I've just picked up a 1950 plunger A10 project bike. It's complete. It starts and it goes... but it does not like to stay alive without a lot of throttle. In any case, I bought the A10 primarily so that I can attach a sidecar to it so that my dog can join me for rides. In June, I am planning on riding the BSA A10 with sidecar from Malmö (Sweden) to Gwynedd (Wales) and want a motorcycle that I can rely on...or in the very least know intimately enough to perform minor repairs with no hassle.
So I've already taken the engine apart and refurbishing it. Despite my rookie mistake of trying to hammer out the crankshaft (instead of forking out the cash for the appropriate puller/extractor). I had some restoration experience with a top-to-bottom restoration of a '53 BSA B33 (
https://vimeo.com/176849493) and as well as a top-end rebuild of my '72 triumph trophy. I've also got a complete '69 A75R laying in boxes that I am very eager to get started on...but it seems good logic to go from one cylinder, to two cylinders and then hit the three cylinder rebuild
.
Back to the A10 though...It's a thorough rat bike and the idea is to spend as little money as possible to get it road worthy...without neglecting mechanical essentials like new bearings, bushes, pistons, etc. A thorough mechanical restoration of the engine and gearbox is what I'm after. Maybe will make it cosmetically more appealing sometime next year.
