December 2008
The strip-down was going well. So many rusty fasteners that I had developed a permanent odour of WD40 about me. Grease under the fingernails and skin the colour of rust. In fact it was rust - rust from the Benelli. Despite all this the bike was coming apart, piece by piece. Each component into a labelled zip top plastic bag (yes, really!) for later refurbishment. Our aim was to have a look at the motor and get a bare frame ready for the powder-coater. |
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Tank and Seat Off
With the tank and seat off we could see the neat triangulated frame more clearly. There are certainly some similarities to the Norton Featherbed which might account for the supposedly good handling of these bikes. However, the rust and corrosion gremlins had been just as active under the seat and tank. I was hoping we might get some relief in areas which had been under cover. |
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That Glorious Grimeca
Up front the bike has a lovely double-sided magnesium Grimeca brake/hub. Whilst searching on Internet I discovered that the same Grimeca is used by early Ducati singles and other Italian exotica. I was then surprised to find people selling (and bidding on) these hubs for more that I paid for the whole bike. Maybe I hadn't done so badly after all!
The front rim is a flanged steel rim with a profile similar to an alloy rim. The manufacturer is Sanremo. Interestingly, all the 2Cs have the front rim stamped "SANREMO TRIAL" but there is no brand stamped on the rear rim. Another mystery. |
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Those Stunning Silentiums
Stunning they may be but this set is missing its end caps and is very, very badly rusted. I have been told that NOS Silentiums are still available but I can't seem to locate them. If you know where they can be obtained please contact me. |
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Some Good News
The broken kick-start shaft was potentially the nastiest of the engine problems. I have seen these repaired on Japanese bikes but this was missing 20mm of shaft. I went to a swap-meet (autojumble) and a fellow had a box of unidentified parts with a pair of Benelli badges on top. I bought the box. Later, at home, I found a kick start shaft lurking in the bottom and in reasonable condition. What a win! |
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