Tech Blog
Welcome to the Technical Information Blog dedicated to the fun and always fascinating world of vintage Triumph, Norton, and BSA motorcycle parts. This blog serves as a comprehensive resource for enthusiasts and collectors who are passionate about these iconic British motorcycle brands.
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Our Most Recent Tech Blogs
A Guide to British Motorcycle Basket Case Projects
A Guide to Motorcycle Basket Case Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop The opportunity to acquire a…
Process Guide: Lacing a Cross 3 Pattern Rear Disc Wheel
Lacing a Cross 3 Pattern Rear Disc Wheel A note about Lacing a Cross 3 Pattern Rear Disc Wheel: Your new…
446 LED Update for 2026
Mike Grage, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop and British Iron 446 LED Update for 2026 There have been a…
Wheel Building – Starting For Success
Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop. Motorcycle Wheel Building One of the more satisfying elements of the…
Handlebar Changes and cables
Considerations for Handlebar Changes By Mike Grage, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop and British Iron. Most people in the…
An Overview of the Smith’s BG5330 Speedometer Drive Units
An Overview of the Smith’s BG5330 Speedometer Drive Units By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop …
Part 3: Resurrecting A Barn Find Hinckley
Hinckley Triumph Maintenance and Restoration Part 3: Resurrecting A Barn Find Hinckley By Mike Grage, Technical and Customer Support at The…
Fitting the Lucas 36403 Ammeter
early 2AR Lucas 36403 ammeters By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Lucas supplied the 2AR…
Triumph T140 Rear Rim
Triumph T140 Rear Rim Retrofit and Service Bulletin 4-77 By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop…
A Look at the Amal Concentric Floats
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop In this blog I will cover some information regarding…
60,000 Commandos Can’t Be Wrong- Musings From A Casual Blogger
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop I have always admired the Norton Commando series of motorcycles, not…
Part 2: Resurrecting a Barn Bike: Hydraulic Brake Restoration (non-ABS)
…replaced if there is noticeable/excessive play between the caliper body and caliper pins. Ripped slider pin boots will allow dirt…
Constant Velocity Carburetor Cleaning/Tuning Tips & Tricks
…you replace the float needle in a Keihin CVK and it still leaks. You can clean up the seat with…
Part 1: Resurrecting a Ran-When-Parked, Barn Find, Carbureted Triumph from the Hinckley Factory
By Mike Grage, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop and British Iron. When I started my career as a…
A Look at the Lucas 149SA and 47SA Ignition Switches
Lucas 149SA 47SA Ignition Switches By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Ignition Switches47SA 3-Position Ignition Switch149SA 4-Position…
Matchless AJS and Associated Motor Cycles
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop AMC Looking back on some of the more revered names…
The Conundrum of Triumph C-Range Top-End Compatibility
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Triumph T100 Top End – The Conundrum of…
Timing Tri-Spark Ignition – Classic Twin Ignition
…setting the timing. The Classic Twin Ignition is suitable for Triumph Unit Twins T100, T120, TR7RV, T140 Bonneville, Tiger, Daytona…
A Word About BSA, Norton, and Triumph Seat Supply
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop If you have been searching for seat supply for…
A Look at the Mysterious Lucas Cutout/ Lucas Kill Switches
…and coil type ignitions, a revised type of cutout button was offered, the SS5 type. The earliest part number associated…
Norton Motorcycle Photos
Norton motorcycle photos from our customers here at The Bonneville Shop. Check out or stock of parts for your Norton….
Gearbox Sprocket: Tips for a Grooved High Gear Spine and Chamfered Sprocket
From Guest Expert: Don Johnson To use an o ring with the gearbox sprocket you must have a high gear spline…
The Imperiled Life of the Kickstarter Cotter Pin
…of the Kickstarter Cotter Pin’ Options for Cotter Pins: ‘The Imperiled Life of the Kickstarter Cotter Pin’ “When the cotter…
Year, Make, Model – What Are You Working on Today?
Triumph and BSA Frame and Engine NumbersWhere are the Frame and Engine Numbers?Registration and Title Documents for Year Make Model …
Setting Up Dual Carbs
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop If you’re working on setting up dual carbs for your…
A Guide To Triumph Headlamp Shells
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Table of Contents for Triumph Headlamp ShellsLucas SS 700 7”Lucas…
Amal Carb Fitment: An Everyman’s Guide
It’s been said many times that nothing wakes up an old British motorcycle like a new carburetor. Amal carb…
A Bit About Fender Stays
A Bit About Fender Stays By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop “…there are many different configurations of…
Why Not A BSA?
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Barn Bikes Abound – BSA Motorcycles “…not only are they plentiful,…
The Case for the Parts Catalog as the Most Important Tool in the Cabinet
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Work Smarter, Not HarderAdvantages to a Printed Parts CatalogParts Catalog…
TECH TIP: How to Install New Clutch Rubbers
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Steps to Install New Clutch Rubbers Using a Clutch…
Sealing Washers and the Oil-Tight Triumph Engine
‘Sealing Washers and the Oil-Tight Triumph Engine’ By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Fiber WashersCopper WashersStat-O-Seal…
Application Techniques for Waterslide Decals
…old cotton T-shirts as rags for this), then swiped with the tack cloth. You are now ready to apply the…
Motorcycle Fender – Classic Triumph Fender – OEM and Custom Mudguards for Your Project Bike
A motorcycle fender will restore your classic Triumph to its true glory. Don’t put an old, compromised fender on your…
Triumph Service Bulletin Twin 9-70: Rotor/Rotor Nut
Loose Rotor Nut or Rotr Center: Triumph Service Bulletin Twin 9-70 By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The…
Winterizing Your Classic Brit Bike Checklist
…Set it up on a wood surface with the Battery Tender (or other similar maintainer) attached. This practice will add…
The Nuts and Bolts of Hardware
The Nuts and Bolts of Hardware By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop “…a factory parts catalog is…
How To Convert Your 6-Volt British Motorcycle to 12-Volts
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Converting Your 6-volt British Motorcycle to 12-volts can be a…
Get ‘em While They’re Hot- 130 Link 530 Chains!
130 Link 530 Chains By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop We recently procured a substantial quantity of…
VIDEO: Motorcycle Polish: Tips for Your Primary and Timing Cover
Motorcycle polish: yes or no? Did you just get your hands on a solid barn bike? How long was it…
Considerations for Your Brit Bike: A Brief Guide to Cables
…by the shouldered ferrule and inline cable adjuster. Guide to Cables: Clutch Cables Factors to consider: cable routing cable ties…
Bearing Race Puller – Motorcycle Tools
Buy a bearing race puller today. If you’re doing any motorcycle restoration, having the right tools is essential. Bearings, including…
Fork Damper Sleeve Install – Which Way Do They Go?
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop – For Triumph and BSA forks up to 1970 (up…
Triumph Top-End Sealing and What the Workshop Manual Doesn’t Explain
…practitioners of vintage Triumph motorcycle service keep an inventory of gaskets and push rod tube seals on hand, as they…
A Primary Concern: The B-Range Chaincase Covers
By Dave Porter, Customer and Technical Support at The Bonneville Shop Table of Contents Primary Chaincase Cover: 57-1727 Primary Chaincase…
The Importance of Right to Repair Legislation
…coil. Significant changes to the resistance in the pick-up coil circuit (loose connection/corroded wires) will result in significant changes to…
A Guide for BSA and Triumph Oil Pressure Switch Identification
‘A Guide for BSA and Triumph Oil Pressure Switch Identification’ By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville…
Pattern Parts and Fettling to Perfection
Pattern Parts and Fettling to Perfection By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Occasionally I receive inquiries from…
Using LEDs with Traditional Turn Signal and High Beam Indicator Lights
By Mike Grage, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop and British Iron. Power FlowPotential Problems with LED TroubleshootingLED Troubleshooting:…
Dave’s Building a 10-Footer: A 1970 Triumph TR6R Build – Part 2
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop The 1970 Triumph TR6R Build Continues: Rotor and StatorPrimary Chaintiming…
Dave’s Building a 10-Footer: 1970 Triumph TR6R Repair – Part 1
…the renovation began, there were a few “customizations” to the motorcycle, including a home-made sissy bar, ape hanger handlebar, Suzuki…
How the Tiger 100 Became the Triumph Daytona
…bands”. The end of the Classic Triumph Daytona The T100R Triumph Daytona models are one the most tractable and beloved…
A Farewell to Real Chrome
By Mike Grage, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop and British Iron. The Chrome of Before – Real ChromeLegislative…
Electronic Ignition System Diagnostics
…spark plug lead with spark plug caps off. A no spark condition is generally caused by bad coils which is…
Triumph Service Bulletin 64/1 – 1964 Forks – Eliminating Oil Leaks
1964 Forks – Eliminating Oil Leaks By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop One topic that comes up…
Easy Tri-Spark Triples Ignition Kit Installation Guide
…plugs firing at the same time. The Tri-Spark triples ignition is best described as a “distributed transistorized pointless ignition” system…
Tips on Fitting the Girling Stainless Floating Brake Disc Rotor
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop SpecsFitment ChallengesSolutions We have recently taken delivery and sold through our…
Thunderbolts and Lightning: BSA Motorbikes
BSA Motorcycles: Thunderbolts and Lightning, very, very frightening me! (Galileo) Galileo (Galileo) Galileo… By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The…
TECH TIPS – Evaluating Your Clutch Plates and Springs
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop How do I know if my clutch plates need replacing? Check…
What exactly is a 1978 Triumph Bonneville?
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop History of the 1978 Triumph Bonneville1976 Models1977 Models1978 Triumph Bonneville…
