tech1

My name is Lynn Bennett. I have been a technical article contributor to
the BSA Owners Club of Southern California Piled Arms newsletter for
about four years. My introduction to motorcycles came in the early
1960’s when a friend’s car broke down and he picked up a
Sears Allstate (Puch) to commute to work. I learned to ride on the
Allstate. Next we had a communal 1950 Triumph 650 that we learned
about off road riding. In my final year of college I bought a new 1963
Honda 250 Scrambler to commute to school and work and for a little off
road riding. Graduation from college (engineering) brought a shiny new
BSA Lightning. A year later my first real dirt bike was purchased, a
Bultaco Mettisse. For the next ten years I rode off road virtually
every weekend, including a little California desert racing, changing
dirt bikes regularly about every two years. Marriage and family
reduced my off road riding (and new bike purchases) to a weekend
camping and riding trip once a month. In recent years I resumed street
riding, started vintage motocross racing, and started a deep interest
in vintage bikes. I have restored (various levels of restoration from
cleaning off the dirt to taking them down to the last nut and bolt)
several bikes: BSA 441 Shooting Star to an off road bike, BSA Hornet
to a street bike, Triumph unit 500 Rickman (from a new chassis kit), a
Triumph Trophy Trail, a BSA 500cc Weslake converted Victor, 1975 CZ
400, 1987 CZ400, another Trophy Trail, electrical and engine rebuild
on a Triumph Daytona, and most recently a Rickman Montesa. In most
cases the bikes were updated to the best parts currently available,
not to a collector level, but to a good example to ride. Ride them I
do (or others do). I have done multiple conversions to Yamaha forks
for better handling. I have a Smithy Lathe/Mill and make as many of
the special parts as I can. I do and have done for years all of my own
maintenance. I seemed to always have a project in the works and a few
waiting in the wings.

I retired from electrical engineering in 1997 and my time since then
has been consumed by motorcycling projects for me and others,
including my son who races Expert level Vintage motocross on our CZ’s.
My desire is to help others with their vintage projects, lending my
knowledge base to any who ask for help. Since my job was electronics,
I help best in the electrics department but 35 years of dirt bike
maintenance and repair give me a pretty good leg up on the mechanicals
as well. I have owned many Brit bikes over the years and always had a
place in my heart for them, fully realizing that at some point the
Japanese bikes easily passed the Brits.

I offer these articles to any and all who might glean some information
from them. I am not now or ever have been a motorcycle industry
professional. What I know is from tons of reading and my own personal
experiences. As such, my experience could be different from yours and
not necessarily “correct”, but it works for me. Take what you want and
leave the rest.