[BH121869]

I still kick myself for selling this bike. I was sixteen and it was my first big bike. I got it used from a friend and rebuilt the engine, with my grandads help,and rode the heck out of it for two years. This was the day of magnetos and drum brakes and amal carbs, kick starting, and a seperate trans from the engine. I traded it in for a brand new 500cc Triumph. Back then 1965 the 500cc Triumph was winning at Daytona. The 1959 650cc BSA gave me some good memories and no bad ones.

 

[307T]

In 1973-75 I raced a BSA twin in AMA dirt track. It had a custom crank and rods and displaced 750cc. All of this was put into a Trackmaster racing frame and the bike weighed about 325 pounds dry and put out about 70HP. It blew up twice, both times one of the rods broke. The last time it did I sold it where it stood, with oil dripping out of the front of the holed case, for $350. Boy, I sure wish I had that bike back now.

 

[BH121869]

In 1973-75 I raced a BSA twin in AMA dirt track. It had a custom crank and rods and displaced 750cc. All of this was put into a Trackmaster racing frame and the bike weighed about 325 pounds dry and put out about 70HP. It blew up twice, both times one of the rods broke. The last time it did I sold it where it stood, with oil dripping out of the front of the holed case, for $350. Boy, I sure wish I had that bike back now.

Do you have any piks of it? Like to see them.

 

[307T]

Yeah, here's a couple. Both taken at Lodi Cycle Bowl (the old track). I sent you a PM about Sacramento. I think that was actually in 1975, not 1973. Oh well, too long ago to make a difference in any case.

 

[Guest]

Nice shots!

 

[iamgumby]

No bell bottoms?

 

[307T]

ROFL

 

[buellosaurusrex]

No bell bottoms?

Hey...watch it!

 

[BH121869]

307T

Thanks for the piks. I can still hear the BSA, great sound. Did you have a compression release on this one?

 

[307T]

Nope, never heard of a compression release on a four-stroke ('cept maybe a jake brake on a diesel). There was enough engine compression in that Beezer to bring you nearly to a stop when you backed out of the gas. You're absolutely right about the sound. I loved the noise those British twins made. My Bultaco's, on the other hand, were all set up with compression releases. Two strokes, after all, and you know about the sound THEY made. Ringgggg ding ding ding.

 

[BillTheCat]

Yea my hip hurts right now just thinking about kicking my 73 bigbore triumph

 

[gerryh01]

I have just finished the rebuild of my 59 A10 Golden Flash a couple of weeks ago and took it to a local BSA display where there must have been over 200 BSA's. Occasionally we were asked to start our bikes and mine got a lot of attention (would wake the neighbours of an early morning!!) Took me around three years of sweat and tears but well worth it in the end. I managed to get a twin carb' alloy head from the US and fitted that with a manifold and single amal 376 Monoblock carb'. Will probably try twin Monoblocks when I've run her in....can't wait. Also have a 65 BSA C15 250cc Trials Pastoral which I restored from a box of rusty bits about 10 years ago. Great little bike to ride but a bit slow in traffic. Just love riding the A10.