The Lucas board

[Caretaker]

"I've had a Lucas pacemaker for years and have never experienced any prob...

http://www.hermit.cc/mania/tmc/articles/lucas.htm

(**edit** posted only because I found some of this collection quite funny. I personally keep all the Lucas stuff intact an original for my bike (6v, k2f, e3l, mcr2), and have enjoyed it's reliability over the years, just needed normal maintenance for normal wear from age & use ...and sudden failures).

edit: seems the website has moved. Anyone knowing of a new link, please post.

[muskrat]

If Lucas made guns, wars would not start either.
Luv it.Bit of a giggle before bed.
Thanks

[Flatboy 1950]

Many years ago , I spoke to a guy called Ivan Phillips (I think !) who was the Lucas Agent for Kenya.
He explained how Rolls Royce might call the factory & order ignition condersors & offer to pay 20 pounds each and get the best condensor on earth ...... BSA would phone up to order10,000 condersors & state that they should cost 4 for a penny !!!!
So ... you get what you pay for ... well that is one story ....

Cheers , Flatboy.

[alanp]

"I've had a Lucas pacemaker for years and have never experienced any prob...

http://www.hermit.cc/mania/tmc/articles/lucas.htm

In defence of Lucas......
Talking about pacemakers my daughter used to be an accountant for a pacemaker company in Switzerland, but if that company had made bike electrics and replaced Lucas on our old bikes, the dynamos would have cost more than the bikes, and we would all be push bike enthusiasts today.
I'm not a fan of Lucas but we have to remember that we were as poor as church mice in those days and they had to make stuff that we could afford. Any company could make electrical kit that works well and last eons but to make it for pennies, that's a whole lot more difficult.
Thank you Mr Lucas, we're still pounding along the A38 at night with your kit that's over 50 years old, but it now has to generate 12V, run indicators and sustained high speeds/vibration which were unheard of in the old days.
Alan   

[bsa-bill]

Well said Alan

but to make it for pennies, that's a whole lot more difficult

As we all know after we've bought some the stuff from China, India ........................

[BSA_54A10]

While we like to poke fun at poor old Joesph we seem to ignore just ow poor modern replacements are.
I run L300's in my courier business and have done so for 30 years, average life of a starter motor is 4 years, alternator 5 years blinker switch 6 years light switch 6 years wipers 9 years.
And none of these items are repairable except the starters if you care to make or modify replacement parts as they are not available.
Yet riders who never so much as oiled their cam ring spew when their 70 year old magneto finally packs it in . We compare modern high pressure halogen headlamp to 70 year old tungstens and call the original items junk, not really apples with apples is it ?

Bung a modern solid state regulator on your 70 year old dynamo and it will probably run another 70 years even though for the last 10 the commutator has been running on the brass springs as the carbon brushes wore out 15 year ago. No one ever bother to do routine maintenance on them they goes biserk if they fail. And maintenance is not really difficult, touch of steel wool on switch contacts followed by some contact grease once every 5 years is not a big ask is it ? A soft rag down the pick up hole to remove carbon dust, not hard, not rocket science.
No one in their right mind would still be running 50 year old wiring in their houses but we expect wires exposed to heat, petrolium solvents, dirt , vibrations & water to carry on like brand new

I do still enjoy a Lucas joke but to me most of the humour is in the irony.

[andy]

this always makes me giggle
http://www.mez.co.uk/lucas.html
as does this one about haynes
http://www.mez.co.uk/haynes.html

[duTch]

I did a search for something and came across this old thread.....

From Andys' links, I liked these bits in particular.....
" Lucas vacuum cleaners. It was the only product they offered which did not suck.

and
   A:   It sort of worked in my Datsun 410 Station Wagon, but the lights all shined in instead of out. It was quite disturbing..."

 Now have to remember what I needed...!!

[Triton Thrasher]

Don't get offended anyone. The jokes aren't really about pre-1960 equipment, in a pre-1960 context.


I think most of the  humour is derived from 1960s and 1970s British exports. Land Rovers and MGs feature a lot.

[morris]

I think most of the  humour is derived from 1960s and 1970s British exports. Land Rovers and MGs feature a lot.

Quite right. BL made a real mess of it. Remember a mate who bought a brand new Morris Marina, which already showed rust bubbles when it got delivered...

[a10gf]

  Had a Morris Marina for a short while. Lost a wheel once, no the bolts, end of shaft ripped it's threads, so the wheel incl. brakedrum etc fell off while driving (at low speed, thankfully!). Later the front seat back fractured, I ended up laying in the back seat. And much more... lol. The concept was good, but the manufacturing a disaster. Got rid of it, exchanged it for a VW Beetle.

and love the fuse replacement posted above ( http://www.mez.co.uk/lucas.html ) lol++

[Derby Rob]

that haynes one had me crying with laughter.....maybe because its so true

[Brian]

We all make jokes about Lucas, including me, but Trevor is right. With some basic maintenance they will perform perfectly and give years of trouble free service.

It always amazes me to read that someone has just spent £2,500 or similar on a engine rebuild by SRM or someone else and then have trouble getting it to run properly because they put their 60 year old magneto back on.

When it comes to old bikes the magneto is the single most important item on the bike. I always look at it like this...

If the engine is worn it might use oil, blow smoke, rattle etc, but it will run and get you home.
If the carby is worn it might run rich, or lean, not idle properly etc, but it will run and get you home.
If the magneto is had it then it wont run and you will have to walk home.

I had a magneto fail on me about 20 years ago, the coil melted and glued itself inside the body, since then I have always reconditioned the magneto as soon as I get the bike. Even if the bike comes with receipts saying the magneto has just been done I still get it rewound with a new condensor.

A good example of that was when I bought my '55 B33 a couple of years ago. It came with receipts for a magneto overhaul including receipts for a new condensor. I pulled the magneto apart and the coil was like a sponge, soft and starting to fall apart. Whoever had "overhauled" the magneto had replaced the condensor but thats all, the rest was shot.

Which brings me to my next point, when you do get your magneto reconditioned send it to someone with a good reputation who guarantees their work. Do not give it to your "mate" who has a "friend" who "does up" magneto's.

Sorry for the rant but I get sick of seeing people at rallies pushing bikes up and down the road to get them going when you know that with a good magneto they will start easily. All my bikes have good magneto's on them and they all start first or second kick hot cold or anywhere in between.

[Triton Thrasher]

You're right Brian.

Always assume that any magneto you buy needs a rewind and budget for it.