BSAJohan's Blog

The Honda NC700X went out this august and was replaced by older and heavier Harley Davidson XR 1200 R of 2009:s vintage. Loads of torqe and quite sporty to be a Harley.

Now Camilla and i can go on non BSA meetings on the same Brand when we are ‘civilians’. It feels like the old BSA:s are old and a more modern type is nice to have.

This picture is taken today on 26 October 2014, and it was not raining… The firs day for several weeks without rain, cloudy but ok. Here the bike is with the leafs that fallen of the trees so far in Björnås not so far from home.

Can’t wait for next spring, it is too far away…

My first modern motorcycle. Bought new 1977 when i was 15. Had to stay in my room for one year until i became 16 and had got a licens. Served wery well for two years until i was 18.

Took me every where in scandinavia and also a 14 days trip around Scotland with my best friend Claes. Here it is dead standard with an learner plate (Övningskörning) at the back.

The Honda 125 Twin, may look a little 1970:s now but at least the exhaust system have really good lines. 17 hp on the paper at 12000 RPM and 130 km/h on the counter, rather 120 i reality. Served well as i mentioned for 70.000 km.

Here is a PDF in Swedish where our trip to Scotland is referd in MC-Nytt December 1979.

125 Touring in Scotland

Today the 20 april 2013, was a mild and sunny day. Time to hang out the bikes in the mild breeze. Polish of some dust.

Soon the all will go in for MOT, so the should be started up and tested Before that.

The seat and fuel consumption is like a BSA B33 rigid, two cylinders as a BSA A65, a single inlet as a BSA Thunderbolt and about the same cyllindervolume and power too.

It is a Honda NC700X, a crossover at 670 cc, SOHC, 73 x 80 mm i bore x stroke, 52 hp @ 6250 rpm och 6,3 kpm @ 4750 rpm. 6 speed gearbox, fuelinjection, cathalytic converter, combined brakes, ABS, 420 Watt 12 Volt. 17″ wheels front and rear.Uses about 3,5 liter/100 km. It is my new bike and and a serius way back to motorcycle commuting.

After my late father who died, to early, in Agust last year, I am now the proud owner of a BSA A70 Lightning. It is the long stroke 750 cc version of the BSA A65 Lightning. It was made only in 202 bikes between the production of the 1971 models and before the startt of the 1972 year models. This bike was made at the 28:th of June 1971.

The reason to BSA to make so few of these bikes was that they have to make this bike to get this homologated as a standard production bike to be able to go on and make only engines for the US Dirt Track Racing sceene.

The engine Bore is the same as on the A65 (650 cc) 75 mm, but the Stroke differs, it is 74 mm on the A65 but on the A70 it is 85 mm i.e 1 mm longer than the A10 models. It uses a higer gearing than a standard A65 and some different components around the Cylinder and Crankshaft otherwise it shares all the parts with the 1971 / 1972 models. The Dowe Gray frame is original from the factory.

In the picture the bike is how my dad wanted it right from the start when he bought the bike in 1990. The original parts is still there and instead of the europan 4 gallon (18 litre) petrol tank it used to have the US 2,5 gallon (11,5 litre) petrol tank and it is panted in Etruscan Bronze and White. The side panlels should also be Etruscan Bronze, there shoud be direction indicators. In the sake of smooth running the bike today have an Thunderbolt single carburettor cylinder head, but the Ligntning twin carburettor head is still there.

Read more about my dad Gösta here. (In Swedish).

I am happy to have this rare and beloved bike after my father, it is also a good sample of one of the final BSA products that is a real link with BSA:s long and good tradition as a motorcycle manufacturer.

Here is how the bike looked when my father bougt in back in 1990.

/ JJ

Whats this then? Japs? Yes, a Honda GB500. The ‘fastest’ bike I have owned. It was possible to speed the full way and beyond the max speed on the speedometer, ton up+! (It did not broke from full speed driving.) Incredibly silent running, like a lawn mover. God riding position and nice handling. But it was only single seat (no passenger), so eventually, we let it go for the following bike. (In the background you can se Camilla’s BSA B44 Victor Special 1970.)

From my short carrier as an enduro rider. During 1990 and 1991 I had two new Honda XR250R witch was used to train and race enduro. It was a lot of fun and the XR250 was easy to ride for a beginner. The race highlights was that I finished Ränneslätt twice and The Gotland Grand National once (this is the largest enduro event in the world).

This is the Honda NTV 650 Revere 1990 I used until 2000 as a daily commuter. It served well for 120.000 km when it was sold in favour of and old (1974) Mini 1000. On the picture is my wife ready for a long summer trip (in her work). Almost not visible is the BSA GB33 then equipped with an Squire RS1 sidecar.’

So from then it is again only BSA:s that is used.

What’s this? Yes it is a German bike. The BMW R100S 1982 was used for a number of years. For going to work and long trips. Actually I was employed as at the Swedish Honda Motorcycle distributor where I was responsible for warranties. During the first tree year of that period I rode the BMW to work until I have let myself to be convinced about the Honda quality. The BMW period was without any incidents, except for the importance of fresh battery. The performance was not thrilling, although it was fast I you twist the throttle. However what I liked most was the shaft drive, no messy chain oil or nothing. It’s just like a car. Just fuel up and drive.

The picture was taken late in the season at the top of Fjärås Bräcka and i regrd this as one of my top ten pictures taken. The sun i going down but still gives enough light to make this look as a factory picture, but a standard bike always look like standard – dosen’t it?

This is my home built BSA and I still own it. Made from a clean up in the workshop. Almost entirely of BSA parts. It is from the start a 1963 BSA A10 Super Rocket frame, witch is changed by a heavy jig to adopt the B33 / B34 engine. Standard gearbox, oil tank and tool box. Petrol tank pretty much standard except from the big badges with was an unsuccessful conversion from small badges. The tank is not possible to re-chrome, the welding torch did to much damage.

The engine lower half is an GB33 1958 bottom end, now with an Lucas PowerBase 180 W Alternator. The upper half is an standard DBD34 Gold Star cylinder and cylinder head, this is practically an bolt on except for the swap of suiting conrod. Carburation via an AMAL 1038 Concentric. Because of the GB33 bottom end ther is no Lucas MagDyno, instead it has a battery ignition witch could be fine but is not perfect. The retard mechanism is too flimsy. Most of the time I have run the bike with fixt ignition timing, witch only major problem is a bad tickover. The transmission is a little bit noisy, it uses no shock absorbers at all. I still use standard B33 lifters and home modified pushrods to fit. Actually I can adjust the valve lifters in the bottom and the eccentric adjustment on the head, but I only use the bottom adjustment.

After a blow up in the crank the machine was downgraded to an standard GB33 engine for many years, but now (2004) it is back in the ‘original’ DBD state.

Rear wheel is a standard A65 QD wheel with 18” rim, and in the front I use an BSA/Triumph ca 1973 front fork, with a 1970 front brake an 19” wheel. Mudguards and headlamp I from a BSA Rocket 3. Rear mudguard stay is from the old Super Rocket.

To conclude, it is a very ride able bike with good handling, good brakes, good suspension witch could be built by BSA if the not chased the production of the Gold Star in 1963. In my version this is the 1972 Alternator Goldie.