Tegan Mackay's A1 Functional Rebuild
by Michael McWilliams
February 11, 2007
Tegan Mackay contacted me to perform a functional rebuild on her 103 A1.
As the pictures show, this Tourist has been well used and kept alive with all forms of wiring and home techniques. I believe Tegan told me this scooter was a recent import from Cologne, Germany.
Tegan wants this scooter to be ready for the San Francisco to Seattle ride that several hardcore Heinkel enthusiasts will attempt as part of the Amerivespa 2007 scooter rally.
My goal is to rebuild everything that will affect the scooter's reliability.
New electrical trunks will be installed. There is nothing worse than troubleshooting patched electrical wires. "Is this turquoise and white wire really supposed to be brown or black?"
New cables will be installed. Old cables (gear, clutch, etc.) have the tendency to be stiff and prone to failure.
The tank will be boiled and a new petcock will be installed.
The forks will be rebuilt. Nearly every Heinkel I have ever repaired has needed the fork bearings repacked and the fork oil flushed and filled.
The throttle assembly is an aftermarket replacement. I fear that it might require a longer cable. So, I ordered replacement Heinkel throttle pieces to make the scooter stock again.
The kickstand needs attention. It sits too far forward which makes the scooter unstable when parked. One of the benefits of a well cared for Heinkel is its stability when parked. It is very difficult to knock over a Heinkel Tourist.
The rebuild should be relatively easy to complete by May 1st. My only concern will be surprises that might discovered during the engine rebuild. Tegan's parts were ordered in January and arrived a few days ago.
Hopefully this project will be a quick one. I also need to build my 103 A1 for the Amerivespa ride!