BSA

[Fatfatboy]

That sure is purduy. BSA has got have had produced the best looking fuel tanks.
I’m salivating.

I’ve not given up my desire of another BSA. I’m still hoping a 500 pops up near me. Seems all the ones I’ve found are in California for some reason.  

[Allred]

An interesting info video on the "Grey-Frame BSAs".......yet another faux pas by the Triumph/BSA/Norton folks.

The 750 Lightning at 3:40 does sound very sweet, nice exhaust note and lack of engine noises.



Mention is made at 11:00 of Karen Young, the model used to promote BSA products of the time, giving a name to the well known photo above.





Some bright designer at Triumph/BSA/Norton at the time decided to make the turn signal mechanism an "up-down" lever, instead of the usual "left-right" design. I guess they failed to realize that a "left-right" button is intuitive, whereas an "up-down" lever is definitely not!  Some riders interpreted "up" as right and "down" as left, others interpreted the exact opposite causing much mayhem on the road! Seriously, you couldn't make this up!!!

[Fatfatboy]

Notice the oil supply on the fork. I’ve never seen anything like it.

[Allred]

Fatfatboy wrote

Notice the oil supply on the fork. I’ve never seen anything like it.

I've never seen oil carried like that either!

The Gargoyle Mobiloil can in the picture looks to be a reproduction, but original examples fetch a lot of money so if you spot one in a garage sale for cheap snap it up!

[motogrady]

Allred wrote

Fatfatboy wrote

Notice the oil supply on the fork. I’ve never seen anything like it.

I've never seen oil carried like that either!

The Gargoyle Mobiloil can in the picture looks to be a reproduction, but original examples fetch a lot of money so if you spot one in a garage sale for cheap snap it up!

Heck, I've never seen a can like that.  The regular round steel cans, the short neck plastic cans, the tall neck offset cans, the cans with the clear stripe with ccs and ounces on the side, but never a steel can like that.  

In my business, we use vacuum pumps, they take an oil around the thickness of 20w.
The can there says Vacum Oil Company.  With a "D" stamp on it.  I'm guessing the "D"
is viscosity?  

[Allred]

motogrady wrote

 I'm guessing the "D" is viscosity?

Could be.................and notice how the quotes on the "D" are "upside down"/"backwards"

[Allred]

Check it out..........
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_Oil_Company

Vacuum Oil, then Standard Oil, then Exxon Oil

[motogrady]

Allred wrote

Check it out..........
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_Oil_Company

Vacuum Oil, then Standard Oil, then Exxon Oil

Jeepers.......  Espionage. Sabotage. Anti-trust suits. WW2 concentration camps and forced labor.

If you read the notes in that link, that's one hellova history.

 Effin guys played for keeps, that's for sure.

[oldironnow]

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[Allred]

Amazing the effort, design and cost that went into the tank badges on Brit bikes back then, whether they be of the plastic or metal variety. BSA's were particularly flamboyant and exotic, although the later, more simplistic example, as shown in the bottom picture, is probably indicative of the trouble they were in.

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[Fatfatboy]

[Allred]

https://www.visordown.com/news/new-bikes/bsa-motorcycles-reveals-new-gold-star-650-2022-preview-event

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[Fatfatboy]

Good looking bike, except the radiator. I guess I’m eventually going to have to except them.

No kickin on this one. Just an electric leg. I’m surprised they didn’t leave the kicker. I’m glad they kept the chrome tank.


Since the UK is their main target I wonder if they would do better if they made them in the Uk.

[Allred]

Fatfatboy wrote

Since the UK is their main target I wonder if they would do better if they made them in the Uk.

The first thing the British union workers would do is go on strike!!!!!  


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[Fatfatboy]

Allred wrote

The first thing the British union workers would do is go on strike!!!!!  


.

Good to see their unions still hold some power. They could build them here without an issue, except the whole wage/hour thing.
 
Even though I have many union carpenters working for me I'm not a full on pro-union guy. If not for unions people would be working for far less money and benefits but there is some issues with unions that give a bad taste in the mouth and I can see why folks are against them.


I wonder, would a British union worker buy one of these?

[Allred]

Fatfatboy wrote

Good to see their unions still hold some power. They could build them here without an issue, except the whole wage/hour thing. Even though I have many union carpenters working for me I'm not a full on pro-union guy. If not for unions people would be working for far less money and benefits but there is some issues with unions that give a bad taste in the mouth and I can see why folks are against them.I wonder, would a British union worker buy one of these?

Yes, unions can be a wonderful thing, if they are not permeated with underlying destructive political agenda. I'm afraid the British trade unions were completely impregnated with socialist politics with a main aim to further the political agenda rather than take care of their members, and were responsible for the destruction of many industries, steel, coal, railways, ship building, automobiles, motorcycles, etc. etc.

I was a (forced) member of the Associated Union of Engineering Workers (AUEW) To join, which I had to do in order to get the job, I had to admit to being an active member of the communist party, (which of course I wasn't) and 10% of my union dues went directly to the British communist party. The main objective of the union was to negotiate the highest rates of pay for the least work output, the emphasis being on the latter.

Of course the vast majority of union members are hard working, skilled artisans, but they are controlled and manipulated by the 10% of radical socialists.

Would a British union member buy one of the new BSAs?.......yes, maybe any one of the 90% of skilled artisans, but not any of the 10% radical socialists.

[Fatfatboy]

Allred wrote

Of course the vast majority of union members are hard working, skilled artisans, but they are controlled and manipulated by the 10% of radical socialists.

Sounds like the unions here.
I find it ironic that unions claim brotherhood while standing in their Chinese made work boots.

I know the unions are getting weaker, heck, they fight with each other so not all unions will stand for another. It used to be when a picket went up on a jobsite the job would shut down. Now they just make two gates. One for union trades and one for non-union trades. Then they work shoulder to shoulder for the most part. It's kinda funny.

Every now and then someone will be a little vindictive and mess with someone's work but it doesn't happen often. Especially since most big jobsites have camera's on site 24/7.

I'm not sure why they do it. It usually gets covered by the GC or insurance and the non-union subcontractor gets paid to do it again.

I do have to say that years ago as my business began to grow and I needed more manpower the best skilled workers I could find were in the unions. They typically care a bit more about their work and the longevity of it.
I do work for mostly union contractors because in the St. Louis area most jobsites are union but there is a few smaller contractors that are nonunion and you can tell the difference between not only the quality but also the safety.


But back to motorcycles, I read somewhere that Triumph only made 6.5% of their bikes in the UK.
I wonder how much truth there is to that.

[Allred]

Fatfatboy wrote

But back to motorcycles, I read somewhere that Triumph only made 6.5% of their bikes in the UK.I wonder how much truth there is to that.

I think you may have read somewhere that only 6.5% of Triumph motorcycles were "sold" in the UK, the remainder went for export, mainly to the US, but also to Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada, etc. etc.

I'm pretty sure that during the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s all Triumphs were made at the Coventry plant, later production was moved to Meriden, and in the much later years to Hinkley under the guise of Manganese Bronze Holdings, and left-wing government interference by the likes of Tony Benn.

The machines were now antiquated compared to the Japanese competition and without the money, knowledgeable management, and a cooperative work force the future was inevitable.

[Fatfatboy]

Real interesting information in the article in the link.

https://timeless2wheels.com/14015/triumph-thailand-made/

In reading it I learned quite a few things. One of the things that really caught me off guard in my rabbit hole digging is that the UK's population is around 67 million. The USA who has been around for less years has about 329 million.
Man we are some horney rabbits.


 

[grado]

Fatfatboy wrote

Real interesting information in the article in the link.

https://timeless2wheels.com/14015/triumph-thailand-made/

In reading it I learned quite a few things. One of the things that really caught me off guard in my rabbit hole digging is that the UK's population is around 67 million. The USA who has been around for less years has about 329 million.
Man we are some horney rabbits.

Lol!