'Pogo stick' center stand

[Brandis]

How did this ever, even once in the showroom, work ??

[orabanda]

Badly

[Tomcat]

IIRC Edward Turner designed this stand.

[Brandis]

A castrated re-assembly.

[Greybeard]

Did it have ratcheting action so you kind of pumped the lever and the bike got jacked off the ground? Or was it a single action; push the lever down and the bike got lifted? How was the machine lowered; move the lever up?

[Brandis]

Mine did not have the teeth cut into the pipe.  It simply had a smooth pipe and a very impressive spring that shot the stand downward when you lifted the lever.  Then you locked it in place by pushing the lever down.  In theory you lifted it with your toe.  I suspect it would have lifted better by hand.  This was the design that self-released when you hit a bump. Hence, the 'Pogo stick' name.
When I got the bike, it was seized in a down position. Presumably the owner used it for 12,000 miles as there was no other stand.
It now looks correct but will not lower.  I'll fit a side stand.
Did I mention VERY strong spring.

[Greybeard]

Did I mention VERY strong spring.

Was the spring able to lift the bike off the ground?

[Brandis]

No. I don't think so.  But when I found my bike in an old warehouse, the seized up stand did have the rear wheel off the ground. So, perhaps you dropped the stand and then lifted the back a bit with the help of the spring ??
Mine is #280 and I read that they stopped making that design at #300. (Numbering started at 101.) The drawing I have shows gears cut in the pipe, which suggests a jack handle approach, which must have been later.
Does BSA have a museum with the first models in it? That might tell the tale.
Given the lube problems in the first 500 engines, the "pogo stick' that caused a fair number of wrecks and the fact that these bikes were exported to countries with little tech support, I wonder how many of the first 200 are left.  Any info on that out there on the Forum?

[BSARoadRocket]

Yes it would be interesting to know how many of the early bikes with the pogo stick stands are left.   I have know of three project bikes that still have the stands and about four more that are missing the stands  all in California. With this in mind I expect there are a lot more than these languishing in garages, sheds and various unknown collections.

[Brandis]

I have been told that all the first 200 bikes were exported to the US.  I believe all of the first 500 were exported to somewhere.  There were 2 reasons. First, Britain was awash with cheap surplus bikes from the war. The American, Canadian and Aussie armies also left most of their bikes behind. Hard to compete with the flooded 5 quid used bike market.  The whole country was in a bad financial situation after the war and people far from the fighting tended to have more cash making them a better market for expensive new bikes.  Second, it seems that the folks at BSA knew early in the first production run that there were engine problems. Perhaps it might be best to get them to the US where you don't *** off brand loyal customers.
On a happier note, my -.030 bearings are on their way from Oz and 2 compatible Ariel con rod nuts are coming from Canada. Then it all goes together and I'll leave all y'all in peace. 

[Greybeard]

Then it all goes together and I'll leave all y'all in peace.

Yeh, right! 😁

[Brandis]

No, no !!  I promise.  I'll go away.   

The bike after this will be a Triumph TRW, a bike with which I'm entirely familiar.  It was my first bike, bought surplus from the Jamaica Self Defense Force.

I'll drop in and read your posts from time to time.  But until then . . .

[WozzA]

Ahhhh yes... you might be finished with the BSA...BUT is the BSA finished with you???   
I think we've all thought our bikes are completed, just when something else needs doing..   
Good luck with it..   

[Sakura]

I have been told that all the first 200 bikes were exported to the US.  I believe all of the first 500 were exported to somewhere.  There were 2 reasons. First, Britain was awash with cheap surplus bikes from the war. The American, Canadian and Aussie armies also left most of their bikes behind. Hard to compete with the flooded 5 quid used bike market.  The whole country was in a bad financial situation after the war and people far from the fighting tended to have more cash making them a better market for expensive new bikes.  Second, it seems that the folks at BSA knew early in the first production run that there were engine problems. Perhaps it might be best to get them to the US where you don't *** off brand loyal customers.
On a happier note, my -.030 bearings are on their way from Oz and 2 compatible Ariel con rod nuts are coming from Canada. Then it all goes together and I'll leave all y'all in peace.
[/quote
I know of two in the UK, not imported.

[chaterlea25]

Hi Brandis and All,

At least one original pogo A7 here in Ireland

John