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
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
…member steel backbone frame, with a bolted on rear sub-frame. The main frame needs to be inspected for cracks in…
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
…specification, we are supplying a complete rim and spoke kit for both front and rear wheels with Devon “Valtru” chrome…
A Look at the Amal Concentric Floats
…changes made to the float needle valves over the years. The original 622/068 float needles were made of nylon and…
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)
…oxygenated fuels have been drying up and clogging up carburetors in a month or less since the late 1980’s makes…
Constant Velocity Carburetor Cleaning/Tuning Tips & Tricks
…Needle Jet/Jet Needle/Emulsion Tube Mikuni BST Needle Jet/Emulsion Tube/Main Jet Holder Jet Needle, Slide and Diaphragm Choke/Enricher Synchronization & Adjusting…
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
…the British automotive and motorcycle industries with many common switches. The 47SA was most commonly associated with automotive applications, while…
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
Triumph T100 Top End – The Conundrum of Triumph C-Range Top-End Compatibility Unfortunately, I have chosen to take on a…
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
…We have used three different suppliers for seats in the past, including RK Leighton, P&P Seating Ltd, and Wassell Ltd….
A Look at the Mysterious Lucas Cutout/ Lucas Kill Switches
…this technical blog I will cover some of the functions and applications of the more common cutout buttons, or “kill…
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
The Imperiled Life of the Kickstarter Cotter Pin One of the hallmarks of vintage BSA and Triumph motorcycles is the kickstart…
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
…what to look for? I have compiled a simple guide that will be useful in identifying the correct headlamp shell…
Amal Carb Fitment: An Everyman’s Guide
…twist-grip first to fit the cable to the slide. Lift the needle and needle clip assembly out of the slide…
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 RubbersUsing a Clutch Locking ToolThe…
Sealing Washers and the Oil-Tight Triumph Engine
…they are removed for fluid services. Buy fiber washers and copper washers online today: Comprehensive Fiber Washer Kit Pn# Tbs-0030…
Application Techniques for Waterslide Decals
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop There are 4 basic steps on how to apply a…
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
Winterizing your classic Brit bike is one of the most important things you can do. For those of us living…
The Nuts and Bolts of Hardware
…guide for ordering hardware, or any part for that matter when undertaking a refurbishment of a vintage BSA, Norton, or…
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 Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop A Guide to CablesThrottle cablesClutch CablesBrake Cables As a customer service…
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
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Table of Contents for triumph top end sealingResourcesConsiderations For…
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
By Mike Grage, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop written in partnership with British Iron, our Modern Triumph…
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 Shop The…
Pattern Parts and Fettling to Perfection
…mudguard to the bridge. The clip over the rear frame loop was next…also loosely installed. Now, the moment of truth…
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
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop The 4th One – 1970 Triumph TR6R RepairFinding a Barn…
How the Tiger 100 Became the Triumph Daytona
…gaining momentum over the past 15 years due to the favorable availability over the pre-oil in frame 650 models, and…
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
…to the following ignition systems: Lucas RITA, Boyer-Bransden, Pazon Sure-Fire, Sparx, Wassell Vape, Tri-Spark (all Classic ignition systems), the stock…
Triumph Service Bulletin 64/1 – 1964 Forks – Eliminating Oil Leaks
…seal holder sleeve nut in the original non-grooved condition, in both chrome-plated and stainless steel. It is not clear if…
Easy Tri-Spark Triples Ignition Kit Installation Guide
By Mike Grage, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop and British Iron. How to Wire it UpSetting the Timing So,…
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 Clutch Plates AND Springs Clutch Plates When evaluating the clutch plates and…
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…
Cam Timing Notes – Part II
Checkout Cam Timing Notes Part I here and The Brain of Your Triumph B Range Engine- the Camshaft. Cam Timing ContentsCheckout Cam…
VIDEO: Dozens of UK Made OEM & Universal Fenders
UK made fenders from Speedwell Mudguards uses the original tooling and machines to replicate OEM length, width, radius and even…
Using the Degree Wheel to Establish Ignition Timing
By Dave Porter, Technical and Customer Support at The Bonneville Shop Establishing Ignition TimingConverting to an Electronic IgnitionFully Advanced Timing PositionUsing…
