The BSA A7-A10 Forum
Bikes, Pictures, Stories & more => Introductions, Stories, Meetings & Pictures => Topic started by: snowbeard on 23.08. 2007 18:24
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- may as well introduce myself before I start asking questions about EVERYTHING! -
Hello, my name is snowbeard and I have just purchased two BSA's in various states of disrepair. Hello snowbeard, welcome to group. ;)
One is a 1972 A65 Lightning in really poor condition with few of it's parts...
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Shot at 2007-08-22
and the one I plan to really get going is a 1959 BSA A-10 Super Rocket! It's nearly complete, but needs some real work to get back on track. There seems to have been sometime when the engine got really hot because any rubber or plastic near it is melted terribly. I was afraid that the cylinder had gotten that hot, but someone just mentioned it might have been a carb fire, leaky float, etc etc...? any ideas or common occurances would be great to hear!?
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Shot at 2007-08-22
(https://www.a7a10.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg264.imageshack.us%2Fimg264%2F9146%2Frocketxa8.gif&hash=5cb168f8410d50de332a6207bf79256cedd8dba7)
Shot at 2007-08-22
I'd be happy to hear just about anything, good bad and ugly. I know very little about these older bikes, but that's why I bought it!! I'll start by being happy with running, and then continue on to the details of a restore if i can stand it!
My other bikes to date are Suzuki GS's, one an '81 GS650G with lots of changes, the other an '80 GS850L with even more changes. They're lots of fun to work on, but mostly in running condition at this point, so I thought I'd take on a challenge... *whistle*
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I know very little about these older bikes, but that's why I bought it!!
*smile*
Welcome, and thanks a lot for your great intro post (I hate do not like those who join the forum and do nothing at all, or make one post without giving a clue as to who, where or what they are and what they really want).
Some good down-to-earth guys here, ask about anything & I hope you get help and real world tips as needed.
Erling
adm
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Welcome to the forum,I like your super rocket and I agree with you to take on a challenge with the old bike.Have a nice day. *smile*
Jaran.
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Welcome, snowbeard. You don't say in what country you are located. I was riding a Suzuki GS650 at the time I restored my first A7. I found it didn't like starting in damp conditions so I often ended up taking the BSA instead. This got to the point that I was not using the GS so I sold it. The night after it went my beloved A7SS was stolen *cry*
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Hi, Snowbeard look,s like you have the makings of a nice bike there, This model has the best wheels & brakes (my opinion) of all the A10 models. If it was mine I would drain oil from engine /oil tank/ gearbox & primary & clean out filters & oil tank & re-fill, check for sparks/fuel etc & try to fire it up (unless you are going for a total strip down) If motor sounds good leave well alone & concentrate on cycle parts to get it rideable. As for fire at rear of cylinder head ! you need to fit a drip tray to carb manifold to keep any fuel from magneto below, Ive had my A10 catch alight there !! with the petrol tank above you need to extinguish the fire quickly .Hope you enjoy your A10, All the best Dave
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Welcome Snowbeard. Good-luck with the project. Once you get stuck-in and find you need any help - just ask ! There are some very clued-up guys here. When I put my Golden Flash together I had a lot of help and suggestions from the forum which is very much appreciated.
Regards
Unclemeat
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thanks for all the encouragement, I need it. nothing like throwing yourself to the wolves to learn a new trick.
I'm in the US, but please don't hold that against me, eh? ;)
fido, that's awful!! likely the guy who bought it or another looker, no? shame. My pop lost his late 70's triump 120 to some jerk who test rode it off into the sunset, never to be seen again!! *conf*
thanks for the startup advice, I do hope to just see how it runs before I even contemplate a full strip and build up.
Currently the case seems to have leaked a lot of it's oil out already, I hear these are drippy ones what with the vertically split cases, should I think about starting with a new gasket? do they make a really good reuseable one yet, like the realgaskets? or just get a clean pan and keep pouring it back in? (I'm kidding *eek*)
is the carb undertray a standard item, or was it an afterthought? just wondering if I should make it or find it...
Thanks again, I'm really looking forward to my wife starting her california stint at teaching this fall, I get three months home with only my job to distract me!! *work*
another question I have is about the cables, is there a kit out there to make your own yet? I have bright ideas already...
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There is usually a good selection of A10 spares on Ebay. Otherwise, get a few classic bike magazines and you will find the contact details for parts specialists. The drip tray is worth having as you don't want fuel going in the magneto *eek*:
Check out Ebay Item 290153798252
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Hi Snowbeard
I also have a 59 Super rocket. There are very simular. The best thing you can get is a Shop manuel and a Parts book. There are alot of good suppliers for A10 parts. Some are:
Walridge Motors
Baxter Cycle
Domiracer
Dragonfly
C and Ds Autos
All of these suppliers can be accessed on the internet. Another good website is Dan Boss' Super Rocket. The tank badges you want is the 3.5 inch Piled Arm badges. Did you check your frame numbers? The front forks, brakes, rear brake and wheel and swingarm set up are from a 54 - 55 Super Rocket. Here is a pic of my gem. I hope to start it this winter. Jeff(https://www.a7a10.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi30.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc341%2Fjfligg%2FDSC00332.jpg&hash=f4e8b4d305b501550396b3c7a8521e1da5bd481b)
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hey jeff, thanks for the parts names, looks like you've got some fun ahead yourself!
when you say "The front forks, brakes, rear brake and wheel and swingarm set up are from a 54 - 55 Super Rocket." do you mean mine? that might make some sense, in fact someone told me the wheels might even be from an ariel?
so I've determined that it was definitely a carb fire, the burns on everything around there are too clear to ignore. I pulled the carb apart a bit and the slide may even be warped, but I'm not sure... looking forward to lots of fun, eh!!
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All later A10s had full width hubs so the half width ones on Snowbeards bike are from the early swinging arm A10 which was introduced in 1954. I don't think there was such a bike as a 1954 Super Rocket but there was a Super Flash.
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Hi, Snowbeard as I said earlier you have the best brake & wheel combination far superior to later full width hub brakes even the Ariel type hubs which are a bit better.I have same brake on my plunger A10 & can make front tyre squeel at 60 MPH (fitted with ferodo green linings) I once pulled the valve core from the inner tube when testing the newly fitted linings. I also would check frame numbers just to confirm which year of bike you have , might be a (GA10 RGS FRAME) please let us know.. all the best Dave
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aha! that's nice to hear! so I could even be off on my year then, or just that someone upgraded to older parts?
I'll print off the instructions for finding all the numbers and look for them tonite. I guess I have no real reason to call it a 59, that's just what the guy who sold it to me said...
so in reference to draining the oil in everything, would there be a good flush to do as well? I'd really rather not have to split the cases, but I bet it's nasty in there... course I'd hate to dislodge anything into the running parts either...
any suggestions for oil? Is it anything special? on my suzi with the wet clutch I have to avoid the newer synthetics or risk the plates. anything like that on these?
and how about filtering it? what would I need for a filter?
and so the barrage begins... maybe I should start my thread in the technical forum now...
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D'oh! I did start my thread in the tech part, I'll ask these questions again there, thanks again!!
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Hi Snowbeard - vertical split cases don't have to leak, they are matched pairs ( with the engine out you can see numbers stamped on each case - numbers should be identical ), no gasket between them, there is a tapered flange - a VERY light smear of hylomer is all that's needed.
All the best - Bill
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Hi Snowbeard - vertical split cases don't have to leak,
Indeed, if nobody has butchered the flanges thay never leak. I have some impression that most leak problems comes from the chaincase.
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oh, good to hear! I haven't cleaned off what is leaking, so it's hard to say. it is the left side that get's the drops on the floor, makes sense it would be the chaincase.
G/F dave, I didn't realize when you told me these were the best wheels that you were also telling me they aren't stock on my bike, I was just happy they were good! ;)
My plan is to get it running first and foremost, then start picking on the details as I go.
thank goodness I can access this forum online, otherwise I might get some of the work I'm paid to do done?!?!! *computer*
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well Mister Moderator, I think I need another title change ;)
from all the sources I can find, namely the bsaoc identification list from Daniel Boss's link, and leespeedracing's spitfire history page, I have a 1957 (or 1958) Spitfire Scrambler, modified or not has yet to be determined.
The reason I wonder on the year is that the engine number is a lower serial than the 340 that the 1958 started with, only by a few tho, and it is in the 300's. so it makes me wonder if it was one of those in-betweener models, where they still had some 57 wheels and parts to use, but wanted to release it as the 58? or, hope of all hopes, it might be one they sent over early for some special rider/customer... *eek*
and someone was right when they said that A65 was a thunderbolt, it is A65T on the engine and frame, matching too! maybe that one's worth rebuilding as well, but we'll see at some other point.
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well I haven't been around on here much. but I wanted to share. Finally got thru most of the troubles, those which I've identified at least, and the bike is running great!! I've had it out a few days now and it just keeps running better and better.
just for a list of what the bike needed to run well, so far I've replaced, fixed, procured, added or made:
*new drive chain,
*new rear wheel bearings with modern sealed bearings,
*verified the rectifier is working, as is the generator, amazingly enough.
*new battery
*changed the handlebars,
*and the seat.
*fitted a pancake filter on it,
*and a fiber carb spacer to reduce heat transfer to the carb.
*replaced gaskets on the primary, timing cover, and tranny.
*replaced the kickstart ratchet and return spring,
*adjusted the valves,
*cleaned the oil delivery to the top end,
*tightened all the head and rocker box bolts to reduce the oil leaks from the rocker box
*soldered the screen back into the sump plate,
*and patched a hole in the oil tank filter screen.
*replaced the tail lamp lense and bulb,
*replaced the plug wires,
*replaced the oil line, fuel lines
*replaced the ewarts petcock, and what the heck ever that other hunk of water valve was bodged on the reserve side *lol* with some newer ones. not fully period correct, but clean and easy.
*patched the electrical wiring that was burned
*made a spacer clip ring to the kickstart to help keep the bushing inside the cover *roll*
*new footpeg rubbers and kickstart
"*cheap" repop badges
*made a cover for the tach drive, which I removed for now since I don't have a tach or a cable
*and added a drip tray of my own making
*polished and cleaned immensely, with still a long way to go.
*"sealed" up the leaky exhaust at the head, at least the badly leaking one...
*made up cables to run the clutch, the throttle, choke and front brakes using bicycle cable housing and cables. I need to replace that brake cable with standard issue, but the others are great, never had a smoother pulling throttle!
*the biggest one was replacing the magneto!! thanks to Don in CA, who generously set me up with an all original '54 K2F with a manual advance endplate and spark(for now *red*)!! after at least six attempts, one of which only served to show that I had a slack-line advance... *doh* got lucky and had a left handed lever, tho not the "long" lever, and procured a cable assembly
man, I've been wanting to see the laundry list for awhile now, that's a lot of fettling!!! but she pulls hard now, idles well (I think, I have no reference, but she idles) shifts cleanly, even stops pretty well, and I've had neither brake open.
here she is as she sits today!
(https://www.a7a10.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg402.imageshack.us%2Fimg402%2F1638%2F041405fi3.gif&hash=b5e3e5006a72856d3a76da3840976dd80a5e451a)
(https://www.a7a10.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg136.imageshack.us%2Fimg136%2F1565%2F041405lol9.gif&hash=8ef8a2716ee777bae65e572a832396a8405eeea2)
with the really tatty old bags I devised for it, they sling over and hold on with a wingnut clamp setup. the inside of the bolts is covered by 1" webbing so the heads don't scratch the fenders.
(https://www.a7a10.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg98.imageshack.us%2Fimg98%2F4387%2Fp1010075qz5.gif&hash=3e2360ff752f04d288ab10dc674c184bc91143ea)
well thanks for all the help and encouragement, I'm really happy to have met you all, and I doubt I'm really anywhere near done, with all that work, there's still plenty for me to ponder.
happy ridin!!!