Britbike forum Forums General discussion The Rod and Tappet RF Whatley

I was reading a thread on the Triumph board yesterday, where member Trivin posed this question:


I did some checking and found that RF last posted on July16, 2021, appropriately enough in regard to a battery issue in a Boyer Bransden thread.

Then I searched and found this obituary notice on-line: Robert Fred Whatley

And another one here: Robert Fred Whatley

I had read last year that he was selling his tools, and I believe Lannis bought some or all of them. So, Lannis, could you or someone else who knew RF personally fill in some details here?

If I am wrong with all of this, I apologize, but I suspect I am correct. At minimum, RF Whatley certainly should have a write-up in the Remembrance board. I looked there but found nothing. I joined here in May, 2010, and he was a prolific poster here and on other boards long before that. I am deeply saddened by discovering this news!

Ray

Richard is alive and well.

He is recovering from a bit of a heart attack but reports from the family are positive.

As far as I know he’s given up riding motorcycles. But that took place before this recent heart problem ….hence the tool sell off.

So, I got the wrong obit info? Thanks for that, Gordon. It's a little embarrassing, but I'd rather be wrong than right in this case!

Ray

No problem at all Ray.

Richard is one of the good guys.

Seems to me that Richard signed off a long time ago then came back for a while. Reason, he was offended by by some disrespectful comments by a few people. The same reason he signed off for good. I found his advice accurate and succinct. I miss his sense of humor.

I don’t want to speak for Richard but…….I think the Readers Digest version is.

He had a motorcycle accident ( oil in a curve was the story I heard). During his recovery he decided to back away from motorcycles all together. Not sure what the reason was but I haven’t seen him on one since.

Richard is pretty thick skinned……not sure he’d turn away just because of a few negative comments…….but anything is possible.

He will remain a big part of the hobby even if he isn’t active in it.

Well, DUH! I knew his first name is Richard!

I'll just chalk this up as another age-related brain fart, even though I am one of the younger members on here. Richard, if you still look in here from time to time, and you see this, rest assured that I meant you no disrespect. In fact, just the opposite is true. This is making me think of Mark Twain, who is often misquoted on this subject. That story even had a British connection to it. Click HERE

Good thing it was a false alarm! There's enough other personal and media linkages networking the British Bike world that we'd have heard quick fast and in a hurry if anything had happened to RF. Hadn't realized, though, that it had been over a year since I bought his tools!

And for anyone concerned that he left BB because of "posts he didn't like", RF had almost 16,000 posts here (taking account of the count reset some years back), and probably twice that many on other sites .... and he had a gift of smacking down insults harder than they came in......

Lannis

Lannis, he had the ability to begin an insult chain himself.

He started one on me 45 years ago in THE NACELLE, the monthly publication of the Triumph Owners Motor Cycle Club.
His message (which the TOMCC actually printed) was filled with falsehoods and dirty language. I had never met that man in my life.

It's a long story which I won't go into here, but it was reason enough for me and my fellow Triumph enthusiasts to close down and disperse the small chapter
of that organization which we had barely begun.

If we hold folks to account for stuff that happened half a century ago, we'll probably be pretty lonely before long .....!

Lannis

oh my...

I hope Richard sees this thread and finds a little humor in it. I'd like to read his comments. I, for one, will say that his GABMA articles helped me a great deal in the past, and that I really liked his series on the bikes and repairs at Beno's Shop. I hope he is getting along well.

Ray

Ray a small group of us have a text group and Richard’s ( much better looking) brother Lowndes is a member. He keeps us posted on Richard’s adventures.

A couple years back we held a “Reunion” camp and most of the usual suspects were in attendance. Try as we may we couldn’t get Richard to join us so a group went over to his place ( he was close) for a visit.

My “guess” is Richard and I share that “ All in or All out” mindset.

He’s still done a lot for the hobby and will probably be remembered by most for that.

But he’s still kicking and I hope he does for a long time.

He is one of the only 2 guys in Internet advocating for the "ground net" Still I trying to see a new bike with this net.

I haven't been to his posts on GABMA in a while, but I assume that you mean his advocacy for single-point 'ground'. Later Triumph wiring tried to do this, with added commons for engine and headlight. The instrument lights and turn signals, with no body connection demanded this.
Common connections via the frame only are not reliable.
Modern bikes use a bunch of little relays, or ""DC Consents" as Yamaha calls them in their factory books.

One TSMR I was riding an overloaded 63 a65 Star home from Blowing Rock NC to Georgia on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This was leading Lowndes on his OneLegged BMW K and Richard on his R100RS. On the southside of Ashville just past I-26, the Star dimmed and ran out of electrons going silent and I pulled off into the grass. The bemused brothers on their modern BMWs pulled off as well. And we all contemplated the misbehaving coil switching electrical system with its decades old unencapsulated alternator.

Richard of course had the answer right away. Pull the headlamp from the nacelle and remove the headlamp bulb. This allowed the now somehow diminished quantity of electrons to directed exclusively to the ignition system, the tailight LED board being deemed "not a factor".

The bike started first kick and I was away leading once more all being right with the world. That is to say the BSA leading BMWs. And even though I was 4 hours and one gas stop from home, I was home before dark.

Thank you Richard (and Lowndes).

I would've thought that the first thing you learn with British electrics, especially 6V electrics, is to cut off the headlight to get home.
I've gotten home on nothing but the pilot light too many times to count.

Thats why God and Joe Lucas invented the magneto.

Hi David; I have several Triumph wiring schemes from late 70s but I do not remember that single point ground that you mention,
Also, do not see those relays in couple of new bikes that I looked.

Late to the party here, and I do hope RF see it and chooses to pipe up again. It’s always good to add more ideas
As for the “Ground Point” my 3 remaining all have my own wiring system. Done slowly as the rebuild is in process, slowly means years, 3 -5 average. Anyhow, I developed my own dedicated add’l ground wire system that runs from battery up to the headlight shell. Stuff in front uses that, and avoids the headstock bearing and twisting. Specific motor to frame bonding wire. Same added wire for T-light. None will pass the NitPick show inspection by the “exSpurts”.
I have one of those dumb Lucas tee shirts, On-Off-Flicker. It’s past due for the trash, see thru thin now. I only wear it because it was my brother’s and he was one of those fellas. I think Lucas equipment is generally made well, considering the period, and the failures are really not the equipment, but the install. Good grounds go a long way to improved reliability in my book. Ohms Law is not flexible!

Sorry, but the first magnetos on Triumph came from Bosch

On all my wiring the regulator and the EI commons connect directly to battery. All other common connections are made via a 12ga wire to the frame and directly from there. Common connection to tail light, common connection to engine and from there to headlight.