The BSA A7-A10 Forum

Bikes, Pictures, Stories & more => Introductions, Stories, Meetings & Pictures => Topic started by: Heiko on 01.01. 2025 18:37

Title: New member from Germany
Post by: Heiko on 01.01. 2025 18:37
Hello,

my name is Heiko and i live in Hattingen/Ruhr in Germany.

My BSA story started this way in 2024:

Saturday, October 26th, 2024, 12:50 p.m. the phone rings while the new apartment is being renovated, the call lasts 6 minutes:

Hi, Ute here, (a good friend of mine, lives in Newcastle) I'm standing with Calvin in the old motorcycle workshop of his recently deceased friend... everything has to go here now.

What is everything?

Among other things, BSA A10...

Oh no, moving, be a little careful with the money at the moment, also BSA A10...

It's a bargain...!!!

Yes, yes... How much is the bargain?

Wait a minute.... Tütütü... 500 GBP

Args... pain when thinking...

What the hell... Come on, push the BSA into the transporter.

Half an hour later another call:

Heiko, there is a problem with the BSA...

And...? (I was kind of happy that the deal fell through after all)

He now only wants 350GBP...

... and now I own an A 10.

My other bikes are:

BMW R 26, Ariel VH and Norton Model 50. Also an MG Midget and a MGB GT.


Heiko

Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: muskrat on 01.01. 2025 19:02
G'day Heiko  *welcome*
That sounds like a steal Thomas Wolf would be proud of  *lol*
What year and model is the A10? Pictures would be great.
Cheers
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Heiko on 01.01. 2025 19:04
Hi,

it is a 1954 Plunger.
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: muskrat on 01.01. 2025 19:15
Wow, let the fun begin. You could sell that ugly fairing to finance other bits.
Cheers
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: a10 gf on 01.01. 2025 20:42
Thanks for great intro, welcome aboard.
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: ringding on 01.01. 2025 21:12
Welcome! You have awesome negotiating skills!
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: sean on 02.01. 2025 00:01
welcome from Canada and a happy New Year
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Heiko on 02.01. 2025 06:05
Morning,

Many thanks for this warm welcome.
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Black Sheep on 02.01. 2025 06:51
Don't throw away the screen! It may be hideous but it is surprisingly effective. I put mine on in the autumn and remove it in the spring.
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Bsareg on 02.01. 2025 10:03
I took mine off the A10 and fitted it to the C11. Got me back and forth to work throughout that bad winter of 62/63.
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Swarfcut on 02.01. 2025 10:12
 Welcome along.  There are a few bits missing, ask if there is a battery carrier and oil tank among the workshop hoard. The exhaust pipes and gear lever are also absent, but these are far easier to find than the air filter/battery carrier assembly. Has a later PRV fitted, so my guess is that this bike has had a far amount of care, tax disc shows it was on the road more recently than many others, and is built to ride.

 Need to find out if it was being dismantled or built up...look at those rocker cover bolts.

 Swarfy.

 PS. Makes a change to start the Year with some Good News...
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Heiko on 02.01. 2025 12:52
The Former owner started a refurbishing of the engine before he died.

A few parts are missing as you pointed out but those things has been still organized by my friend in Newcastle… and yes, the battery carrier is still missing as I know.  *conf*

Let’s wait and see when the bike arrives at my garage.  *smile*
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: RogerSB on 02.01. 2025 15:02
Hi and welcome Heikol. A once in a lifetime bargain - lucky you *smile*

Fairings like most are an individual choice, but in the cold and wet they're really great. Up until recently I was a summer and winter rider on my A10 and if I could have found a good handlebar fairing I would have definitely fitted it for our nasty UK winter months.

In the 1980s I fitted a Pantera full fairing to my Honda CX500, big but I loved it!

Rog.
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Worty on 02.01. 2025 15:51
£350 - wow, and I thought I did well for £900 (was complete though and without the Pinocchio fairing).  Well done mate and welcome to the Forum!  With the advice on these pages, it won't be long before it's back on the road (provided you've got plenty of DMs - sorry Euros).
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Heiko on 02.01. 2025 15:58
I think the fairing is damn ugly, but it is very practical in bad weather... but don't worry, I'll dismantle the fairing and store it. On the other hand, I already have someone interested in it.

Plenty of Euros…  *smiley4* i have saved a lot money while buying this bike so that i can invest a few Euros.
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: jelo68 on 16.01. 2025 11:38
Moin Heiko,
Herzlich willkommen in diesem tollen Forum.
Ich habe noch einen BatterieTräger allerdings von einer LongstrokeA7.
Wenn du Interesse hast lass es mich wissen.Da ist die Öffnung für das Gummi zum Vergaser rund und nicht oval.
Kann dir gerne Bilder schicken.
Gruß Jens
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Bsareg on 16.01. 2025 13:55
Couldn't have put it better.😂
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Topdad on 16.01. 2025 14:03
I'm with Black sheep and others on this that fairing works ,I did 3 long distance rides one liverpool Ramsgate  ***** down from start to arriving and frequently to london  always rained fiar to say I'd have turned around many times without it !
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Heiko on 16.01. 2025 14:54
Hallo Jens,

danke, melde mich bei Dir.   *smile*
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Heiko on 14.03. 2025 19:50
Good evening,

arrived today…
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Joolstacho on 14.03. 2025 22:59
She's gonna be a beauty Heiko, looks complete and original, good score mate (and pretty cool price too!).
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Heiko on 15.03. 2025 04:55
Good morning,

Thanks… One part is missing: The battery carrier  *conf* …will be hard to find one, but maybe the German britbikeforum can help me.
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Swarfcut on 15.03. 2025 09:08
    Battery carrier and air filter assembly are rare these days, a temporary construction for now will do until one turns up. Bike will run without a battery if the magneto is  being retained for ignition.

   Longstroke type carrier fits the frame but rubber connection to the carb is different, as is the position, size and shape of the hole, all explained by Jens. I notice the bike has a later front mudguard and the later wide fin barrel and cylinder head, so worth checking frame and engine numbers for actual model year. You may find inside the motor is more good news as regards later parts.

 Footrests are a plain taper fitting, left side mounting is a left hand thread, so needs correct stud into the frame, along with the correct L/H thread retaining nut. Lucky fella, you have it.

 With siamese exhaust pipe it could have been a sidecar bike, with a lower top speed. Count the teeth on the rear sprocket. 49 for sidecar, but 42 teeth used on solo bikes.

 Swarfy
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Joolstacho on 15.03. 2025 09:27
Heiko, I have an air filter assembly you can have, but we'd need to know if it's right for your bike.
Have you got the air filter? Maybe it's just the battery carrier you need?
Does anyone know if the air filters are the same across swing arm bikes and Heiko's bike?
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Swarfcut on 15.03. 2025 09:41
 Jules, the carrier assembly used on S/A bikes is completely different.

    Plunger assembly is a battery platform backed with the filter box which fits neatly in the gap between the frame tube and rear mudguard. Filter is a corrugated felt element shaped to fit, on a metal backing plate.  This is retained by three or (later models) four screws. Whole thing has to come off to clean the filter, so often neglected if you are lucky to find one.

 Swarfy.
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Worty on 15.03. 2025 11:37
Good evening,

arrived today…

Schönes Fahrrad, gut gemacht!
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: RichardL on 16.03. 2025 01:49
Obviously, an incredible bargain. Congrats. Doesn’t mean you won’t put several times that in it getting it just like you want it. On the other hand, it does have a lot of survivor qualities to it that could be left alone for originality, which may save a lot of money spent on beautification. One thing worth noting, it looks like it has the original chronometric speedo, which, alone, may be worth three times what you paid for the whole bike.

Richard L.

Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: RichardL on 16.03. 2025 05:32
Oh and by the way, not saying it’s not beautiful now. *smile*
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Heiko on 16.03. 2025 07:47
Good morning,

@Swarfy:

Yes, a sidecar was fitted and also the frame and the engine number matches for a 1954 model.

I don‘t want to built a show bike. Just fixing the technical things, also electric wiring and changing a few loveless fitted nuts and bolts.

Thank‘s for your input.


Heiko
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Swarfcut on 16.03. 2025 09:22
 Nuts and bolts....BSA used Whitworth and British Cycle Thread so unless you already have them, a couple of Whitworth Spanners will make life easier. Non of your metric stuff will fit.  Use the nut and bolt chart in the Forum Literature section to identify the nuts and bolts, along with a  Draganfly's online catalogues.  A modern reprint of a  Parts Book for your model is also worth getting.

 Try this link

    https://draganfly.co.uk/product-category/bsa/sparesparts-for-bsa-a710-b3133-c101112-m202133/

  Swarfy.
Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Heiko on 16.03. 2025 09:30
Hi Swarfy,

Yes… I know that my metric stuff will not fit.  *smile* I also own a 1953 Ariel VH and a 1956 Norton M 50 so tools and experience is already available in my workshop.  ;) Did I tell ya that I also have a Midget and a B GT?  ;) My only German bike is a BMW R26… my first one since nearly 30 years. Also ordered a few parts from Drags today.

Used loveless with the meaning „without love“… one of the former owners used bolts in every dimension doesn’t matter how it looks like.


Heiko

Title: Re: New member from Germany
Post by: Worty on 18.03. 2025 10:00
Tell you what though, with the Kwaka, it's so nice to go to my stocks and pick out a metric that'll fit straightaway - no Whitworth/BsCy to think about and with all the spanners and sockets to suit. *smile*

One of these days, I'll have a spanner board with all the Imperial spanners I need for the bike with a list of what they'll fit underneath - Autumn job I reckon. *good3*