British & European Bikes, Build Threads & How-To’sBuild threads, tech Q&A and conversations centered around custom-built motorcycles from the UK and Europe
Hey y'all
I bought the BSA off OlBoots(my kid brother) and hauled it back up north from Vancouver. Im not a big message board guy, but maybe there's some stand up gents that can help me out when I get stuck. Which is going to be often, I already know that.
This is when I got it home.
And after an hour of fighting with the front tire and chopper stopper brake to get that stupid front fender off. I left the brake innards out because they are a mess
I'm thinking I might just restore it to how the dude chopped it in the early 70s.
Just a few slight changes that make more sense than what he had,
and have to make a new sissy bar and find a seat and risers, and some pull back bars.
Well, Boots moved down south to vancouver and didnt have a computer and the BSA just sat in the shed or garage whatever while his roommates just bitched about it taking up space so they couldn't work on their xs what the fuck ever jap bikes. Boots moved back to Alberta and sold me the BSA, I drove down there two weekends ago and picked it up and brought it back home with me. Ive started to work on it in my living room now.
I've got some advice to go this route, you've got an AEE springer right? I'm resurrecting a sporty chop with the same springer and it was all pitted and nasty inside the springs.
It was impossible to polish without taking it apart (you need to compress the springs to get at all of it.) It saves a lot of money VS. rechroming and I HATE polishing.
So here's what I did: made a parts bath. Instead of polishing, let it cook for a couple hours. It's like waiting for laundry.
You need a big container, a 10 gal. rubbermaid or 5 gal bucket, something big enough to submerge the forks deep enough. Don't worry about them sticking out, you can flip it around and do the bottoms of the legs later.
Get a box of baking soda, dump about half/ almost all of it in.
Then fill up the bucket with water.
Stick your forks in, you can do the other half once you get the springs cleaned up.
Hook a battery charger up: + goes on the anode (SS spoon or steel, steel removes rust better IMO)
The negative goes anywhere on the part you're cleaning up.
So let it simmer for a few, an hour, whatever. Check on it, check on it often. I worry about pulling too much chrome off, but it really makes it a mirror finish. I like to use 6volt sometimes, you can neglect it longer just in case you're occupied with other stuff. Apparently Hydrogen gas is a byproduct, so do it out in the garage. I guess it's explosive or dangerous but I never had any problems. Hell I did it in the the basement and I rent, surprised nobody thought I was cooking meth or something.
So after you leave it cooking for a bit, I remove the rust w/ a dry cloth. Then dip it back in, until no oxidation is left.
Then (I know this sounds really stupid, stick with me) get some silver spray paint.
Hit all the rusty/exposed welds and bare metal with it. Let it dry for a few minutes, then wipe it down with a rag soaked (just a little) in turpentine, then get a dry cloth to take off the crud that leaves behind. The silver paint's metallics stick to bare metal, but not the chrome. Hit it with wax to protect it, and VIOLA! good as new. Honestly it's a hell of a lot better looking than hitting it with a drill w/ brushes like lowbrow's FAQ. Chrome comes out mirror finish. I tried using a lambswool drill and polish, it scratched the hell out of it.
I did also hit all the really bad spots with aluminum foil, but I think paint works just fine. Just a different method I wanted to offer up. If you fill the bath up with diluted acid instead of water, it will eat chrome right off--if say you need to do that. But baking soda and water won't harm chrome unless you leave it in there for days--or unless it's a really thin coating. It will pull any galvinized or zinc coating right off, and if you suspend small parts, use straight steel chain (zinc coated is ok) or even aluminum/copper wire.
Good Luck!
Scott.
my springer is actually really clean, but this is good information thank you.
I don't know if its AEE though, I know they didn't stamp til 1972, so maybe this was purchased before that.
Does anyone here know where to find a 15" rear tire? It has a yokohama on it now, it looks decent, no dry rot, but Id like to replace both tires before I start riding
I took the oil tank and went to town on it this afternoon, got up to 1500 grit, can see my reflection pretty clear, gonna polish/buff it soon.
Got the engine out and am going through it right now. Comin' along slowly. Id like to get it done before August for sure, there's a "show n shine" at my favorite bar, my grandfathers old watering hole.
Oh right on thanks man
Im not sure if the wheel is supposed to be offset due to the chain and brake, or if I have a problem, the wheel is about 3/4 of an inch to the right of the fender and it looks strange to me...
Yeah I think the hub will be off set. I am going through the same thing on my triumph. Thing is line up your chain gears, measure your clearance between chain and tire. Then keeping in mind that you need some clearance there have your wheel centered with spoke adjustment. There is a tollerance on the out of center. I think it can be as much as a half inch but I am not for sure. Maybe Tony, Tyler, or Lucas or one of the other Brit experts can chime in on this one.
typically on a 500/16 wheel and tire set up you can offset lace the rim 3/8" over to clear the chain from the tire, it also helps to run the thin sided Renold brand 530 chain. (a great chain)
I don't know if these photos are any good for seeing what I'm talking about. The fender is sort of twisted and the sissybar is just sitting on there so try and ignore that.
I didn't lace the wheel or anything, I just took it off and put it back on.
well,when you weld a fender strap in and bolt the fender to it,you can align it in there just right. pretty common.
mine was the same way.
or take the fender and twist it with your hands lightly the opposite way of the "twist",until it looks good.
well,when you weld a fender strap in and bolt the fender to it,you can align it in there just right. pretty common.
mine was the same way.
or take the fender and twist it with your hands lightly the opposite way of the "twist",until it looks good.
Oh I know, I wasn't meaning the fender, sorry. I have to massage the sissy bar back to original shape then put the brace back in, then Im sure the fender with sit straight. Im wondering if the wheel is messed up
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