Another Indian import horror show
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 9:42 am
A while back a friend of a friend contacted me to ask advice on an Indian import he was he was thinking of buying. It was unregistered and not running right. He asked if I knew what might be wrong with it. 
(everything as it turned out)
I advised him not to buy it. Why buy a poorly running unregistered bike when there are so many for sale, which have been in the UK for years?
Some months later I got a call out of the blue. Can you check over my Lambretta it's not running right. It was the same fella. He had bought it.
He brought it round.
The stand was so loose and in poor condition the bike nearly fell over.
The carb rubber was split and the choke mechanism not working properly.
The plug was the wrong grade and incorrectly gapped.
These problems sorted I took it for a test ride and the top end seems ok, starts and runs OK.
But oh dear! The brakes barely work and it keeps jumping out of third gear.
Time to look inside. It is supposed to be fitted with a new SIL GP200 engine. It has a very clean shiny casing.
Inside the chain case is as I expected only worse.
Strange brown gear oil
Sprockets are 17x47 with a knackered 81 link chain.
Spider and bush are knackered.
Crownwheel machined wrong and slopping about.
Clutch centre nut finger tight!!!
Into the gearbox we go.
Incorrectly shimmed.
Vijay MK1 loose gears GP200 Xmas tree,
Other problems of note.
Rear hub has only three proper studs the third replaced by a coach bolt!
Bizarre electrics with lights not working correctly.
Various nuts and bolts missing.
Not a drop of grease on any moving parts
Clutch lever incorrectly positioned.
Exhaust loose at cylinder head.
God knows what the crank and top end are like. I haven't looked yet.
(everything as it turned out)I advised him not to buy it. Why buy a poorly running unregistered bike when there are so many for sale, which have been in the UK for years?
Some months later I got a call out of the blue. Can you check over my Lambretta it's not running right. It was the same fella. He had bought it.
He brought it round.
The stand was so loose and in poor condition the bike nearly fell over.
The carb rubber was split and the choke mechanism not working properly.
The plug was the wrong grade and incorrectly gapped.
These problems sorted I took it for a test ride and the top end seems ok, starts and runs OK.
But oh dear! The brakes barely work and it keeps jumping out of third gear.
Time to look inside. It is supposed to be fitted with a new SIL GP200 engine. It has a very clean shiny casing.
Inside the chain case is as I expected only worse.
Strange brown gear oil
Sprockets are 17x47 with a knackered 81 link chain.
Spider and bush are knackered.
Crownwheel machined wrong and slopping about.
Clutch centre nut finger tight!!!
Into the gearbox we go.
Incorrectly shimmed.
Vijay MK1 loose gears GP200 Xmas tree,
Other problems of note.
Rear hub has only three proper studs the third replaced by a coach bolt!
Bizarre electrics with lights not working correctly.
Various nuts and bolts missing.
Not a drop of grease on any moving parts
Clutch lever incorrectly positioned.
Exhaust loose at cylinder head.
God knows what the crank and top end are like. I haven't looked yet.