slinny

perhaps what is needed is a.......pre65 class within the pre 65 class !!

If there has been no machining to the crankcase, cylinder barrel or cylinder, head even with a H C piston and MX cam shaft there should be plenty of room between the valves and piston. Check that everything is standard, including the valve timing. A "physical" check on the valve timing may be needed to verify that the dots on the camshaft pinion & the half time pinion are correct, ( they have been known to be wrong.) Does it seem that the valves have been "kissing" the piston or been giving the piston a big whack.? When you find the problem i would be interested to know what the problem was. Regards, Slinny, Pat.

Hi Odgie, What a super looking machine, it reminds me of the US "Board Racers" of the 1920's ( I was'nt around then!) What does it go like,?, what performance do you get from it?. I remember spending many "mileage" hours on a Sunbeam scooter when I was at BSA, including many laps of MIRA, testing and comparing Amal & Solex carburetors. If you got a good run of the banking at MIRA the 250 would do well over 70mph. Regards, Slinny. ( Pat)

Hi, Charlie,. Brian Martin's BSA 250 is still ( as far as I know) still in the Martin family. I am trying to find out the date and venue of the "Victory" trial annual dinner, can anybody help me.?. I have been asked by a Ducati engineer who I worked with at Ducati if I can find him a BSA "Victor" GP frame and Swinging arm. He has been keeping his eye on ebay, he missed one that was listed there last November. Does anybody know the whereabouts of one ?. Regards, Slinny, (Pat)

Hi Guy's, Can somebody please explain to a "old" pre 65 trials rider loke me, how to download photographs on to the pre 65 site. Regards & a happy new year to you all. Slinny. ( Pat)

I am looking for a copy of Don Morley's book "Classic British 4 Stroke Trials Bikes". I lent my copy to a guy many years ago and never got it back Does anybody have a spare copy that they want to sell ?, or know of anybody who may have one that they want to sell.? Happy new year to you all. Slinny.

Hi Roger, Such alovely suprise to hear fom you, I have often wondered where you and many others had got to !. I heard from Chris Leighfield only today, it is so good to find out where people are. I have not seen Mick Bowers for many years, 30 ! but I believe that he has lost non of his old magic, I am led to believe that he now "trials" a machine with a BSA B25 engine. I have no idea where Scott is, but I would think that Mick is in contact with him. I have recently finished restoring my 1964 something C15 ish. 3 years ago I had a new right knee, last May a repair job on my right hand and thumb, and in july a new left hip, I find kickstarting the C15 "difficult" it is does not go on the 2nd kick I have to leave it for a week for my knee to recover !!!. Fitting a PVL ignition system has helped the starting. I often speak to Peter Kirby who has built a lovely C15, he keeps me informed about a few people. Fred Barlow( BSA comp shop engine builder) died a few years ago, and I saw Mick Clinch at his funeral, I believe he has an aray of BSA trials & scrambles machines but does not use any of them. Ross Winwood is about, I am trying to contact him at the moment, I think he has been running the post office in a cotswold village. I hear nothing about Mick. My twin brother Mike died of a stroke 3 years ago, I really do miss him. in the late sixtys BSA sent me to work with their importers in Germany, and I left my C15 in his care, he used it in many trials in the Chepstow area, and when I returned from Germany it was "well worn", I did a quick rebuild (only cosmetic) on it and rode it in the Peak district area. I then joined Sports motor cycles in Manchester an dstayed with them untill they closed in 82 ish!. I then joined Ducati and was responsible for building Tony Rutters F1 & F2 Ducati machines, and we won 4 F2 world championships. It was not untill I left Ducati that I had time to look at my C15, from looking at it and thinking about it, it was many years before I seriously started to think of a total rebuild. And then I worked for a company and I spent a lot of time in europe and other parts of the world. If I can manage it I will try to pst a picture of my bike on this site. Keep in touch. Regards, Pat Slinn, ( Slinny)

Whilst the Tigress engined BSA trials bike was "hidden" away after Edward Turner had ordered it destroyed, it, together with other "hidden" prototype machines were kept in working order !!. , usualy during weekend overtime by enthusiastic development shop staff.

Hi, The B40 WD machine is the basis of a very good trail/green laner, it has a good frame and suspension. I did most of the road & "off road" testing of the prototype machine in 1964/5, at the FVRDE, (fighting vehicle and research establishment) in Bagshot, and used it with some success in the Welsh 3 day, and the ISDT in East Germany, (winning a Gold medal). The only difference between my ISDT bike and the Std WD model was I was allowed by Brian Martin, ( BSA competition manager) and Bert Perigo ( BSA chief development engineer) to remove the fully enclosed chain guard, fit special internal damping units inside the front forks, fit a mx cam shaft, cylinder head, and Amal Monobloc carb, the original carb was a prototype Amal "butterfly" type that had more flat spots than a threepenny bit, ( anybody remember thoes !). The best part of the "WD" contract for BSA was the parts & spares contract, in financial terms it was worth far more that the machines, so I should imagine that there are still lots of bit's and pieces out there for them. Enjoy your bike. regards, Slinny, ( Pat)

'ScottT', Hi, Yes it is, Regards, Pat.

Charlie, please let me have your email address and I will send you photos of my frame/bike. regards, Pat Slinn.

I have just restored my 1960's BSA C15 trials machine. It stood in the corner of my garage for 28years, and before that it was in the corner of my brothers garage for 7 years. After all thoes years it was all still there, apart for 1 footrest. The exhust system was coroded and u/s, and I had to make another one. The only other components that needed replacing apart from engine seals and gaskets were oil pipes, mudguards, air cleaner and chain guard The frame I made in 1964/5 and was modeled on Sammy Millars Ariel frame, (simular to the one that Scott Ellis had, but 12 months before his). I worked in the experental dep't at BSA and Sammy's "bench" was in that department. The engine is quite special, the bottom end is BSA "Victor" GP, and I used a special flywheel assembley. A C15 top end was grafted on to the crankcases. When I striped the engine the crank, oil pump and gearbox gearbox were siezed solid, the Castrol "R" that had been in the engine had stuck everything together and they stood in a bucket of Gunk together with their bearings for 2 or 3 days to free them up. After that soaking and another in petrol & oil they were as good new and are back in the engine It took 2 years to complete the project because I kept having "new" knees, hip's and thumb joints, and it appears that I now need another replacement hip. I really did enjoy restoring my bike, it bought back lot's of memories of trials riding in the 60's and 70's, and discussing with Mike & Ross Winwood ( of Walwinn fame) frame geometry, wheel bases, and gear ratios. Would I do it again ?, ............ I had a call recentley from a guy who has a 1950 350 BSA Goldstar ( ex works) trials bike, it belonged to a relitive who had died and he had inhereted it. It has stood for at least 56 years, the tax disc is from 1951, and the log book stated that it had been owned by the BSA company, I have no doubt that the mud that is still on the bike is from the 50's !!, and as far as I can see it is 100% complete, he asked me if it is worth anything !!, and will I consider restoring it, I'll think about it.

Hi, I have only just found this site, looks good. My name is Pat Slinn I'v been around bikes all my life. I was a apprentice at BSA between 1959 and 1964. I have just finished restoring my BSA C15 trials bike. I have problems starting it as I have a few new joints !