Author Topic: Longstaff Servicing  (Read 15688 times)

mtrike

  • aka action barbie
Longstaff Servicing
« on: 31 August, 2008, 06:06:27 pm »
The upright trike fleet has just been increased with its first two wheel drive - a Longstaff Yeti.   Something I have wanted since I saw the first one in a cycle mag nearly 20 years ago.  Having pulled it apart to service it today I found the differential has a grease nipple in it.  The simple question is this for grease or oil?

An off road trike has added a whole new definition of uncontrollability to my triking experience but at least the crashes are at a slower speed! ;D It's a hoot.


Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #1 on: 31 August, 2008, 08:31:39 pm »
grease nipples are for grease :)
the slower you go the more you see

mtrike

  • aka action barbie
Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #2 on: 31 August, 2008, 08:50:40 pm »
grease nipples are for grease :)
Not always, put grease in the grease nipple for Triumph trunnions and eventually they fail - usually catastrophically - that's why I asked ???

Pedaldog.

  • Heedlessly impulsive, reckless, rash.
  • The Madcap!
Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #3 on: 31 August, 2008, 09:05:08 pm »
My cycling life got started properly in 1997 when I got a longstaff conversion on an old Peugot frame.
Still have it now and use it more then anything else.
You touch my Coffee and I'll slap you so hard, even Google won't be able to find you!

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #4 on: 31 August, 2008, 09:18:28 pm »
You could ask them.

I once had an Austin A50 of 1950s vintage which demanded SAE140 oil pumped into the kingpins with a grease gun.

Treewheeler

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #5 on: 01 September, 2008, 09:06:31 pm »
Its not for grease, its for oil and not too much either as the system is piss poor sealed and it will all fall out rather like any engine made by British Leyland.
 Better off changing the system for a trykit (google trykit)
 Off road trike... most have trouble riding them on the road!

Zoidburg

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #6 on: 02 September, 2008, 06:30:12 pm »
New Longstaff diffs are much different these days

Ask Gordy, his runs some arangement with a split axle connected by two freehub bodys and a sleeve

Tis weird but it works

Sigurd Mudtracker

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #7 on: 02 September, 2008, 09:25:09 pm »
Pictures please!

I do remember seeing a picture of the Yeti - in Bicycle Magazine or Bicycle Action, I can't recall which.

Certainly my Ken Rogers was definitely an "off-road" trike to begin with - off the road and into the nearest thorny hedge the minute my mind wandered.

Treewheeler

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #8 on: 02 September, 2008, 10:33:35 pm »
New Longstaff diffs are much different these days

Ask Gordy, his runs some arangement with a split axle connected by two freehub bodys and a sleeve

Tis weird but it works
Yes, The Yeti will have the old twin freewheel (Maillard/Sachs) arrangment 'probally'.
 Newer Longstaffs have a version of the Trykit (made for Longstaff by Trykit)
I saved a kilo my changing to hollow axles, new drive and decent cassette.
Cost me... :-X but it was worth it. :thumbsup:

gordon taylor

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #9 on: 02 September, 2008, 10:37:11 pm »
I have a 2007 Longstaff double freewheel thingy at the back of my trike. It doesn't have a grease nipple, so I can't help with suggestions as to what to put in it, sorry.

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #10 on: 03 September, 2008, 08:35:24 am »
My Longstaff Cyclon "MTB" trike doesn't have grease nipples either.

I tried mountain triking but the one wheel drive didn't help & I got stuck frequently .

I've put Nimbus slicks on which are better for our local rural roads. I still have hairy moments cornering fast, but have kept out of hedges for nearly a year now.

I still want to extract the MTB frame & use the conversion  on a lighter frame without front suspension. LBS says I should take it to a specialist, but no-one replies. How do I get a wheel off without losing the vital bits from the hub? Do I just unscrew the allen headed bolt in the middle of the hub, what keeps the wheels on? Secrets of the black art of tricycling.....

Treewheeler

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #11 on: 03 September, 2008, 10:28:47 am »
Look, the best person to help you is dead (George Longstaff)
The other, Tatanab of this parish is away in Seattle for a couple of weeks.
Trykit can help you and he is are located near Thame, Oxford.
 Google the Tricycle association and you will find a link to his site.
        Best of luck!

Zipperhead

  • The cyclist formerly known as Big Helga
Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #12 on: 03 September, 2008, 01:05:09 pm »
I still want to extract the MTB frame & use the conversion  on a lighter frame without front suspension. LBS says I should take it to a specialist, but no-one replies. How do I get a wheel off without losing the vital bits from the hub? Do I just unscrew the allen headed bolt in the middle of the hub, what keeps the wheels on? Secrets of the black art of tricycling.....

On my Longstaff, if you take out the allen bolt in the middle (same size as a crank bolt) then the hub comes off, leaving the axle in place.

This is a picture of the trykit hollow axle but the left hand end is where the hubs fit (same as a Longstaff)
Won't somebody think of the hamsters!

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #13 on: 03 September, 2008, 07:58:25 pm »
Thanks for revealing the mystery, I didn't want to get the wheel off & not get it back on.

Trykit is too down south for now, but a two wheel dirive or Shimano cassette might be a useful upgrade next year.

During the winter I can get on with swapping the frame. Amazing how these odd machines grow on you.

Zipperhead

  • The cyclist formerly known as Big Helga
Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #14 on: 04 September, 2008, 10:23:03 am »
Thanks for revealing the mystery, I didn't want to get the wheel off & not get it back on.

It's always nicer to see something in bits before you take your own apart!
Won't somebody think of the hamsters!

Jacomus

  • My favourite gender neutral pronoun is comrade
Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #15 on: 05 September, 2008, 04:37:13 pm »
My Longstaff Cyclon "MTB" trike doesn't have grease nipples either.

I tried mountain triking but the one wheel drive didn't help & I got stuck frequently .

I've put Nimbus slicks on which are better for our local rural roads. I still have hairy moments cornering fast, but have kept out of hedges for nearly a year now.

I still want to extract the MTB frame & use the conversion  on a lighter frame without front suspension. LBS says I should take it to a specialist, but no-one replies. How do I get a wheel off without losing the vital bits from the hub? Do I just unscrew the allen headed bolt in the middle of the hub, what keeps the wheels on? Secrets of the black art of tricycling.....

Try Paul at Pauls Custom Cycles - he will do anything to any bike, the more wacky the better.

I've seen his work, and it is very impressive. The tacky website does it no justice at all. He is happy to talk bikes, and has devoted me attention in the full knowledge it could be a good 6 months before I bring any work his way.

www.paulscustomcycles.co.uk
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." Amelia Earhart

mtrike

  • aka action barbie
Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #16 on: 06 September, 2008, 01:47:32 pm »
Thanks Tuggo I had a feeling it would be.  My road Longstaff is one wheel drive until I can save up for a Tri kit conversion.  The touring trike is also one wheel drive but the right wheel is driven and has a frankly odd system.   Out of interest has anyone else heard of a Crosby trike as I can't find any reference.

As for riding a trike off road well remember your first trike ride multiply the difficulty by 10 and you will have some idea.  I got stuck on a single track last night on a slope, I was leaning out too far to pedal so slowly came to a halt but any attempt to straighten up would have toppled me down the slope.  Still on a trike you can sit quietly and work out calmly what to do.  I toppled.

And yes I think the article was in Bicycle magazine and that Yeti was fluorescent orange?  Mine is fluorescent pink  and I seem to be called Barbie.  Does anyone know where I can get a T mobile skinsuit?  Hope you are not eating whilst reading this  :sick:

mtrike

  • aka action barbie
Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #17 on: 06 September, 2008, 02:08:29 pm »
My Longstaff Cyclon "MTB" trike doesn't have grease nipples either.

I still want to extract the MTB frame & use the conversion  on a lighter frame without front suspension. LBS says I should take it to a specialist, but no-one replies. How do I get a wheel off without losing the vital bits from the hub? Do I just unscrew the allen headed bolt in the middle of the hub, what keeps the wheels on? Secrets of the black art of tricycling.....
On my one wheel drive you undo the outer allen bolts on the hubs and the wheels pull of.  Mine has a free wheel and this is removed with its carrier with the undoing of similar allen bolt.  There is also a normal bolt on the inner end of the undriven axle.  The axles then seem to pull out after releasing the circlips revealed on removing the wheels but I haven't needed to do this yet..

Funnily there is very little difference between riding the Yeti and road longstaffs on the road both are 531 but the Yeti complete with rack has to be 5 kilos heavier but feels more spritely even on its chewing gum tyres.

The main difference is that when failing to corner off road it is at 10mph and you land on soft ground my latest failure to corner on the road was downhill on a negative camber bend causing me to enter a copse at 30mph followed by a lot of pain -trees are hard.

Sigurd Mudtracker

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #18 on: 07 September, 2008, 09:18:21 pm »
My recollection was that the Bicycle review trike was searing pink - but my memory is unreliable.  I did go trawling through a few remaining back issues (selectively retained) and though I didn't find the Yeti review, I did find (circa 1983) an article asking "MTBs - will they last?"

Sigurd Mudtracker

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #19 on: 07 September, 2008, 09:29:53 pm »
I'd also add (having given myself eyestrain squinting at your avatar) that my Ken Rogers came with rather high flat bars and bar ends.  It was much easier to ride once I'd put drops on it.

mtrike

  • aka action barbie
Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #20 on: 08 September, 2008, 11:24:45 pm »
Flat bars seem easier to me!  Maybe I have the star bike of Bicycle mag - stop squinting and be amazed




There are 5 more bikes in the garage too!

nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #21 on: 09 September, 2008, 12:09:19 am »
 :o
There's no vibrations, but wait.

Sigurd Mudtracker

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #22 on: 09 September, 2008, 08:07:52 am »
 :thumbsup:

I will show this picture to Mrs Mudtracker as proof that you can never have enough trikes.  :D

Chris N

Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #23 on: 09 September, 2008, 08:40:26 am »
That MTB trike (or one very similar; it was definitely pink and I'm pretty sure it was a Longstaff.  So it might have been a completely different one. ;D) was tested by John Stevenson in MBUK too.  Very nice.

mtrike

  • aka action barbie
Re: Longstaff Servicing
« Reply #24 on: 09 September, 2008, 12:24:30 pm »
Mrs Mtrike has now blocked my access to e-bay unless for sales and she will not allow an extension to the garage just to let in more bikes and trikes!