the sixties. We failed to heed the warning and allowed them to do the same with our cars in the seventies.

The Raleigh had a 1.4 BHP engine and was regularly overtaken by energetic cyclists. There was a chap in the club who, by clever machining, made a 150 'across the frame' triple out of three engines. I think that the machine still exists; apparently it was a handful to ride, but did it fly!

Just out of interest, I've had a rootle in the bowels of my computer and the attached photograph shows my RM6 shortly before I sold it!

Regards, John.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Thanks Dave,

I wish finding a replacement headlamp bulb was so simple. The type fitted is obsolete, still available here and there:

https://www.cmsnl.com/suzuki-b100p_m.../#.XxV7ep5KjIU

I've tried all sorts to make H4 and similar bulbs fit with no success.

:-(

http://www.classicandvintagebulbs.com/page6.html

About halfway down that page Alan, 16 LED APF (American Pre-Focus) bulbs.

However, if you look at this page, they have them in stock (allegedly) and are part of their "Double Dipper" (oooooo-errrrr missus! ) range, £28 for the APF LED headlight bulb for your Bloop.

http://www.dynamoregulatorconversion...ycles-shop.php

Hopefully that should light up your life!

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

http://www.classicandvintagebulbs.com/page6.html

About halfway down that page Alan, 16 LED APF (American Pre-Focus) bulbs.

However, if you look at this page, they have them in stock (allegedly) and are part of their "Double Dipper" (oooooo-errrrr missus! ) range, £28 for the APF LED headlight bulb for your Bloop.

http://www.dynamoregulatorconversion...ycles-shop.php

Hopefully that should light up your life!

Well done Dave!

I'm fairly sure the original bulb is STANLEY P15d-3 (I'll pull it out after Bob's walk to confirm). £28 is a bit pricey, but saying that it would probably cost me a tenner for a replacement Stanley incandescent bulb if the fitted one failed.

It would be nice to have a brighter headlamp, and if that worked okay I'd probably change the other bulbs on the bike to LEDs and reduce the power consumption to next to nothing.

Alan

[Othen]

Originally Posted by john.wigley

I think my first 'proper' bike was an ex GPO BSA Bantam, Alan. Predating the Bloop by at least 20 years, it had approximately half of the power from a similar capacity engine. That is why the Japanese decimated the British motorcycle industry in the sixties. We failed to heed the warning and allowed them to do the same with our cars in the seventies.

The Raleigh had a 1.4 BHP engine and was regularly overtaken by energetic cyclists. There was a chap in the club who, by clever machining, made a 150 'across the frame' triple out of three engines. I think that the machine still exists; apparently it was a handful to ride, but did it fly!

Just out of interest, I've had a rootle in the bowels of my computer and the attached photograph shows my RM6 shortly before I sold it!

Regards, John.

I had several Bantams John (well, 4 or 5 I should think, some in boxes though). They were okay bikes - a direct copy of a pre-war DKW that a number of manufacturers on the winning side legally aped.

It was pretty crude compared with the Suzuki - petroil mix, only a 3 speed gearbox, non-folding kick start lever (always dug into the back of one's right leg), pressed steel levers, even more crude electrics and lights. I think production of the Bantam carried on until 1971, but to be candid it was already out of date by the time the Bloop arrived in 1966 (BSA hadn't changed it much in 20 years apart from boring it out from 125cc in stages to 175cc).

You are right - and it is so irritating (as a patriot) that we Brits thought we could get away with making 30 year old designs in the 1960s, and we got taught a lesson (which it took us a very long time to learn - hence the same happening in the car industry) by the Japanese.

Anyway, it is such a pity we couldn't have got our act together and made something like the Bloop (actually mine is a B120P, but Bloop sounds much better), or C50/70/90 or CB250/350/500/750 ... or any number of really good Japanese bikes (and cars) from the 60s, 70s... right up to ...today.

Only the other day I was advocating us not throwing things away so much - but perhaps I draw the line as 1930s designed mororcycles still being built and sold as new in 1971 :-)

:-(

PS. The Raleigh is cute.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Well done Dave!

I'm fairly sure the original bulb is STANLEY P15d-3 (I'll pull it out after Bob's walk to confirm). £28 is a bit pricey, but saying that it would probably cost me a tenner for a replacement Stanley incandescent bulb if the fitted one failed.

It would be nice to have a brighter headlamp, and if that worked okay I'd probably change the other bulbs on the bike to LEDs and reduce the power consumption to next to nothing.

Alan

Same price, same listing Alan, just change your choice in the drop-down box. However the one you linked ot has the "keyhole slots" which makes it the APF type as the Stanley doesn't appear to have those, just notches round the edge.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Same price, same listing Alan, just change your choice in the drop-down box. However the one you linked ot has the "keyhole slots" which makes it the APF type as the Stanley doesn't appear to have those, just notches round the edge.

Here is the current bulb Dave:



... it is a Stanley A7007, the LED in the link says that is an A7025. Are they the same? Here is the base:



Which looks the same as the LED in the link.

The 7007 is here:

https://www.cmsnl.com/suzuki-gp100-1.../#.XxW8B55KjIU

What do you think? A7007 and A7025 the same?

Here is the P15D-25-3 from the Ring automotive bulb chart:



I'm pretty sure both the Stanley A7007 and A7025 have the same base, which is probably all that matters in this context (the LED will rin on 6-12v).

Alan

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

I'm pretty sure both the Stanley A7007 and A7025 have the same base, which is probably all that matters in this context (the LED will rin on 6-12v).

Alan

Errrrrrrr, yeah................ but no........................but yeah...............but!

They're the same but different! The A7007 is 25/25W on the same base as the A7025 which is 35/25W - 35W dipped beam and 25W main. If the LED version is of the 7025 and has a brighter dipped beam than main beam, it's even better. You know how you get the "bleaching" on dipped beam but not on main on your car? Same goes on the bikes so a higher power dipped beam gets round that.

Going to do a disclaimer here, as far as i can ascertain the 7025 and 7007 share the same base, envelope and filament positions but it would pay to check that the seller will accept them back if it's not right. Chances are that as they sell them, they can confirm fitment so an email might be a good starting point.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Errrrrrrr, yeah................ but no........................but yeah...............but!

They're the same but different! The A7007 is 25/25W on the same base as the A7025 which is 35/25W - 35W dipped beam and 25W main. If the LED version is of the 7025 and has a brighter dipped beam than main beam, it's even better. You know how you get the "bleaching" on dipped beam but not on main on your car? Same goes on the bikes so a higher power dipped beam gets round that.

Going to do a disclaimer here, as far as i can ascertain the 7025 and 7007 share the same base, envelope and filament positions but it would pay to check that the seller will accept them back if it's not right. Chances are that as they sell them, they can confirm fitment so an email might be a good starting point.

Roger.

Many thanks for the info.