Moving from Plunger to Swinging Arm Frames

[Simon59]

Hi All! I bought an interesting book at the Kop Hill Climb on Saturday, which was a fabulous event by the way! The book is called Classic Motorcycles: BSA by Don Morley and reading it last night I learnt a lot about the rise and fall of our famous marque. One bit that I wanted to share with you is about the move from plunger to swinging arms frames in the mid-1950’s. Now I always thought that plungers were retained until 1957 because people preferred them for sidecar usage and maybe the conservative (small ‘c’) Brits didn’t like change… This may be true, but Don Morley offered a different explanation behind this transition…

“Only the Gold Star and the export version of the Gold Flash were fitted with the new all-welded, swinging arm frame. This was because BSA had difficulty in adapting its volume manufacturing process from the old lug-and-braise method to lugless-and-welded. Consequently, with the exception of that headlight cowling and a new faired-in rear number plate, all the other models remained much as before.”

Now you probably knew this already, but I didn’t know the difference in frame building techniques or why the change took 3 to 4 years to make. Interesting stuff, for me anyway. By the way, I have nearly completed the restoration of a 1954 Plunger model, headlight cowling and faired-in rear number plate included! Cheers, Simon

[Greybeard]

That was interesting. Thanks Simon. Bike is looking good. Will we see it on the road in the spring?

[Simon59]

That's the plan Neil. Still lots to do but I'm loving every minute of it, lugs and all!

[Rex]

Trying not to be too cynical, it takes a bit of believing that a manufacturing conglomerate the size of BSA would either struggle or take so long to fully change the frame construction methods for so many years.
More like they'd ordered X,000 of the old-style frame components and wanted to use 'em up on the cooking models!

[JulianS]

BSA had, of course, been producing the all welded frame for the Bantam since 1948, tens of thousands of them, so I find it hard to accept that there was an issue with producing the all welded frame for the first version Gold Star swinging arm frame from late 1952, the improved Gold Star frame from late 1953 or the CB31 single and CA7 twin frames also from late 1953.

[Topdad]

Having had experience dealing with Small Heath whilst at 2 dealers in Liverpool mid 60'S ,I'm inclined that it was just an excercise to sell every last bloody plunger bit they could . probably mrs Docker wanted to order her next gold plated roller or get BSa to buy her another castle ! They only got rid of her husband in 1956 ! so after that they may have had a few shillings to spare 

[RDfella]

Chairman of BSA and director of Thomas Cook ......

[Simon59]

Interesting stuff, thanks for your thoughts and views guys.

Don Morley's book also has some interesting opinions on millionaire Sir Bernard Docker's management style - he was BSA's chairman until 'kicked out' by his fellow directors in 1956, and that of his wife Lady Norah, who also promoted the company. According to Don Morley, BSA's managing director James Leek retired due to ill health just weeks after the Docker's departure, leaving the company 'drifting like a ship minus its rudder.'

As a manager, I personally blame management for the demise of a lot of companies, both then and now! 

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,

Only the Gold Star and the export version of the Gold Flash were fitted with the new all-welded, swinging arm frame

That statement is another load of boll*x , quite usual to find such sweeping statements in publications
The frame numbers for 1954 B31/33 models runs from 101 to 6000, A7/A10 numbers go up to 7000
(https://www.britbike.com/bsapitstop/dating/1951-60.html)

I am quite sure all the 54/55 B31/33's about the UK are not re imported   

John

[coater87]

 I have worked for a giant company for most of my adult life.

 I can believe it took that long to implement a frame change.

 The bigger a company gets the harder it is to find anyone in charge. There are so many layers to management that nobody wants to make a decision in
fear their decision is wrong.

 This is also the perfect atmosphere for ego maniacs in middle management who just want things their way, no matter what and no matter the cost in jobs or materials or customers to a company. By the time the giant millstone of a huge company ferrets these guys out the damage is done and cannot be reversed.

 Millions of dollars wasted on poor or no decision, and in the end the blame falls on the cost of labor.

 Repeat over and over until a company is insolvent, sell the assets and change the name. Start again by cutting wages and benefits for the workers and re-hiring the exact same jokers you had in middle management from the failed company.

 Lee

[berger]

coater87 spot on. I found the way of management was to make sure I did what I was told, even if they were wrong and it cost a lot of money to do as they said.

[Rex]

The problem is with the above two posts is that BSA in the 1940s/1950s was a very successful company exporting products world-wide, and this was the era when "management" was tapped on the shoulder and told to clear their desks if failure happened once too often.
No Industrial Tribunals, redress through the courts, or social media to fight their battles back then...