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In the same vein..for what I have in my old British car, I could buy
something much more modern, more powerful, and safer too. But I'm no
longer in a hurry to "get there" and I'd rather listen to the music a
2500cc Triumph I-6 makes anyway...
On Thu, Apr 21, 2022, 09:05 old dirtbeard <dirtbeard@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Mark,
>
> Thank you, a poignant and well written piece for those of us who are
> getting older...
>
> Times pass, but with our shops, our tools, and our knowledge, we can keep
> these old British bikes, or old Harleys running as well if not better than
> they did 50 or 60 years ago. I have my 50 year old BSA Thumper that I
> posted the photos and video of, but I also have a 2013 Aprillia 1000cc V4
> with all of the modern electronic components. I still ride both of them.
> They both are very good at what they do, but I have been imprinted on the
> BSA.
>
> In the spirit of shop talk, over the last 50 years that I have owned the
> BSA, I have used my tools, knowledge and workshops to increase the
> displacement to 600cc, ported the head, installed larger diameter exhaust,
> larger valves, a larger 1000 series Amal carburetor, a Weber racing cam,
> electronic ignition, modified the dry sump oil-in-frame supply to dual feed
> to better circulate and cool the oil, fabricated and a routed pressure-fed
> oil line to the rockers to better oil and cool the valve gear, installed a
> full-flow oil filter on the oil return circuit, higher voltage ignition
> coil, solid state electrical rectification and regulation, improved clutch
> plates and stronger clutch springs to withstand the increased power, modern
> brake linings arced to the drums to be able to stop the bike at high speed
> (not quite as good as dual front disc brakes, but I can lock the front
> wheel if I try), modern Avon tires that grip the road and handle extremely
> well (deep lean angles), rewired the entire electrical harness with
> vibration-proof connectors and larger gauge wire with abrasion-resistant
> vinyl insulation, running Motul 10w60 double ester synthetic oil in the
> engine, synthetic gear lube in the transmission, etc. It is not just a hot
> rod, it has much improved lubrication, electrical, and braking systems now.
>
> Although this bike is 50 years old, it runs stronger and is more reliable
> now than it was from the factory. It can run with the modern sport bikes on
> the twisty roads you saw in the video.
>
> Old British motorcycles potentially are the ideal "vehicle" for us to
> exercise our tools and our skills in the shop. They are the perfect
> "canvas" to paint a masterpiece, and one that you can ride and enjoy for
> the rest of our lives.
>
> I recently was riding the twisty hill roads shown in the video when I
> passed a young man on a Suzuki sport bike. I later stopped at the overlook
> in the one photo and he also pulled up to chat. He "complained" that he
> could not hear his engine in order to shift it properly when I was in front
> of him because my BSA was so loud. He also said my tires were too skinny to
> ride that fast, etc.
>
> Not wishing to deter from his riding enjoyment, I let him leave first so
> he could lead and my loud thumping engine and skinny tires would not deter
> from his riding. After a couple of curves I passed him again.
>
> I am 68, my bike is 50 years-old, and the young man was on a new GSX.
> These old bikes are lighter and have deeper torque,
>
> These old bikes, and these old men, can still ride, and no amount of
> electronic wizardry can change that... :-)
>
> best,
>
> Doug
>
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 20, 2022 at 8:31 PM Mark Bradakis <mark@bradakis.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> I wish I knew where this came from. Have no idea who the author might
>> be, sad to say.
>>
>> mjb.
>>
>> ============
>>
>> As I watch the Japanese crotch-rockets blasting the circuits,
>> I am suffused with a distilled sense of wonder, and I marvel;
>> these men and women are so skilled, perfect machines riding on
>> perfect machines. Their bikes are precision instruments built by
>> precision instruments, sold in their multitude to the techno-dazed.
>>
>> About ten years ago, I was out earholing on a norton-racer-road in
>> coastal Marin county (north of San Francisco) on my '75 Commando.
>> Rolled up to a stop sign. A guy on an old 500cc BSA thumper came
>> around the corner facing me, leaned through the corner, dialed up
>> the wick, and thumped on up the hill. I shut nort down to listen
>> to the sound of that long-stroke single haul that hill. I was
>> thrilled; I could feel the sound through the soles of my boots.
>> All these years later, when I remember that sound, that fine sound,
>> I choke, and tears fill my eyes. As that quiet thump, thump,
>> thump, faded up the hill, me and nort sat and thought of dinosaurs.
>> It was a good day to think about dinosaurs, one of those crisp,
>> perfect Marin autumn days. Back then, me and my dinosaur could
>> still swat the Japanese flies buzzing around the hills, those
>> primordial crotch-rockets, awesome machines that have come to be
>> so strong, strong enough to eat me and nort for breakfast.
>>
>> These ten years gone, I'm now flogging that British oil-bath around
>> the Rockies. But the king is dead (long live the king!), and
>> I'm the dinosaur now, breathing the last breath of extinction;
>> fading quietly, thump, thump, thump up that hill. But I wonder,
>> where went the soul, where went the art, where went the heart?
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>> Shop-talk@autox.team.net
>> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
>> Suggested annual donation $12.96
>> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk
>> http://autox.team.net/archive
>>
>> Unsubscribe/Manage:
>> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/dirtbeard@gmail.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>
> Shop-talk@autox.team.net
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation $12.96
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk
> http://autox.team.net/archive
>
> Unsubscribe/Manage:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/fishplate@gmail.com
>
>
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<div dir=3D"auto">In the same vein..for what I have in my old British car, =
I could buy something much more modern, more powerful, and safer too.=C2=A0=
But I'm no longer in a hurry to "get there" and I'd rath=
er listen to the music a 2500cc Triumph I-6 makes anyway...</div><br><div c=
lass=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Thu, Apr 21, =
2022, 09:05 old dirtbeard <<a href=3D"mailto:dirtbeard@gmail.com";>dirtbe=
ard@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" sty=
le=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div d=
ir=3D"ltr">Hi=C2=A0Mark,<div><br></div><div>Thank you, a poignant and well =
written piece for those of us who are getting older...</div><div><br></div>=
<div>Times pass, but with our shops, our tools, and our knowledge, we can k=
eep these old British bikes, or old Harleys running as well if not better t=
han they did 50 or 60 years ago. I have my 50 year old BSA Thumper that I p=
osted the photos and video of, but I also have a 2013=C2=A0Aprillia=C2=A010=
00cc V4 with all of the modern electronic=C2=A0components. I still ride bot=
h of them. They both are very good at what they do, but I have been imprint=
ed on the BSA.</div><div><br></div><div>In the spirit of shop talk, over th=
e last 50 years that I have owned the BSA, I have used my tools, knowledge =
and workshops to increase the displacement to 600cc, ported the head, insta=
lled larger diameter exhaust, larger valves, a larger=C2=A01000 series Amal=
carburetor, a Weber racing cam, electronic ignition, modified the dry sump=
oil-in-frame supply to dual feed to better circulate and cool the oil, fab=
ricated and a routed pressure-fed oil line to the rockers to better oil and=
cool the valve gear, installed a full-flow oil filter on the oil return ci=
rcuit, higher voltage ignition coil, solid state electrical rectification=
=C2=A0and regulation, improved clutch plates and stronger clutch springs to=
withstand the increased power, modern brake linings arced to the drums to =
be able to stop the bike at high speed (not quite as good as dual front dis=
c brakes, but I can lock the front wheel if I try), modern Avon tires that =
grip the road and handle extremely well (deep lean angles), rewired the ent=
ire electrical harness with vibration-proof connectors and larger gauge wir=
e with abrasion-resistant vinyl insulation, running Motul 10w60 double este=
r synthetic oil in the engine, synthetic gear lube in the transmission, etc=
.=C2=A0 It is not just a hot rod, it has much improved lubrication, electri=
cal, and braking systems now.</div><div><br></div><div>Although this bike i=
s 50 years old, it runs stronger and is more reliable now than it was from =
the factory. It can run with the modern sport bikes on the twisty roads you=
saw in the video.</div><div><br></div><div>Old British motorcycles potenti=
ally are the ideal "vehicle" for us to exercise our tools and our=
skills in the shop. They are the perfect "canvas" to paint a mas=
terpiece, and one that you can ride and enjoy for the rest of our lives.</d=
iv><div><br></div><div>I recently was riding the twisty hill roads shown in=
the video when I passed a young man on a Suzuki sport bike. I later stoppe=
d at the overlook in the one photo and he also pulled up to chat. He "=
complained" that he could not hear his engine in order to shift it pro=
perly when I was in front of him because my BSA was so loud. He also said m=
y tires were too skinny to ride that fast, etc.=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><=
div>Not wishing to deter from his=C2=A0riding=C2=A0enjoyment, I let him lea=
ve first so he could lead and my loud thumping engine and skinny tires woul=
d not deter from his riding. After a couple of curves I passed him again.</=
div><div><br></div><div>I am 68, my bike is 50 years-old, and the young man=
was on a new GSX. These old bikes are lighter and have deeper torque,=C2=
=A0</div><div><br></div><div>These old bikes, and these old men, can still =
ride, and no amount of electronic=C2=A0wizardry can change that...=C2=A0 :-=
)</div><div><br></div><div>best,</div><div><br></div><div>Doug</div><div><b=
r></div><div><br></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr=
" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Wed, Apr 20, 2022 at 8:31 PM Mark Bradakis <<a=
href=3D"mailto:mark@bradakis.com"; target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noreferrer">mar=
k@bradakis.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" st=
yle=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padd=
ing-left:1ex"><br>
I wish I knew where this came from.=C2=A0 Have no idea who the author might=
<br>
be, sad to say.<br>
<br>
mjb.<br>
<br>
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<br>
<br>
As I watch the Japanese crotch-rockets blasting the circuits,<br>
I am suffused with a distilled sense of wonder, and I marvel;<br>
these men and women are so skilled, perfect machines riding on<br>
perfect machines.=C2=A0 Their bikes are precision instruments built by<br>
precision instruments, sold in their multitude to the techno-dazed.<br>
<br>
About ten years ago, I was out earholing on a norton-racer-road in<br>
coastal Marin county (north of San Francisco) on my '75 Commando.<br>
Rolled up to a stop sign.=C2=A0 A guy on an old 500cc BSA thumper came<br>
around the corner facing me, leaned through the corner, dialed up<br>
the wick, and thumped on up the hill.=C2=A0 I shut nort down to listen<br>
to the sound of that long-stroke single haul that hill.=C2=A0 I was<br>
thrilled; I could feel the sound through the soles of my boots.<br>
All these years later, when I remember that sound, that fine sound,<br>
I choke, and tears fill my eyes.=C2=A0 As that quiet thump, thump,<br>
thump, faded up the hill, me and nort sat and thought of dinosaurs.<br>
It was a good day to think about dinosaurs, one of those crisp,<br>
perfect Marin autumn days.=C2=A0 Back then, me and my dinosaur could<br>
still swat the Japanese flies buzzing around the hills, those<br>
primordial crotch-rockets, awesome machines that have come to be<br>
so strong, strong enough to eat me and nort for breakfast.<br>
<br>
These ten years gone, I'm now flogging that British oil-bath around<br>
the Rockies.=C2=A0 But the king is dead (long live the king!), and<br>
I'm the dinosaur now, breathing the last breath of extinction;<br>
fading quietly, thump, thump, thump up that hill.=C2=A0 But I wonder,<br>
where went the soul, where went the art, where went the heart?<br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
<br>
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<br>
</blockquote></div>
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<br>
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