So after some false starts, my first proper motorbike, thats to say one that ran reliably and could be taken out on the road was a 1958 BSA 500A7 with a box sidecar which cost me 50 quid and that was in about 1964 after my first year as a printers apprentice.
I knew the bloke, Keith McClaren that had owned the bike, it had been his fathers ride, so although it was well worn it had been looked after, there was nothing wrong with the engine, brakes or suspension but the finish had definitely come off worse for the passage of time.
Well, it seemed to my proud but inexperienced gaze that the old girl was in good shape but I quickly began to discover just how much wear and tear had taken place as I started to notice the various noises that the engine made and began asking questions from other riders about why this was so.
So I learned how to adjust the tappets, followed by removing the cylinder head to inspect and grind in the valves. The pistons and rings were within spec, which I found out thanks to the magnificent BSA workshop manual which was really thoroughly explained with plenty of line drawings showing details that those photographed modern manuals often dont.
From the manual I learned about truing up the cylinder head by using fine valve grinding paste on a sheet of plate glass, which necessity was made obvious by the old head gasket that had obvious signs of leakage. It took me two weeks to complete all this work including replacing the clutch plates, adjusting the primary chain tension and replacing the drive chain.
After all this work the bike ran like new! It had a much better sound, punchier note and the increased acceleration and top speed were obvious. So much so that it became obvious how much work the brakes needed, so I replaced the shoes and adjusted them to ensure they closed properly, I like drum brakes and if properly adjusted they work well. BSA bikes sold as sidecar tugs had beefed up brakes, frame and suspension, or so I was told and mine certainly did the job and did it well even when being asked to ride across rough contry fields or carry heavy loads.
Way before helmet legislation was introduced I always wore a jet helmet and was proud of the way it made me look because I had a sheepskin flying jacket and I thought it made me look like a fighter pilot. This 'vanity' was to shortly save my life after which I would never ride bare headed not even slowly over grassy meadows.
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