A Fine pair!!!!!!!

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
Attached hopefully are some pics of my pair of A10's,
The last pic is of the 1961 Super Rocket as I got it in 1990,
The first three are when it was "finished" in 2002, it since has had UK spec handlebars and a larger section rear tyre fitted, by the way I must soon fit no4. rear tyre, I have been using Avon AM18's but these are now no longer available, so I will probably try the Avon roadriders???

The other two pics are of my recently aquired 1963 Rocket Gold Star, it has been off the road for around 20 years, so it requires a fair bit of attention, I am tempted to fit my spare magneto drain and clean out the sump and oil tank and see how it will run!!!!
I have no idea how it is inside mechanically, there is no shrapnel in the oil tank but I do not know if the crank sludge trap was ever looked at???
In due time I will strip it for a repainting of the frame and go through it all with a fine tooth comb!!
(I had better buy some lottery tickets in the meantime!!!!)

Regards to All
John O R

[ronnierockets]

HI john,the RGS looks like a nice project,looks like you got a great find there .
if it turns out as nice as your superrocket ,you'r going to have another bike for me to drool over when "Inchegeela" time comes round again.(B.T.W.a belated welcome to the forum)
best regards..Ronnierockets..

[chaterlea25]

Hi Ronnie,
Thanks for the welcome, I only found this forum when I was looking for RGS identifying "figaries"
You have me at a disadvantage as to putting a face to your name????
I meet so many people during the rallies, its hard to remember all the names (old age or Murphys?)

It has all the right stuff including the very important "birth certificate" from the BSA GS Club
I wrote a reply on the RGS id thread but there has been no responce to it?????
I am in doubt as to whether RGS's were the only models to have the staggered fins between the cylinders in front, I cant see why BSA would produce a special cylinder casting for whats basically an end of run model???
The cylinder on my Super Rocket  has the same fin pattern and it also has the 65-1571 head (this head did not come with the SR)
Regards
John

[ronnierockets]

Hi John,
thats going to one nice bike,did you buy it local,or "across the pond"??
cant help with the staggered fins issue,but i'm sure that someone on the forum may,
Re- the name to the face issue,drink some more "Murphys",or a drop of the quare stuff!! and think of a superrocket in Co. Laois...
By the way i missed the Inchageela rally this year, as I went to wales two weeks later, with the Leinster club, to the Welsh Irish rally.(hard to get to them all)
Best regards..Ronnierockets..

[trevinoz]

John, I agree with you on the barrel pattern. As I understand, the RGS engine is a standard Super Rocket unit.
My RGS doesn't have the barrel mentioned, nor have I ever seen one. I have owned the bike for about 39 years but it was a sorry looking thing when I first got it and had been blown and generally thrashed and knocked about. Why not? It was just another old A10 in those days and not desirable when you could get flashy A65s and Bonnies much newer and cheap.
The head you mention is not listed in any parts book that I have seen but I have two. It is probably the head with the modified intake ports mentioned somewhere in the sales literature. I cannot see any difference compared to the 1549 head.
Trev.

[RichardL]

Trev,

Claiming nowhere near your experience, nevertheless, I almost match you in duration of ownership at 36 years.

Richard L.

[trevinoz]

Richard,
            I have still got my first bike, a 1948 Royal Enfield Flying Flea which I bought in 1967 for three quid.
I also have my '55 Flash which I bought the next year and subsequently destroyed but I resurrected it a few years ago and it is currently the only A10 I have on the road.
Trev.

[chaterlea25]

HI Trevor,
This is what I have found/figured out, the 1571 head is a modified 1549, the last two cast numbers are ground off and 71 stamped, this denotes the "Big valve head" . the inlet was  opened up to 1 3/16in. (30mm) by the factory.
Externally it is visually the same as the earlier 1126 heads, I dont know why they changed the number from 1126 to 1549.
I bought the RGS locally, but it has been in Ireland for a long time, originally despatched to a dealer in Cornwall,
Does anyone know if the old Cornish registration records still exist?
On Having bikes a long time I have my Rudge since 77 and my Ariel HT5 since 79
Regards
John O R

[69Bonni]

Hi John ... Folks

What a pair! anyhow im very Glad to see your Surer Rocket doesnt have the cowled headlamp, in my mind that just didnt look "Right" yours looks absolutely fabulous mate!

I was going to reply to your RGS thread sorry i havnt so far but i didnt have the answers. As for your Pair! i'm drooling now, seems like everyone seems to be able to find an old RGS in a shed or buy one for 10 Quid but me.... I'm resigned to building a rep
Pity i didnt buy my Big brothers in 1970 when he flogged it for a Commando

Anyhow the pictures i posted a while back was one such bike it was let me say a Factory built bike, as in my view if you said an "Original" RGS it would probably be an Eddie Dow machine (that'll upset the rivet counting purists). It was virtually untouched in a shed since about 1970, and certified by the BSAOC. Pity its not mine! As the bike looked as "Original" as id ever seen pictures were taken as it was stripped.

This history of the staggered fins i have been trying to get to the bottom of, and i have only ever seen one other bike with them, maybe because i have never thought of looking before!

I have just looked at my Road Rocket basket case and i couldnt beleive it also has 1571 head, mind you its a basket case in the true sense of the word and i have 1,3/4 engines, 3 clutches obvious bits of Gold Flash and Road Rocket. The engine also has HHC stamped under the Engine numbers, which is the identifier of a Spitfire cam and High compression pistons, i have yet to check the engine properly it was allegedly rebuilt by the previous owner ... uummm i have seen some of those before, however the guy was an engineer.

It will be interesting if someone does have the answer to the staggered fins and the history of the 1571 head.

Maybe i should take a trip to Ireland and poke around in sheds over there 

Regards
Steve

[chaterlea25]

Hi Steve and all,
The 1571 head that is on my Super Rocket was given to me by a late friend of mine who had it as a spare for his SR,
After he had given it to me he spotted the number and retorted "Bloddy Hell thats an RGS head" where did that come from??
He had owned a 61 SR from 1962 till he died a few years ago, for most of this time it was his daily transport
He rode it hard and wore it out often!!!! but it was always very presentable appearance wise.

The RGS I bought cost quite a bit more than £10 but I still feel I got a good deal
It is I believe one of the last of them being despatched in July 1963
Did Eddy Dow continue to supply "RGS's" while or after BSA were making them??????

I must go and look at a couple more A10's around here and see which tpe of barrells are fitted

My brother has a 59 SR in original condition and that does not have the cowled headlamp!
I believe the "export" models had separate headlamps????

Does anyone know why or has anyone seen a tank like the one on my SR?
it has 4 tapped holes on the top, is this for a parcel grid like Triumphs or for a police radio?????

Regards
John O R

[trevinoz]

John,
            The 1549 head is a big valve type. Apparently the "big" inlet valves were fitted for the 1960 season thus the new head or new number. The 1571 is not exclusively RGS as we know.
The larger inlet port makes sense as explanation for the new part number. The 1 3/16" carby was fitted to export models, I believe.

Richard,
           Flattery will get you nowhere!
   
     Trev.