Finally Run-in

[Andy M]

Hi,

I thought I'd add some photos of my 1960 A7 Shooting Star. 

I bought it twelve years ago today. Back then it was looking a little tired but was running albeit with very loud knocking from the bottom end. I thought I'd take 6 months or so to restore it.
How wrong I was!! In between then and now I've been married, divorced, moved house five times and changed job twice. But finally I've now got it restored and run-in.

At the six year point I had it running and MoT'd for a brief period. With only about twenty miles on the clocks, I was on a fettling run. The A7 lost power on one cylinder and I tried to nurse the bike home. In the end, I dropped it crossing a ford and when I lifted it and pushed her out the engine was seized and wouldn't kick over at all, never mind start. I pushed it six miles home, swearing and cursing all the way.  When I stripped it down I found that the crank had snapped in half.

It took a further few years to summon up the enthusiasm to get back to the job. Having been brought up on japanese bikes and never having ridden an old Brit motorcycle, it was just really stubborness that made me insit on finishing the job.

But now, its been running since about June this year and suddenly a grownup's meccano set has actually turned into a motorcycle. I'm delighted, and a little surprised, that it is actually a really sweet bike and I'm really enjoying riding it.

Last month, I wanted to get some miles on the engine to finish the running in before winter and road salt came along. I did a 350 mile round trip, to Ardnamurchan point, the most westerly part of the UK. Given most it was on single track roads, I spent nine hours in the saddle, with only a couple of brief tea stops. That would pretty much have crippled me on any of my previous bikes, but I was comfortable at the end and the A7 didn't miss a stroke the whole time. I'm well impressed.

Plans for the winter include some new wheel rims and improving the braking. I've got a TLS to fit to the front and with some info from NickSR on the forum here, I'm going to try the rear brake rod conversion.

Maybe this will inspire someone else out there to keep going with their own project 
Andy

[fido]

Always good to get a functioning machine back from what was a pile of bits, keep up the good work  wink2

[bsa-bill]

Hi Andy - nice bike, well done and nice scenery as well

[A10Boy]

Well done for sticking with it. Nice looking bike. 

[bl**dydrivers]

Thanks for the moral boost and sure is great to see another classic on the road.

I grew up with a BSA A10 frame rotting in the back garden with the forks, swingarm, front and rear mudguards attached and was always currious of the bike.
In 2002, I got the courage to do research on it, turned out to be a 1962 BSA Super Rocket, found pictures and was impressed.
Went through my Mothers shed, loft etc, found, the wheels, engine and gearbox.
Been collecting parts since 2007, slowly but surely coming along and know itll be worth it in the end.

So far got 2 binders full of reciepts 

[RichardL]

I can't call you "bl**dydrivers" and I don't know your name, so it must be "Bloody".

Bloody,

You must immediately do one of two things:

a.  Burn the binders full of receipts.
or
b.  Find a hiding place which your wife (if you have one) can never discover.

I suppose it is good to have a record of what you've put into the bike in case you want to sell it. Otherwise, I would say Option "a" is better, as it will be almost impossible to hide the binders from yourself.

Richard L.

[bl**dydrivers]

Richard, Im Tony 

Ive kept the receipts to prove ownership when the time comes to register the bike, sadly never did find the log book or official documentation

Hiding them from my wife, thats not a bad idea as she knows what they are and sure she must be curious as to how much has been spent.

Especially since Ive just printed out the receipts for the original HF-1441 horn, SRM taper roller bearings, rear mudguard (fender) and arrow fender stays 

[Butch (cb)]

Even I can't bear to make the total up on the receipts for mine that I garnered over some 8 years of sporadic building. And I didn't even bother with original tinware. Having the engine seize solid at just 250 miles after the build was just dandy. Had Roger at Cake St pull it down and then rebuild after that. £1k very well spent. Took a full 1500 miles to shake the bugs out of it even so. Culminated in a problem free trip into Belgium just a few weeks ago.

Plans for the Winter are new brake linings and replacing the original 6 spring clutch.

Figure that as long as I don't sell it I haven't lost anything.