Hi

[icarus001]

I believe it is customary to introduce oneself, before I plunder the site for information 

I'm new to BSA's (and 50's bikes in general) but hopefully I will soon be the owner of an A7 plunger, with the new short stroke engine.
I have a garage full of 80's Yamaha two strokes, but I fancy something a little more British, and the plungers really caught my eye (and ear). I had a chat to a nice fella who hopefully will sell me his at some point over the next week or so.

I'm an engineer (allegedly), but a complete novice to some of the features of these bikes, such as manual advance/retard, so I expect a sore ankle at some point in the future. All my bikes have kick starts, but the 80's japanese ones tend not to fight back, as a relative youngster (44) it's not something I've ever had to worry about.

I'm from the north of Lancs, so I'm hoping to soon be pottering around the Trough of Bowland on a plunger, with an exhaust note to die for.

[RichardL]

Icky,

No offense intended with the name, but what choice have you left us?

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the excellent intro. 

Maybe you could narrow down your location a bit in case you are nearby a member who might be able to offer some help in person. On the other hand, it's possible that the bike you are looking at is owned by a member. There are nearly a thousand of us, with the UK being most represented (I believe). Other than the things you might see or check in your inspection of the bike, an important thing to consider is how long it has set since last in regular (or semi-regular) use. There's not a fixed number, but I would say that more than five years brings into question the sludge trap inside the crankshaft and whether, or not, it should be cleaned before heading too far out.

I looked up the Trough of Bowland and that is going to be a great ride. Be careful of riding too close to the sun up in those mountains. Maybe you've already been there on other bikes. I can tell you that I am green with envy over your having such a magnificent place to ride.

I'm sure you'll let us know when you get the bike, and we will be looking forward to those pictures.

Richard L. 

[Greybeard]

 
You shouldn't have any problem kick starting a standard A7. You just need to let it know who's the boss. Looking forward to seeing images of the bike.

[Black Sheep]

A plunger A7 - excellent choice. Which is why I still ride mine 40 years on and it has never let me down. Not so far away from you, Southern Scotland.

[duTch]

 Hola Icco (just an alternative for Ricco)

....but what choice have you left us?

  If it has manual advance maybe it's a Sport model (I'm not so clued up on A7's)

 

I'm from the north of Lancs,......

   All I can say is I'm glad this is in print, otherwise I think yea'd have tae say it four times for me   

  Happy riding

[muskrat]

G'day  icarus001, welcome to the Forum and thanks for the intro.
I've had my A7 plunger 36 years and she's still my favorite.
I'm a bit confused. I was just about to give you a flag and I noticed your IP address is UAE! Are you in GB or UAE?
Cheers

[a10 gf]

Thanks for the intro. Welcome aboard, looking forward to some pictures.

Be careful of riding too close to the sun

:O)

[duTch]

 

Quote from: RichardL on Today at 05:02:04

    Be careful of riding too close to the sun


:O)

 Yo- the BSA wings'll take care of that (not)

[bsa-bill]

Be careful of riding too close to the sun

OH I tried so hard and succeeded in avoiding that one

Welcome aboard

[RichardL]

Be careful of riding too close to the sun

OH I tried so hard and succeeded in avoiding that one

I'm weak.

[icarus001]

G'day  icarus001, welcome to the Forum and thanks for the intro.
I've had my A7 plunger 36 years and she's still my favorite.
I'm a bit confused. I was just about to give you a flag and I noticed your IP address is UAE! Are you in GB or UAE?
Cheers

Good question, I was saving that one until we knew each other a bit better...
I suppose it deserves an explanation though before you assume I'm up to no good.

I spend a fair bit of my time out in Dubai, I'm a technical bloke for a company that has a business out here, so I'm not back home anywhere near as much as I like. My house in the UK is in the Morecambe Bay area and over here in the UAE I live in Emirates Hills.
I'll be back in the UK for most of July, so my plan is (hopefully) to buy an old Brit bike to go with my old japanese bikes.

My bikes in the UK get an easy life and on average do about 100 miles a year each, for most of the year they live in vacuum bags in the garage - it's not my ideal choice, I'd rather ride them than have them tucked away, but the bills need paying so for now work comes first.
As a younger bloke I had time to ride but no money, whereas now I've got a bit more money but no time to ride

Bikes out here get a hard time with the sand and sun, so the bikes I had here got shipped home at the end of last year before they got too tired and worn out - the sun kills any rubber or plastic, the humidity kills the chrome and the sand kills the engine.

My curiosity with Brit bikes goes back a bit, my dad has a Tribsa he built in the 50's and some of my first memories are sitting on it as a kid. I'm hoping he's leaving it to me in his will, but he's in fine health, so for now I'll have to buy my own, although I'd actually prefer a pure-blood BSA and the A7 or A10 is favourite, although I'm told the A7 is the bestest bike BSA ever made, so I figure I'll start there - and it has to be a plunger (preferably with the 497cc engine) - just because I like them.

I'm fussy over my bikes because I rarely sell any, so if I buy something it has to be exactly right, because I'll probably keep it forever. The one I've seen is an original bike, original numbers, original reg number and lots of history, so it sounds just the job. I called the guy and had a chat, he's away over the weekend so I guess we'll catch up next week.

My criteria is that I would like a pre-1960 original bike, preferably one that stayed in the UK from birth, original engine/frame and reg number. And in good serviceable condition, I would like something that I can ride immediately, not necessarily concourse, but usable from the get go.

Hope that all makes sense 

[duTch]

Hope that all makes sense     

 Does to me  *wink....especially this bit;...

 

I would like something that I can ride immediately, not necessarily concourse, but usable from the get go.

 

[muskrat]

G'day icarus001.
There you go. Be the first member to have two flags, and not even have an A7 yet!
Cheers

[RichardL]

Well, if it has to be a plunger it's met the pre-1960 requirement.

Richard L.

[Topdad]

Welcome and I certainly hope you get  the A7 you're after .Not that far from you down the coast in Formby perhaps you'l visit the autojumble at Garstang sometime (every mth around the first weekend ) may see you there ,best of luck ,Bob