The BSA A7-A10 Forum

Technical (Descriptive Topic Titles - Stay on Topic) => A7 & A10 Engine => Topic started by: cal223 on 30.08. 2008 22:17

Title: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: cal223 on 30.08. 2008 22:17
Hello all, I bought a fender off of Ebay and now I'm trying to install it.  My problem is the fender that's on there wasn't attached right so I'm trying to figure out the proper way to install the new one.  I've got a parts book but the diagrams are too exploded.  Can anyone tell me, does the bolt that attaches the top of the shock also go through the fender?  Or does anyone have a close up picture of that area where the fender, fender stay and shock all come together?  This is a valanced (sp?) fender (not RGS type) on a '62.
Thanks!!
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: dpaddock on 30.08. 2008 22:28
And the year of your SR is . . .?
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: dpaddock on 30.08. 2008 22:48
OK, a '62, yes?
Frankly, I've never seen an A10 where the bolt from the upper shock mount ever went through the rear mudguard. One of our SR owners will hopefully weigh in on this, but the Spares Manual, Plate 6, shows the "...damper top fixing bolt" entirely separate from the mudguard.
Cheers,
David
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: cal223 on 30.08. 2008 23:23
Like I said it's a '62.  I see two seperate bolts too but I don't see where two would go on the bike.  One of the holes in the fender lines up perfectly with the shock mount.  My bike didn't have rear stays at all so I've always tried to find close up pictures of that area on different websites to no avail.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: a101960 on 31.08. 2008 00:07
The rear mudguard (fender) is bolted to the stay. The stay is bolted to a plate by two bolts, and the plate  fits on to the shock absorber mounting bolt. There is a distance piece between the frame and the plate. So it goes together in this order. Shock absorber retaining bolt passes through the mounting point, and shock s absorber followed by the spacer or distance piece, then the plate, to which the stay is bolted by two bolts. The top of the stay lines up with the hole in the fender. This assuming that you have the touring type as opposed to the Gold star/ RGS type of fender. If it is a super Rocket that should be the case.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: cal223 on 31.08. 2008 00:42
Thanks for the replies, guys.  Here's a link to a thread with a picture of one very similary to mine.  Scroll down to the bottom to Brian's A10...
http://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php?topic=49.0
It's possible that, A: The fender/stay combination I got is wrong, B: I don't have the right plate, or C: I don't even have a Super Rocket.
Here's a picture of the way the bike came.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: trevinoz on 31.08. 2008 01:03
Cal, from 1960 the A10 should have one piece arrow head stays. The arrow head bolts to the rear of the guard and the triangle section bolts to the frame via two set screws. A long bolt goes through the top shock mount, next a "cotton reel spacer, next the large hole in the stay, then through a plain cylindrical spacer and finally through the guard.
See the attached pictures.
Hope this helps.
   Trev.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: trevinoz on 31.08. 2008 01:07
By the way, the bike pictured is a 1962 Big Valve Super Rocket which is almost finished being restored.
It is American type but a few landed here in Australia somehow.
  Trev.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: trevinoz on 31.08. 2008 01:11
Cal, further to my post, if you have two holes in the mounting area as you should have, the second hole is for the seat bracket/ grab rail. There may be a second hole further back for the second grab rail bolt. The seat brackets are just a pair of right angle bent flat steel items drilled accordingly.
  Trev.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: cal223 on 31.08. 2008 20:36
Great pictures, Trev.  Thanks a lot.
Yeah, I think I have the same model.  I'm still (since April) trying to get the registration ironed out because it hasn't been on the books since the '80's.  Runs fine though!  It does spew a little oil.  But hey, the fender's on!
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: cal223 on 31.08. 2008 20:39
Forgot to mention- next thing is to get the seat fitting right.  As you can see, it's sitting a little high.  There are some rubber blocks that rest on the frame, I think I can cut those down and go buy some generic brackets.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: trevinoz on 31.08. 2008 22:20
You might have the wrong seat Cal. From the picture, it looks like you have the pre 1960 type. They had two rectangular section rubber blocks retained on the seat base and rested on the frame adjacent to the battery.
Yours should have long bolts with locknuts which thread into the two holes tapped 5/16 26 TPI in the top of the frame with a rubber bumper which sits on top of each hexagon. These are adjusted to contact the seat base.
The rear seat brackets are available or were a couple of years ago.
If you are going to replace the seat, try R.K. Leighton in England. I have got a few from him over the years and have all been top quality.
  Trev.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: england kev on 31.08. 2008 22:56
looking at your picture cal, you have the wrong grab rail too, that one is for an A65 I think.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: cal223 on 31.08. 2008 23:46
D'oh!  *doh*
That makes sense then. 
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: trevinoz on 01.09. 2008 00:13
Here's a two more pictures showing the grab rail and seat. The seat has a new cover and foam from Leightons.
As a matter of interest, what type of gearbox is fitted to your bike? In case you don't know, type is stamped on top of gearbox cover.
Trev.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: cal223 on 01.09. 2008 01:40
I appreciate the information I'm getting here.
The gearbox is standard.
Oh, the many layered onion that is the unrestored classic bike.
Trev, what size tire do you have on the rear?  I'm currently running a 3.50X19, K70 type but I prefer the K81.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: trevinoz on 01.09. 2008 02:24
Cal, I have an Avon Roadrunner, 4.10H19 on the '62 Rocket. 3.60 19 K81 on the front. I would have put a K81 on the rear but the Avon was here. Those sizes are supposed to be equivalent to the 3.50 & 3.25 sizes.
I usually use K81s on the Rockets and K70s on the Flashes or the Chin Shen clones.
I'm surprised you have a standard box on your rocket as I thought mostly they had STD2 or STB2 [same thing] boxes in USA.
Trev.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: cal223 on 01.09. 2008 06:47
My mistake, I was going from memory there with the gearbox.  It is an STD2.
Title: Re: Super Rocket rear fender fitment
Post by: trevinoz on 01.09. 2008 22:35
I don't know what BSA were thinking when they lashed up the STD2 box. Apparently it's a mix of scramble gears and road gears. Extremely low first gear, good for wheel stands and quick starts. A friend had one new in 1962 and reckons the box was only any good when he had a sidecar on the bike for a while. He ended up changing to STD ratios.
    Trev.