Great clear Autumn weather last Sunday for perhaps the last clement run of the season. The start was the Fighting Cocks in Godshill in the New Forest for an amble through the National Park's narrow and scenic roads. A turnout of something like thirty bikes; myself I brought among my BMW R100RS, as unsuitable bike as could be for the terrain. I finished the day with sore wrists and back. The plan had been to take the Enfield J2 but a petrol tank leak put paid to that plan.

This Levis Six Port riding gent has all the kit, 'Ecky Thump' hat, double breasted leather riding coat, plus fours, long argyle socks and a pair of brogues. Very dapper.

Some minor improvements to the usability of the Gilera of late. With the charging finally sorted out it seemed like a good idea to get a working rear light. Out went the flimsy CEV unit and in came a Wipac replica, it's a similar shape, cheap and works. I had to make up a simple bent ally bracket to fit it with the remit of not making any more holes in the frame or mudguard than are already there. The bracket is no work of art but it is discreet and works.

The original Brev Orlandi fuel taps were getting very tired and coming to the point where 'tap' was somewhat of a kind description. 'Slight Restrictors of Flow' would have been more appropriate. Being more used to old British iron and slightly unfamiliar with Italian engineering I took out a thread gauge to see what size taps I would need. The thread was 12mm, a quick check with Mr Google informed me that there is very limited choice in this size. A deeper search yielded the fact that 12mm is a size of tap also favoured for Spanish trials bikes. A trip to the bay of E found a pair of taps for a good price that are fuel tight, surprisingly well made and go through each position with a satisfying click.

In theory now ready for hundreds of trouble free miles.....

The third Nifty Run that I've turned up to but previous times other commitments have meant that I could just be a spectator for the start and then have to nip back home. This time was to be different, I had the time, I had the bike. I prepped the Gilera 175 Sport and it was running sweetly. The ride over was a slog on a long straight road with a small bike but it was running like a Swiss watch. Then just before arriving I decided to take a quick stop for the call of nature, on starting again the Gilera was misfiring and refused to clear up. Pulling in at the start of the run I noticed a fairly severe fuel leak from the tank. That sealed my fate, once again I was a spectator and had to head off home straight after everyone else had set off.

The decision to ride home or call out assistance was a tricky one but in the end I cleaned out the carb and that made the bike run sweet again. The fuel leak though I trusted to the gods that I wouldn't be incinerated on the bike and decided to ride it. In the end all worked out well, the leak was at the top of the tank so the more I rode the less the leak and rider and bike arrived home unburnt.

Would love to try a Henderson out for size sometime. In my mind one of the finest vintage motorcycles, dare I say it superior to pretty much anything on offer from the UK at the time. Here's the sales leaflet for the 1925 DeLuxe....

The brochure has a few fold out pages so if the numbering seems a little odd that is why.

Unusual to see pictures of an AJW. One of the very few motorcycle manufacturers to hail from the shire of Devon, AJW was formed in 1926 by a chap called Arthur John Wheaton. Production was always limited and it continued up until 1939. Postwar the company changed hands and moved to Bournemouth where production of motorcycles became yet more limited. There was another change of location when the company moved to Wimborne and became Dorset's second motorcycle company after Pouncy.

The last time the Venom was used was just over three years ago. Shame to have something like this in the shed and not get out and about on it. When it was put away there was a problem with a leaky tank that had already been treated with a non-ethanol resistant sealant. I'd been searching for a replacement tank for a while without any luck before deciding to buy one from India. The tank duly arrived a week or so ago and since then I've fitted it (more of which in a post to come) and given the bike a good service.

We've been having some glorious autumnal weather down here in the South of England so every opportunity to get out on a bike is not to be missed. I took the Velo for a long test run which reminded me what a wonderful bike it is and made me feel slightly guilty for neglecting it for so long. The bike is slightly rattlier than I remembered but that may just be the result of spending the last two or three years riding a BMW and Norton twin. In truth it isn't too bad for an alloy engined pushrod single. The performance is every bit as good as I recalled, it took me a while to get back in sync with the starting procedure though. This one likes to be fully flooded each time it starts or it will flat refuse.

Now, time to reacquaint myself and get some miles in. Could do with a pair of decent tyres.....