New convert from modern sportsbikes... with a few questions....

[spiralz]

 

Hi gents n ladies,

well i got bored of big fast japanese bikes, and one day had a friend come round for a cuppa on his a10. one quick blast later and i was hooked.
R1 traded in.... gone - now the happy owner of a 1956 a10 std (I think)



it's really in at the deep end for me but I just love riding the bike....
so some very basic questions as I set out on this journey into nice old bikes..... i mean the silly questions are the ones that aren't asked .... so I'm told

the bike had a rebuild 1000 miles ago, with various mods im not sure about;

SRM conversion to timing side. ??
road rocket camshaft (will this mean the clearances have changed from standard)
polished con rods
thick flange cylinder 58 type
HD valve springs
speedo rebuilt by joe shaw?
new primary chain
new endless chain
new clutch basket
35 amp fuse fitted to lighting circuit

this doesn't mean a great deal to a novice of my level.... be gentle plz

and also thanks very much in advance for any info given

1. what absolute essentials should i carry when out and about, tools or spares wise if any...?
2. how often to change and what type of oils
3. how often do i check the valves
4. where from a uk dealer is best to get cables from as a few are a bit ropey and i would like to replace them? any links plz
5. any things i should keep any eye out for?

i'll stop now 

regards, Jim
 

[Brian]

Hello Jim, welcome to the forum and to the world of old bikes. They are wonderful things and will open up a whole new side of motorcycling to you. They can be absolutely amazing when all is going well and very frustrating when they go wrong. A good A10 that is maintained will give you many thousands of trouble free riding.

Your A10 looks good and original. Most of the mods you listed are sensible and worthwhile.

Probably the most essential thing to carry is your mobile phone (plastic tool kit). I could list off a heap of tools you could carry but basically you need to be able to clean and adjust points, change spark plugs and clean out the carby. As time goes by you will work out what you need. Its no good carrying a ton of tools with you all the time and never needing them, better to carry the basics and resort to help if something serious happens. Obviously if you plan a big trip you may need to take a bit more.

Oils are a touchy subject here as everyone has a different opinion, personally I run modern multigrades and have never had a problem. The main thing is regular oil changes, every 1,000 miles is my recomendation. A oil filter is also a good thing to fit to your bike if it doesnt have one already.

The UK members will be able to advise you about what parts suppliers are in your area.

Enjoy your new bike.

[Goldy]

Hi Jim and welcome. For tools I carry 3/16 to 7/16 whit open end spanners plus the usual screwdriver, plug socket pair pliers roll insulation tape. As already stated if you do a search on the forum you will find loads about oils. You will also find the service sheets. Cables from JJ Cables Nr Warwick they make them as standard or to your requirements.
All the best happy riding and tinkering Goldy

[stu.andrews]

Hi spiralz

Welcome to the Forum!

You will get much help from other members on here. I do not want to start yet another oil thread on here, but I will say this:- try to find out if the sludge trap in the crankshaft has been cleaned out. I would imagine that SRM would have done it when the conversion was done. Ask them or the previous owner, as this tends to govern what oil you use. If it has been done then use modern motorcycle specific oils of 20/50 or similar & change the oil regularly. If the trap has not been done, then a low detergent monograde would be better & changed even more frequently! Others may come up with their own recommendations but this is my two & a half pence (6d) worth!
Looks a nice bike-enjoy it!

Regards

[muskrat]

 G'day Jim, welcome.
                            Nice bike mate, you'll love it.
Yours have the '56-'57 only Ariel type hubs with the inside nut type brake arms.
The SRM conversion replaces the timing side bush with a bearing and feeds the oil in the end. The cam would be a 356, I'd go 0.008" in, 0.010"ex.
Now you'll be able to ride and enjoy the scenery, and maybe keep your license longer.
Cheers

[KiwiGF]

Hello Jim, welcome nice looking bike and I hope my 56 looks like that one day, ref spares maybe a clutch cable, spark plug and bulbs and puncture repair kit.

[Topdad]

Hi Spiralz, and welcome to the forum, has already said the friendliest around and numerous knowledgeable people around who will help ,they also have a sense of humour which you'll find is essential  with old BSA'S .  
Sounds like you have a bike that someone has thrown some money at
The SRM conversion is done to the timing side main bearing which originally was a bush and of which horror stories were told !! Basically if you don't change the oil often enough the bush wears and oil pressure drops particularly to the drive side big end and BANG wrecked engine. The conversion is a combination needle roller and I think roller bearing which combined with some  replumbing of the oil feed helps to also increase the oiling to the everything ,I've had one for 9 yrs and no problems .
Camshaft is from one of the sporty versions of the a10 the road rocket which in turn was superseded by the super rocket and then finally the Rocket gold star . Again same has mine and pretty sure I use the same settings always a little on the loose side .
Thick flange barrells as against earlier thin flange which could crack with higher compression ratings.
Valve springs ,sorry not sure .
clutch seems all new , can't be bad is it 4 or 6 springs ? either work but I prefer the 4 springer.less fiddly.
endless chain rather than using a spring link as per bicycle tech which is more usual ( I think )
Re the fuse other more clued up members will help.
Spares :- mobile phone and breakdown on your Insurance
tools small adjustable and poss medium ,screw driver poss plug spanner.
Oil, normally 40 to 50 grade mono but others use basically anything working on the idea that even supermarket stuff is better than when these bikes were  new. Also you could consider an inline filter look in mags and then some here can help with fitting and other advice. You'll be surprised to find that other than a filter in the oiltank and one in the sump that is it in the filtration dept of your bike. really no more than strainers so in answer to how often really as often as poss certainly every 1000 to 2000 miles , if it leaks abit it can be a continuous process!!
re the dealers depends where based but Lightning spares ,CD and dragonfly, cake st classics and SRM are all good ,look in the  mags  classic bike ,real classic etc also consider joining the BSAOC another worthy body of men.
Finally get to know your bike ,they vibrate but you get to know the feel and if that changes take note . Always spend some time checking nuts and bolts for tightness and once started always check the oil is returning to the tank , after a short time the flow will change this ids due to the return side of the pump being bigger than the delivery and once the sump is cleared you get a little spurts but nothing back at all means STOP the engine and check
 watch your brakes and use the engine as well to slow, next get ready for a huge grin to appear whenever you look at your bike and enjoy it Bst wishes BobH  

[NickSR]

Hi
Welcome to the forum, lots of good advice given already, so enjoy the ride I find 50 mph fast enough with standard brakes.

Regards
Nick

[spiralz]

Gents

Thanks so much for all the tips, i know it certainly wont be all plain sailing but i suppose that's half the fun.

I think i'll change the oil straight off the bat, then i will be sure its been done.

did notice when tinkering that the head steady was not attached at the frame so i put a new steady kit on as the old one looked very worn n ropey.

also one plug was sooty and the other nice n brown so will investigate that too.

how often for gear oil changes?

Thanks again for all the advice.

[bsa-bill]

Hi Jim and welcome
 one sooty plug and one normal is a common situation, could be a few things - cam ring ramps in the magneto not true 180 apart, carb directing more mixture to one side than the other, rings on one side more worn than the other, plug leads  or even plugs.
I have a biased washer between the head and carb on my flash and it seemed to help although I can't get my head around why it should as even if the carb did direct more toone side it will still be he same air to fuel ratio, could be I'm over thinking the thing.
Anyway nice to have you on board

[RichardL]

Air downstream of carb will be at equal pressure throughout the intake  path, but fuel will be sprayed with directionality.

EDIT: Except, maybe, some variances in local air pressure due to uneven laminar flow, but not really the issue here.

[Rgs-Bill]

Hi Jim and welcome I really Like Draganfly in U K for parts , they do it right, they are friendly, and will supply lots of info.  I  received a 1962 Rocket Gold Star loose leaf binder with all of the service sheets BSA ever had issued, for nominal money. I also received through them,   A BSA MOTORCYCLE SPARES CATALOGUE  just for the A-10 650 cc  engine, but also includes some other models, but has all the blown up diagrams of how things go together, and all of the original BSA part numbers.  They have a secured on line order page with encrypted credit card number so no hacking.  They have a fella there name of Roger, who knows as much about these bikes as anyone I have ever met >>> rmg@draganfly.co.uk   
They have a great web site also, with all of the parts listed, they specialize in BSA and ARIEL.  They are well known and ship world wide at  www.draganfly.co.uk
  NOTE THE SPELLING OF  DRAGAN  normal spelling  (dragon)

[Hubie]

Welcome aboard mate,

No need to add any more than what has already been said.  It is very true that they are wonderful when going well, and a PITA when not.  But so far I have found that running well comprises about 95% of the time and when something does go wrong, start with the most simple explanation first, it's usually the answer to the problem!

Cheers and happy beezering!

Hubie.

[Rocket Racer]

Jim,
 welcome to the arcane world of old bikes!
I've always found modern bikes allow me to speed far too easily, so watching out for the speed police is less of an issue with old bikes.

Looks like an ideal first pommie bike.
Get an owners handbook (not necessarily the manual) which has the common maintenance tasks, oil changes, tappets, points, chain adjustment.

The forum can help with the harder stuff as can your local BSAOC reps. Owning a beesa isnt too difficult, only one carb and one set of points and no overhead cams or multi valves.

You didnt mention if it has a return oil filter, a common mod usually fitted in the toolbox. Not something to worry about but something to consider.

Many happy miles!

[bsa-bill]

Air downstream of carb will be at equal pressure throughout the intake  path, but fuel will be sprayed with .

Cheers Manosound - I get the drift (groan)

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