oldun Posted January 18, 2011 Report Share Posted January 18, 2011 (edited) 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. Edited January 18, 2011 by oldun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 18, 2011 Report Share Posted January 18, 2011 Hi Guys, Hi Oldun. The bantam hubs are slightly wider than a Cub hub. but we usually widen both back hubs for trials use. what does the swinging arm measure between the spindle plates? Regards Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldun Posted January 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2011 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) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 18, 2011 Report Share Posted January 18, 2011 Hi Guy's. Hi Oldun.(Tony. Some of the hubs are definitely different. The "Red" works bantams used a Sports Cub swinging arm which is wider. I know they also tried C15 arms as-well I will do a bit more research for you. Regards Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldun Posted January 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2011 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 Hi Guy's Hi Tony. Look I have double checked, and it was a "Sports Cub" swinging arm Brian Martin used on Red T2. And I know they are wider. Red T1 had a special frame built firstly, when it had the D7 motor(3 speed). this is the frame that used the C15 swinging arm. This frame was abandoned, not because it was not any good but because of management decisions. When a D10 engine replaced the D7 in Red T1, a bantam frame was then again used for this bike. Originaly Red T1 was fitted with Gold Star front forks, but again these were changed on RedT1 and T2 to BSA C15T forks. Mick Bowers used Bultaco forks on his version in the end, these were painted Black. The front wheel on T1 and2 were of 20 inch not 21. I suspect Micks was 21". The air filter used eventually was from a Victor Enduro. The fuel tank Victor with Black side panels. Eventually a Amal 626 carb was used 140 main jet. I have gear ratios etc if you need them. There was trouble with the kick start on there bikes and the Clutch was a nightmare, I have been told that other clutches from the far east are now used? but if you are building a replica this should not effect you?. I will measure across the swinging arms I have, and on the Bantam built by a "Works tester". when I get to the workshop. Regards Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldun Posted January 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 (edited) Hi Guy's Hi Tony. Yes The Motorcycle Sport, July 1986,has the article about the Red bikes.I have checked in myBSa D 14/4 workshop manual and the Bushman frame is the right one and it is diferent to other Bantam frames. This is the swinging arm you need. Regards Charlie. Edited January 19, 2011 by charlie prescott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldun Posted January 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8686 Posted December 24, 2023 Report Share Posted December 24, 2023 I owned RED T2 in the late 80s, sold it to Bill Haynes. My article about it appeared in Motorcycle Sport Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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