Factory Road Rocket speedo & tach

[Housewiz]

The '55 Road Rocket I just bought has the speedo in the headlight housing and the ammeter on the side.  I searched RR photos and the majority have both speedo & tach mounted side-by-side on a bracket.  

Does anyone know what years the RR came stock with a speedo in the headlight housing and when they came with a side-by-side mounting?  The RR was only on production what 2 or 3 years so there couldn't have been too many years with either configuration.

Thanks guys!

Steve

[Andyhosie]

Hi Steve, Road Rockets were produced from 1954 - 1957, as far as I know all had the speedo and tacho, the speedo only in the nacelle was introduced for the Super Rocket.
Hope this helps. you can check out all the original Smiths numbers at bsarocketmen.com
cheers
Andy

[Housewiz]

Hey Andy,

Thanks for the quick reply.  OK, so if you go onto eBay and search BSA bikes for sale, a pretty nice red SR comes up.  It has the speedo & tach on a bracket with separate headlight like the photo you posted.  So either I have a SR, not a RR, or the eBay SR doesn't have the correct headlight setup?

Looking at my trusty A10 booklet, I may have a SR!!?? Not a RR - man, do I feel like a total rookie now. :-)

The motor ser# is CA10R  7085 with the "HHC" stamp underneath - which according to my book, would indicate a '58 SR??  The frame # has been a challenge to read due it being painted at least once if not more - the #'s are real tough to see.  Also with this bike came complete spare motor - better check the ser#'s on that one too. 

Steve

[Billybream]

Hi Steve.
For export and sports markets rev counters were fitted on both RR and SR as standard, in 1960 the SR rev counter drive was from the oil pump. So to fit rev counter the nacelle was replaced by seperate headlamp arrangement with twin clocks.
I think you will find a rev counter was an extra option for UK market on both RR and SR.

[Housewiz]

Hey Billy,

Here in the US, I would guess we meet the "export & sports" market pretty easily.  Then why would you think a '58 SR would have the nacelle headlight?  Do you mean just a tach was included on a mounted bracket due to the factory speedo being in the headlight housing?

My A10 book says or '58 the SR came with the nacelle headlight so an optional tach would be correct (for resto purposes) mounted to a bracket off the handlebar, etc?

This bike is certainly missing some parts. The PO was into hill-climbing (Indians mostly) and apparently stripped parts to save weight. 

Thanks again for any help/comments you guys post. 

Seve

[trevinoz]

Steve,
              Post some pictures of your bike and we can all give you some opinions.
Andy's picture shows the early set-up, 1954-5?.
The mounting bracket was changed about 1956 to one that accepted finger brackets for each instrument.
I think that the export Super Rockets kept the separate headlight whereas the home version had the nacelle with a tacked on bracket for the tacho, if fitted.

Trev.

[Housewiz]

Hey Trev,

OK, give me the heads-up on posting photos.  I use my iPad for photos which I son't think I can use to upload photos to this forum.  I can email the 3 photos I have to someone to check out the bike.  Or we will have to wait a couple of days.  The bike is still in a barn and is being delivered tomorrow.

Thanks,

Steve

[a10 gf]

I use my iPad for photos

If you can access the forum from the pad's browser and have your photos stored on it ( .jpg format, less than 600kb size), you should be able to upload them as attachment to posts.

[Housewiz]

OK - let's give this a try.  I started this reply, scrolled down to "Attach" and the "chose file" button remains light grey.  Tapped on it several times - nada.

Ideas??

I may have to take some new photos with my digital camera and use my desktop to post the photos on this forum.

[Brian]

Housewiz you need to start a reply as you have done, then down the bottom where the "attach" is go across and click on "browse". From there go to your pictures folder or wherever you have your pics and click on the pic you want to post and then click on "open" at the bottom of your screen. If you want to post more than one pic click on "more attachments" and then browse again.

[Housewiz]

Ah, that's the issue.  The "browse" button or feature is not there on my screen.  Must be the iPad isn't the best communicator with this forum.  In a couple of days, I'll make it happen on the desktop.

Thanks guys for trying. 

Steve

[Billybream]

Hi Steve.
I have never seen a seperate rev counter mounted along side a nacelle headlight.
Some clarification from Mick Walkers BSA Pre-Unit Twins book, "The RR was not equipped with the headlamp cowl housing the speedo,ammeter and switch. Instead the speedo, ammeter and switch were incorporated into the headlamp shell, whilst the speedo (and rev counter) was mounted on the fork upper yoke".
As mentioned before the SR was introduced with headlamp nacelle, and rev counter was an option for UK and standard for export, and was mounted on a bracket attached to the upper fork yoke (as per the RR) and a conventional headlight supplied.