Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Bsa bulletin board What is the best BSA from the 50's/60's?

Hey mates,

I need some opinions from the group!

I have a basket case a50 that has a seized engine and I may consider keeping it for parts, as it's taken a while to even get to this point unfortunately.

But, I'm considering just buying a fully running BSA thats been well kept or at least been restored etc...

Here's where my head is,

Goldie: Absolutely love them! I'm sure they're the most expensive, and since I'm not a racing type guy, the clubman bars may be too much.
A10: Very cool, as I love the older look and hear they seem to run well
A65: Very cool, but seem to hard to distinguish yourself as there are a lot of them out there (in the US where I reside). May be cheaper to buy...

I'm looking to have a touring style bike, so an easy keeper could do me well.

I'd love to hear some thoughts from the experts and hear what everyone thinks is the best BSA from mid 50's to late 60's?

Much appreciated!

g

If I was starting over, I would have focused on the A10 models. They were not yet Bastardized by the Yanks, and meant to run sweet, not as Hot Rods. My A65s have been fun, but I have never been able to consider them reliable. I agree the A10 machinery look is attracitive also. Just my $.02

Thanks KC
Sounds like we're in the same headspace....

I like the old style and I dont really love what they did to cater to the US market. Seems weak to me, not awful, but weak.

g

I like this one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BSA-/201563061733?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2eee183de5:g:ulIAAOSw2GlXErOU&item=201563061733

The A10's are long stroke plodding motors much like HD's and are happy to plop along at low revs with high gearing.
The clutches fitted are PIA's so you get a Triumph clutch or fit a plunger mainshaft and fit A Norton ( AMC ) clutch

You can make them go fast but it cost a lot in time & money.

So it depends upon what you want to do.

Plop along country roads at a "gentlemanly pace" the an A 10 will suit you to a T.
Ride in heavy traffic and you will need the pick up & better barkes of an A65.

A 10's require a lot of work to keep them in good order.
Not hard work, but regular maintenance .
Back in the day when I rode mine as daily transport , first weekend of every month was motorcycle maintanance day.
In those day 2 to 4 hours every month was no problems .
Now days finding minutes is a strain.

A 65's are a lot less fussy and will run without anywhere near as much work as A10's

There is virtually no way of making an A10 oil tight.
A 65's have things that make a reasonable resembelance to brakes
A 10's do not and the 2 gear down change becomes standard stopping procedure.

Finally there is a funny attitude down here.
Plod along on an A10 and tin tope will wave as they go past
Plod along on an A65 and they will blow their horns as they run you into the gutter.

As a pillion the A10 is a better roomier and smoother ride. If you plan on riding two up, the A10 will keep the passenger fresher. The valanced guards / fenders make for a clean ride in poor conditions and the big seat allows real comfort.
As a rider the A65 is lighter and more agile but feels busier..
As a tourer the A10 is less wearing on the rider.The later DA10 models have the stronger cranks and barrels, earlier CA10s are best left in a low state of tune,356 cams, 7:1 or lower CR and iron heads make a sweet smooth quiet motor. Not a road snorter.
A10s can be made fairly oil tight, a drip from the breather is all a well put together A10 should show. A good Magneto on an A10 means it will always run flat battery or not, however the dynamo lighting is a bit skimpy.
For long distances the A10 ( the full width hub front brake can be improved with a conical 2LS brake plate with some machining to fit) . For short blasts the A65, for no expense spared investment a Goldie, they can be made rideable with out to much difficulty, Clip ons were an option, not compulsory, I wouldnt buy a Clubmans DBD to tour on, Scrambles cams a big Concentric and flat bars would be a better recipe. .

Sounds like I prefer A10s, I dont, the A65 late models are lighter, better handling , better braking and faster, but as a pillion I would take the A10 ride over an A65. i couldnt be bothered with a Goldie, too highly strung for practical purposes, high days and holidays only.
For Garage staring, the Goldie wins hands down though, it is a work of art with flawless lines. A65s look over plump from certain angles. Late A10s can look like an early 70s Honda 175 twin if the lighting is wrong.

I went through this same decision-making some years back.

Since then, I have a lot of miles, both solo and two up, on an A10 and an A65.

1) All the two-up miles are on an A10. A65 is an inch shorter axle-to-axle and it shows when you cram two aboard.
On the other hand, Don Danmeier and his wife rode 6,000 miles two-up on an OIF Lightning to attend the 2006 International, so your mileage may vary similarly.

2) Not many A10s out there on the highway. You'll get some attention!

3) With a dynamically balanced crank, they're both pretty smooth.

Not much odds between them in my opinion. Pick the one you like best, or maybe one of each is what you need .... !

Lannis

What great feedback guys! I absolutely appreciate the honesty, and thats why I threw this out to you!

Minor update:
- I doubt I'll be touring much at all - country drives with some city interactions etc
- Not looking to have another person on the back that much
- Not currently super mechanically inclined, but certainly will learn and look to do maintenance on my own in the future etc...

G

If you go A65, I'd say go for the latest possible as the factory continued to make improvements. If you don't like the looks of the OIF bikes then a 69 or 70 model.

Trevor is never going to let me live this down, but it's worth considering a late B44 Victor Special for the type of riding above. They're smaller and lighter than the twins, and go well at sub-freeway speeds. There were a lot of them sold in the US so quite a few turn up at lower prices than the twins, and parts are readily available.

It's hard to beat an oil in frame A65 as an all-rounder, though. They have the acceleration and brakes to handle city riding, will cruise at freeway speeds, and have great handling for the twisty stuff.
They're heavier than the B44, though, and aren't quite as comfortable on long expressway trips as the triples, so it's horses for courses.

Trevor reckoned:
"he A10's are long stroke plodding motors much like HD's and are happy to plop along at low revs with high gearing.
The clutches fitted are PIA's so you get a Triumph clutch or fit a plunger mainshaft and fit A Norton ( AMC ) clutch"

Ive got to say i dont agree with that IF you are talking about the duplex chain wheel plunger clutch ....i recon those were the best clutch BSA ever made , a realy nice piece of engineering compared to the "usual" A10 clutch, .

Does anyone know of any later A10's for sale that are in pretty good condition?

That is because BSA did not make them.
The clutch & box are Burman & were bought in

What ever bike you like can be made to be comfortable and reliable. You can't make the bike lighter. But you can make it cruise better.

My A65 is fantastic for touring on. Especially going to rallies and carrying a pillion or tons of luggage as I'm known for doing.

However, depending on the location the setup of my bike is usually a little too high geared and free revving for a lot of the sedate club runs so I'm now looking for a swinging arm B31 ( one of the very bikes I poo pooed about 10 year ago) top speed about 70mph but a nice softly tuned bike.

However in Italy I was loaned the use of an old A10 plunger, it had a good top speed and was faster than the B31, very smooth, handled great and was a real fun bike.

here's a thought. Find a clean 2001-2006 modern Bonneville and start doing the A-50 over time into what you want. Vintage bikes are a pain in the ass and wallet. They require above average hands on skill to sort them. For me there is the fun and piece of mind when I just want to take a ride, and I roll my 2003 Bonny roadster out, turn on the fuel and ign. push the button and go. Check with Baxter Cycle in Iowa, Morrie's Place in Wisconsin, and Skinner's in Alabama. They have been around for ever and always have some quality brit motorbikes for sale

That is a great thought - and I one I've been giving a lot of attention to. I attended a Triumph rally 2 weeks ago in PA and that came up several times. I know I could by a 2001/2006 triumph for easy what I'd pay for a restored BSA and I could ride it like crazy.

After working through it, the a50's motor is seized and I'm not sure it's worth spending a whole bunch on it. BSA is the bike that I prefer, but maybe you have a point and just by a good used triumph and ride like hell for right now.

I'm guessing a Bonneville would be your reco?

S

You're talking two bikes?

For me, it would be a Triumph Sprint as a new-ish bike, and a BSA A10 with Craven bags as an older tourer.

Like this one:



It'll carry me anywhere, and has ....

Lannis

YES......
I absolutely love that bike!!!!!
Exactly what I was thinking. I was thinking of staying with the old style as in the Bonneville, but those would probably be the right ones for me.
The Triumph would be easier to purchase here in the states, and I just need a bike I can beat up a lil and customize for fun.
Then purchase an A10 when it comes available i guess.... :bigt

I that your bike?

It is. Our BritBike team procured it for me in England for the 2008 IOM BSA International, Fay and I camped with it for 20 days and 2000 miles, then it was shipped over here and it's been my BSA rally bike since.

Here's another ready-for-a-rally pic.



Lannis

My 64 A65 LR. Agile, good power, 19" front and rear wheels. Goldstar triple forks and similar tank.
It just feels and looks right

A10 is nice, magneto issues or convert. To my eye it is traditional busy Brit Bike

Also a great looking bike!!!!

Yeah, I guess if I were to buy another old BSA it would be an A10, lovely timing chest. Probably find a small alternator I could disguise as a mag and use a crank-trigger ignition.
But, I'm more likely to buy a B50 or a Rocket 3.

I like 'em both ... These'uns is my two 40-inch Beezers.

'Course, you can load ANY of them up and take a 1200 mile trip - here's the Firebird loaded to the gunwales ...



Here's one of the bikes I got my inspiration from after I'd ridden Shaun's A10 in England. This one was Kerry Kubena's at OVBSAOC one year, I wanted this one bad and offered him big money for it, but no sale ... but I've got one just like it (or better) now!



And here's the original inspiration that should show ANYONE that a BSA A10 can be ridden any where with any load by any Body (KentShaun in this case on his way to Italy). Fay and I rode this bike quite a bit back about 10 years ago .....



So there y'are.

Lannis