The joy of six - and NOS parts

NOS - new, old stock - is a holy grail when you run an old motorcycle. My Benelli Sei 750 came with an alleged set of NOS six-into-six exhausts, worth a grand on their own. The down pipe and silencer are one piece items so replacing silencers alone is a no-no, even if you could find three that would squeeze together snugly.

So on one of the last rides of last year, I didn't worry too much when a silencer blew out with a magnificent wail that made me think maybe I should get an open six-into-one, like the one on the Sei Cafe Racer in Benzina #7 (above). A six cylinder motorcycle really does sound special. But then I've got those NOS pipes in the attic, and six pipes really do look good. As well as proving easily impressed car drivers can count that high...

But this "summer weather" has meant less riding than usual, so the Sei sat unloved while the Dukes got exercised. But eventually I got round to replacing the pipes, discovering (1) the old ones came off more easily than expected and (2) they were far more rotten than I'd realised, And the NOS pipes? Hmmm. Already authentically rusting (below) at the seam between the downpipe and silencer, they're such a dreadful fit that I suspect pattern parts. Despite heating the collars and some light filling, the collars were never going to squeeze over the flange that the collets rely on to fix to the cylinder head. Overdue a service the Sei went with the Dukes to Made in Italy Motorcycles. Hopefully they've fixed the oil leak from the cambox too...
But then riding off into the sunset, the forks jarred like an Essex girl at a Royal Wedding. Home again, and the sound of old bedsprings greeted a little gentle pumping (of the forks). Removing the drain plugs ejected little more than a few drops of rusty...what? Well, black gunk once flushed with WD40, so off we went to a friend with a better workshop. Blimey these forks are odd. And you have to fill them by slowly trickling oil past the damper cartridge. Basically Guzzi forks (the Seis were made - I think - at Mandello) the web is full of forum posts confirming this is indeed the madness fans of Italian motorcycles have to put up with. Still, beats meeting the nicest people on a Honda, and proves bikes seem to collect more problems if you don't ride them. With a mere five bikes to ride I promise to get out on each one more. If it ever stops raining.

Hopefully the Sei will be back in the garage for the last Teas and Cakes of the year. Hope the weather improves....