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Author Topic: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"  (Read 1777 times)

Offline Rocket Racer

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1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« on: 12.01. 2017 02:59 »
Had some technical details scanning this and resizing (an unfamiliar mac) but appear to have sorted.
The road rocket road tests are only commonly referred to from '56 as the bikes all went to export markets so the british press and writers didnt get to play with them.
I splashed out and got this mag off flea bay
The example is a west coast one, with the small tank and no rocket emblem, but does have the 54 only underslung pilot light.
Good to see appropriate respect for machine shown: aka dirt track and scrambling  *whistle* 
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A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
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Offline Greybeard

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #1 on: 12.01. 2017 09:03 »
Great reading. Thanks.
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Greybeard (Neil)
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Offline muskrat

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #2 on: 12.01. 2017 19:11 »
G'day RR, thanks for posting that, very interesting.
"separate oil tank 7 pints" Costly oil changes!
Cheers
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'51 A7 plunger, '57 A7SS racer now a A10CR, '78 XT500, '83 CB1100F, 88 HD FXST, 2000 CBR929RR ex Honda Australia Superbike .
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Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #3 on: 12.01. 2017 20:49 »
I noted the mufflers are swept up compared to the drawing where they are level
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A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
New Zealand

Online trevinoz

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #4 on: 12.01. 2017 20:57 »
Upswept pipes are correct, same as the Flash.
I doubt that the oil tank was any different to the Flash, 7 pints?
Thanks, RR.
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Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #5 on: 12.01. 2017 23:11 »
I take no responsibility for any inaccuracies, not everything written down is a fact, although it sometimes seems like it.  ;)

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A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
New Zealand

Offline edboy

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #6 on: 12.01. 2017 23:39 »
funny you should mention upswept exhausts. i have been looking at any period photo available, such as this excellent article, and confirms that all the new pattern downpipes i have are made too short. shame the photos dont show the chaincase side as i bet , unlike mine, you could take the chaincase outer cover off with the lhs downpipe in situ. worth a new ranting thread?
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Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #7 on: 12.01. 2017 23:46 »
Perhaps on the unshown chaincase side, there's an auxiliary oil tank  *whistle*

Yes these old articles are gold, the actual bikes rather than the factories sales materials intended bikes.
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A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
New Zealand

Offline peter small

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #8 on: 13.01. 2017 12:43 »
Thanks very much for posting the article very interesting

Pete
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BSA ROAD ROCKET 650cc 1954
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Offline RichardL

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #9 on: 13.01. 2017 13:38 »
Great articla. I wish it had mentioned compression ratio (unless I missed it). I am pretty sure "separate oil tank" refers to the standard tank, as opposd to some bikes which had gas and oil in the same tank (with separate chambers, of course).

Richard L.
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Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #10 on: 15.01. 2017 03:37 »
perhaps the 7 pints is the 5 1/2 in the oil tank + the pint in the gearbox  + the 1/2 pint in the primary  *dunno*
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A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
New Zealand

Offline worntorn

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #11 on: 18.01. 2017 03:38 »
It's a US article so they are likely referring to the smaller US pints (473 MLS) rather than Imperial pints (568 MLS)

Glen
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Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: 1954 Road Rocket Road Test "Cycle"
« Reply #12 on: 22.11. 2017 03:10 »
Quote from: edboy on 12.01. 2017 23:39
funny you should mention upswept exhausts. i have been looking at any period photo available, such as this excellent article, and confirms that all the new pattern downpipes i have are made too short. shame the photos dont show the chaincase side as i bet , unlike mine, you could take the chaincase outer cover off with the lhs downpipe in situ. worth a new ranting thread?

picture of my original lh pipe from my '54 (the 128th built of around 500 made and exported in the 1st year). Yes room to remove the case without taking off
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A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
New Zealand
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