By Dave Porter, Customer and Technical Support at The Bonneville Shop As a customer service tech advisor, I have observed that control cables are products that have been historically somewhat problematic for the end user to deal with and seem to generate consistent inquiries about proper fitment and operation on the various applications on a motorcycle. What could be so complicated about fitting a simple control cable? I’d like to…
Fork Damper Sleeve Install – Which Way Do They Go?
For Triumph and BSA forks up to 1970 (up to 1974 on the Triumph 500 twins and some of the BSA singles) a damper sleeved is fitted between the bronze fork bushes on the stanchions / tubes. The damper sleeves may be aluminum or plastic and they serve 2 purposes: Keep the fork bushes from bashing against each other when the forks are pushed to their limits. Act as a…
Triumph Top-End Sealing and What the Workshop Manual Doesn’t Explain
By Dave Porter, Customer and Technical Support at The Bonneville Shop When we think of a typical air-cooled British vertical twin-cylinder motorcycle engine, I would propose that the majority of us think of Edward Turner’s iconic Triumph twin. The external rocker boxes sitting atop of the cylinder head really are an impressive feature, and those beautifully chromed push rod tubes are a pleasant visual contrast to the black painted cylinder…
A Primary Concern: The B-Range Chaincase Covers
By Dave Porter, Customer and Technical Support at The Bonneville Shop The Triumph 650 and 750 ignitions and primary drive systems evolved over the years, and along with the upgrades, came revisions to the primary chaincase covers. The beautifully cast covers are one of the most prominent and eye-catching components on the unit-construction Triumph twin engine. Unfortunately, they are also vulnerable to damage and corrosion, so original primary covers in…
The Importance of Right to Repair Legislation
The Importance of Right to Repair Legislation By Mike Grage, Customer and Technical Support at The Bonneville Shop On February 2, 2022, H.R. 6570 was introduced to Congress and was referred to the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce. It has not moved since. If passed it will become the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act. This bill may have automotive industry in the title; however, it…
A Guide for BSA and Triumph Oil Pressure Switch Identification
By Dave Porter, Customer and Technical Support at The Bonneville Shop The topic of which oil pressure switch to select regularly comes up in discussions, and still remains somewhat baffling as to why there are so many inaccuracies abounding regarding this simple switch. From late 1968 onward, BSA and Triumph used an oil pressure sending unit which has a small internal plunger that senses oil pressure levels. The switch is…
Pattern Parts and Fettling To Perfection
Pattern Parts and Fettling to Perfection By Dave Porter, Customer and Technical Support at The Bonneville Shop Occasionally I receive inquiries from customers stating a part that was purchased from The Bonneville Shop does not fit correctly. I typically query the customer about the application, including make, model, and year. Sometimes it is revealed that the part was ordered in error, and the result is a simple return of the…
Using LEDs with Traditional Turn Signal and High Beam Indicator Lights
By Mike Grage, Customer and Technical Support at The Bonneville Shop We didn’t have LEDs when I started professionally wrenching on motorcycles over 30 years ago, but I most certainly wish we did due to the low power requirements. Done right LED lighting can make riding a battery less bike at night much safer. People of all skill and knowledge levels tend to have difficulty making LED turn signal lights…
Dave’s Building a 10-Footer: A 1970 Triumph TR6R – Part 2
Next in the series shows me checking the air gap of .009” between the rotor and stator, in various positions. I rotate the engine while moving the feeler gauge around the circle, ensuring there is no tight spots. The rotor was in good condition, no “runout” on the end of the crankshaft, and the stator studs are not bent, so this procedure passed with flying colors. “𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚…
Dave’s Building a 10-Footer: A 1970 Triumph TR6R – Part 1
Have you thought about getting an old barn bike to fix up but feel like you don’t know where to start? Are you thinking that you have a smaller budget to get it back on the road? No worries, mate. Sometimes it’s great to restore these Brit bikes to their original glory but sometimes you just want a cool bike to enjoy the roads on. Dave has picked up his…