SF coming along

[mark]

Rear Guard from Vintage Steel in Western Australia and stays from Mike Reilly in Queensland.

[muskrat]

G'day Mark.
Looks great. Coming along very nicely.
Moved your post to here, gave your own thread.
Cheers

[MikPowl]

Hi, Mark, That's a brilliant job you're doing on your SF! Way ahead of my own project.  Can I ask, would the guy who made your rear 'guard stays be able to make a set for me? Would it be worth my while contacting him?  I have a bare steel 'guard made here, but the stays are a problem for me. Cheers, Mike

[mark]

Hi Mike, Mike Reilly can be contacted through mikesclassiccyclespares.com. I guess that it will depend on whether the guard that you have is the same profile as the one that Vintage Steel supplies which they say is made from an original guard, he supplied the stays, bridges and toolbox mounts which all fitted perfectly.

[mark]

Just got the guard and stays back from the plater

[MikPowl]

Thanks for that, Mark!  The 'guard should be the same shape. It was made by Autocycle Eng in Dudley who had taken over the old Speedwell business that built the original  'guards for BSA. The pattern was an nos original sent over from the US, so should be OK.  I'll contact MikesClassics.

[MikPowl]

A pic of my very sad and bodged about SF in 1981

[Joolstacho]

Such a handsome bike Mark,,, Beautiful!

[Beeza]

Great looking bike Mark, would love to see it at the ABR next year.

[Swarfcut]

 Mark's picture raises another conundrum concerning the suspension lugs.  By my reckoning they are the earlier type with sticky out grease nipples ready to grease a passing trouser leg. Later post '52 or thereabouts have them positioned to the rear. Compare with Mik's blurred detail and the two pictured by Beeza. Forgings and part number are the same, just the position of the nipple varies.

 So the conundrum is are these original fitting for this model  and year, or further evidence of a previous career at the hands of those who should have known better?

 Swarfy

[muskrat]

G'day Swarfy.
"sticky out grease nipples ready to grease a passing trouser leg."
  just call it water proofing.
Cheers

[MikPowl]

Sticky nipples, a popular though rarely raised topic.  I can confirm that the grease nipples on my SF face to the rear.  Also, I have a number of pics from the US of genuine US & Euro SF bikes in various states of repair. ALL these pics show the grease nipples facing to the rear.  I  have pics of two bikes that were built up from parts in the UK and don't claim to be fully genuine SF's. Both of these show the trouser-staining nipples. Make of this what you will! 

[bikerjohndavies]

I can also confirm that the suspension lugs grease nipples on my 53 SF stick out to the rear.

[MikPowl]

I suspect that BSA just used what was handy when assembing the bikes. If the bin for the newer part was empty and there were a couple of old-spec parts around, why not use them? - would be the logic. All makes for a more interesting world. My own is like that - a mix of '53 and '54 parts. 

[Rex]

Sounds about right and knowing BSA there's probably bikes produced with one of each type.
 I'm proud that my '51 ST has the (alleged) trouser stainers though.