Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 6]

[Fastchas]

Why do Goodyear choose not to manufacture motorcycle tyres? Is it they just 'don't want to' or is there some other practical reason?

[Austin Prefect]

RizzoTheRat said:

Presumably the convention of having the rear brake lever on the right means the drum brake control levers had to be on the right, forcing the chain on the left?

Do older British bikes with the rear brake lever on the left have the chain on the right?

I think it was the other way round.

Chain on the right meant gearbox on the right mean gear lever on the right. So rear brake lever on the left.

Makes more sense to me. Coordinate left leg with right hand for braking, coordinate right leg with left hand for changing gear.

[stemll]

Fastchas said:

Why do Goodyear choose not to manufacture motorcycle tyres? Is it they just 'don't want to' or is there some other practical reason?

They do as they own the Avon and Dunlop brands.

[BunkMoreland]

popeyewhite said:

It's soap lather, not hydrochloric acid.
(yes I know HCI doesn't foam)

They use little scrubbing brushes though.

[popeyewhite]

BunkMoreland said:

popeyewhite said:

It's soap lather, not hydrochloric acid.
(yes I know HCI doesn't foam)

They use little scrubbing brushes though.

Aha, good point. Probably not very wiry though.

[John D.]

stemll said:

Fastchas said:

Why do Goodyear choose not to manufacture motorcycle tyres? Is it they just 'don't want to' or is there some other practical reason?

They do as they own the Avon and Dunlop brands.

Does Avon still exist?

[Speed addicted]

John D. said:

stemll said:

Fastchas said:

Why do Goodyear choose not to manufacture motorcycle tyres? Is it they just 'don't want to' or is there some other practical reason?

They do as they own the Avon and Dunlop brands.

Does Avon still exist?

Yup.
https://www.avontyres.com/en-gb/

Can’t think of the last time I saw any though.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

John D. said:

Does Avon still exist?

There's been a lot of debate on this over the years, but he's the only member of Blake's 7 that we didn't explicitly see die.

[Onelastattempt]

Roofless Toothless said:

Why are motorbike chains on the left of the machine and bicycle chains on the right?

My 2019 Triumph Street Twin 900 has the chain on the right, it is the only bike I have ever owned in over 52 years of biking that has it on the right.

[Chauffard]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

There's been a lot of debate on this over the years, but he's the only member of Blake's 7 that we didn't explicitly see die.

For those under 70, Blake's 7 was a low budget BBC kids sci-fi show.

[stemll]

Speed addicted said:

John D. said:

stemll said:

Fastchas said:

Why do Goodyear choose not to manufacture motorcycle tyres? Is it they just 'don't want to' or is there some other practical reason?

They do as they own the Avon and Dunlop brands.

Does Avon still exist?

Yup.
https://www.avontyres.com/en-gb/

Can’t think of the last time I saw any though.

https://www.protyre.co.uk/tyres/motorcycle-tyres/a...

Still selling car tyres too

https://www.blackcircles.com/brands/avon

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Chauffard said:

For those under 70, Blake's 7 was a low budget BBC kids sci-fi show.

Maths not your strong point, eh?

[popeyewhite]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Chauffard said:

For those under 70, Blake's 7 was a low budget BBC kids sci-fi show.

Maths not your strong point, eh?

What was that woman's name again...I can picture her face.

[Fast and Spurious]

popeyewhite said:

What was that woman's name again...I can picture her face.

Serverlan?

[popeyewhite]

Fast and Spurious said:

popeyewhite said:

What was that woman's name again...I can picture her face.

Serverlan?

That's her, thanks. Wow that brings back memories.

[Michael_B]

John D. said:

I'm going with it is more aesthetically pleasing as the primary reason. They are built to sell.

Secondary, I know there is a minimum pitch for 'normal' roof tiles. Too shallow and they don't allow sufficient water run off. I'm guessing it may actually be more expensive to build a shallower roof in some instances.

My place in France is in Burgundy, but very close to the architectural border with Savoy to the south. Here we have steep pitched roofs (small tiles at a density of 65 per square metre) with a shallower angled jettied overhang (to protect the cob/timber-framed walls). The minimum pitch for run-off is quite steep, so for shallower angles people use Jura interlocking flat tiles in a matching shade.

Down the road in the Savoyard Bresse the roof angles are shallower in general (they get more snow) with no change on the overhang, and tiles are Roman semi-cylindrical (tuiles canal) generally 30 per m2; wall are still timber-framed with brick/cob infill, all on a ‘foundation’ of Jurassic limestone plonked on the clay.

There is small hamlet about 10km away which has Burgundian roofs on the north side and Savoyard ones past the centre southwards.

8 years ago we replaced all 420m2 of our roof, and in researching the available options I became a total French toiture/charpente nerd. We went for traditional hand-made petites tuiles, which cost 15% more than modern industrial ‘mechanical’ ones. The latter would have led to obvious straight lines and a uniform colour, whereas the former avoids that by the tiles varying in size by 1,5cm in width/length and are not all the same shade of red/terracotta.

Over 20 years it will cost £500/year more (yes, I am an accountant), but the result is more than worth it. To put a modern-looking roof on a 1840s farmhouse would have been architectural sacrilege, and also a false economy for when we come to sell it.

[nobrakes]

popeyewhite said:

Fast and Spurious said:

popeyewhite said:

What was that woman's name again...I can picture her face.

Serverlan?

That's her, thanks. Wow that brings back memories.

With the high cheekbones and low cut white tops? No, I can’t remember and didn’t look her up under Google images. Thanks!

[gusko]

Roofless Toothless said:

Why are motorbike chains on the left of the machine and bicycle chains on the right?

Could it have something to do with the kickstart?

I have ridden a few easten european bikes with this configuration of left side kickstart and gearshift /chain it is awkward. To have the chain and gearshift on one side with the brake and kickstarter on the other evens the layout
Whilst possibly giving a seperation of left side is all drivetrain whilst the right side is basically start / stop

As for the bicycle chain on the right , is it just that the direction of travel is clockwise and on the left it is anti clockwise?

[Austin Prefect]

Fast and Spurious said:

popeyewhite said:

What was that woman's name again...I can picture her face.

Serverlan?

Jena was the one for me. If you're a Servalan fan check out the 2009 'V' remake.

I can't claim possible influence is something I've always wanted to know the answer to, because it's blatantly obvious.

[popeyewhite]

Austin Prefect said:

Jena was the one for me. If you're a Servalan fan check out the 2009 'V' remake.

I can't claim possible influence is something I've always wanted to know the answer to, because it's blatantly obvious.

That gamine actress was also in the first series of Homeland. I found her very annoying in that as well. I did watch the first series of the original V though.