Owner’s Club of Owner’s Club of Owner’s Club of

March 2013

Established 1978

Southern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaSouthern California

The Model G Revisited, 25,000 Miles on a

BSA, by Ashley Blair NZ BSAOC

Monthly Journal

The Piled Arms is a publication of The BSA

Owner’s Club of Southern California.

We are a member driven publication and rely

solely on your participation. Technical articles,

photos and “Member Experiences” and opinions

are essential

Burt Barrett (661) 832-6109…..…….….…………....President

Steve Ortiz (951) 245-5287………….Membership/Secretary

Barry Sulkin (310) 569-1383……….Web Master / Treasurer

Barbara Barrett (661) 832-6109……………..Events/Director

Clive Brooks (714) 771-2534……Piled Arms Editor/Director

Craig Rich (562) 868-9389 ……….………………….….Director

Jody Nicholas (714) 730-9257...….……………….…...Director

Piled Arms Production Staff

Clive Brooks (714) 771-2534…clive54bsa@aol.com....Editor; Contributing Members and Named Sources

The Piled Arms, 820 South Esplanade St. Orange, Ca. 92869

Please submit your articles by E-Mail or direct mail.

Deadline for submissions is the 10th of each month.

Members may place Non Commercial “4-Sale” or “Want” Ads in the Piled Arms Free for 90 days, without renewal.

Contact Editor for “Commercial Ad” rates and information.

Librarian….John Gardner….310-920-3393

BSAOCSC Regalia… Randy Ressell….714-448-1179

BSA Owner’s Club Web Site www.bsaocsc.org

Front Cover Photo submitted by ; Ashley Blair Rear cover; Steve Ortiz

Meet Our Directors

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President’s Page ——--by Burt Barrett——-

Members please be aware that sometime in the next few months

we will be publishing our current Membership Roster, containing

your name, address, phone # and email address. If there is any

info that you DON’T want published please , call or email me .

Editor

Continuing my 1971, A65 Thunderbolt project, from last

month’s PA, I’m still having issues with the OIF BSA bitza

bike. I solved the head issue by welding a pad on the valve

cover and taping two holes in it to bolt the head steady to. I

also had to bend the head steady slightly.

The next problem to tackle was the clutch. I had a new

clutch cable, which proved difficult to fit. When I got it in

place, the lifting mechanism made a loud clacking sound, pro-

duced when two of the ball bearings slipped back into their

recesses. I adjusted the clutch several times, and measured the

push rod, which didn’t help at all. After looking at the con-

nection inside the outer cover, it appeared that the outer clutch cable was too long.

This meant the mechanism was rotated too much before lifting the clutch, causing the

ball bearings to slip. I readjusted the cable and the push rod. The inner cable was still

not long enough to fit it in the inner cover, and then fit it in the handlebar lever. So I

just removed the screw from the handlebar lever and fit it in that manner. The inner

cable is still too short (or the outer cable is too long), but the clacking noise stopped,

and lifts the clutch properly. The fault is with the cable not being made correctly.

This cable is an Emgo cable, which is a new brand that I haven’t seen before. I or-

dered another cable, but found it to be exactly the same length.

Next issue was the kick start shaft. I found it to be for something else than an

OIF A65, as the cotter cutout was way too big, and the cotter would pass right

through. I also noted the shaft was too short. Guess I should have known, as the en-

gine was fitted with the wrong kickstart lever, which I had replaced with the correct

one. This kickstart shaft came out of this engine, so I didn’t really examine it for cor-

rectness. I had another correct shaft for this bike, so I stripped the inner cover, a real

pain, and put the correct shaft in. So….I still have some issues to correct, before it

returns to the owner.

Burt Barrett

CHECK YOUR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL DATE (see front of envelope)

MAIL CHECK OR MONEY ORDER FOR $25.00 U.S. ($40.00 Overseas)

Make Checks Payable To: BSAOC/SC

Mail To:

BSAOC/SC, 11125 Westwood Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230

Editors Page:- Oilyleaks by Clive Brooks

BSAOC / SC members, we are updating our e-mail list in order to

contact you for any last minute changes in our calendar events, so

please contact Steve Ortiz at ; ortizst1@hotmail.com.

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My Fellow Enthusiasts… , First of all I would like to thank

again, all of our members who have donated some funds to our

club, to help out with our current financial situation. I understand

that similar conditions have affected other motorcycle clubs. The

article on page 6 was originally printed in the Southern Star, the

newsletter for the New Zealand BSA Owners Club, I asked for

permission from Ashley Blair, the President of the club, and

source of the article, if I could use it for our newsletter, and he

kindly obliged by sending me a CD with the story and numerous

photos. The Southern Star is a beautiful full color newsletter

whose pages are a full 8 ¼” x 11¾”, and the finest monthly BSA newsletter I’ve seen,

however their last issue was only 4 pages and stated that due to financial constraints they

would cease producing one for now. I can only hope that they can resolve this problem.

I am slowly recovering from hip replacement surgery and hope that by the time I get

out the next PA I will be riding again. I have however, been catching up on some mainte-

nance on my bikes, a rebuilt gearbox (by Mickey Peters) and clutch for my ‘54 Golden

Flash, and once again trying to fix a rocker box leak, on my ‘61 Super Rocket. The latter

has been attempted numerous times using various sealants, that eventually fail after a

while. This time I tried high temp copper silicone and a careful eye...we’ll see.

Please consider our For Sale/ Wanted section in the PA if you have motorcycle relat-

ed stuff to sell, remember it is free to members, and it will also go on our website,

BSAOCSC.org.

Once again I urge you all to send me your stories, articles, British Bike tech tips,

photos, and commentaries for us all to share, after all this is your newsletter. Thanks

again to those who have already contributed material to the Piled Arms, and I hope

you continue to do so. I desperately need fresh articles to keep this going.

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First I read Don Danmeier's editorial in the June ‘89 “Bulletin” (the N.Calif. B.S.A.

club's newsletter) musing on the reasons for the comparatively high activity levels of the

B.S.A. clubs, and the variety of their events. He reasoned that it was due to the variety

of the B.S.A. products themselves; for whereas other British one-make clubs, tend to be

one model clubs, thus limiting the interests of their membership; B.S.A. made a bike for

everyone, from the basic learner rider and cheap commuter, (what would be called an

'entry-level' bike today, if you can find one), to exotic road racers and off-road competi-

tion machines. They also made them in large quantities.

While resident in the U.K. I visited both the B.S.A. factory at Small Heath and

the Velocette one at Hall Green in l963. The contrast was startling. The B.S.A. plant

was a big bustling bike factory that did most of its manufacturing and processing in-

house, and which had production lines that were moving and productive. The Velo' was

more like 'cottage industry' with the bikes something of a side line for a general engi-

neering company whose factory contained some pretty antiquated machine tools! Velo-

cette were not alone, a friend of mine who had been to the Norton Bracebridge Street

works, visited Small Heath with me and noted that here was a ’real' motorcycle factory.

By the same token, of course, the variety of B.S.A. machines works against

any sort of latter-day spares scheming, as the number of parts required to be stocked, is

proportional to the number of different models catered for. Nobody in their right mind

would try to cater for everything from a Winged Wheel to a Rocket Three, and in fact

the bigger B.S.A. parts dealers in the U.K. are nowadays fairly specialized and cater to

for example, just twins, or triples, or unit singles.

Once upon a time, during the club's formative years, the idea of a club spares

scheme, (for all BSA parts) was mooted. It was decided not to proceed with, partly be-

cause of the problems mentioned above, and partly due to the fact that the ex-dealers

new old stock that would have been the basis of the scheme, was (as is fairly typical)

mostly the stuff that hadn't moved in the previous twenty years! Things like M20 gear-

box pinions, C12 side covers, and Bantam sprockets!

Never mind there are some consolations for the B.S.A. owner. The company

did make a lot of bikes, and goodly numbers were exported to the U.S. so that bikes and

parts are to be found. Contrast this to, for example the A.M.C. owner, whose A.J.S./

Matchless bike was built by an organization that made nice machines quite inefficiently

at their London factory, and which had a very poor U.S. marketing set-up!

Barry Smith

Reprint of a July 1989 Editorial From the Late Barry

Smith Responding to an Editorial By Don Danmeier

in June 1989 “Bulletin

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Part 1: England to New Zealand

Between 1926 and 1928 two intrepid Englishmen travelled through 25 countries and

covered 25,000 miles on B.S.A. motorcycles. They endured a heatwave while plough-

ing through sand and rock roads in Portugal, they were arrested, shot at and imprisoned

in Serbia, and they were the first to cross the Sinai Desert in sidecars. They had several

brushes with customs officers who took the piled arms logo literally and thought the

two were arms dealers or even gun runners. Although the Nullarbor Plain in Australia

was a severe test it was a mere prelude to their crossing of the Andes. They were the

first to cross from Valparaiso to Mendoza with motor vehicles.

Bertram Hall Cathrick, just over six feet tall, was 26 born on 27th April 1901 in Durham

County and educated at Ellsmer College. Well travelled, he had worked in South Africa

and in Malaya on a rubber plantation before returning to England to be a salesman for

B.S.A. He was a very experienced motorcyclist who had competed in reliability trials

and had won a first in the Scottish Six Day Trial. He was an accomplished after dinner

speaker. His companion was John Castley, born in Staffordshire and educated at Whit-

gift, Croydon. He was slightly more retiring than Cathrick but had a fund of knowledge

and was also an experienced and enthusiastic motorcyclist. He was sub-editor of The

Motor Cycle, known as "The Blue 'un." He sent regular ripping yarns back to the maga-

zine which were published each month. His extensive coverage of the expedition in The

Motor Cycle totalled 117 pages and was published every month from 19th August 1926

to 29th November 1928.

In the 1920s, B.S.A.’s chief salesman Joe Bryan, with strong backing from the manag-

ing director Commander Godfrey Herbert, organised a series of spectacular stunts to

promote the Small Heath machines. The round the world tour was by far the most am-

bitious and was helped by Commander Herbert’s connections in the oil industry, mo-

toring organisations, the government and the Foreign Office. It was a joint venture with

the British Trade Commission and the Foreign Office, with full support from the Auto-

mobile Association, to prove the reliability of British motorcycles, to promote the in-

dustry, and to find new markets. It provided enormous publicity for B.S.A. and for their

machines.

The World’s Greatest Motorcycle Tour 25,000 miles

around the world on B.S.A.s

By Ashley Blair, New Zealand BSA Motorcycle Owners Club

The most spectacular and longest running promotion ever staged by a motorcycle

manufacturer.

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The tour used specially prepared Colonial versions of the Model G 986cc Vee-twin,

B.S.A.’s top of the range motorcycle. These machines had huge torque at low engine

speed and refinements such as alloy chain cases. Modifications included gauze canister air

filters, wheels with 8 gauge spokes, strengthened front forks, plate steel guards under the

crank cases and a plunger operated pump to oil the rear chain. The sidecars were specially

constructed by B.S.A. with hefty tube frames supporting plywood boxes covered in steel.

Five gallon tanks attached to the back of the sidecars together with the motorcycle fuel

tanks and additional cans gave a range of 350 miles. The gear that they carried in the side

cars included a tent with folding poles, cooking equipment, stove, a first aid outfit, four

blankets, two large suitcases each containing one dress suit, one lounge suit, one set of

riding gear, flannel trousers and underclothing, two cameras, a 32.40 repeating rifle, an

axe, a shovel, two air beds, a typewriter, rubber coats and boots, leather coats and a fire

extinguisher. That is just the personal gear not counting all the spares for the motorcycles.

It is not surprising that each machine weighed half a ton without the rider. The pair were

farewelled by a large crowd from the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall on a fine and

sunny Monday 30th August 1926.

The route and times had been meticulously planned so they would meet up with agents and

potential clients along the way. They arrived at Dieppe where a zealous customs officer

began prizing the lid off Cathrick’s sidecar after he spotted the piled arms logo. A trade

delegate was able to smooth things over by insisting that they were not carrying arms alt-

hough they did, in fact, have a rifle and ammunition inside a sidecar lid. They passed

through Paris to the Autodrome de Montlhéry in time to see an ohv Chater-Lea reach over

100mph on a timed run.

They were ushered into Spain by an escort of Spanish motorcyclists and at most stages of

the journey there were locals to escort them and show them the way. When approaching

one of their destinations they were amazed to see a rocket fired into the air. This was the

signal for them to be stopped beside the road and offered a bottle and two glasses. A cloud

of dust and loud roar announced the arrival of an escort mounted on B.S.A.s. While in

Spain they were spectators at a bull fight where a number of horses and six bulls were

slaughtered. On a more sinister note they heard whispers of the coming civil war. They

spent a day working on their machines in Madrid. In Portugal the roads were so bad that it

was impossible to see or even breathe when travelling closer than a quarter of a mile from

the vehicle ahead and they only averaged 10 mph. Apart from frequent punctures, which

were regarded in those days as a normal part of motorcycling when away from main cen-

tres, the only problem had been the loss of a U bolt from Cathrick’s sidecar. In Italy they

were fascinated at the sight of “Blackshirts” on the march.

After 4,000 miles they arrived in Prague to the most lavish reception yet. The B.S.A. agent

took them for a drive round the city while the agency mechanics stripped the Model G

engines, decoked them and replaced anything that looked even slightly worn. Castley’s

report on Budapest and the Danube read, “The mighty river was like a polished scimitar,

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thrusting into the heart of the capital clothed in the copper foliage of autumn.” An inno-

cent packet of Eno’s fruit salts caused yet more trouble with customs officers in Czecho-

slovakia who were on the look out for cocaine. It was only after the riders had swallowed

a large amount that the customs officers were convinced that the content of the packet was

harmless.

It was when approaching Belgrade in Serbia and trying to find a place to cross the Danube

that they had their most alarming incident. Castley had taken a photo of a railway bridge

but just as they were about to move on a guard armed with a rifle and bayonet rushed up

to them. Cathrick, as a typical Englishman, tried talking about the weather but the guard

ignored this, loaded a cartridge into his rifle and took aim. Another guard arrived and the

pair were marched along the railway line for six miles to a small town and an officer who

confiscated the camera and accused the pair of being spies. When the officer asked if all

bridges in England had armed guards Cathrick and Castley ignored the seriousness of

their situation and fell about laughing. Two plain clothes policemen arrived and wanted to

see their papers which of course were back with their motorcycles. They were put in a taxi

and taken back to their machines. On the way the taxi went past a guard post without stop-

ping and the sentry promptly fired several shots at the taxi. After showing their papers

they expected to be sent on their way but instead they were taken to a police station

where, after a long bout of questioning, they were ordered into a cell. However, luck was

finally with them as later that night a large group from the Belgrade Motor Club, who had

been waiting to welcome them, arrived and had them released. The most galling part of

the whole incident was that postcards, with photographs of the same bridge that Castley

had photographed, could be seen in a shop window close to the jail, selling for the equiva-

lent of one penny! In Nish a spring in Castley’s sidecar gave way and they had it repaired

in a sewing machine workshop. The Motor Cycle announced their arrival in Constantino-

ple on 14th April 1927.

The Turkish authorities did not want the pair anywhere near the east bank of the Bos-

pherous where new fortifications were being erected so they had to travel inland by train

for 50 miles. Christmas 1926 was spent in Jaffa, Israel. During their two week stay the

Department of Overseas Trade saw to all their needs while the B.S.A. agent gave the ma-

chines and sidecars a complete overhaul. They were rather disappointed with Nazareth

and Jerusalem both because of the murky mist in the valleys and because of the wide-

spread evidence of commercialism. Back at Aleppo, where the planned Berlin to Baghdad

railway ended, Cathrick and Castley had made an unplanned decision to cross the Sinai

Desert to Suez. After stocking up on extra water and bully beef they were able to follow a

group of army officers in Ford trucks across the desert. They carried a twenty yard roll of

wire netting which they laid down to cross over stretches of soft sand. The trip took three

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and a half days with much of the time spent repairing punctures. In several places they

came across the remains of wire netting roads that had been used by troops in the 1914 –

1918 war. B. H. Cathrick and J. P. Castley are recognized as the first to cross the Sinai

Desert with sidecars.

In Cairo they were present when a shipment of one hundred brand new B.S.A. motorcy-

cles was landed at the wharf. Fame was now beginning to catch up with them for when

Castley visited the Cairo branch of Barclays Bank with a letter of credit he was ushered

into an excited manager’s office and shown the latest issue of The Motor Cycle with the

centre spread of their world tour. It took an hour of polite conversation before the money

was eventually handed over. While they were in Cairo a telegram arrived from B.S.A.

cancelling the proposed run to the Sudan as it was not commercially worthwhile and

instead advising them to go back to Port Said and embark for Bombay.

The piled arms insignia was responsible for yet another customs incident when it was

again thought they were arms dealers. Castley wrote that, “India is too vast for a human

brain to comprehend. The best that a bird of passage can do is watch, to ask and to lis-

ten.” They passed though Agra, saw the Taj Mahal, and rode up into the Himalayas

where they were glad of woolly jumpers and leather coats. After 1,800 miles they

reached Calcutta where they sailed for Rangoon. There they had a narrow escape from a

major fire and were able to assist in rescuing furniture, including a piano, from a burn-

ing house. On the ride down to Singapore they visited British outposts where they

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played tennis and watched polo matches. Near Penang they met up with colleagues of

Cathrick from his plantation days and one of these friends, on a Norton, escorted them

south. On the 20th April 1927 they were “at home” at the Cycle and Carriage Co., Good-

wood Hall, Singapore where all B.S.A. enthusiasts were invited to meet them. The busi-

ness meetings in Singapore, the wining, the dining, as well as the riding, had left them

exhausted and they were glad to get a steamer to Java where they saw some of the most

spectacular scenery encountered on the trip so far.

Soon after arriving in Freemantle the B.S.A. agents in Perth gave the machines an over-

haul and they began their 900 mile battle with the sand, mud and potholes of the Nullar-

bor Plain in South Australia. The trip almost ended just before Gawler, on the run to

Adelaide. This is Castley’s account of the event: “It was dark and my light refused even

to glimmer, so I followed Cathrick. Not grasping the meaning of a frantic swerve and

shout from him I crashed, blind and groping into the ancestor of all pot-holes. My en-

gine stopped in the general cataclysm which followed, and when I tried to restart, such

gruesome groaning's and gratings were wrung from the engine or gearbox. I almost sat

and wept to think that we should have to leave one of the machines beside the road so

near to the end of a great run. Cathrick was made of sterner stuff. He started the engine,

engaged a gear and rode off, shouting to me to bring his outfit on. The saddle pillar had

broken on his machine, and I had to sit on an entirely unsprung saddle – on such a

road!”

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They were given a civic reception by the mayor of Geelong and another civic reception

when they reached Adelaide on 14th June 1927. They were welcomed in Melbourne on

Friday 27th June by Mr H. L. Setchell, the British Trade Commissioner in Victoria.

Their comment about Australia and Australians, to the Melbourne Argus reporter was

that, “Australia is a very, very, big country. We have found that Australians are big in the

work they put into their jobs, big in their generosity and hospitality, and big in their love

for the mother country.” They thought that Melbourne, out of all the cities they had visit-

ed, most resembled London. After touring Tasmania for seven days and attending a re-

ception given by the Governor, Sir James O’Grady, the tourists returned to Melbourne

and rode on to Sydney. They arrived in Sydney on Friday 22nd July and were given a

civic reception by the Lord Mayor at the Town Hall. As well as civic dignitaries there

were the directors of B.S.A. New South Wales, the Assistant British Trade Commission-

er, and representatives from Dunlop Rubber Co. Ltd, Vacuum Oil Company, the Motor

Traders Association of NSW, and the Sydney Motor and Bicycle Club. The Prime Minis-

ter put his launch at the tourist’s disposal for a jaunt around the harbour. On Wednesday

29th July1927 they left Sydney on the S.S. Marama for Wellington, N.Z.

Next Month

Part 2, of The World’s Greatest Motor-

cycle Tour will cover the first part of

Cathrick and Castley’s tour of the South

Island.

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Perfect California weather made this year’s Singles Ride one to crow about. Up to this

point the weather had been downright cold for us sun lovers, but some high pressure

elevated things to a great combo for bike and rider alike. About 25 riders showed up

on a variety of single and tandem cylinder (twins) mounts at the LA Zoo parking lot.

After a bit of banter and bike ogling at rides such as Michael Coopers B54 Café Racer,

event organizer John Searock held a short riders meeting and off they went. I say “off

they went” because I was riding in the sweep vehicle with Barry Sulkin at the helm.

This was only my second attendance at this ride, and once again doing sweep, hoping

I’d get to complete this loop as my last sweep in 2009 ended with my hauling Craig

Rich’s bike of to repair because of a set of broken points. After a short wait, Barry and

I left the empty Zoo parking lot and followed the route to just the point just before

heading up on Mulholland Drive where we came across “Team Searock” gathered

around John’s gorgeous street Tracker Triumph. Lucky for John, his son was riding

that bike and he was able to ride on as his other son went back for their pickup truck.

The Toluca Loop Single Street Ride Report,

Sunday January 20th…..by Steve Ortiz

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We proceeded along “the road of the rich” and ended up at a Bob’s Big Boy in Toluca

Lake. This was the most interesting Bob’s that I’ve even been to, with photos of many

Hollywood celebrity types plastering the walls. We sat at a table where Barry had

previously observed Drew Carey sitting, but no one was tempted to check under the

table for bubble gum containing any of the guys DNA. After a fun filled lunch stop,

the group headed off for the short ride back to a now overflowing Zoo parking lot,

with no other incidents marring this perfect day. I tried to photograph and video a few

riders along the way and will do my best to load these on our BSAOCSC YouTube

site in the near future.

Ride Safe,

Steve O.

More Photos on

page 14

14

15

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A piece of BSA history was on auction on Ebay recently. A genuine factory Daytona gas

tank was offered for sale. The seller apparently was unaware of what he had as there was

no mention in the item description alluding to its special nature. I recognized it but, un-

fortunately, so did some others.

The Daytona race is part of the AMA class C racing program. This class, ostensibly, is

based on the use of stock production motorcycles but in reality the factory bikes are quite

special. A friend of mine went to great effort to assemble a simulation of a mid ‘50s BSA

Goldstar Daytona racer a number of years ago and, largely through observing his efforts,

I became familiar with some of the special pieces involved. One of the pieces my friend

had, which was unique to these bikes, was a magnesium backing plate for a single sided

eight inch front brake. Magnesium was also used for the transmission case (a different

friend once had one of those cases). I was told the engine cases used some years were

sand cast rather than die cast as sand cast ones are thicker, denser and stronger. I have a

CB34 engine which does indeed feature sand cast cases so I do know they existed but I

do not think they were unique to racers although not all CB motors have sand cast cases.

The gas tanks were unique in that the filler and breather are offset to the drive side of the

bike and a “Monza style” cap (as used on most alloy tanks) is fitted. I think Dick Newby

once told me these tanks were larger than standard, they would hold closer to five gallons

of fuel (I think Dick had one). The bottom of the tank also looks different from a standard

four gallon BSA tank; much more effort was obviously made to assure the tank would not

fracture and that there would be adequate clearance for attachments like the carburetor.

I recognized the tank on Ebay due to the offset filler neck. No cap was fitted but you

could see, on close examination, the cap attachment stub was threaded to accommodate a

Monza type cap. The description stated the tank would require dent removal and re-

chroming. It was hard to get an idea of the extent of existing damage as the whole tank

was coated over with brushed on white paint. Buying a tank on Ebay is an act of faith.

The small pictures provided do not show corrosion damage to the surface of the tank.

Paint and Bondo can also hide braze repairs (one of the worst things that can happen to a

tank). Still, this was a very rare item, and the area around the badge mount indentations

looked good (this is a difficult area to repair), so I decided to take a chance and bid.

I’ve been following Ebay for many years. In that time I have learned to discount no

possibility. Rare parts sometimes sell for really reasonable prices and mundane things can

command princely sums. My approach is to decide on a price, post my bid, and let the

chips fall where they may. Often, the winning bid is one dollar more than I was willing to

pay but so be it. It is bidding wars that result in stupid prices being paid. I also do not

believe in bidding at the last possible second. I know the rational for this scheme is that

by bidding early you give the competition time to reconsider and raise their max but once

again so be it. I really try to stick to my price and I do sometimes win. So what would I pay for a Daytona tank in suspect condition? I have no intention of

ever building a race bike but that tank would be a unique touch on a Goldstar Roadster.

Between stripping to remove existing paint, plating, internal slosh and Bondo; repairing

existing damage; re-plating and painting you could easily invest another thousand dollars

above the purchase price.

A Could have Been…. An Ebay Experience

by Larry Luce

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There is always the possibility the tank would turn out to be junk and thus good for

nothing but display as a conversation piece. I decided to risk $380. Someone else had

already posted the minimum bid of $100.

When I submitted my bid I became the high bidder at a price of $128. At that

time there was less than twenty four hours until the sale ended. For the next twenty

hours the price did not move. Two hours before expiration time someone outbid me

(in a way that was a relief). I didn’t look again until the bidding had ended.

The tank ended up selling for $1026. Obviously other people knew what it was. I

hope the new owner is satisfied with their purchase. I can’t see having $2000 invested

in any tank but what do I know. Nowadays it’s not unusual to hear of people paying

$1000 for a single Dunlop alloy wheel rim. I remember reading an article in an Eng-

lish classic mag where a guy spent like $18,000 to accumulate enough NOS parts to

assemble a BSA A65. It has been my experience that NOS parts are often defective

(that is why they were the last one of their type on the shelf) but I guess it was im-

portant to that guy that it be all new.

Maybe someday I’ll be crying to people about the Daytona tank I could have maybe

had for only $1050.

L.D.Luce

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Oh I always wanted a Vincent, please God don't ask me why

I the prices they command these days, could make Jay Leno cry

but they ooze a certain classic style, painted glossy black and gold

I always thought I'd get me one, before I got too old

But I guess I'm way too practical, I watch my bank account.

and a lowly, mundane BSA, became my daily mount

she's an oil-in-frame 650 twin, bought used ten years ago

she smokes a bit so I'll fit new rings, as soon as I save up some dough

So I fired ’er up quite recently, and took off down the road

to join the local Beezer boys, on a ride through the Mother Lode

we all came together at a rendezvous, where breakfast wasn't cheap

kicked some tires in the parking lot, as the sun rose over the peak

There were Victors, Gold Stars, and a Rocket 3, and of course a Norton or two

but a Vincent twin really caught my eye 'cause the God-damned thing looked new

we took off for the twisties, each one of us had a ride map

my bike was running sweetly, no trace of piston slap

We rode all morning through the trees, saw people panning for gold ,

and right in the middle of nowhere, I came upon a sight to behold

for there beside a tall oak tree, was the Vincent looking mournful,

and the owner with his helmet off, was shouting words so scornful

So I pulled over to the side of the road, to see what was the matter

as the Vincent owner revved his bike, we both heard an awful clatter

then all of a sudden there came a noise, that was unlike any other

and right through the cases a con rod came, just like a knife through butter

We watched in silence as thick black oil, from the engine did descend

and I could tell that the Vincent owner's, patience had come to an end

he stared at me as I sat, upon my lowly, humble, Lightning

and the look that came into his eyes, was definitely frightening

He offered to swap me straight across, his Vincent for my smoker

this was the chance of a lifetime, like a royal flush in high stakes poker

but then I thought how in this life, a person can be too cunning

and though my bike was common as weeds, at least it kept on running

So I twisted 'er neck and sped away, left the Vincent far behind

my Beezer may never be worth a mint, but somehow I no longer mind

Poet’s Corner….. “I Always Wanted A Vincent”

by Art Sirota

© 2009 Art Sirota

19

Members Only….For Sale / Wanted

For Sale: 1988 Matchless G80 with 600cc electric start engine and orig500cc Rotax

engine spare. Excellent cond, only about 200 made. Ca. licensed and reg. $5000.

See walk around at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDOqgxGyNuQ

Barry Sulkin 310 398 6406 12/1/12

Free to BSA club members, in ground motorcycle air/

hydraulic lifts. From my old shop, worked perfect when

removed, has 24" folding work platform, made by Bestway.

Barry Sulkin 310 398 6406 3/1/13

FOR SALE: BSA Bantam built

and ridden with success by Don

Alfred in the early 1950’s scram-

bles around So California. $1000

Call Chuck Minert

951-763-2738 11/1/12

Members only….For Sale/Wanted

Rickman 500cc Twin Triumph $8500 or best offer (cash only, no

trades, make offer, all offers will be considered)

Built from new kit in 2000

Ceriani forks with Race Tech emulators,

spare Betor forks.

Progressive Suspension adjustable

dampening shocks.

Spare race tank and newly manufacture

Lynn Wineland stock tank.

Alloy rims with Rickman hubs and

Buchanan stainless spokes and nipples.

Modern levers and controls.

1972 Unit Triumph 500cc motor, completely rebuilt in 2000

New Surflex clutch, Open exhaust pipes (one high, one low).

Two-into-one exhaust system with titanium spark arrestor muffler for District 37 GP's.

Bash plate for GP's, JRC carb, Trick dual foam filter setup

Boyer Power Box, battery-less, Boyer electronic analog ignition w/correct coils

Stainless steel chassis hardware

Converted externally to left hand shift, but possible to put back to right hand shift

Currently set up for Vintage GP's but can be put back to MX setup w/low fender/open

pipes

Low race miles (occasional super senior rider...me and a couple of GP's by my Expert

son) Excellent condition, looks fresh and runs strong.

Too old to ride anymore and son has no interest anymore in Vintage racing

Lynn Bennett

760-949-0139

ldbennett1@verizon.net

20

Calendar of Events

Mar 3 (Sun) * BSAOCSC”CINDER CONE” DUAL SPORT RIDE starts in Lucerne

Valley at the parking lot of the Highway 247 Restaurant, Junction of Hwy 247 & 18 Meet

at 9 AM, ride at 10 AM. Info: Mike Haney (760) 365-9191 or Craig Rich (562) 868-9389.

Mar 10 (Sun) Vintage Bike O.C. Huntington Beach, 2 – 4pm www.vintagebikeoc.com

Mar 17 (Sun) – Frazier Park/ Cuyama Loop; meet at Denny’s on Frazier Mountain Rd.

Info- www.socalnorton.com, or call Bib at 626-791-0259

Mar 24 (Sun) * BSAOCSC “INLAND EMPIRE” VINTAGE STREET RIDE starts in

the Temecula area. Turn east off the 15 to Walmart parking lot Apis Rd and Hwy 79 south.

Meet at 9 AM, ride at 10 AM. Info: Paul Elmore (951) 763-4037

Mar 24 (Sun) Long Beach Motorcycle Swap-meet, Info: www.socalcycleswapmeet.com

Apr 6 (Sat) BSAOCNC CLUBMANS SHOW & SWAP - San Jose Fairgrounds. Apr 7

(Sun) “Morning after Ride”. More info Jim Tomich 408-344-9457, or for ride details, Don

Danmeier 414-898-0330, or the website www.bsaocnc.org

Apr 14 (Sun) * BSAOCSC AL BAKER DUAL SPORT RIDE Meet at 9 AM at the Al

Baker Ranch, 16400 Wild Road, Helendale, Ca. Ride starts at 10 AM and is approximately

90-100 miles. For British & other vintage motorcycles with street registration, and spark

arresters. Info: John Gardner (310) 920-3393 or Mike Haney (760) 365-9191, Steve Ortiz

(951) 245-5287

Apr 14 (Sun) Vintage Bike O.C. Huntington Beach, 2 – 4pm www.vintagebikeoc.com

April 19 – 21 (Weekend) – Death Valley/Beatty Nevada Run; meet Friday evening in

Ridgecrest. Info- www.socalnorton.com, or call Bib at 626-791-0259

Apr 20-21 (Sat, Sun) ** BSAOCNC & SC MID-STATE RIDE starts Saturday from

the parking lot of the Black Bear Diner in Carmel, Hwy 1 & Rio Road. Info: Frank Forster

(831) 688-2120 or Barbara Barrett (661) 703- 9249

May 5 (Sun) * BSAOCSC “BARRY SMITH MEMORIAL ALL BRITISH RUN”

Hansen Dam Recreation Area, AQUATICS CENTER PARKING LOT, 210 Fry at Os-

borne. Turn left go all the way to the aquatics center parking lot. Meet at 9 AM/Ride at 10

AM. Info: Steve Ortiz (951) 245-5287 or Barbara Barrett (661) 703-9249

May 11 (Sat) * Ortega Highway to Lake Elsinore and More. Meet at Lund Iorio Inc.

parking lot, 9am at 27124 Paseo Espada, Ste 801, San Juan Capistrano. Ride leave at 10am,

Lunch at Anne’s Café in Lake Elsinore. Info: Dave Zamiska (714) 962-0995. Steve Ortiz

(951) 245-5287

May 12 (Sun) Vintage Bike O.C. Huntington Beach, 2 – 4pm www.vintagebikeoc.com

May 18 (Sat) Hanford Show. Info: www.classiccycleevents.com/hanford. (909) 629-7420

21

BSA Owners Club of Southern California

Email & Phone Directory

Specialists

Gold Star/Winged Wheel: Dick Newby

No Email (714) 839-7072

**********

Pre Unit Twin: Clive Brooks

Clive54bsa@aol.com (714) 771-2534

**********

Grey Porridge: (-: Position Open :-)

**********

Unit Singles/B50: Jack Faria

(805) 551-4982

**********

Rocket III/Trident: Burt Barrett

(661) 832-6109

**********

Triumph/Sidehack: Russ Smith

(818) 343-8045

**********

BSA Unit Twins: Bill Getty

JRCEngineering@aol.com

**********

Specialty Tool Consultant: Craig Rich

Questions: (562) 868-9389

**********

Please make calls between 9am and 9pm

22

BSA Owners Club Regalia

Official BSA Owners Club “T” Shirt. Comes in Blue, Red, Grey and Black. Large, XL and XXL. Price is $20 for short sleeve and long sleeve $25. BSA Club sweat shirts are available in limited colors and sizes. Price includes shipping and handling. Take delivery at a Club gathering and save $5. Sizes and colors are limited, so place your order quickly!

Contact—Randy Ressell: Regalia Coordinator

Hm. (714) 448-1179, E-mail: b2v8384@yahoo.com

Sweatshirts $25 —$28

+ $5 S & H

23

Micheal Cooper’s “B54” Special at The Toluca Loop

Ride, Also Seen and Ridden at N/S Rally Last Year.