BSA

[oldironnow]

Allred wrote

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It was extremely confusing for a while back in the 1960's-early 1970's, the British bikes (and cars) had Whitworth,(BSW) and British Standard Fine (BSF).  Whitworth had a courser thread than BSF, but both wrenches would fit the same bolt/nut......even if they were marked as 1/16" different on the wrench! The Japanese came along and insisted on metric sizes. And then there was/is the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) wrenches (also known as AF) used in the US. So for a while you needed three sets of wrenches, BSF, SAE & Metric. Plus different tap and die sets, BSW, BSF, SAE, Metric, as well as British Association (BA) threads for bolts/screws smaller than 7/32. And I won't even mention British Standard Cycle (BSC), also simply known as "cycle thread", which had not only a fine thread but cut at 60 degrees instead of 55!

Today it is getting rare to find anything but metric on vehicles.


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Like a contrail across the sky, there's the tale of empire change in there. ^

[Allred]

FatFat, this is part 1 of 12 of a YouTube video covering the rebuilding of a 1967 BSA A65.  (links to the other 11 vids below)

May be some things of interest to you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt5yQPOC5VY&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mij_9aV37iE&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=31
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFxgu9LwDcE&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fSkSDz-81w&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTkDGFvc54M&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMUeka3n0e8&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3PdEDfyi8g&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C-ZWQl3jGA&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOCoJxrlhGk&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=29
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyVHQLIZ0fU&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWoS9mrLcUA

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[m143]

Allred rules!

Well done.

[Allred]

This thread is taking me back to memories of 1/2 a century ago!

A short vid of a fairly sweet sounding BSA A50 Royal Star.

I'm amazed at how many bikes in these sort of videos don't idle properly, and most of them have blued pipes too! A British twin should "potato-potato" like the best Harley, and blued pipes are just a sign of an engine running too hot which is due to a lean mixture and/or incorrect ignition timing......nothing else!

Back in the day a buddy of mine bought a brand new 1968 BSA 500 Royal Star, it was blue like the one in the above video, (but had the larger UK gas tank, and straight bars). Sadly he rode around a blind left-hand curve one Saturday with his girlfriend on the pillion to find a pickup truck pulling out of a "hidden" driveway. The girlfriend survived with hardly a scratch, he died at the scene. The bike was of course totaled.  


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[Allred]

Ton-Up Day at Jack's Hill Cafe............some beautiful machines there!


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[Fatfatboy]

Allred wrote

FatFat, this is part 1 of 11 of a YouTube video covering the rebuilding of a 1967 BSA A65.  (links to the other 10 vids below)

May be some things of interest to you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt5yQPOC5VY&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mij_9aV37iE&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=31
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFxgu9LwDcE&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fSkSDz-81w&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTkDGFvc54M&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMUeka3n0e8&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3PdEDfyi8g&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C-ZWQl3jGA&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOCoJxrlhGk&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=29
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyVHQLIZ0fU&list=RDCMUCcexUX0sijZDjVpopm7EAjg&index=16


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Thank you for this, Allred. Very much appreciated.
This weekend supposed to be bitter cold with some snow.
This may just fill the void.

[Allred]

Six 650 BSAs in the upcoming Mecum auction in 'Vegas, 3xA10s and 3xA65s, a Flash, two Super Rockets and three Lightnings.

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[Fatfatboy]

Whew,,, not a A50 in the bunch.
I’m safe. 😀

The prices always are on the high end and Mecum except old choppers not tied to a celeb.

[Allred]

This HD engined Goodman Cafe Special is being sold without reserve, I'm not sure whether it will fetch bookoo bucks, or go for next to nothing.

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[Fatfatboy]

Thats a good looking bike. I'd bid on it but would probably be one of the first ones out.
I find it hard to pay the prices the bikes go for at their auctions plus the fees.

As for what it fetches I guess that depends on who is there and the details of the bike.

[Allred]

Fatfatboy wrote

Thats a good looking bike. I'd bid on it but would probably be one of the first ones out.
I find it hard to pay the prices the bikes go for at their auctions plus the fees.

As for what it fetches I guess that depends on who is there and the details of the bike.

Yeah, the blurb says it is a stock 1990 HD 1200 Sportster motor, and the frame looks like a Norton Manx featherbed, or maybe a standard wideline featherbed (it's so difficult to tell, visually the difference is the angle of the arc of the rear downtubes, they are of a more gradual angle on a Manx, and a little more steep on a wideline)

Not sure what the forks are, brakes are Brembo, the wheels, tank and seat are "proprietary".

A "limited edition" 1 of 20, so it could be either very desirable, or, just another "special".

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[Allred]

Fatfatboy wrote

Whew,,, not a A50 in the bunch. I’m safe. 😀

The very first time I ever rode on a motorcycle was on a 500cc BSA A50. My eldest sister's boyfriend had recently sold his 350 MAC Velocette and bought a brand new 1963 A50 BSA. He took me for a ride on the pillion, and I was hooked..........line and sinker!  


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[Fatfatboy]

This lil’ bugar looks like a fun little scrambler.
It’s a 1960 C15s that popped up in my eBay notifications.
Of course I’d put some sort of light and taillight on it.




Whatchya know about these little machines?

[Allred]

Fatfatboy wrote

Whatchya know about these little machines?

To put it mildly, there are better things to spend your money on.


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[Fatfatboy]

That’s funny.

[Fatfatboy]

Saw this on a FB group. Good looking 57 Sunbeam.




“ In 1937 the Sunbeam motorcycle trademark was sold to Associated Motor Cycles Ltd (AMC) which continued to make Sunbeam bicycles and motorcycles until 1939. AMC's core business was the manufacture of Matchless and AJS motorcycles. Some years after it sold Sunbeam, AMC went on to own Norton, James and Francis-Barnett. In 1943 AMC sold the Sunbeam name to BSA and Sunbeam Cycles Limited was incorporated. Sunbeams were built not at BSA's main factory at Small Heath, Birmingham, but at another BSA factory in Redditch, Worcestershire. Three Sunbeam motorcycle models were produced from 1946 to 1956, inspired by BMW motorcycles supplied to the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. They were followed by two scooter models from 1959 to 1964."


I personally had no idea.

[m143]

[Allred]

Fatfatboy wrote

Saw this on a FB group. Good looking 57 Sunbeam.

I always liked the look of the S7/S8 Sunbeams, something about those large tires, the in-line engine, the shaft drive etc. Every one I ever saw was green.

As a kid one of my buddy's father had one, with a double adult sidecar. On rare occasions my buddy and I would be invited to jump into the sidecar, his dad would kick the Sunbeam to life, his wife would hop on the pillion, and we would motor off into the countryside in search of a grassy knoll for a picnic.

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[Allred]

The "Other" Sunbeam was the 250cc parallel twin Sunbeam scooter (and sister Triumph Tigress). 1959-1964

The scooter craze was big in Europe in the '50s and '60s and BSA/Triumph tried to get in on the act, but a little too late, and not reliable enough, or sleek looking enough to compete with the Italian Lambrettas and Vespas. Sales were slow and production was halted after only about 4 years.


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[Fatfatboy]

Allred wrote

Sales were slow and production was halted after only about 4 years.
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Sounds about the same as the Harley Topper. Ran it from 60-65 but not exactly a great seller.
I get a kick every time I ride my little Topper. Just small simple fun.

An old Italian scooter is something else I'd like to have in my stable. I don't really care for the new Vespa's styles. Their seats have funky ergo contours now. No flat pieces of wood with foam and vinyl. Seems the Chinese are the only ones making a real retro looking scooter.



A Sunbeam, sidecar, country roads and a picnic basket. Perfect!