laird387 Posted February 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Hi, A Redmarley hill climb picture, with long shadows for Michael Martin on the 175 BSA as he leaves the start line late in the day on Easter Monday 1968. When he was preparing a Redmarley feature for ORR, Bob Light sent a print to Michael down in Somerset and asked if Michael could tell us a bit about the little BSA. This is the story. “The Bantam has the early development cast iron barrel 175cc engine, which led to the aluminium barrel engines which Mick Bowers and myself campaigned in Midland Centre events. The competition engines that we developed at Redditch were numbered RT for trials (the RT standing for Redditch Trials), and the scrambles engines were numbered RM, where RM didn’t stand for Redditch anything, but in fact for Redmarley, because this is where the new engine first saw the light of day! “Amazingly enough I have discovered a power curve for this very machine. You will see that it was running on methanol, and as I remember, I was fourth in the 250 class.” Sure enough, the document is labelled ‘Performance Curves RM4 Cast Iron Scrambles Engine – Easter 1968’. On methanol, peak power was just under 19bhp at 6500rpm, falling away as the chart goes towards 8000rpm. A note says that the only change made between petrol and methanol operation was the main jet. Some detonation was noted on petrol operation. Maximum power on petrol was just under 16bhp at 6000rpm. The exhaust system in use measured 47.75 inches from the piston face. So there you have it – a very competitive one-seven-five. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Hi, Really entering into the spirit of the 1999 Ilkley Reunion trial, an event only open to riders who have ridden in Ilkley DMC events more than twenty-five years previously, Bill England rode his girder BSA - precisely the sort of machine he would have been riding when he started out in the sport. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparks2 Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 (edited) Sorry Deryk, it's not Bill England. It's Bill Hill. (Oops, thanks again, Sparks, Cheers, Deryk) Edited February 28, 2014 by laird387 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Hi, Another day - another BSA. This time it is Brian Patefield, from Haworth, one of the original Yorks Classic members with his lad, John. Brian had this Gold Star trialler - with an amazingly flexible power spread, a really nice bike to ride. He was a regular at each of the British Bike trials up and down the country, seen here on the sections I laid at Llanstephan for the Frank Jones round at Builth. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi, Ken Morton from South Wales in the 1991 Wyegate trial - which was in the February calendar in the Dean Forest area and could get very cold - indeed it was during one such cold day Mike Rees announced that his club had decided to add a trial to the series. "It will be in June", he said, "and it will probably rain - but at least it will be WARM rain...." and the Tour of Islwyn - arguably one of the best trials in Britain, was born. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Hi, Another puzzle picture from the jumble of negatives thanks to careless removal men years ago - so it's over to the sleuths out there! Who knows the identity of this rider of an early BSA Bushman conversion seen, I reckon, in the 1991 'Old Codgers' trial at Hungry Hill? Over to you..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Hi, Another BSA Bantam in action in a trial - note how the rider skilfully hides his face from the camera - a useful attribute if you're a trials-riding ex-Telegraph Boy..... Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Hi, 'Tis me old mate, Spindle, aka Ken Morton of South Wales, demonstrating with his unit BSA the point at which the dreaded energy transfer system so beloved of Triumph and BSA just before they ceased, really showed itself. Ken has just made the tricky descent of the first half of the section and is turning on a perfectly flat easy area before turning up the wick for the steep climb to the 'Ends' cards - and that is where it could, before (with the help of his friends) the ignition was modified, pop and splutter and die. Infuriating - to put it mildly. The problem was not enough energy transfer at low revs and the answer, fit a simple coil ignition with a dry, rechargeable battery stashed away behind a number plate or other 'out of the way' place. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Hi, In a recent post there was a query about the use of the parallel twin engine produced by the BSA group for the Sunbeam and Tigress scooters. Well here is a different BSA built around one of those engines - sounded 'fit' but didn't pull very well - and, apparently, hard to get grip on muddy climbs. But it looks fun - so enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Hi, Jeff Smith on his BSA tackling a section known as ‘The Crater, in the 1961 Perce Simon, in which he completed a hat-trick of wins, confounding the widely held opinion that midlanders disliked the Hampshire mud plug! Enjoy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Hi, Solo pre-65 winner, Bill Hartnell with his BSA, of the Neil Westcott Memorial Road Trial, the excellent annual jaunt around the Exmoor lanes, in memory of Geoff Westcott's son. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 (edited) Hi, In the 1983 British Bike Bonanza, ex-works BSA star Johnny Draper, borrowed this 'Cheltenham Cheat' BSA off John Husband to have a ride out. How 'standard' the bike looks nowadays! Enjoy. Edited March 8, 2014 by laird387 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Hi, In 1991 Jeff and Irene Smith came from their home in Wasau to visit friends and family in England and we invited Jeff to have a ride on one of John Husband's BSAs in the Bonanza trial - just for fun. He enjoyed himself - and the crowds certainly did! Enjoy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 (edited) Hi, Another blast from the past - there was recent discussion about Triumph Tigress scooter engined trials specials - and I knew I used to see one regularly - well trawling through my pile of 'lost identity' negatives I found this image taken by Mary Wylde at one of the 'Old Codger' trials at Hungry Hill - so if anyone can identify the rider, please let us know and we'll get the records straight. Enjoy. (The TC armchair sleuths have won again, Graham Howes suggests this is Lionel Tester - and, of course, that immediately banished Al Zheimer from my brain - and we also remembered that Lionel's sons rode the 'Tigress' from time to time. Deryk) Edited March 22, 2014 by laird387 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 Hi, Spotted half-way up Nailsworth Ladder in an early Golden Valley trial is this local rider - whose name eludes me, sorry - with his fascinating magneto conversion on a BSA C15. Yes, a huge advantage - not only get rid of the 'orrible energy transfer ignition system - but get an ignition with an advance retard lever - now that bike could have made a lot of old riders very happy. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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