Last weekend saw the 2018 October Kempton bike jumble, the sun shone, and plenty of people turned up to make the most of the warm autumn weather, and of course there were some nice bits and pieces for sale too.
Norvin project
Brough SS100 sprinter
Nice old Raleigh project
The very las part of the jigsaw was put in place today, when I received the original registration from the DVLA, not a new reg, but the original old registration, the guys at the DVLA used the frame number to track down the original number, and now it is back where it belongs, back on the old Norton, and back on the road.
So a project I started in November 2011 has now come to an end, it has I think been fun.
Norton ES2 Clubman
Well what can I say, my Norton “Garden Gate” Clubman came back home today, the motor is all finished with the later head fitted, now it is just a case of tidying things up a bit over the coming winter…
My Norton ES2 Clubman
Oh what joy, BSA A65 wiring, does it match the wiring diagram? of course not, does it make sense, well I think you know the answer to that one. I guess I will get it sorted eventually?
Now this may not be the most expensive bike uncovered by anybody, and I guess it was not really a “Barn” find, but more of a shed find, not by me I must add, but by one of my friends.
So I wonder what you will make of this sweet little James, totally original and only missing the original throttle, and fuel tap. That in itself is pretty amazing for a bike made in 1948, but look at the tinware, no rust damage, sure it has surface corrosion as would be expected, but this bike really wants just a rub over with an oily rag, it is not even seized, and does have a spark.
1948 James
Villiers 98cc
The Famous James
A little patina
Not bad for 68 years old.
One Last Step…
So I am nearly at the end of my journey, and have one last step to go, in the small matter of getting the Norton registered (getting a title for the US contingent). I started this whole crazy dream back in November 2011, with just a frame I found on Ebay….
Norton project
And now here I am five years later, with a dating certificate telling me the Norton was built at the Norton works factory in Birmingham back on 26th June 1952, and was despatched to Bennet’s of Southampton. Who knows what the bike got up to in the intervening years, but it is once again a fully working Norton, and ready to be out on the open road next summer. Just one final piece of paperwork, that is all I need.
Now where was I?
With the head all bolted down, and the rockers installed, it was time for those new SRM tappet adjusters to be fitted…
SRM tappet adjusters
SRM upgrade
Tappet angle
Next on the list was cleaning and refitting the exhaust system…
BSA A65L motor
Original exhaust re-fitted
So I am getting there slowly, I need to order a few small parts, rocker cover studs, headstock bearings, and I still need to find some forks, but so far so good.
My head having returned from SRM, was now ready to be fitted, and after a question asked in the competition section of BritBike forum, I equipped myself with some copper sealant, and a pair of small o-rings, so I was ready to go.
Barrel and gasket prepared and ready for the head to be fitted..
Ready to go
Returned head
Copper seal and o-rings
Coming together
A little while ago a couple of friends in the US uncovered a barn full of BSA’s in Arkansas, one of which, this 63 A10 Super Rocket, was offered to me, just 10,000 miles, fairly rust free, and full of faded glory. At this time it is located down in Georgia (along with my Guzzi), waiting on me getting it shipped over here to the UK. The motor is not seized, Compression is good, the chrome is in fantastic condition apart from the rims, and the inside of the tank is still fresh, such a cool looking bike.
1963 BSA Super Rocket
Extra chrome, round tank badges, and bars, are all West coast standard equipment, and as you can see from the brochure below, no ball end levers. East coast bikes had a tear drop tank badge. one of the last A10 Super Rockets. It really is a cool bike, and even better up close and personal
BSA Sales
Waiting in the Wings
And another unexpected bike joins the group.
The lightning seems to have taken up residence on the bench right now, the whole front end is out, the head is away at SRM having a full on valve job, I was hoping the head may have been completed this weekend but not so. As can happen sometimes, I managed to break a piston ring fitting the barrel, and the broken piece of course dropped into the crank cases, and could not be seen. But some fishing around with a telescopic magnet found it in the bottom of the cases. So after again fitting a spare ring to the piston, and some help from Paul, I managed to get the refinished barrels in place, bolted down.
A65L new +20 pistons all fitted.
Next it was time to fit my new SRM magnetic sump kit, after removing the old studs I offered up the new gauze filter, only to find that it did not fit! it seems that SRM sent me out a kit for a B50 or other single, as the hole in the gauze was too small (8.5mm instead of 11.5mm) to go over the scavenger pipe. Luckily my old filter gauze was in very good condition, so I decided to use that rather than wait for a replacement from SRM.
Then it was just a case of bolting it all up to the underside of the motor.
SRM magnetic sump
It won’t stay shiny for long.
Vincent Comet…
I had a call from a mate in the US, telling me to go look over a Vincent Comet with a view to buying it, well a long story short, I did, and so I ended up with a Comet. I never thought I would ever own a Vincent, so getting this has come as a real surprise to me.
Vincent Comet
The Vincent
Vincent 500cc single
Backstreet Thunder 