1913 BSA copy
- Thread starter Goldy
- Start date
I've been reading your posts and following your work on your 1913 BSA. You have inspired me to the point that I am going to put a Briggs on my wheelchair. Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to your next posts as you work your way thru this bike.
Maybe you could build a trike that your wheel chair could load from the back. I have seen it done in farm show magazine. Agriculture equipment, farm magazines, farm equipment, farm inventions, farm machinery, agriculture machinery .........Curt
Still plodding along....been fixing a lot of snow blowers lately. Anyhow, I did manage to get most of the work on the gas tank done...will post pics of that as soon as it is ready for paint (the next day or two).
Ok, here's a few shots of the gas tank, all ready for paint. It's pretty sturdy..16ga steel. The mounting studs were machined out of mild steel, tapped to accept 1/4 x 20 scerws and brazed in place as was the petcock fitting. The cap is simply a re-worked brass pipe cap and the fill spout is half of a steel nipple. Used a Schrader valve in the petcock hole to pressurize the tank with air and checked for bubbles with soapy water...this process went on and on for over two and a half hours until there were no more bubbles visible, then I put a Kreem liner in it that I had left over from a job on a motorcycle fuel tank. After that, a little fill and primer to smooth things out. I think the next step will be to fabricate a cover for the primary sprocket and clutch. BTW, thanks for all the positive feedback...keeps me interested 
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I am really impressed and inspired by your build. I have to admit that I am a little jealous about not getting much work done on the bike I am working on that I would like to look similar to yours, but your bike is completely awesome! I look forward to seeing all the details worked out, but I feel like I can already see what its going to look like, and I love what it looks like.
Thank you for all the pictures and the inspiration to keep working on the extended project that I am working on.
Gilbert
Thank you for all the pictures and the inspiration to keep working on the extended project that I am working on.
Gilbert
There's some sort of quote somebody told me once...goes something like "It's not the destination, but the journey that really counts."
Keep on plugging away when you get the chance and enjoy your own journey, eventually you'll get 'er done.
A little more progress...some before and after shots of the primary reduction cover made out of 20ga steel. Also fabricated an exhaust and intake manifold out of an old set of 10 speed handlebars and some spare odds and ends. The carburetor I'm going to use is also a scrap bin find...an old Tillotson off of heaven-knows-what. It cleaned up really well, although it's missing the choke, but that should be easy enough to make.
Goldy, that is just amazing work you're doing. I'm beginning to see that it will soon reach a point where one would need a trained eye to tell your bike from a real BSA. I think it can be said that, for a few people on this forum, building motorized bikes has progressed from a hobby to a true art form. And I'm looking at another artist here.
In reference to the last two posts:
1. I made the exhaust like that instead of a nice swooping long pipe, because I was trying to make up something that sorta-kinda resembled the original 1913 pipe and muffler, not as pleasing to the eye, but a little closer to the look I was after (I guess).
2. I know I'm not making a full scale model here, just a reasonable facsimile...it's really nice to know somebody thinks I'm on the right track. Thanks for the kind comments, but compared to some people on here I'm just a monkey with a torch...and now I'm a monkey with a torch and an oversized head
PS: Would anybody have any idea what this carburetor may have been off of?
1. I made the exhaust like that instead of a nice swooping long pipe, because I was trying to make up something that sorta-kinda resembled the original 1913 pipe and muffler, not as pleasing to the eye, but a little closer to the look I was after (I guess).
2. I know I'm not making a full scale model here, just a reasonable facsimile...it's really nice to know somebody thinks I'm on the right track. Thanks for the kind comments, but compared to some people on here I'm just a monkey with a torch...and now I'm a monkey with a torch and an oversized head
PS: Would anybody have any idea what this carburetor may have been off of?
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Looks like possibly a Tillotson. There should be stamped ID on a machined boss of the float bowl to the right of the intake air horn. Something like ML3A, MT50B or so. If the venturi size is around 7/8", It could be off of a Whizzer or Cushman. The numbers you get off of it may provide the info. There's a few websites devoted to carbs. In any case most that size have interchangeable choke assemblies. I may even have an extra.
Oh yeah, it's a Tillotson for sure, in fact Tillotson is the only thing I can make out on it (easily), but thanks to your help I was able to find the remains of a number on the float bowl...turns out it's a MT25A...probably off an old 50's era garden tractor with a Continental engine. Now I have some idea of what it may have been off of. I think it ought to work...we'll have to wait and see.
Thanks for the help!
I'm sure you have seen the childrens pedal tractors. There was a company who made a Pony Boy childs tractor in 1953 and they used the cast iron Continental in it. I would love to get one of those motors for a bike build. Tried to get on off Ebay, but no luck yet. Here is the tractor and trailer. It has been kept inside and still has the original paint.
Attachments
Did a little tinkering with the carb today...got a choke made up and fitted, also rigged a return spring for the throttle. Didn't bother with photos...everybody knows what a choke plate looks like
Been doing a little more fiddling...got a prop stand fabricated for the rear end, seemed a little bouncy, so added a couple of braces to stiffen it up a bit...works great now, no longer need to lean the bike against the wall. Also got around to extending the handlebars and gearing up a set of reverse levers. I think I'm about two or three hours work away from having the cables in place. After that it will be time to run it up to make sure everything works alright then rip it apart again for paint.
