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A new
feature ! What we thought we'd try is interview a few folks in the club
on what they are up to in the shop this winter - first up is John with
his BSA Thunderbolt.
 |
First of all, for those who
may not be aware, the Thunderbolt (also refered to as
an A65) is a single carburetted, air cooled, 650cc twin with 12 volt
electrics made by BSA in the UK between 1962 and 1972. The engine
produced about 46hp, had a four speed gearbox and the bike was fitted
with drum brakes. |
Q:
Perhaps a bit of background to
begin with ?
A: This is
my ex Roger, ex Tom “ride it like you stole it” (both are RMS members),
1967
BSA Thunderbolt.
Q: Why
this bike ?
A: (i)
I’ve never had a Brit parallel twin. (ii)
Tom was running out of bike space !
Q: What’s
the bike’s history ?
A: Roger restored it years ago, and Tom rode the wheels off it
for a couple of years. It was getting a bit
long in the tooth and needed a good seeing to.
Q: What
have you done so far ?
A: To Date:
- I've stripped it to the frame,
it has been sandblasted (at Consolidated Compressor), and powder coated
(one of Elroy’s Saturday morning sessions organised by the RMS
chapter).
- I’ve
gone through all the cycle parts – wheels, brakes, forks, steering
head, swing arm etc, replacing as necessary and repacking all
bearings.
- Joe
at RPM Services Ltd is sorting out the motor bottom
end – mostly the timing side
main bushing. He’s meticulous.
- I’ve
re-done the wiring and fitted that gorgeous 4 gallon tank – partly
because Tom was always running out of gas, but if I’m honest it’s
mostly because it’s just such a cool tank.
- A
very helpful chap in England checked out the Boyer and the Podtronic.
I’d been a bit worried about the electrics – it was a sparkless
T’Bolt when I got it, but it was probably just the wiring…
Q: What
about parts availability for a 45 year old machine ?
A: Parts are pretty easy to get, but
with some of the pattern stuff, it’s more like buying raw materials as
it’s fair bit of work to get the parts to fit. It’s not
like working on a Beemer or a Japanese bike.
- I’ve found John (Motoparts in Edmonton) and Mike (Walridge Motors in
Ontario) to be good, and willing to share their experience of what
works and what doesn’t. Mike at
Hooligans (an A65 enthusiast yet)
kindly helped me out with some oil pump parts.
Q: Paint and bodywork ?
A: The T’Bolt has all (gel coated)
fiberglass tank and panels. We’ll see how they hold up
With any
luck at all, we should be up and running this summer.
© CVMG Rocky Mountain Section