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

February 2015

Established 1978

Southern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaSouthern California

A Monthly Journal

Kirk Sloan’s B50MX Dual Sport

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) 742-5539…..…….….…………....President

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

Barry Sulkin (310) 569-1383………………………….Treasurer

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

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

Randy Ressell (714) 502-4502 …………….Regalia / Facebook

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….714-502-4502

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

Front Cover Photo ; Kirk Sloan Rear cover; Mark Walters

Meet Our Directors

2

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The Danish BSA Owners`Club have the pleasure of inviting BSA club members and their families from all around the world to the 52nd International BSA Rally taking place in Vejen August 08th – 15th 2015.

Vejen is a village placed in the southern part of mainland Jutland between Esbjerg on the West Coast and Kolding on the East Coast. With only 50 km to either Esbjerg at the rough North Sea or Fredericia at the mild East Coast there are plenty of opportunities for taking a ride out on your bike.

The campsite is placed at Vejen Sports Center and Hostel. Close to the center buildings a football field is adapted as campsite for tents and campers. In the same area a Hostel with 16 rooms with 4 beds and private bathrooms, as well as a number of more luxury cabins for up to 6 people are available. 3 smaller cabins for 2 people are also present. 5 minutes walk from the campsite, the Hostel has a larger numbers of rooms in hotel standard.

The Sports Center offers toilet and shower facilities for those camping in the field, as well as rooms for evening entertainment and Diner & Dance. The restaurant offers break-fast and evening meals. Breakfast has to be ordered in advance on the booking form, evening meals a day in advance at the center. Free use of the indoor swimming pool and exercise center at opening hours specified in the program.

Address Petersmindevej 1, DK 6600 Vejen. Coordinates Longitidude 9.119794 Latitude 55.474633

See also www.vejenic.dk The proposed events for the Rally are as follows: Saturday 08th Aug. Arrivals and booking in. Meeting friends again. A free evening hot meal is provided. Sunday 09th Aug. Official opening. Photo trip around Vejen

Monday 10th Aug. Line up in the city of Ribe. Evening lectures. Tuesday 11th Aug. “Tour de Fyn” day trip. Wed 12th Aug. Bus trip to Copenhagen incl. sightseeing and time on your own. Lucas night run. Thursday 13thAug. Guided bike tour to the Wadden Sea. Committee meeting. Dinner & Dance. Friday 14th Aug. Your own day trip. Evening BBQ

Saturday 15thAug. Departure. See you next year in Italy?

Further information www.bsa.dk/int2015 or join Facebook group BSA Rally 2015

Questions contact Niels Nielsen mail rallysekretaer@bsaklubben.dk or phone +4525714701 evening and weekend. Other arrangements nearby before or after BSA Rally:

www.britanniarally.dk 3rd weekend in August in 15 km south east of Viborg

www.mosten-mc.dk English reunion beginning of June and Race day end of August www.lms.se Lindköping raceway Sweden. Road racing beginning of August. www.mc-albion.dk Albion Rally on Island Fyn. Usually last weekend of July. Check homepage. But keep checking www.bsa.dk/int2015 for events as they are known to us.

Note: Booking Forms can be downloaded from our website BSAOCSC.ORG…..Ed

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

Remaining Issues Under My Stewardship 20

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.

4

My Fellow Enthusiasts… as far as “Club” events go, December was quiet except for our Christmas party at Art and Lynda Si-rota’s house in Palmdale , this was well attended, as was all of our events in 2014, some of our rides had the best attendance since I joined the club 20 years ago. Thank you all for participating in our events both on and off the pavement. With 2014 behind us, 2015 brings us hopefully even more fun events and a gradual increase in our membership. Last summer my bulk mailer retired and I had to find another, which I did, but at about $100 per issue more than my old source. So far we’ve been able to absorb the extra costs and not increase our membership fees, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that our printer doesn’t increase his costs. Our January Wintergreen dualsport ride was washed out by rain, can you believe it, a few showed up at the starting place (Art and Lynda’s place), but the rain wouldn’t let up and there was the possibility of trail closures to last year’s wild fire in that area, so it was called off. By the time you get this issue we will have had the Toluca Loop ride. Hopefully someone will send me a ride report and some photos. February brings us the Ortega Highway ride, which Dave Zamiska has been working on, this years ride will be a little different, check your flyer from last month. And March 1st is the dualsport “Cindercone” Ride. If anyone has any suggestions for either our events or this newsletter or the website please let me know . I urge you all to send me your British Bike stories, photos and “Tech Tips”, they don’t have to be about BSA’s, most of our club members own other makes and marques, so they will be of interest to our membership, 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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It was raining when each of us left our houses. It rained most of the way to Palmdale, with reassuring spells of dryness along the way. Six hardy souls traveled from five differ-ent directions to get there. How often has it rained all the way to the desert but then dries right out for a spectacular day of riding? We all had experienced that and believed it would happen again. Art Sirota was the lucky one, he only had to walk a few feet to get to his garage where he had set up hot coffee and donuts while waiting for the weather to dry up.

There was great company, interesting stories and some wet pigeons and crows looking for a handout. But the rain was stubborn and it was not stopping. We talked about riding any-way and Jim Wilson suggested we wait until 10:00 to actually decide. Art graciously of-fered to drive a chase truck if we were all dedicated enough to actually do the ride. He’s no fool. You see, he would be warm and dry inside his truck while all of us would be out in the rain, soaked and freezing. Finally about 10:30 we gave it up and one by one reluc-tantly headed for home. Oh well, better luck next time, but we all signed in. Its important club business and points is points you know. We’ve all had miserable days riding a mo-torcycle but this wasn’t going to be one of them. So that was that, or was it? It was mostly clear when I got home around 1:00 and a quick weather radar check showed no more rain along the Goleta coast. Our mountains were wintery green and inviting too and my boys were eager to go. So off we went up the San Marcos pass to West Camino Cielo for a 45 mile loop with fifteen miles of fresh-ly rained on mountain top dirt road. Just about exactly half of what we had all hoped to find in Palmdale but better than nothing. The B50 is now starting more easily and the rid-ing was great. Absolutely no dust at all! But there was mud, water holes, rocky wash-board, rockslides and an occasional brave car or truck. And there was some fog which cleared up for a gorgeous view of the coast and the islands and the glittering ocean swells. There were no breakdowns to report. My only anxious moment happened when a really weird scraping rattle sound started up in the B50 on the freeway ride back. It only happened at certain RPM s. Power was fine and vibration hadn’t changed but it sure sounded like something deep was coming apart. Back home with my helmet off to trou-bleshoot, the noise was still there only now it was obviously coming from my cheap Jap Bates style mirror. That was a relief! The mirror glass had come loose in the housing and was rattling around making lots of noise. So that’s it, we got rained out. This would be a different story if we all had brought rainsuits, but it’s still great to have the Wintergreen back in the schedule even if it doesn’t always work out the way we want. Kirk Sloan

The Wintergreen Ride Report by Kirk Sloan

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The BSAOCSC holds about half a dozen Dual Sport Rides per year in various areas with a variety of terrain. In this article I will give my opinion on what I feel is safe riding gear for Dual Sport Rid-ing. Again, this is my opinion, I am not preaching to anyone. I know many of our Dual Sport riders are retired Desert Racers or MX'ers, etc. so I'm not trying to tell them what to wear on the trail. Hopefully this may help some of our newer riders and may be food for thought for anyone else that may be considering venturing off road. On our rides I have seen every type of safety gear ranging from 30 year old helmets and T Shirts to Full Blown Motocross gear with every piece of safety equipment you can think of. This is a free country and you can wear what you like on these rides.

Having ridden Off Road (Desert Racing, Trials, Vintage Motocross, Dual Sport, etc.) for most of my life, I have come up with what I like to wear while riding, both for comfort and for safety.

Helmet: A good quality helmet is a must. I know that they range greatly in price, from about $59.00 up to $700.00. Like the old Bell Helmets ad said, if you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet. Not that a $700.00 helmet is absolutely necessary but at least a mid-range helmet of good quality. Also, most helmet manufactures say you should replace your helmet every 5 to 10 years because the materials can deteriorate over time. If your old faithful helmet is over 10 years old you might want to look for a newer one. Another point about old helmets is that they were very heavy. This can wear on your neck and shoulders on a 100 mile ride. Newer helmets can be amazingly light and most have some type of ventilation. Also many have removable liners for cleaning, a very good feature after a long, sweaty and dusty ride. Also, I prefer a full face helmet, some folks do not. I have hit an unexpected washout at speed and had my face guard slam against the cross bar on the handlebars. Even with a cross bar pad, that will hurt. Also, the roost of rocks from the bike in front of you can real-ly hurt. For the past few years I have been wearing an Arai XD. It is a full face helmet that has a slide up shield. I actually wear this on both the street and the dirt. You can leave the shield up and wear goggles if it is a dusty ride, which many of our rides can be with the lack of rain we have had in recent years. The main reason I switched to this type of helmet from the older style Bell Moto type hel-mets was I started to be more concerned with my nose and cheeks getting sun burned in the bright sun on an all-day ride. I use a tinted shield and have found that it protects my face from too much exposure. I know that you can wear sunblock but that attracts dust and when you sweat it can run into your eyes and irritate them.

Boots: I wear regular motocross style boots. They are Hi Point GP Pro boots with the old school aluminum plate on the front. There are cheaper boots and there are more expensive ones but these are comfortable and I can still feel the brake pedal and shift lever.

Be Prepared….AFew Tips On Preparing Yourself For

A Dual-Sport Ride…..by Randy Ressell

7 Continued on Page 8

With most courses we ride being littered with rocks and cactus, anything less than full boots just seem to be asking for an injury. Modern foot pegs are very sharp and can chew your shins up if you slip off.

Chest Protectors: I wear a full chest protector with front and rear plastic plates and shoulder - upper arm guards. I have worn one for so long I do not even feel it when riding. Another advantage of wearing one is that I also wear a backpack with tools, spare inner tube, seal -n- air, water, etc. and it can get heavy. The chest protector actually supports the shoulder straps and keeps it from pounding my back in rough terrain. I would not ride without a chest protector, I have crashed while desert racing at a high rate of speed in Nevada (where the ground is mostly lava rock) and slid to a stop on my back without a scratch. Try doing that with just a jersey on, you will be hamburger.

Jerseys and Jackets: Like most riders, the time of year usually dictates what I wear on my upper body. In the warmer months I wear at least a long sleeve cotton shirt. Cotton seems to absorb sweat well and dries in the wind fast. Many riding jerseys have some type of padding in the elbow area that is a good thing to have. In the winter I wear a Malcolm Smith Gore-Tex Jacket but any durable jacket with zip or Velcro closing pockets works good.

Pants: Of course the best or at least safest type of pants might be the old style "Leathers" we all use to wear but they can be very hot and expensive to have made. Modern off road riding pants are made of Nylon, Kevlar and various other materials. They also have good venting to allow air to flow through. Many of the older riders do not like the flashy colors of the riding pants available today, but they do come in black, grey or camouflage colors. For the past few years I have been wear-ing pants that look like blue jeans but the have double thickness in the knee areas. A few companies are offering blue jean style riding pants that are constructed of Kevlar and other very durable materials. These work good on the street also.

Knee protection: I also would not ride off road without knee pads for protection. These are not very expen-sive and can be worn under your pants if you buy your pants a bit baggy. The type I wear are made of hard plastic with padding for comfort. They have the shin guards and knee cups that hinge. They have elastic straps with Velcro to keep them in place. They fit inside your MX type boots and that helps them stay in place while riding. Again, I have crashed with these on and slid on a gravel type road on my knees without any injury. I have also pulled cactus needles out of them after riding through the desert, those would have been in my knee without the pads on. One simple tip over in the rocks can cause a bad knee injury, to me the risk is not worth it. For those with bad knees there are many different styles of knee braces available too.

Goggles: This really goes without saying but they can protect your eyes from dust and flying rocks, etc. You can even get UV tinted lenses and prescription lenses for them.

8

News Flash…. BSAOCSC is now on

“Facebook”, look us up, if you know how.

www.facebook.com

groups/617790894977044/

Gloves: Again, really goes without saying, but they can save your hands. I wear motocross vented gloves in the warm months and leather gloves in the winter. I even have a pair of gloves made for Jet Ski riders that are waterproof and warm for the rainy season. I know that some people don't like to wear gloves while riding. Me, I wouldn't ride without them.

Kidney belt: These can offer lower back support and help keep your innards in place. They don't fit large beer bellies too good but if you are thin enough to wear one they can help.

Some of these items like chest protectors, knee cups, boots, etc. can be bought for one third to one half of the cost of new if you shop motorcycle swap meets and the craigslist ads. You do not have to spend a fortune to be safe. I would buy my helmet new though.

That covers the basics that I like to wear. You know, as we all get older it is that much more important to take care of our bodies, we only get one pair of knees (well, I guess you can get new ones now a days), eyes, etc. Preventing an injury is easier than healing from one. I have had riding buddies over the years that had to give up riding because of an injury, one that probably could have been prevented with less than $100 worth of equipment. You do not need to be going fast to get injured either. I would hate to see one of our club members get injured and not be able to ride Dual Sport with us anymore. In reality, getting injured 50 miles from nowhere can be hard on the injured and on his rid-ing buddies that have to figure out how to get him and his bike out of that rocky canyon there are in

That can really ruin the days riding for everybody. Ok, that last paragraph was kinda preachy but I feel it needed to be said. I am not trying to scare anyone away from riding off road, just reminding people to please be safe.

My 2 cents worth on safety gear. Ride safe and hope to see you out on the trail.

Randy Ressell

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

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Hi Friends, If you are not attending the Mid-State Ride and are attending the Trailblazers Banquet on April 11th., please consider sitting with some other friendly BSA club members and Brit Bike enthusiasts. Hopefully we can get an official BSA Owners Club table(s) assigned if we all call or email "Mr. Bill" at (818) 896 2200 or mrbill@vleinc.com

Tickets sold out quickly last year, so please act fast: www.trailblazersmc.com

If you have never been to the banquet, it's a virtual "Who's Who" of the motorcycle world and should not be missed. Many bike display to see and "meet and greets" with some of the best riders and M/C industry people. The Trailblazers Club also supports the BSA Club by promoting our rides in their newsletters. Anyway, I know most of my hero's will be there, so treat yourself and please don't miss it. Of course the real tough guys & gals will be out at the Al Baker Dual-Sport the following day! Best Regards,

Steve O.

ONLINE REGISTRATION READY TO GO

Sorry for the delay, but the glitch has been fixed and you can now register online at www.trailblazersmc.com. If you have guests, Please enter their names as you complete payment on the last page. Include their email address. If you have a preference as to who you sit with, after you have registered and paid, please contact Mr. Bill at (818) 896 2200 or mrbill@vleinc.com

Your tickets will be available to be picked up at the door on the night of the banquet, April 11, 2015

Banquet tickets are $70.00 each or you can purchase a table for 10 for $700.00. Note: 2015 Trailblazers dues are included in $70 price.

2015 Annual Trail Blazers Banquet April 11th

10

Over the last few years there has been a lot of mis-information about the A65/A50 main

bearings published and on the Internet. Some of it from me, unfortunately. The problem

is with the terrible design that BSA did on the A65 crankshaft that can lead to major de-

struction of the engine cases if the crank endplay is not maintained to within the factory

specs. After a recent series of emails on one of the Internet sites I am convinced that I

understand the original design concept, the failures that have occurred and why they oc-

curred, and perhaps a solution to part of the problem.

First let’s discuss which years/models are the concern. In the original A65/A50 design

BSA used a ball bearing on the primary side of the crankshaft and a plain bushing on the

timing side. This is not a bad concept. The ball bearing absorbs the vertical (radial) loads

of the rotating crank and also absorbs any horizontal (axial) loads created by the primary

chain misalignment and the rotary pump’s worm gears. It also locates the crank left to

right reducing the endplay to essentially zero. The bush provides an easy solution to get-

ting the oil supply to the rods by passing it through radial holes in the bush and into the

timing side of the crankshaft, like all automobiles motors do. In 1966 the ball bearing on

the primary side was replaced with a roller bearing to increase that member’s vertical

loading capacity but reducing the horizontal load capacity when the crank moves to the

right to zero. To absorb the horizontal loading towards the timing side, a thrust washer

was placed between the right crank cheek and the right side of the cases. Movement to

the left, the primary side, was limited by the edge of the rollers running into a lip on the

roller bearing’s outer race. While this sounds kind of OK, that thrust washer was a

bronze material and wears over time. With that wear the end float of the crank can in-

crease. When the end float gets too excessive premature wear of the bush is experienced

as the crank shucks back and forth rapidly wearing out the bushing. Once the bushing

clearance increases to about .003, the oil pressure falls off dramatically and starves the

rods for oil. The result is a seized rod bearing and a rod through the cases. Regular moni-

toring of the endplay so that it never exceeds 0.003 inches will preclude total destruction.

Another common problem is that the alternator rotor retaining nut gets loose allowing

the thin shims to be torn loose. These shims located between the inner race and the

crankshaft cheek centralize the crank and set the end clearance between .0015 and .003.

The lack of correct shimming increases the endplay with the same results as high mile-

age on the thrust washer. Recently an internet user found that his old A65, which ran fine

before teardown had nearly 0.020 inches (almost seven times the factory specification)

of end play with 0.016 inches of wear on the right side thrust washer and the bushing

had .0033 clearance.

So the shims tear and fall out because the alternator rotor was allowed to loosen at some

point in time. The thrust washer on the right side wears due to use but that wear is accel-

erated by ever increasing endplay that should be monitored by regular checks using a

dial indicator. And major damage occurs due to a failure to monitor endplay periodical-

A65/A50 Crankshaft Problems and Solutions

by Lynn Bennett and edited by Mike King

11 Continued on page 12

ly. This all leads you to believe that the problem is associated mostly with high mileage

machines, which is the only kind currently available on the market place. After all, the

youngest of this machine is at least 30 years old.

Both the Triumph 650 and the Triumph 500 unit twins (after 1968) solved the problem by

end feeding the oil into the crank and using a roller on the primary side and a ball on the

timing side. The roller bearing gives the high vertical load capacity at the primary side

where it is needed and the ball gives adequate vertical loading for the timing side as well as

horizontal loading capacity. The whole crankshaft is tightened up against the ball bearing’s

inner race, locating the crankshaft left to right and reducing the endplay to zero. This is the

perfect solution used by virtually every bike since the 1960’s. But BSA never updated to

the better approach so what can we do to help?

We can check the endplay periodically, keep the alternator rotor tight, replace the shim

pack with a single correctly sized spacer or shim, and/or revert to the original ball bearing

on the primary side. The expensive solution is to do the SRM modification where the right

side of the cases and crankshaft are modified to accept a special combination ball/roller

bearing and the crank is end fed its’ oil. Reverting to the original ball/bush approach re-

quires a little extra work as trial assembly is required to determine the correct replacement

shim size for the shim pack. In fact, the single shim pack replacement shim will probably

have to be made by a machine shop, as it probably should be ground to the correct thick-

ness. The ball bearings inner hole may have to be honed every so slightly to make assembly

easier. To do that honing the races and ball area would have to be masked off to avoid get-

ting any of the grinding residues into the ball bearing. That residue is death to any bearing.

An alternative approach is to heat the bearings and cases to reduce the interference fit of the

ball bearing to crank, allowing minimal force to separate the case/bearing from the crank-

shaft. The right side thrust washer would ultimately be thrown away after a new one is used

to determine the shimming to be used on the primary side (part of trial assembly and used

to centralize the crank properly). In this approach the shim on the primary side gets cap-

tured between the left crank cheek and the ball bearing’s inner race and all is tighten down

with the rotor nut reducing the endplay to zero. The endplay stays at zero, as there is noth-

ing to wear out to increase it other than the ball bearing itself, which normally takes forev-

er. What is the drawback? The vertical load capacity of the ball bearing is 40% lower than

the roller bearing it would replace. Worried? No, as this exact same approach was used for

several years through 1965 with apparent success. We don’t ride these bikes anymore with

the total abandon that we might have when we were young so there should probably not be

a problem. I believe BSA changed from the roller to the ball as a shotgun approach to solv-

ing an erratic (maverick) spark problem that took years to uncover. Many other changes

were made to keep the earlier bikes from seizing, and throwing rods from overheating

which was really caused by the maverick spark thanks to a bad ignition cam from Lucas

that made a spark during the intake stroke.

I have yet to try this approach of reverting to the earlier ball bearing on the primary side but

have every confidence that it will work. Several on the Internet have used it, all claiming

great success. I intend to try it on an A65 some time in the future, so tune in for the results.

12

In the interim you can help your A65/A50 survive by monitoring the endplay of the crank

periodically and not riding it when that endplay exceeds the 0.003 inches factory specifi-

cation. Also check your rotor nut for tightness so that the shims cannot fall out.

Balancing;

I believe that you balance for 70% by putting weights on the crank throws that are 70% of

the sum of the following items: piston, rings, pins clips and the weight of the small end of

the rod. For this last item I have seen them use half of the rods weight complete rod with

caps and bolts/nuts or to place the small end of the rod on a scale while the rod is held

parallel to the floor. I'll bet you get different numbers between those two methods. BSA

used to supply the "correct" weights to put onto the throws based on using their replace-

ment pistons, rings, etc..

Indeed this is static balancing and does not take into consideration that the crude casting

or forging of the crank leads to different weights between the different ends of the crank.

In fact in later years BSA took to fully machining the cranks to minimize the dynamic

imbalances associated with their old approach.

Static balancing on a big twin beyond that done at the factory is controversial. Since the

Brit twin has no better balance than a big single it can never be perfect without balance

shafts (separate shafts turning at engine speed or half engine speed or reverse direction,

etc.). If you rebalance the crank shaft to some other factor than 70% you move the major

vibration up or down the RPM scale. A change in factor may put the vibration zone right

where you ride most of the time, like down the hi-way, say at 65 MPH. It is all predicta-

ble with math but few balancer shops have the knowledge to do it. The "correct" factor is

usually determined by experience on the particular motor to be balanced. So you see a

auto balance shop can indeed do the 70% stock factor and the static balance will probably

be no better than doing nothing. The dynamic balance certainly would be better as it elim-

inates left to right imbalance as well as radial imbalance. If you are going to bother to

balance at all go for the dynamic balance with the stock 70% factor and the vibes will

only get better. If there is a particular RPM range that you want to minimize find a BSA

specialist who does dynamic balancing and have him do the job. So, I think you have sev-

eral choices: no balance, dynamic by a BSA twin specialist (good luck finding one), static

re-balance to make you feel good or to compensate for the new pistons having a different

weight than the originals. To make sure your bike will be the same as before the rebuild

compare the weights of the complete new and old pistons to see if there is any substantial

change. If there is at least go for the static balance. Do nothing if the weights are the

same. Go for the dynamic balance if you want it better.

Here's some other points I learned while rebuilding another A65 motor with a roller/

bushing setup.

(1) Always align bore the bushing using the opposite side bore as the reference. Do not

hone it or ream it to fit the crank. This can be done on a jig-boring machine or with a

skilled setup on milling machine. It is the only way that the crank will run true. If you

13 Continued on page 14

don't, you cannot get the right clearance and still have the crank turn freely unless by luck

the original case was perfectly true. The result will be rapid wear of the bushing causing

loss of oil pressure... And then it is down hill from there.

(2) When measuring endplay of a roller bearing/bushing set up, you must tighten the cases

securely and tighten the crank nut that sandwiches the shims and cup between the inner

bearing race and the crank cheek. You will find that tightening the crank nut with the

spacer, sprocket and rotor in place will change the endplay by several thousandths because

when the bearing, shim cup and shims are loose, you cannot get a repeatable accurate end

play reading with your dial indicator. The motor runs with the crank-nut tight so that is

how it should be measured.

(3) As the engine heats up, the aluminum cases expand about twice as fast as the cast iron

crank, so any clearance set cold will increase once the motor reaches operating tempera-

ture. Note: I actually measured the clearance cold and then heated the assembled cases up

and noted that there was about a .0015 increase in the clearance. When I first did it, I

saw .003 increase, but that was because the case heats up much more rapidly than the

crank in my makeshift oven (hotplate and bar-b-q grill cover). I do not know the tempera-

ture, but it was warm enough that you could not hold your hand on there indefinitely.

This knowledge reinforces my trust in a ball bearing set up. You just don't have to worry

about that crank moving back and forth or go through that time consuming set up. I took

the crankcase halves apart at least 6 times before I was satisfied I had the end clearance

right. As long as you’re not punishing the engine the ball bearing set up is much simpler

and easier to get "right".

Finally, I think that with all BSA A65 bottom end problems, the culprit is low oil pressure,

and that low oil pressure is the result of that bushing being improperly set up by mechan-

ics but also the original factory setup. I have seen cases where the bores are misaligned

from the factory. It becomes very obvious whether the bores are in line when you set it up

in the jig-boring machine. The reason I think it is all low pressure is this: Once oil pressure

drops off, the left side cylinder does not get oiled. The right side does OK because all the

oil that is squishing out of the bushing gets splashed up into the cylinder and bearings.

That is why they put those spit holes in the left side rod. The rod bearings should see about

the same oil pressure as they are fed out of the sludge trap that is a reservoir with holes

drilled to the rod journals. Now if the sludge trap is filled up with sludge, the left side

bearing could see the oil pressure drop sooner. Plain bearing motors cannot run at high

speed with low oil pressure. They just will not last.

Finally, filter oil well!

Addendum:

The BSA crankshaft problems, that I have pointed out over the last few years, has turned

out to be very controversial. Some here who race the A65 claim if done correctly the plain

bush motors are very durable and rugged. Others who have high mileage version make the

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same claim. Others have reported massive rod failures (an indicator of low or no oil pres-

sure presumably caused by a loose plain bush on the timing side) with destroyed cases.

Still another racer claims the problem is incorrectly drilled passages in the pressure regula-

tor part of the oil system. I don’t really know anything except that from an engineer-

ing point of view and for home engine rebuilding, there is a lot to be said for an engine

with a roller bearing on the primary side and a ball bearing on the timing side. And add to

that end feeding the oil into the crank shaft. The Triumph 650 has that and the BSA does

not. Which is better????? The SRM style modification attempts to fix the BSA A65 but it

is expensive and it pretty well assures the problem, if there is even a problem at all, will be

put to rest. Need the peace of mind then do the mod. Don’t care, then have fun finding a

competent, experienced BSA machinist to do the plain bush on the timing side as that is

what it will take to get it correct.

Some here assume I believe all A65’s are exploders or are near explosion. That is not the

case as I ride an A65 with the plain bush and it is fine. I like peace of mind and knowing

that the oil pressure may be low or not breaks that peace of mind for me. I also find it

hard to recommend the A65 to a “newby” when I know he has no way to determine if the

oil pressure is too low or not. I suppose the Triumph could have the same problem but it is

less likely, at least in my mind. So I hedge on recommending an A65 to anyone except

those who just have to have one because they want one and are willing to fix whatever

breaks. To them I usually recommend they consider the problem and consider the SRM

modification, factoring the SRM modification cost into what they are willing to pay for a

vintage bike. I think being informed is important. There is no better way to kill one’s new

found Brit bike hobby then to have the motor to fail catastrophically, especially when no

one warned you of the danger, which excluded any pre-emptive action.

Lynn Bennett

I’ve been De-Beezerized….by Joe Powers #3

I call it "De-Beezerization" when one or more BSA motorcycle is removed from your life by various means, such as theft, sale, gift to another enthusiast or donation to charity, or the less frequent spontaneous disappearance. I say less frequent because while one might hope for that solution to moto-overcrowding, it is the characteristic of beloved things (such as our motorcycles) to hold on and torment us by their very presence simply to force us to make some kind of decision (that accursed word!) regarding their disposition.

I was recently forced into a De-Beezerizing mode by the awareness of the geometric im-possibility of fitting any more motorcycles into my garage. My immediate response to this awareness was to consider the idea of dividing my garage horizontally, in other words, adding an upper deck to facilitate storage of even more machines. Considering the cost involved, as well as the inconvenience of accessing bikes parked in the upper deck, forced me to the realization that any split-deck solution was at best impractical. I would have to face the agony of deciding which motorcycles to send out into the cold.

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The first step in the process of De-Beezerization is to take a sort of census and see what's there. Then you have to check the accumulated paperwork and see which machines are, in fact, legally and quickly disposable. This takes a number of wheezing old Beezers and most of those incomplete hulks out of consideration. The remaining machines will, no doubt, be aware of their impending fate and it will be observed that over time they will attempt to reposition themselves as far back in the garage as possible. It almost seems that some bikes will steal any covers from BSA's nearer to the garage door in an attempt to appear less conspicuous.

Price has probably the greatest bearing over the determination of marketability. The problem of setting a reasonable asking price is a real headache for owners of BSA's and other old motorcycles. Owners of late-model machines can consult various "Blue Book" listings going back a couple of decades, but the BSA owner has to first totally sweep the detritus of accumulated emotional factors from mind before setting a realistic price. You can't expect the buyer of your Beezer to pay in full for all the fun and fond memories you had while wrenching and riding. Limit any negotiation to purely objective factors, such as the relative sizes of wallet and truck or trailer available to haul off the inevitable accumulation of BSA's and parts. Offer to assist where practical-- it could be the key to a successful transaction.

As the buyer departs with those machines of so many memories, immediately turn your back and close the door, both literally and figuratively, on the matter. Have an operational plan on disposition of the money in order to get those greenbacks out of sight so they don't "burn a hole in your pocket." If you don't have a firm plan in place, the next thing you know, the bucks will turn into another BSA in your garage, and you'll be right back where you started!

-- Joe #3

This photo was submitted by member Larry Feece. Does any club member know who the driver was and if the car had a BSA Engine? We all know Hap Jones had a mo-torcycle shop in San Fran-cisco, and probably a BSA Dealer. He was the first offi-cial driver on the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937 (On an Indian). Later Hap Jones moved his bike shop to San Jose and opened up a cycle parts dis-tribution business there that is still operating today. While on vacation in Hawaii in 1989, Hap bumped his head on the gutter of a swimming pool and drowned at 84 years old.

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#47 Randy

How come when a bungee cord slips out of your hand, it always strikes you directly in the middle of your eyeball? How come the IRS doesn't offer dependency deductions for vintage BSA's? How come it's only after you've put on your full-face helmet that your ears begin to itch? How come my cat insists on getting muddy paw prints all over my BSA only after I've spent three hours cleaning it? How come the tie-down rope is always exactly 1/2" too short to tie a proper truckers' hitch? How come the wind always kicks up just after you've pulled over to read the map?

How come they don't make entire airplanes out of the same material that block boxes are made of so that in the event of a crash, the entire plane would survive intact? How come no matter how hard you try to prep your BSA for a show, it always takes one day longer? How come my Rocket 3 has a positive stop mechanism on the gearshift lever but not on the front brake? How come my mom's car is the only one in her neighborhood with a bumper sticker that reads, "Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Wilkie"? How come UV rays can quickly rot your bike's tires, grips and seat cover, but they can't touch the plastic sign nailed to the telephone pole on your corner advertising 30-day weight loss?

How come the radio station that's been playing commercials for twenty minutes solid only begins to play music you like at exactly the same moment that you reach your desti-nation? How come the 2" X 2" paint chip in the sample book at the auto body paint store looked so cool until you actually had two quarts custom mixed and then it looked as gar-ish as the entrance to Caesar's Palace? How come pizza is never as good the next day but lasagna is always better?

How come all the politicians are calling for a flat tax when not one of them has ever fixed a flat? How come I always think of the exact right thing to say to the officer after he's started to write the ticket? How come cable tv companies always wait until one week after the road surface has been re-paved before they come in and rip it all up to lay their cable lines? How come the only way to qualify for a loan from the bank is to prove that you don't need one? How come when I gave my mom a chocolate bar with big letters that spelled "MOM", she was puzzled why the word "WOW" was on the chocolate bar? How come the U.S. Postal Service doesn't have a Dick Mann stamp? How come you can't buy non-decaffinated coffee? How come they're called chaps when women can wear them, too? How come when you stuff a Triumph engine in a Yamaha frame you get a Trau-maha?

How come it's impossible to explain to your mom why riding in the dirt is so much fun? How come just when you pull over on an obscure stretch of back country road to take a leak that's exactly when the one car that's gonna drive by all day comes down the road and is filled with obnoxious gawkers? How come once you've got a good stream going it's not so easy to stop? How come you can be riding down the road with wind-screen, full-face helmet, and sunglasses and a bug can still manage to land in your eye? How come when your garage roof springs a leak, it's always directly over your BSA? How come you can lie awake all night tossing and turning but then fall into a deep sleep ten minutes before your alarm goes off? How come no matter how far you ride or how fast you go, the little brown spider that built his web behind your headlamp shell is still there hanging on for dear life at the end of the day?

How come Bob Raber can tell just by the look on my face as I enter his store what part I've come to look for, and I can tell just from the look on his face that he doesn't have it?

How Come ? By Art Sirota

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4/1/14

5/1/14

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Members Only…...For Sale / Wanted

12/1/13

4/1/14

Wanted: This year I attended the international rally in Petaluma for which I purchased a BSA A50. The bike was then shipped back to England along with the other British registered bikes. I have now registered it in England and due to the different way we work I have an imitation US license plate (it looks like a US plate but is actually an English registration) To respect the history of the bike – originally shipped to Duarte on December 6th

1967, bought by myself (off (E)vilBay) from a guy in Washington State and re-commissioned by Steve Ortiz in time for the Rally – I would like to obtain a US “license Plate frame” from the So-Cal area. A period one would be great but a later one from any of the local dealers will be fine. Shipping over to England is not a problem, Steve O has volunteered to make it happen. So, if anybody has a spare or is willing to sell one I am definitely interested. I can be contacted by email at Martin Kerwin martin@kerwin.cc or through Steve O.

Members Only….For Sale / Wanted

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Wanted - 1966 Triumph Bonneville 650 T120TT Special. Bone stock preferred, how-ever, will accept one that needs a bit of work as long as it’s possible to make it stock i.e., no “bobbers” or Ceriani’s, please. In all cases frame and engine numbers must match and be between DU24875 and DU44393 i.e., no T120C’s. Please contact Jim at 408.605.2010 8/1/14

For Sale: 1960 BSA A10 Iron Head Motor runs good, with custom sidecar Lights &

horn need to be wired. $6000 Russ Smith 818 780 5542

8/1/14

A BSAOCSC alumni from Mariposa passed

away last Christmas and his sister-in-law

Janice, is helping disperse some of his

things. Many BSA Baseball hats and an

AMA pin. She wondered if anyone in the club

would be interested in purchasing some of the

items If so, you or they could contact me at

this email address jjaaks7@yahoo.com, or

my phone number is 805 434 9428 Janice

Anderson 11/1/14

For Sale: 1955 BSA 500 c.c. Empire Star Century. Look for Show or to Ride

$10,000 Firm . Old Ed Meagor , San Rafael, Ca. Call 415-457-5423

Calendar of Events 2015

Jan 25 (Sun) Long Beach Motorcycle Swap-meet. Info: http://www.socalcycleswapmeet.com/

Feb 4 (Wed) Ventura Brit Bike Night. 7-9pm, Social Tap Bar & Grill, 1105 So Seaward Ave.

Feb 8 (Sun) Vintage Bike O.C. at Mr Pete’s Grill 19071 Brookhurst St, Huntington Beach. 2 – 4pm

Feb 21 (Sat) * BSAOCSC “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\

Feb 22 (Sun) Long Beach Motorcycle Swap-meet. Info: http://www.socalcycleswapmeet.com/

Mar 1 (Sat) BSAOCNC “Jim Tomich Memorial Ride” Info: Ray Pallet 650-703-

3209, Don Danmeier 650-898-0330

Mar 1 (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, John Gardner (310)920-3393

Mar 4 (Wed) Ventura Brit Bike Night. 7-9pm, Social Tap Bar & Grill, 1105 So Seaward Ave.

Mar 8 (Sun) Vintage Bike O.C. at Mr Pete’s Grill 19071 Brookhurst St, Huntington Beach. 2 – 4pm

Mar 22 (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 Ride maps and route sheets provided.

Mar 29 (Sun) Long Beach Motorcycle Swap-meet. Info: http://www.socalcycleswapmeet.com/

Mar 28 (Sat) BSAOCNC 28th ANNUAL CLUBMANS SHOW & SWAP - San Jose Fairgrounds. March 29 (Sun) Ride. Info: www.BSAOCNC.org

Apr 1 (Wed) Ventura Brit Bike Night. 7-9pm, Social Tap Bar & Grill, 1105 So Seaward Ave.

Apr 11-12 (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

Apr 12 (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 approxi-mately 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)440-3521

Apr 12 (Sun) Vintage Bike O.C. at Mr Pete’s Grill 19071 Brookhurst St, Huntington Beach. 2 – 4pm

April 26 (Sun) * BSAOCSC “BARRY SMITH MEMORIAL ALL BRITISH RUN” Hansen Dam Recreation Area, AQUATICS CENTER PARKING LOT, 210 Fry at Osborne. Turn left go all the way to the “Aquatics Center” parking lot. Meet at 9 AM/Ride at 10 AM. Info: Steve Ortiz (951)440-3521 or Barbara Barrett (661)703-9249

Apr 26 (Sun) Long Beach Motorcycle Swap-meet. Info: http://www.socalcycleswapmeet.com/ 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

**********

C10, C11, C12, C15: “Position Open”

To any willing volunteer, contact Editor

**********

Unit Singles/B50: Jack Faria

(805) 551-4982

**********

Rocket III/Trident: Burt Barrett

(661) 742-5539

**********

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

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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) 502-4502, E-mail: b2v8384@yahoo.com

Sweatshirts $25 —$28

+ $5 S & H

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