laird387 Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hi, Looking through my archive I found this fascinating image of a C15T modified to use a BTH competition magneto. Trouble is, my Alzheimers is playing me up and I can't remember where the picture came from - I do remember it was part of a feature that we did in ORR about the rider/owner of the machine and I have a feeling it was from the Southern area - can anyone give me any clues? Please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 No idea but the first question that comes to mind is why? I would love to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparks2 Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 From the initials on the tank - try Ray Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hi, I'm sure sparks2 is likely to be right - 'cos we did a feature on Ray in ORR - now I only have to find that....... Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hi Guy's First name I came up with before scrolling down was Ray Russell, So I think Sparks is right. Not a Modified C15!!!! Way back then!!!! The late Charlie Reynolds had a mag like this fitted to his Tiger Cub, and would only ever use a 350 back tyre? better grip with the power you have ! he said. The extra clearance also meant you were not carrying mud about acting as a brake. We are enjoying these history lessons Deryk. keep it up. Regards Charlie. www.bsaotter.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hi Guy's. Just took another look at the bike. Just look at that ground clearance or the lack of it, a tortoise would have a job to get underneath. But now draw a line from the wheel spindles. and you will see that it passes through the centre of the engine crankshaft,this in theory is the best set up you can get for a machine. Now look at any modified Brit-Shocks and you can see that this line is now right under the crank shield, which makes the balance of the bike all out? and more top hamper as we used to say. fascinating . Regards Charlie. www.bsaotter.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsrfun Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 (edited) Appears to have Cub hubs, not the heavy cast BSA C15 ones. Also a leg burner exhaust pipe. Just noticed as well the fork bottoms appear to be bolt up, might they be Triumph? Edited January 6, 2014 by trialsrfun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monty_jon Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hopefully this won’t sound too dumb, but whats ORR (I guess its some magazine?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ducman Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hopefully this won’t sound too dumb, but whats ORR (I guess its some magazine?) Offroad Review, Derek and his wife where the main people behind that magazin,top photographer was Gordon Francis,also Ralph Vennables.If you ever go to a jumble try to get some issues. Cheers:Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tltel Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 First thing I noticed was the leg burner Exhaust pipe, Nice though!! TLTEL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ask greeves Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 I was always of the understanding, that the distributor drive was not strong enough to withstand this conversion. During the 60's there was a guy named Barry Worman (spelling maybe wrong) in the South Midland Center, who trialed a B 40, this particular bike had special side covers that allowed the magneto to be placed similar to the earlier B31/goldstar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Hi, To add another historic image, here is Tony Davis with his works BSA in the 1962 Wye Valley Traders. Note that the regd. no is '776 BOP', the machine latterly mainly used by Jim Sandiford - but Jim had it as a 343cc. Can BSA addicts identify the machine in 1962 as being 249cc or was it already a 343cc. I know Tony had ridden the larger version in several nationals because he told me: "It was hopeless compared to the 250 - the power characteristics were all wrong, it wouldn't bite down for grip on a slippery slope." All of which makes we wonder why so many these days have opted for the 343 route? Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Hi Guys.. Not one of the works bike were ever what anyone thought they were? BOP was always bigger than the rest. So ia'm told. Most of them would have parts that were not available to the general public. Parts were shipped in from the US, mostly Alloy.Clutch baskets ,Cam wheels, barrels???? Painted Black to look like the production parts.. The B40' s were used to check out the engines for the scramblers??? Now that's a name you don't here today?? What BSA ever did as development! would be laughed at by the Japanese?? It was always done on a non existent budget by the boys in the back room?? And then only because they loved the job they were doing, with NO financial gain, other than the PRIDE in the job they were doing!!! Changing World Ent It as we say in North Oxfordshire. Regards Charlie. ,www.bsaotter.com. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 (edited) Hi Charlie, Don't get me going on "goings-on" at most of the works - and don't forget my interest was split relatively equally between trials and scrambles so the offroadarchive has plenty of scrambles, motocross, grasstrack, even speedway and road racing snippets........ But I promise to restrict my thoughts on this forum to we feet-up-nuts. Enjoy Edited January 11, 2014 by laird387 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Hi Charlie' Oh dear, so much for that last promise - but your mention of what the development boys were thinking in BSA developments at Slumberglade reminded me of an image of one of their projects - but for the life of me I can't remember the bike.......... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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