Pre31 Motorcycle Spare Parts

As a Vintage and Veteran Motorcycle collector I find that I acquire numerous parts that are excess to my needs. As I wish to keep this blog free of commercial interests I have started a new blog to display both the spare parts that I have for sale/swap and also those parts that I am chasing for my restorations.

The spare parts are mainly for early (pre 1931) motorcycles and can be found at pre31spares.wordpress.com

 

 

BSA K/H Model Gear Box Repair

Anybody with a Veteran BSA K/H Model will be well aware of the problems with the external gears. These gears consist of an exposed kick-start gear, pinion gear and gearbox/kick-start ratchet. The kick-start ratchet assembly rotates with the layshaft and meshes with the pinion gear that rotates when the engine is running. The pinion gear runs on a bush and is lubricated with an oil passage and oil hole in the shaft. Generally this gear is under lubricated and (if and when) the kick-start spring fails the kick starts drops down partly engages with the pinion gear and chews our either the pinion gear or kick-start ratchet mechanism.

Just about all gear boxes have very worn kick starts and pinion gears, these are the two that mesh to operate the kick starter.

Two bikes in Perth are in the process of having these gears repaired.

The pinion gear has been remanufactured (complete with the 14.5 degree pressure angle on the teeth), a new bush has been also made and this was made from phosphor bronze (with the concept being to allow the bush to wear to preserve the harder to replace/manufacture gear).

The kick-start gear was also remanufactured and the kick-start arm cut off and then gear cut to lock into the correct position on the starter gear and allow welding. This was then tig welded together.

The resultant repair is a new kick-start gear, fully welded to the kick start arm and meshing with a new idler gear and bush. All gears cut to the original 14.5 degrees pressure angle.

The following series of photos should help to understand the method used. I will add a final photo when the weld is cleaned up, the kick start nickel plated and the gear box fully assembled.

K Model Gear Box – new gears & bush

K Model Gear Box – new gears (underside)

K Model Kick Start arm meshed before welding

K Model Kick Start meshed together before welding

K Model Kick Start before welding

K Model welded kick start underside

K Model Kick Start assembled onto gear box

BSA K/H Model Gear Box Lubrication

BSA K/H Model gear boxes have internal multi-plate bronze and steel clutches, when operated these plates separate with very little clearance and oil drag between the plates creates issue selecting gears.

Most K/H Model owners have found it necessary to use automatic transmission fluid (ATF) as a gear box lubricant as this has sufficiently low viscosity to allow the clutch to operate (of a fashion).

A local club member who was using ATF in primary drive cases and getting clutch slip found that many ATF’s have friction modifiers in them and this can lead to clutch slip. There are some grades that are free of friction modifiers and therefore more suited to gearbox/wet clutches.

Castrol TQF being one such grade.

A local K Model (that has had varying levels of clutch slip over the years)  was recently changed over to Castrol TQF (with a complete gear box flush with TQF as well). Recently this bike completed the VMCC of WA Busselton 2 day rally with numerous hills, stops and starts, the clutch and gear box were faultless with no slip whatsoever and sufficient clutch disengagement to allow gear selection, starting and stopping. All up (complete with an unplanned detour) the bike traveled over 350 km during the 2 days.

The difference in the clutch operation was significant with thanks going to Adrian. W of the VMCC of WA for alerting club members to this information.

UK Tour – Summary

I am sure that all would agree that this event was an absolute 100% success, the riding, camaraderie, scenery and locals all came together to make this trip unforgettable. It will be very hard to come back down to earth and be satisfied with the shorter less scenic rides that we are all accustomed to.

The trip was always ambitious, most traveled around 1,500-2,000 miles (2,400-3,200km) and this in itself is a challenge on Pre 31 motorcycles, but this was over B roads and country lanes and up and down hills, with a punishing schedule. No comparison to the same distance traveled anywhere in Australia.

Of the 16 bikes that started 14 finished (with the 2 non finishers getting most of the way to New Milton). Of the 14 finishers only 4 made it without some form of significant mechanical repairs/work. The local members of the VMCC proved to be of invaluable assistance with regard to access to local machining and welding facilities.

Most repairs were due to either “liquid grease” not being liquid enough and gear boxes running dry or exhaust valves flogging out valve guides (we suspect that the fuel was in some significant ways different to ours).

Gold stars go to the 4 bikes and riders who made the entire trip with just routine maintenance:

Greg B & Sharin on their 1930 Norton ES2

Keith B. & Linda in their 1930 Rudge Ulster

Dave A. on his 1928 K7 Cammy AJS

Gary L. on his 1929 Royal Enfield Vee Twin

The other participants should be congratulated for their commitment, tenacity and down right pigheadedness that enabled them to nurse their bikes through to the end.

Most if not all the bikes are due a little TLC on their return to Australia.

One thing that became apparent is that no written words or photographs can convey the true enjoyment of riding such machines through such scenic areas. Photos are too sterile and post card like – it would have been far better to have a bike mounted helmet cam to capture the bikes riding over Black Mountain in Wales, or being part of an enormous group at Banbury  - a helmet cam has been purchased and this blog will be updated with videos of various bikes being ridden (both pre and post 31 bikes) as well as videos of VMCC of WA rides and events.

Some of us are already considering the next trip.

Past posts on this event will be periodically updated as more photos and details come to light

UK Tour – The Route

The UK is reported to have a population of 62,000,000, bad weather and horror traffic. Based on our experiences one could conclude that it has a low population, beautiful weather and very few traffic problems – this incorrect conclusion is due to the routes that we took.

By sticking to B roads and country lanes, avoiding majors towns (and being blessed with predominantly good weather) we managed to see UK at its very best, stunning scenery, great people and very little congestion – it leaves most of us wanting to return to see even more next time.

The routes that we took (picked by Kevin B) were excellent and no doubt played an important role in the trips success. The routes were no more than a highlighted target route on a photocopied map, most of us then zig zagged our way through the route as best as we could, completing many more miles than intended. On occasions various sections of the VMCC (UK) escorted us and added to our intended route.

Scans of the maps/routes follow:

UK Tour – Berriew to Parkgate to Liverpool

The trip from Berrriew to Parkgate was interesting but the scenery was not as stunning as the previous few days.

When we arrived in Parkgate it was the day of a deciding match of England’s World Cup soccer campaign and the town was alive with supporters prior to the game, full of support during it and very somber when England lost.

Earlier that day Bill’s Sloper broke its rear guard (almost certainly cracked during its altercation with the Indian and then deterioration due to the loads and distances traveled). It was then further patched up with a tiedown to hold it back to the seat post.

The following day we had to get back into Liverpool, there was no avoiding some heavy traffic and major roads/intersections (including the Kings Tunnel). John K. (from the UK VMCC) came across to assist/escort us into Liverpool on his modern rocket ship. We had maps, plans, intentions and these all went pear shaped after the first few major intersections. We were on a M Road (I think) going the wrong way. So John K. who was at the time riding at the back of the group (for safety) pulled out overtook the group and stopped us.

We had a choice, travel along way before we could turn around or wait for the traffic to clear and ride across the median strip to the other side, this was our choice. We finally got into the tunnel and I think just about all of us gave their bikes a bit of a blast (because they all sounded good). John was again riding at the back (using his stop lights, indicators and presence to protect the harder to see Pre31 group). Carl on the Big Port was 2nd last and dropped back a fair bit and rolled the throttle on – it sounded great and later on John was saying that the exhaust note was all he could hear.

When we arrived at Liverpool we cleaned and packed our bikes.

Some days before we had been invited to join the VMCC “NW” section for their monthly meeting, we were keen to go but indicated to them that we would have no transport, they sorted this for us, we were picked up by a coach and taken to their meeting, met their members, saw their bikes and then attended their meeting, after which we were coached back to our motel – absolutely brilliant.

We were told on many occasions that we had brought the good weather with us and this may have been the case as shortly after we packed our bikes away it started raining and rained for at least 2 days.

Sloper rear guard repair

UK Tour – Builith Wells to Berriew

We left Builith Wells with a full contingent of 14 bikes and riders and rode through some spectacular scenery. At lunchtime we found ourselves in a quaint town of Montgomery and with some castle ruins on top of a hill behind the town. There were two ways up to the castle, a narrow winding steep road  (that started outside the lunchtime pub stop) or a more gradual wider road. Malcolm took the challenge and rode his Norton up the steep hill, Carl not to outdone decided that the Big Port should also have a go (complete with close ratio gear box and very high first gear – that had previously proven to be a challenge on other slow hill starts) so he ran down the hill took a run up, got to speed and then tore up the hill. By this time Keith and Linda decided to also see the castle, Linda insisted on the easy route, Keith agreed and then took his Rudge two-up up the the hard way. We could hear Linda’s screams of protest from up top.

Berriew was a small town split by a river flowing through the center, a short walk from the river was a canal running over the top of the river in an old aquaduct.

We found our traveling museum to be a major attraction again at we settled for a lazy afternoon.

During this days ride Bills sloper required some footpeg repairs completed with wire and an occy strap. Carl’s Big Port had been a bump start for some days due to a slipped kick start quadrant.

UK Tour – Chipping Sodbury to Builith Wells

The ride to Builith Wells was eventful, we had 1 bike in the backup and 1 left at Chipping Sodbury, as the day progressed Bill’s Sloper and Graham’s Indian had a coming together. Rendering the Sloper unfit to ride and Graham with mild leg injuries and unable to complete the days events. That’s now a full backup. Phil’s Indian then had magneto problems and this was sorted by Phil while waiting for the backups 2^nd trip but decided that as the day was getting on he choose the safe option of using the backup that evening.

About the same time Malcolm’s Norton managed a puncture, rode it flat until he got phone coverage, fixed it, punctured it again and then finally repaired it at Builith Wells but not before fitting a previously lever pinced tube (that had been put back in the spares van unmarked) and had to do the repair for the fourth time in the day – just as well that it was not at the Isle of White the evening before.

During the evening Bill’s bikes had it’s rim panel beaten with 3 guys, 2 hammers and lots of enthusiasm, forks straightened and his bike was back on the road. Graham received some TLC from his good lady and was hopeful of riding (the bike) the following day. Phil’s bikes was also running.

During the ride we rode over black mountain a narrow high mountain pass of indescribable beauty. Photos just do not do justice to much of the scenery that we had witnessed.

UK Tour – New Milton to Chipping Sodbury

On the road to Chipping Sodbury, Geoff C’s Royal Enfield’s timing slipped was fixed and then slipped again, this bike had previously stripped a pinion gear and this was an indication that something perhaps bigger was becoming a problem. The Royal Enfield’s rally ended here.

We stayed at a local pub at Chipping Sodbury and while packing up in the morning a stream traction engine passed by the pub, followed by a second steam traction engine an amazing site on regular roads.

UK Tour – Alveston to Amsbury to New Milton

As we left Alveston we headed for the overnight stop of Amsbury (near Stonehendge), the riding was again via B Roads and was terrific. Around mid day we found ourselves at Avebury and this was on the morning of the Solstice. Avebury has a vast number of stone monuments and unlike Stonehenge access to the stones is allowed so we found ourselves surrounded by Druids and other slightly different people. (they probably thought we were strange to). Anyway there were groups of Druids around various groups of stones, mostly holding hands in circles and chanting while hitting a gong.

The following day we traveled to New Milton, visiting Sammy Millers museum and then riding around the New Forest with the local section of the VMCC the following day.

Avebury Rocks

Avebury Rocks

Avebury Pub

Avebury Rocks

Avebury Rocks

Avebury Rocks

Avebury Rocks

Stonehenge & AJS’s

Hillside stop

Hillside stop

Hillside view

Stone henge

While at Sammy’s museum we saw many rare and old bikes and most felt that Sammy’s museum was of more interest than the National Museum that we visited just prior to Banbury. Sammy took the time to show the group around his workshop, discuss his restorations and then took out his RCS motorcycle. A short run special bike with an inline 4 cylinder Austin engine fitted and converted to air-cooling. He offered to take it outside and run it, Linda was talked into a bet about it “being a first kick starter”, Sammy bet it would start first kick, it did and Bob (Sammy’s main man) ran it around the yard.

Later on Sammy wanted to photograph the UK group and bikes within his yard, most were still there and this was completed.

Link to YouTube Video of Sammy’s RCS bike starting up

At New Milton Kevin B’s Henderson was diagnosed with a problem too big to fix during the rally (a chewed up internal bush that washing through the engine/gear box). So the Henderson’s rally finished here.

Not everybody rode the VMCC New Forest run, with Malcolm deciding an a far more ambitious ride, he road around New Milton sightseeing, then at around 5.00pm caught a ferry to the Isle Of White, rode the perimeter of the Isle Of White and then returned at around 9:30pm. No backup, absolute trust in his machine and it ran like a gem.