Automobile Enthusiasts

I cut my teeth on British bikes in the late 60's owning several Triumphs, Nortons, and even a non-Indian Royal Enfield. An MG and an almost new 1969 Austin America were my only Brit cars. Racing the bikes, hanging out with the SCCA types or the occasional autocross seemed to come with the territory as well.

Just like the cars, there is a certain schmockiness or cobbiness to British bikes. And of course, one thing car and bike owners can share is attention to maintenance and what happens when you don't. Famous/infamous names like Lucas, Smiths, Girling and Castrol are the parts you would be hunting down on the weekends, before or after cleaning up the leaking oil on the garage floor. Oddball wrench (spanner, ha ha) and thread sizes like Whitworth and British Standard were part of the fun too.

Thanks for the post, JR. It brings back a lot of memories. Here's a link to a source for a "Lucas wiring harness replacement smoke kit". I'll bet you didn't know you need one of these. It's pretty funny with lots of British car lingo. I still don't know what a Nuffield paradox is.

http://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm