oldun

Hi Charlie Yes, it has more ground clearance, the top of the frame is lower, and the bottom is higher if you see what I mean. This means the subframe is different too. The swinging arm was the same as the rest of the bantams though. the cub arm I have is different to you excellent picture, the cast or forged part is wider and the offside part of the arm is straight, only the drive side is bent like in the pic. It is plenty wide enough for a 4 inch tire and is far wider at the pivot end than the bushman arm, it fits the bushman frame a treat and the suspension pivots line up with the subframe it's just that the bantam wheel is too wide to fit! Kind regards Oldun.

Hi Charlie, I have a great 5 page article with some nice photos on the Red Bantams from a 1986 Motorcycle Sport, it's from these I'm trying to build this bike. I seem to remember Scott Ellis taking one up Red Marley in about 1966 or 67 but I can't find any pics of that, must try MCN archives one day. It was respectably quick I seem to remember, but wasn't able to live with Gerry Goodwins or Alf Hagons Grass bikes (not surprisingly). I have a C15T swinging arm, and the width at the fork ends is the same as my Bushmam at 6 3/8. I just don't understand why the wide cub arm is narrower. Looks like buying a cub rear wheel if they are indeed 5 5/8 inches wide, as the cub arm is brand new, as is the Bushman frame I managed to find. Thanks for your help. Oldun

I would be very grateful. I have phoned all my old mates and they all say bantam and cub rear hubs are the same width, but they can't be, my 'wide' swingarm is 3/4 of an inch narrower at the wheel spindle end than the standard Bushman arm, and I was hoping to use the bushman hub. I blame it on old age and bad memory. I suspect the cub arm I have is from a French Army Cub as it appears to be new and painted matt green, but looks identical to the Sports Cub arm. Oldun

Hi Charlie, Thanks for the reply, the Bantam arm measures 6 3/8 at the fork end, and the Cub measures 5 5/8. Yet I just spoke to a guy at Greystones (the Tiger Cub people)who tells me the back hubs on Bantams and Cubs are the same! I am trying to build a replica of a 'works' Bantam and I know they used a trials cub arm, looks like they used a cub wheel as well. Oldun (Tony)

Can any body help me please. I have just fitted a wide Tiger Cub swinging arm to a BSA Bushman frame but the bantam hub appears to be too wide to fit. Is the Cub wheel hub and fittings narrower than the Bantam? I always thought they were the same. Or must I get a cub rear wheel? Oldun.