Power!

The replacement battery arrived very promptly and was filled, as per instructions, easily. I left it on overnight charge on the Optimate and then left it for a few days...

When I came to fit and test it the transformation was evident - the engine was clearly spinning faster and although the machine hadn't been run for a while it fired quicker than I can remember it doing in ages. Then I had to get an MOT. It passed but a mist of oil was on the left fork leg - I was issued with an advisory notice for that but the tester thought it might just be due to being left a while.

Back home I changed the oil, checked air filter, but decided to leave valves as it hasn't been anywhere much this year. I used a fine cloth around the fork dust seal with a few squirts of WD40 and that seemed to stop the oil on the left; but it had appeared on the right! Same treatment on that leg and the smear of oil had stopped there too. I need to take it for a proper ride now and perhaps take this as a warning that the seals are past their best. However, it was worth noting that I found minor oil smearing on the forks just before my first Stella Alpina some years back and it had been OK since then.

I dislike messing with fork seals but think it is time to get the spares. On the Lampkin spares site we see that the seal and dust cover are numbered but not the bushing:



The dust cover is 1041473 000 and the seal itself is 1067526 000. Might be worth getting spare retaining screws except they are part of the 'cartridge'! The cost for these genuine Beta seals is nearly £110, for a pair! I can see that I will be taking a set to the local bearing / seal supplier...