Tikit questions (related to fold)

[mls2ge...@yahoo.com]

Hello BF fans

i own two BF tikits.  These are somewhat more unusual than most BFs, which are unusual enough. Among the things that makes them unusual is that they fold differently than most BFs. I mention this upfront because I am looking for advice from someone who hopefully will understand what I'm talking about, even when I don't know the technical terms.

(Walter,,,* please* chime in!!)

Of late (last couple years--these are older bikes) I've been having increasing difficulty folding and unfolding  both bikes. And I fold and unfold them a lot (sometimes in a hurry as my brain is arriving etc)

Which is to say, the rear wheel folds "under" fine, and the front end folds down fine and latches after I release the Twiddley clamp and the Pacman...  

But then the seatpost sometimes (but not always) won't fold down  without  pressure l. So I started looking at the bikes to try to figure out what was the hangup.

See 2 photos below.

What is the purpose of the white "thingee" that is attached by a bolt, below the main hinge in the first photo, and which has a white  "wart" sticking out in the second photo? 

Is the thingee supposed to be positioned such that when the bike is being folded. the wart can go into the hole in the red (except where the wart has scraped off the paint...) plate??  

On neither bike does the thingee look like it has moved from where it was originally installed..But it isn't brazed in place like a permanent part would theoretically be and it was very easy for me to release the bolt and remove the entire thingee, wart and all. And when I did that, the bike folded much easier. 

Maybe too easily. My concern is that the thingee wouldn't be there if it weren't serving some purpose....like maybe keeping the bike from folding up while I'm riding it.??.

It looks like the wart on the thingee is supposed to go into the hole,  but the wart on both bikes is quite worn down (no gender jokes here, please) and at least now couldn't o line up to reach the hole.

And what's going on with the bare metal on that plate with the hole--should i be concerned that the wart has obviously scraped off a lot of paint (and some metal)? 

Also, there's another "plate" (plate #2, for lack of another term) that plate #1 pivots against and past when the bike folds and unfolds and I'm wondering whether I've managed  to bend something??  And on both bikes??

Ideas? Suggestions?? 

Marti Scheel,

Minneapolis