It feels as though it’s time to introduce myself properly, having ‘lurked’ (as Musky put it) around the forum for over a cumulative day.
I’ve owned BSAs for quite some time, the first being a C15 while a ‘learner’ in the very early ‘70s (an SS80 from 1965, bought for £30 – which probably seemed a lot when petrol was about 33p a gallon). A little later I ran a 1971 American spec Lightning, the vibration from which is still a topic of my wife’s conversation whenever bikes are talked about. In those days I was at college in London and a member of the BSAOC, attending the South London and occasionally the East London meetings.
In 1976 I was made aware of what turned out to be an RGS for sale. It had caught fire but had a refurbished rolling chassis and gearbox (std), although the engine was still in bits in a tea chest. It became mine for £150. I tinkered a little over the next many years (going abroad didn’t speed up the process at all) and it wasn’t until 2006(!) that the bike finally went down the road under its own power – just. It could still do with more work and really sorting out (for which the information on this forum is invaluable). With the RGS came a B31 frame and swinging arm, bought by the previous owner because he didn’t believe the GA10 frame (no kink in the bottom tube) was correct.
As time moved on the Lightning had to go, replaced by a car, and while tinkering with the RGS I bought one or two stainless parts from a chap who was using an incomplete ’59 registered (’60 model) Super Rocket as his pattern source. Things can’t have been going too well for him because he responded to an offer for the bike, the DA10R engine of which I thought would be a good backup for the RGS. Well, you know how sad it is to break bikes and I slowly collected the missing bits to add to the A10 stock in the shed. The SR is the current ‘work in progress’, having really only started seriously this year, and very much in the strip down phase. Haven’t parts got expensive?
That’s two out of three – there’s another A10 in the family too. As a result of having two sons and a wish, in a year or two, to do a road trip together I began looking for another late A10. I looked at a few, including one ‘parts bin special’ on which a number of parts looked odd or didn’t quite fit – so no deal. However, looking along the line that particular dealer had in stock I spotted an RGS replica that someone had made a really good job of. It’s from 1957 according to the logbook but also has a DA10R engine and (as far as I know) needs no work at all. It was a bit more expensive than I’ve been used to but I couldn’t resist. I never thought I’d buy a replica!
Why bikes and especially BSA? I blame my mother’s brothers, who turned my head as a young teenager with tales of Gold Flashes, runs to the Kent coast, Johnson’s cafe on the A20, etc.
To finish, four photos – (1) the RGS (not quite standard) at the 2006 Pioneer Run (Epsom), (2) RGS when trailered to accommodation closer to the Goodwood Revival in 2006, (3) the SR in a state of some disassembly and (4) the replica RGS (a build standard to aspire to).
Wishing dry sunny days and clear roads to all… and keep posting those really good tips.
Thanks for looking,
Terry
