Author Topic: Road Rocket 201  (Read 2920 times)

Online Beeza

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Road Rocket 201
« on: 22.03. 2020 07:47 »
Hi All, amid all this doom I’ve decided to start a post about my latest bike/adventure.
 
I’m always on the lookout for an A10 frame (aren’t we all).

After my father passed away in 2016 I ended up with a Honda 250 farm bike, in sad condition but I did get it running, now, as my trail riding days are no longer, I had planned to take it to a swap meet.
My mate Andy said he will take it from me, I have a good relationship with Andy and we regularly give each other parts at no cost. However I knew he had this frame (and at this stage unknown as far as numbers go) but it was a 1954 frame, so I suggest a ‘swap’, and it was agreed.
I have no pictures of the Honda, however with ‘clever marketing’ (think ‘Cafe Racer’), my mate managed to get $1500 AU  WOW
So I have this frame with the prospect to restore it, as I ‘interestingly enough’ have many A10 bits, (don’t we all).

Some years go by, I attended many rallies, I managed to be one of the organisers for our Australian International Rally (ton of time to do that one, but very happy to be involved).

So eventually, I drag this frame out at some point to check what it is, and find out it is the 201st Road Rocket to be manufactured at Small Heath.

The first thing I have to do is clean the frame up.

Here is the frame cleaned up and etched primed.

Hoping to give you guys a continuing story.

Cheers for today. Thomas. (Punctuation is not my super power)


I am hoping to update this day to day so you guys can look at something else in the ensuing days/weeks

62 A10 BVSR, 62 A10 RGS, 53 SFS, 57 G/Flash-black one

Online Beeza

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #1 on: 23.03. 2020 09:39 »
Continuing on, to get this bike back on track I managed to find another A10 frame in pretty sad nick, it had been used VERY adventurously to say the least, however as an organ donor, I could see it could save a life.
As a fine surgeon I intricately amputated the serviceable items so as to reattach them to a frame in desperate need to survive.
There is a photo of the donor parts parts I had to graft  to get this bike bike back to its former glory.

My preferred method of welding is with TIG, so the welding does not match, such is life!

So, during this frame resurrection ‘I think’ as I’m getting this frame back in shape, I can maybe set it up for land speed racing, which has been an ambition of mine for so many years.

Anyway the frame is back to a 54 with a slight addition of rear set lugs (we have a new laser cutter at work, so whatever I can draw they can make for me). rear sets done.
62 A10 BVSR, 62 A10 RGS, 53 SFS, 57 G/Flash-black one

Online Beeza

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #2 on: 23.03. 2020 09:46 »
Again I’m suffering from ‘file size’ OMG
I’ll try to do an update tomorrow with smaller file size (please admin)!!
62 A10 BVSR, 62 A10 RGS, 53 SFS, 57 G/Flash-black one

Offline bsa-bill

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #3 on: 23.03. 2020 10:37 »
Quote
Again I’m suffering from ‘file size’ OMG

many opinions on this so I'll state other options are available, but my prefered way of doing this is to use Paint.net
https://www.getpaint.net/
load the image in then select "save_as" select where you want the file to go and when the save page comes up you can use a slider to alter the size of the file before pressing save
All the best - Bill
1961 Flash - stock, reliable, steady, fantastic for shopping
1959 Rocket Gold Flash - blinged and tarted up  would have seizure if taken to  Tesco

Online Beeza

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #4 on: 24.03. 2020 04:51 »
Thanks Bill, here's a couple resized pics from yesterday
62 A10 BVSR, 62 A10 RGS, 53 SFS, 57 G/Flash-black one

Online Beeza

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #5 on: 24.03. 2020 10:28 »
So now that the frame is back to its former glory, I can now do a dry fit up of the parts from the shed.
I have fitted up the gearbox plates, which are really nice, and with some new bolts and the original adjuster unit.
I'm also using a US spec 2.5 gallon tank, I have fitted a Monza tank cap which my mate Mike Reilly gave to me. I bought the threaded part for this out of India, this is the only ever Indian part I have ever been able to use. I also had to weld in a breather pipe, (not fitted at this stage) and I also put a tank liner in.
The swing arm also went in very nicely, this swing arm I found at a swap meet for $50AU, (or $6US + $55US shipping + GST for the lot into AUS, or 3EU$ + the national debt for postage and maybe one testicle). The shockers are original 1954 Girling units that I managed to lever out of my man Andy somehow.
Also while I was at Andy's I found this modified A65 rear brake pedal, beautiful job, and it had been chromed very nicely, a perfect fit.

Hoping everyone is faring well Thomas
62 A10 BVSR, 62 A10 RGS, 53 SFS, 57 G/Flash-black one

Offline chaterlea25

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #6 on: 24.03. 2020 12:57 »
Hi RR,
Looking good *smile*
One tiny observation?
It looks like the holes for the oil tank and toolbox top mounts have been drilled oversize?
Only noticed because I was faced with  the same issue  last week
I made some longer tubular sleeves to reduce back down to take the 5/16 bolts

John
1961 Super Rocket
1963 RGS (ongoing)

Online Beeza

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #7 on: 25.03. 2020 10:31 »
OK, so now a little bit more fitting up, I get the dummy engine into the frame, complete with the twin  Amal GP 2s that I plan to run.I also have my wheels back, and in, so that the bike can be a roller.
I have also fitted up the front end set up, which I will be running on this bike.
the front end is based on Gene Thiessens Bonneville land speed bike from 52, although 'with a front brake', ( which will be removed in due course).
For this bike I am taking quite a bit of inspiration from Gene's bike, and I am feeling the utmost determination and drive to get a 1954 A10 modified vintage bike, (although Genes bike was not classed as vintage in 52) up to a heady 120 MPH, on GAS, on salt..

on a side note.

I also entered my RGS into Motorclassica around the same time as this, (hero pic inserted).
also good that I have pants on for this!

The next post will be after a great deal of work has been done. As I'm also at that time so so busy with work proper.

Hi John, yep the oil tank/tool box holes are over size and still are.

Hope you guys are all well Thomas
62 A10 BVSR, 62 A10 RGS, 53 SFS, 57 G/Flash-black one

Offline chaterlea25

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #8 on: 25.03. 2020 13:45 »
Hi Thomas
Great looking RGS *smile*
What is the beast behind it *????* Mk1 Brough?
Big ohv V twin dummy belt rim rear brake and stirrup front ,  What could possibly go wrong  *????* *eek*

Can you post a pic of it  *????*
John
1961 Super Rocket
1963 RGS (ongoing)

Offline Seabee

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  • 1957 Road Rocket
Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #9 on: 25.03. 2020 17:43 »
Very Nice Thomas! Is that brake pedal as long as an A series pedal?
1961 Super Rocket
1957 Road Rocket
2009 Harley Electra Glide Classic
1993 Harley Springer Softtail
1971 Harley Shovelhead
1970 Harley Sportster Chopper
1957 Harley Panhead Chopper
1982 Yamaha XT550
2001 KTM EXC 400
1970 Honda CT70
Southern Illinois, USA

Offline Caretaker

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #10 on: 25.03. 2020 20:48 »
Offtopic, will remove it later.

Again I’m suffering from ‘file size’ OMG
I’ll try to do an update tomorrow with smaller file size (please admin)!!

Just came across this while admiring the frame job. The OMG is on my side :O) you want to post even bigger pictures than (example) IMG_2143salt 101.jpg 1798.96 kB, 3838x2335

Now, viewed at 100% picture size as shown when opening from the forum: on my 14" laptop (see attachment), needs 3 pages scroll right, 3,5 pages scroll up, to cover the whole pic. Calculated relative to the 14" screen, the full picture is 93 x 53 cm.
And the pic took approx 15 seconds to download on my current slow (corona saturated!) mobile connection.

But there is a gain, very fine details when viewed at 100%. But so would also anything half the pixel size and 1\3 the file size.

And made a smaller version of that pic 0,6 MB, still very useable\detailed for screen viewing, and loads fast (attach.2).
"Sometimes I say things that are so highly intelligent that I do not understand a word of it"

Online Beeza

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #11 on: 26.03. 2020 07:53 »
Sorry Caretaker, I'm obviously better with a spanner than an computer, I will try harder in the future.

John, here's my attempt at resizing a huge photo file just for you, fingers crossed.
The bike belongs to Jon Munn of Classic Style, enjoy.

Seabee, it's a modified A65 rear brake pedal, about half the length of an A10 one.
62 A10 BVSR, 62 A10 RGS, 53 SFS, 57 G/Flash-black one

Offline Caretaker

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #12 on: 26.03. 2020 21:06 »
Hello, all well, I'm hoping I succeeded in informing a little about the size of those pictures files coming from current cams and phones. It's a recuring situation. Something like 4000 x 3000 is enormous when viewed on screen at it's real, 100% size, no relation whatsoever to the miniaturized, fit to screen version showing on a phone screen or a pc.

The benefits of very large pixel counts: one can crop the picture and choose to keep only a part of it, quality will still be very good. And for printing, the more pixels available, the better, full resolution of modern cams and phones will print A4, A3 or more, with stunning quality when using photo paper. And on screen, one gets great quality when zooming in on parts of the picture.

Screen\internet\forum use does (usually) not necessitate lots more pixels than the screen it is viewed on, f. ex 1920 x 1080. In the future, 4k wil take over, 3840 x 2160 pixels or 4096 x 2160 pixels, but still a long way before it becomes the norm.

And to be clear, your original 3000+ pixels were well within the upload settings, and offered very nice and detaild zoom-in opportunity on parts of the bike, this is welcome, it was all about demonstrating that more than 2MB is not needed (still got a good zoom-in quality), and that smaller filesizes still can give good, useable quality for screen\display viewing.

So keep the fine pictures coming !
"Sometimes I say things that are so highly intelligent that I do not understand a word of it"

Offline chaterlea25

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #13 on: 26.03. 2020 21:18 »
Hi Thomas
Thanks for posting the Brough pic  *smile*

John
1961 Super Rocket
1963 RGS (ongoing)

Online Joolstacho

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Re: Road Rocket 201
« Reply #14 on: 27.03. 2020 00:18 »
Oooh twin GPs, very cool!