Oh well, I have been joking about the MC18 blowing up and it did! Previous posts had identified my powervalves as possibly not working at high revs, from 9k upwards - going well at Anglesey on Friday, but had a word with a bloke on an RS250. Advice was to blank off two unattached air lines to carbs (these were undone when bought) and leave powervalve servo on "hi" by undoing green wire to isolate unit (servo was not activating when ignition turned on - I still do not know if it is supposed to cycle on start up!).

Two laps later it seized solid coming out of the fastest right hander onto the main straight. Very embarasing as red flag already out - so they could pick up a knee slider! I went over the highside onto by bonce, taking the fairing with me (only just fibreglassed it together) and sliding 25 yards on my arse.

The upshot is: has anyone got both barrels and pistons for an MC18 (one seized, the other fractured when the pipe hit the deck) or a complete engine? I was just starting to get into it....the Alpha 10s were brilliant but I've only done 20km on 'em. It would also be handy to know which bit of the stupid powervalve balls up was most to blame.

I'm also on the lookout for a front fairing (again) and all the right hand throttle, brake, kill switch bits.

More nights in the shed then...