Smells sweeter than the roses
What's your favourite/preferred brand of lubricant?
- Thread starter Pugglt Auld Jock
- Start date
Currently reading:
What's your favourite/preferred brand of lubricant?
My interest in F1 waned with Schumacher and Benneton running too close to the wind on rules, then when he crashed and in my eyes deliberately rolled in to the path of his rival!!!
It got to the point where I would record the race and if he won I wouldn't bother to watch.
Oh dont get me started on schumacher all the b.s online about what a great driver he was, boils my urine he was an obnoxious t××t who pushed people off tracks also ferrari were cheating their knackers offMy interest in F1 waned with Schumacher and Benneton running too close to the wind on rules, then when he crashed and in my eyes deliberately rolled in to the path of his rival!!!
It got to the point where I would record the race and if he won I wouldn't bother to watch.
I thought it was only me who felt like that about him.
I sometimes think our British racers lack the killer instinct and are maybe too nice, but then I read about Barry Sheene who I had always thought quite genuine.
OP
OP
Add me in to the list. Although I'm very sorry for his family regarding his injuries and how it's dramatically changed all their lives.I thought it was only me who felt like that about him.
I sometimes think our British racers lack the killer instinct and are maybe too nice, but then I read about Barry Sheene who I had always thought quite genuine.
F1 has, for quite a long time, been too "clinical" and full of self important characters for me. The enormous differences technically between the small number of front runners, who win due to it most of the time and the excessive aero packages they carry which disturbs the air behind them to such an extent it's difficult for anyone behind them to overtake - How ridiculous is DRS? Watching something like the Australian Supercars, Can AM Classics or the German DTM is just so much more entertaining.
If we're talking drivers I admire then No1 on my list is Niki Lauda. I was privileged to supply tyres and technical support when he raced a 2 litre Porsche sports car (908 Spyder) back in early '70s and his techinical and engineering knowledge of the vehicle far outweighed any other driver I ever worked with. He could come into the pits on a practice session and tell you the front end needs a couple of turns to tighten the front antiroll bar. A typical contemporary might mention "it feels a bit loose at the front". Although I never worked directly with him - because I didn't "do" F1 - I was at John Surtees factory a few times regarding tyre "stuff" and he was a great chap to speak with. Very precise when asking questions and super quick to understand what you were telling him. I could list many more "lesser" drivers in "my" area of responsibility (European Touring Cars) but these two always stand out in my mind when thinking about drivers.
People like Schumacher and Verstappen relied on frightening drivers out of their way once seen in the mirrors, forcing other drivers off the road is not a a skill it is the sign of an ars*hol*, if normal motorists did that they would be in prison!
I thought it was quite telling when the "rookie" George Russell stepped into the Mercedes of Hamilton who had covid and bettered Bottas's times easily in a practice session.
I agree about DRS, also I think racing would be more interesting with cars that were more dependant on driver skill than computers and downforce etc. More like the old days, I would let them keep the crash protection, but like to see a more interesting race. Maybe narrower harder tyres that had to last the full race?
Some of the Vintage racers you see are far more exciting to watch, often without even a small roll bar.
The old banger and Hot rod circuit near me in the early 70s showed drivers who were more serious about winning than todays F1 lot in my opinion.
Wasn't there a robot controlled car demonstration that could beat the human racers in the same equipment, showing that it is the technology more than the driver these days.
Older F1 way back when, was more about driver skill with no driver aids and they were far more likely to be killed then, so they tended to 'not all' to drive with respect knowing that one dodgy move someone could lose their life, they are in a safety bubble now, verstappen is pigheaded and frankly dangerous.People like Schumacher and Verstappen relied on frightening drivers out of their way once seen in the mirrors, forcing other drivers off the road is not a a skill it is the sign of an ars*hol*, if normal motorists did that they would be in prison!
I thought it was quite telling when the "rookie" George Russell stepped into the Mercedes of Hamilton who had covid and bettered Bottas's times easily in a practice session.
I agree about DRS, also I think racing would be more interesting with cars that were more dependant on driver skill than computers and downforce etc. More like the old days, I would let them keep the crash protection, but like to see a more interesting race. Maybe narrower harder tyres that had to last the full race?
Some of the Vintage racers you see are far more exciting to watch, often without even a small roll bar.
The old banger and Hot rod circuit near me in the early 70s showed drivers who were more serious about winning than todays F1 lot in my opinion.
Wasn't there a robot controlled car demonstration that could beat the human racers in the same equipment, showing that it is the technology more than the driver these days.
Arrogant is the word that springs to mind.
Fizzy now you are takingme back my first bike was a fsie dx in kenny roberts yellow with a micron on itAhh Castrol R wafting in the air … better than Bisto! These days I use semi synthetic Castrol red oil in my 3 stinkers, mainly because I can see it easily in the tank and oil pipes. Doesn’t smell nearly as good thoughHowever I have a small bottle of castor (don’t know the brand as I decanted it into a small bottle that I could tuck away in the side cover of my Fizzy) that I add a thimble amount to my 4-stroke lawn mower, smells amazing and the engine doesn’t mind
Mine was Baja with the speedblock on the tank and covers. Had an AP50 too before coming a cropper big time, shame as I loved that bike
My first were two 1955 Francis Barnett 197cc £7 and £9, though the first on the road was a Series 1 Lambretta 125cc for £25 I was robbed. Then a 600cc Matchless with sidecar for £10, most fun on TWO wheels a lot of the time.
My mate had an ap50 faster than my fizzy but the bike my other mate had a butt ugly mz simpson 50 left both our bikes for dust we had a right little gang going 2 fizzies 1 ap 1 mz 1 ar 50 1 mt50 and one lad had ty50 trial bike they were great days part from the rozzers giving us grief but we were all legal worked and weren't thieving gits, mind you we didn't 1/2 give them backchatMine was Baja with the speedblock on the tank and covers. Had an AP50 too before coming a cropper big time, shame as I loved that bike
oh those were the days fish chips on friday nights and chatting up the girls on our estate met my 1st proper girlfriend then the summer of 85 lots of fond memoriesI was lucky being older, the law allowed 250cc on two wheels no passengers or unlimited as a motorbike and sidecar with passengers on L plates no crash helmets, so I had a 600cc Matchless G11 Superclubman with a double adult side car body which soon fell off and left the sidecar bare frame and wheel, hence overtaking at 70mph plus on two wheels was quite common, great fun fo a 16 year old.My mate had an ap50 faster than my fizzy but the bike my other mate had a butt ugly mz simpson 50 left both our bikes for dust we had a right little gang going 2 fizzies 1 ap 1 mz 1 ar 50 1 mt50 and one lad had ty50 trial bike they were great days part from the rozzers giving us grief but we were all legal worked and weren't thieving gits, mind you we didn't 1/2 give them backchat
It was some years later that I borrowed a mates Honda Chaly? and took my test as I had just built a BSA 650 Road Rocket with A7 frame and Norton Road Holder Forks and high level twin megaphone exhausts, as I am weird it also had trials tyres and handlebars. I had rebuilt the engine and it went and sounded really good, the sort of exhaust that rattled the neighbours sash windows. Sadly I sold it to a guy who promised the deal would include the Yamah DT 250 (nearly new) and his basket case AJS 350 which I wanted to build into a trialer/mudplugger. Long story short he renaged on the AJS and the Yamah although it ran well was crap in comparison with the BSA.
I did later have a 1971 Triumph Trail Blazer with twin leading shoe front brakes and conical hubs, fitted with a BSA B40 350cc engine which became a good all rounder.
My uncle had a tiger cub and a bonneville 650 had a go on his bonnevill just after i passed my test when i had my rd 200I was lucky being older, the law allowed 250cc on two wheels no passengers or unlimited as a motorbike and sidecar with passengers on L plates no crash helmets, so I had a 600cc Matchless G11 Superclubman with a double adult side car body which soon fell off and left the sidecar bare frame and wheel, hence overtaking at 70mph plus on two wheels was quite common, great fun fo a 16 year old.
It was some years later that I borrowed a mates Honda Chaly? and took my test as I had just built a BSA 650 Road Rocket with A7 frame and Norton Road Holder Forks and high level twin megaphone exhausts, as I am weird it also had trials tyres and handlebars. I had rebuilt the engine and it went and sounded really good, the sort of exhaust that rattled the neighbours sash windows. Sadly I sold it to a guy who promised the deal would include the Yamah DT 250 (nearly new) and his basket case AJS 350 which I wanted to build into a trialer/mudplugger. Long story short he renaged on the AJS and the Yamah although it ran well was crap in comparison with the BSA.
I did later have a 1971 Triumph Trail Blazer with twin leading shoe front brakes and conical hubs, fitted with a BSA B40 350cc engine which became a good all rounder.
I did have a Tiger Cub I bought for £20 and we used to chuck it in the car and go over the moors with it on a Sunday,I never had a big Triumph only a Triumph Twenty One 3TA 350cc for £25,the fore runner of the Tiger 90?
Sadly I don't think I have sold many bikes or cars to think of it for a profit.
my mums side all had bikes, my great uncle was a dispatch rider in the war he was one of the last off the beach at dunkirk and was very traumatised by it, rode bikes and never owned a car he died before i was born, my mums dad had a velocette scotts squirrel and a vincent black shadow, coincidentally when i 1st got married and moved to yorkshire i worked next door to where the scotts squirrel was built 70 years before, i love bikes but the wife wont let me have another, if she would i quiet fancy a harley sportster simple to work on and sedate my love is big 2 strokes but i couldnt trust myself on an rd500lcI did have a Tiger Cub I bought for £20 and we used to chuck it in the car and go over the moors with it on a Sunday,I never had a big Triumph only a Triumph Twenty One 3TA 350cc for £25,the fore runner of the Tiger 90?
Sadly I don't think I have sold many bikes or cars to think of it for a profit.
Last edited:
I stopped riding after getting fed up with cars pulling out of side roads even though I had positioned myself clearly on the main road, unlike some "gutter riders". The fact my Norwich Union motor trade policy had just stopped including motorbikes so I would have had to insure individually may have been something to do with it also.my mums side all had bikes, my great uncle was a dispatch rider in the war he was one of the last off the beach at dunkirk and was very traumatised by it, rode bikes and never owned a car he died before i was born, my mums dad had a velocette scotts squirrel and a vincent black shadow, coincidentally when i 1st got married and moved to yorkshire i worked next door to where the scotts squirrel was built 70 years before, i love bikes but the wife wont let me have another, if she would i quiet fancy a harley sportster simple to work on and sedate my love is big 2 strokes but i couldnt trust myself on an rd500lc
Scott Squirrel was a quite advanced design and of course Vincent Black Shadow a lovely bike.
The only Harley I fancied was the XR750 racer, all the others were too bulky to me even the Sportster.
I saw some long track Harleys at a demo near us and the way they stormed away from our local short track speedway bikes was impressive. It was on a temporay long track at a horse racing place, so maybe our local bikes were not geared for it, also 500 against 750.
Scotts squirrel was the 1st water cooled 2 stroke twin from which my rd350lc evolved from 50 years later an old boy came in on one to where i worked when i had just left school very low revving bike but lovely nonetheless but to a spotty 16 year old it was a grandad bikeI stopped riding after getting fed up with cars pulling out of side roads even though I had positioned myself clearly on the main road, unlike some "gutter riders". The fact my Norwich Union motor trade policy had just stopped including motorbikes so I would have had to insure individually may have been something to do with it also.
Scott Squirrel was a quite advanced design and of course Vincent Black Shadow a lovely bike.
The only Harley I fancied was the XR750 racer, all the others were too bulky to me even the Sportster.
I saw some long track Harleys at a demo near us and the way they stormed away from our local short track speedway bikes was impressive. It was on a temporay long track at a horse racing place, so maybe our local bikes were not geared for it, also 500 against 750.
I am a fan of long stroke lower revving engines with lots of torque, the modern engines all are short stroke high revving which whilst it gives power it also shortens life and needs more gears to keep within the power band.Scotts squirrel was the 1st water cooled 2 stroke twin from which my rd350lc evolved from 50 years later an old boy came in on one to where i worked when i had just left school very low revving bike but lovely nonetheless but to a spotty 16 year old it was a grandad bike
The BSA Road Rocket I had could potter around town in fourth gear and then the same gear would take me to 100mph, something few modern engines will do.
OP
OP
I liked small capacity two strokes, I've previously admitted to having a multiplicity of various makes of Moped - Moped as in the old pedal assisted type, Mobylette, Raleigh, BSA, NSU and others - "Proper bikes" included James, Francis Barnett, several BSA Bantams of various capacities, one Triumph Cub, and an AJS 350 single pot - that was the biggest capacity bike I owned although I used to very occasionally borrow my pals 500 Triumph twin. I always fancied the Triumph 350 twin but never owned one. The AJS was a trials special and was a heavy old lump which, on it's knobbly tyres, was very easy to drop on wet roads. I found I much preferred the agility of the smaller lighter bikes even if I often couldn't keep up with my pals out on the open road. I've never owned one with the gearshift on the left, as they all are today. Tried a friends one day and found it very weird to drive. Now completely forbidden to ride any more by Mrs J who tells me that at my age I won't bounce any more, just break! She's probably right.
