12-17-2011, 03:17 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
Posts: 14,761
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A few pics of the BSA to share.
I just spent 20 minutes typing and posting and hit the wrong button and lost everything so this is abbreviated in my frustration.
I wanted to share ssome of the interesting quirks about an antique British Bike with you all. I rode the BSA to work today and in freezing weather it started first kick. Also first kick to come home. With a Honda or even a CB that's not news but on a 44 year old British Bike that's a Big Deal. Pretty girl. Manual decompression release. The bike with its large high compression single would be impossible to kick without this. The recently fitted electronic ignition that is largely responsible for the first kick starts. Regulator intellegently mounted out in the cooling airstream. Left sided rear brake. Inconvienently mounted ignition switch. Mechanical brake light switch only fitted to the rear brake. Rear brake mounted inside the sprocket. The bike is named Victor Special because of back to back victories in the World Offroad Racing Championships in 64 and 65. Grease zerks for brake cams. Add a drop too much grease and the brakes are ruined. Great idea. I took them apart and carefully greased them by hand. Factory fitted warning decal on crooked for the past 44 years. Compression lever. The switches for the headlight on/off and the highbeam 'dipper' are on the headlight bucket itself as is the indicator light. Adjustable friction device on the throttle. I don't use this. Silentblock bushings. Sealed in rubber and can't be serviced, only replaced with great effort and expense. Speedo drive off the rear wheel. Dry sump oil tank. Right sided shifter lever. One down three up. The bike has a WONDERFUL transmission. Smooth and percise and with good ratio choices.
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12-17-2011, 03:22 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
Posts: 14,761
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Amal carb. Prone to failure in numerous and expensive ways. This one is new and works well. No choke, You start it with a tickler to hold the float down and deliberatly flood it. The headpipe is held in with no bolts or gasket. The odd fuel valve. Two levers. One is on'off for the reserve tank, the other for the main. It works well. Pretty girl.
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12-17-2011, 04:26 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Sardis, BC, Canada
Posts: 25,977
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Thanks for the tour; I wasn't familiar with all the oddities (to me, anyway). The subtext in your decompression photo was the rounded Wentworth fastener.
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Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer |
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12-17-2011, 07:43 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
Posts: 14,761
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Most of the nuts and bolts on this bike are damaged due to the fact no one has a $#@%ing wrench to fit them!
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12-18-2011, 11:48 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Posts: 4,880
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Thanks for sharing
You rode it to work in freezing weather? Not worried about ice? What about salt or the de-icing chemical on the road, getting all over the bike?
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12-18-2011, 04:52 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
Posts: 14,761
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I was a little worried. It was not a smart ride. I prayed for my safety.
We don't use salt on the roads here. 30 year old beat up cars and trucks even are rust free. I rode the BSA again today. Mid 30's but no fog. It was the last ride of the season. I winterized it and it's snug and dry in the barn with the other collector vehicles, the GS750 and Little Sweetie.
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12-19-2011, 10:00 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Idaho
Posts: 25,054
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Quote:
Spud
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Spud "Never argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level, and beat you with experience." Mark Twain 2015 Zongshen ZS250GY-3 (RX3) 2006 Zongshen ZS200GY-2 (Sierra 200) 2005 Honda XR650L 2004 Honda CRF250X 1998 Kawasaki KDX220 Mods made to my Zongshen ZS200GY-2: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=6894 |
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