Out and About on your Laverda.No bull,Just photos

Up in New Guinea on the coffee plantation we had an old Southern Cross single cylinder diesel engine; it was a thing of wonder with a huge external flywheel and a galvanised water tank for cooling by convection. Power tack-off was via a canvas belt turning an overhead shaft with several take-offs to various bits and bobs, all very early 20th century.
To start it you had to give a good squirt of oil down the bore, hold down the decompressor and turn the handle to build up some momentum before dropping the decompressor and away it would go. Could measure the rpm by counting the 'choofs' against your watch.
 
The Marshall cartridge start was an impressive performance, too.
It got me, aged six, out of bed, early in the morning, to watch this fascinating ritual.
Known, by us, as the "Popper Tractor", it was a thing of wonder.
The tractor driver told me "That's how they used to put the lead in petrol." ;)

There's a great Laverda SF750 article by Dave Minton which uses the Marshall, as a metaphor.
Anyone got a copy? I'd love to read it, again.

:ROFLMAO:
 
helicopterjim said:
Why? Should they be strapped in somehow?
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Mainly because kids are unpredictable. They'll do something stupid. I know because I was always doing something stupid when I was a kid. I get nervous when I see kids around machinery.

On the other hand, I don't suppose it's a big deal if a kid gets squashed or chewed up in the works. It's easy enough to make new kids. Some people do it without even trying.
 
helicopterjim said:
I reckon that kid in the video is a farm kid. They learn pretty quick to not do stupid shit.
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One of my patients got his foot stuck in some front mounting tractor equipment. His 10 year old friend started up the tractor like he had been taught, in order to move the loader up. Unfortunately he pushed the lever the wrong way. I'm with Dellortoman here.
 
Every second news report on TV when I was recently living in the bush was kids crashing quads fatally or anyone rolling tractors, it's got to the point where roll cages became mandatory. Some of the ages with these quad accidents were nuts, under 10. There was a reason why lots of minibikes had throttle limiters. Some get trained, lots dont.
 
Vince said:
Every second news report on TV when I was recently living in the bush was kids crashing quads fatally or anyone rolling tractors, it's got to the point where roll cages became mandatory. Some of the ages with these quad accidents were nuts, under 10. There was a reason why lots of minibikes had throttle limiters. Some get trained, lots dont.
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Kids and adults went under tractors all the time where I grew up. Mainly they rolled on top of them, not under wheels.

My mate had one he was driving roll on top of him into a creek, he was stuck, stuck. Luckily his head was above water and his son was giving him beers until the authorities came to fish him and the tractor out.
 
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