Things we used to do

[Mrs M]

Old red buses with a driver and conductor.

 

[Profpointy]

At least you didn't flood the engine.

if you flooded the engine on an automatic choke car you were buggered as you didn't have option of pushing the choke back in when the engine's cold. Classic example of an "improvement" which was detremental. Standard upgrade for a '70s or early '80s Ford was a manual choke conversion !

 

[Dirk]

Having a squirt of 'Redex' in your tank when you filled up with petrol.

 

[midlife]

Having a squirt of 'Redex' in your tank when you filled up with petrol.

And only being able to get petrol from the local garage....3 day week-petrol rationing and all that!

Shaun

 

[Levo-Lon]

Having a squirt of 'Redex' in your tank when you filled up with petrol.

redex or upper cylinder lube? I used to add that to my Kh250 just to make sure it kept spinning..

Castrol R...Ahhhhhh tiz the smell of the gods

 

[Dirk]

'Supercortemaggiore' petrol stations.
Wonder whatever happened to them?

 

[raleighnut]

redex or upper cylinder lube? I used to add that to my Kh250 just to make sure it kept spinning..

Castrol R...Ahhhhhh tiz the smell of the gods

Redex was for 4 stroke engines, all 2 strokes need oil mixed in with the petrol (either mixed in 'premix' with the fuel or in a separate tank for 'oil injection' in order not to seize up. As for Castrol R it is castor oil and great for causing 'gummed rings' and clogging up yer pipes with a sticky residue, not to mention the 'smokescreen' that Kwackers left behind them when running on 'choke' when you first set off.
Having said that the first motorbike I ever rode with a clutch (aged 14) was an S3 Kawasaki 400 triple (having only ever ridden mopeds and Honda 90 'field bikes' before) belonging to Ian 'Wilf' Wareham that had 'clip ons', 'rearsets' and 'expansion pipes' fitted and had been 'proddy tuned'. Give Ian his due though he did warn me not to give it 'full throttle' in the first 2 gears but failed to think that he was 3-4 stones heavier than me so consequently when it hit the 'powerband' in 3rd with me on board (and giving it full chat) the front wheel came up a good 3 foot up in the air.

 

[midlife]

Honda 50 with cow horns here

Shaun

 

[raleighnut]

This is quite similar to Ians S3 (400) in looks although this is an H1(500) but of a similar vintage even down to the 2LS drum front brake.
And yes they really were that loud with 'spannies' on


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2qie_ilCtE&feature=player_detailpage

Watch the front wheel come up on this H1 as it hits about 6.000 rpm.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALJtkogKY-Q&feature=player_embedded

 

[mybike]

Makes my old 400F4 seem quite tame.

 

[raleighnut]

Makes my old 400F4 seem quite tame.

You could do quite a bit to the 400/4s, look at this beauty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=IF90JN9M89A

 

[mybike]

You could do quite a bit to the 400/4s, look at this beauty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=IF90JN9M89A

I just fitted electronic ignition & a better headlamp. I should (of course) have called it CB400F2. Was it really that long ago?

 

[Illaveago]

Train spotting, writing down the numbers of trains. Luckily the bug didn't catch on with me like it did with my brother. I can still remember seeing 7000 Britannia for the first and last time, filthy dirty pulling a heavy freight train.

 

[raleighnut]

I just fitted electronic ignition & a better headlamp. I should (of course) have called it CB400F2. Was it really that long ago?

76? that's when I rode that S3 but that was a few years old (L reg I seem to recall) N was the reg year of Noddy's new 400/4 but they may have been out a year or so by then (they were an overbored version of the 350/4 as was the 550/4 an overbored 500/4)
Howled like banshees though.

 

[Dirk]

Walking home from school and seeing lines of Velocettes on the platform of Hall Green Station waiting for despatch.