Saturday, December 26, 2015

Wheel bearings tool

Fitting wheel bearings the good old way (and cheaply).

What you need : 
- a long enough threaded shaft
- washers and nuts
- spanners
- a pair of sockets with the correct size (covering enough of the outer race of the bearings, that is). 

When assembled, this is how the "tool" will look like

The sprocket carrier is easier to move around than a wheel and often comes equipped with only one bearing, which makes it a better case to try your new tool.
Fit the threaded shaft in the sprocket carrier's hole and slip on the sockets, one on each side, then washers and finally nuts. Screw until everything looks tight and aligned (the sockets should be secured straight on the bearing's race), then use the spanners on the nuts to have them to push the sockets further and make the bearing move forward in the slot. Unbolt everything the other way round when the bearing is not moving any further.


Your tool should now also work the same way on wheels ;)

Monday, December 21, 2015

2015 Triumph Thruxton

June 2015 - While we are all (yeah all, don't you know ?) waiting for the new model coming up at the very beginning of 2016, I had the opportunity to swing a leg over a Thruxton demo bike and take it for a 1H spin. There's something with this bike. It's not fast, a tad heavy and wavy and certainly unpractical, but still I enjoy looking at it and riding its spokes wheels and polished cases, burbling engine.





And while at the Triumph dealer, I discovered the New Church incarnation of the Bonneville. Thruxton optional seat, black painted wheels, bars, mudguards and headlight cover make it a rather appealing version of the now already replaced Bonnie.