My BSA redux

This is the second time in three years I've re-done this bike. its a 71 BSA Thunderbolt. I just can'y leave anything alone. These oily frame BSAs got a pretty homely start at the factory, so really I'm just trying to de-uglyfy. Heres how they would look stock. (this was not my bike, mine was much crustier!) Kinda dirtbikey lookin.


Heres how it looked last.

^^^ Hand made fiberglass seat, side covers and a dunstall fender. And a real paint job. not bad, but still lots of room for improvment.

This redo started when my gas tank started leaking and fucking up my new paint. So I welded it up and it cracked somewhere else. Fixed that one and it did it again. Fuck that POS!


So I found a big euro model tank, ebay UK. When I put the tank on I deciced that it dwarfed my seat. I never was that happy with it anyway. So I ordered a box style seat from Airtech and cut the bottom corners back to give it more of a tracker style. I know this is not tradational caff styling, but I think it compliments the other angular lines of the bike.



You can see in the pic I also got a NOS pair of swept back pipes. Of course that meant I finally had to finish my rear sets. Heres what I cobbled together from an old set of folding rear pegs, the stock pedels and some scrap I had laying around



Got all my new stuff fitted, then pulled it all apart for powder coating.


^^Back together with all new bushings bearings and saels.


And wired up all solid state, no Lucas!


and a negitve ground for...

a new bright ass LED tail light.

I did a few other mods as well. Added an inch to my brake arms to make better leverage


And shaved the top triple clamp


My painter came thru. New color this time. Statutory Grape!


Now I'm just waiting on the upholstry guy to do the cover for the seat. When I get done I'll have a friend take some good pics.

Awesome work! What a huge improvement over the first and last picture! And that looks like a really nice workplace you've got there too!

Awesome bike, love the attention to detail with things like the chequering on the cases.

Loving that front drum, too...

Cheers - boingk

Thanks guys! Just got the seat back, I'll get some pics of it all finished up.

FUCKING AWESOME!!!!!

Beautiful lines and workmanship! Kick Ass bike!

boingk said:

Awesome bike, love the attention to detail with things like the chequering on the cases.

Cheers - boingk

Click to expand...

I'd ride it

looks great fella. Well done

ian

Beautiful scoot man. I really dig the seat. Excellent work.

That's awesome.

I've never seen a BSA frame actually. It's pretty unique looking!

Nice light and the paint name made me snicker.

That's a nifty piece of work right there.....

One thing, with the added length on the front brake arms I imagine the lever requires a longer pull...no?
As long you don't need more pull than you have available you should be golden! Let us know how that works...you may spur some drum brake mods round here....

This bike is way too cool!

Swagger said:

That's a nifty piece of work right there.....

One thing, with the added length on the front brake arms I imagine the lever requires a longer pull...no?
As long you don't need more pull than you have available you should be golden! Let us know how that works...you may spur some drum brake mods round here....

Click to expand...

I was inspired to do the mod after witnessing my friend stoppie his race bike. I thought the same thing about the added pull at the handle bar, but no. Surprisingly, it doesn't really feel diffrent and uses the same cable. When i get it all finished up, i'll report back with a road test.

Thanks for all the kind words everyone!

Nice to see a brit bike on here for a change. Nice work! looks great! To my mind there is too much reverence paid to keeping them (brit iron) all stock. you're right that '71 was pretty much butt ugly stock. Why not have at it??!!

"statutory grape"; i haven't laughed that hard since i was a little girl, thankyou.

looking badass man! i love the engine case detail. BSA hell yeh! can't wait to see how it turns out.

Done!!!!

Too damn cool mate!

VERY cool! love the checkered cases!

Yeah! I was just gonna say, love the checkered cases! Where did that come from?? Looks great!!

Very nice, looks like mine cept you have the wrong engine in there...lol. I do like the Euro Triumph tank on there I scoured around for one of those myself, I finally found one for a steal of a deal.

Don't throw away that old tank. If you don't want it any more, let me know, I could find a use for it.

Thanks guys. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. The front brake mod works great, BTW. Well worth the effort.

Alpinaclone, the original BSA gas tank is shit. It was splitting apart at the seems. Thats apperantly a common problem with those tanks. Poor construction. I do have another one that doesn't leak, yet.......

Rocan and Diesel450 , thanks. I did the engraving with a rotary tool. I did have that inner timing cover off the bike.Made it a little easier.