Frame together!

Sorry but I've been busy the last few weeks with school, so I haven't had time to write an update.
Right, lets get back to the good stuff!
After we sprayed all the bits of the bike, we could start putting them together. First, I put the frame and sub-frame together. Then there was a decision! Should I keep the rear shock absorber, or should I buy a new one?... My Dad, who's helping me on this project, thought that we should buy a new shock absorber because the old one was leaking oil and it looked quite tatty. In the end we chose to buy a new one. My Dad looked on Ebay, and he found a nice one, so we bought it. When it arrived, we got ready and put it in.

Then, we thought about putting the forks in. So my Dad started cleaning inside the head stock and there was another problem. When he was cleaning a ball bearing came out which he thought was bad news as he couldn't get it back in. But then he noticed the ball bearing was cracked, so my Dad went on a hunt for some new ones. We put some grease in and fitted in the ball bearings.
Next, we put the forks on and put in more ball bearings.

We then put the two foot rests on. Annoyingly one of them isn't original as it had been broken off. When we went to Founders Days a few weeks ago, I found one and we bought it. There was a bit on it that poked out which would clamp on to the bike which we cut off. We smoothed it down, and then asked my friend to weld it on to the frame. The other footrest, we clamped on.

We put the side stand on, which stops the bike from wobbling over.

Next we put on the wheels. We nutted them on, and called it a day! I was very pleased with how it looked, as it was no longer just bits and pieces, but it now looked like a bike.

'Founders Day'

On Sunday me, my Dad and some friends went to a motorbike show. It was 'Founders Day' at Stamford Hall, Leicestershire.

I really enjoyed the Jumble Sale. I liked the experience of looking at all of the bits, like cylinder heads, kick starts, engines and farings. As well as looking at some fully assembled bikes. One of the people who was selling some bits, told us they used to be a speed record holder.

At the Jumble Sale, I bought a footrest as the old footrest had been broken off. The good thing is now both of the footrests can fold up if you drop the bike.

I also bought some hand grips. The old ones I didn't really like and they were damaged. I thought '50:50' they would fit on the bike or not. I was relieved that they do fit, snug and tug!

The BSA Bantam Owners Club were there and I went in and I said to my Dad, 'it would be funny if there was BSA Bantam wallets'. My Dad said 'go and look' and luckily they had some! So we bought one for me to use at my new school.

I met the man who wrote a book called 'Over Land to Egypt' which he did on a BSA Bantam D1, which was interesting.

In the ring, they were showing different types of bikes. When I've finished my bike I am going to take it down there to show it and hopefully drive it in the ring. There was a push start bike. They started it and after a few seconds of it running nicely, there was a 'chug' and he stopped the bike and the flywheel had come off. He put it on the seat and wheeled it out!

I am happy that it didn't rain that day! I loved hearing those engines ROAR!

Engine

I took the engine out of the body and my Dad gave it to our friend to check through it so the engine would run nicely and smoothly, like it should do.

My Dad had to make some special service tools, a magneto flywheel puller and a gear puller. So that he could take the engine apart. Someone had put the wrong ball-bearings in the engine, which had rusted and seized up. That is one of the main reasons why we took the engine apart.

My friend has taken the engine apart and cleaned it up.

We had to buy some new bearings and oil seals. Now my friend can start putting the engine back together.

Here is a good page showing the parts of a BSA Junior and has more technical information.
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/nvtrangerbsajunior/index_files/Page2846.htm

Hello again. We are going to move in to more of the restoration project.

We are going to start at the body. I came home from having them shot blasted with the body and the rest of the bits. A few days later, my Dad primed them.

 I am still cleaning the forks. There is a lot to do on it with my little hands.

Here is a close up of the original metallic electric blue paint, still on the forks.

QUESTION...

Do you know what these hooks are for?

They are for when you do racing you have numbers. You put the number inside the hook. This is the top of the hook. As you can see on the picture of the forks, by the emergency stop button just down the tube, in front of it is a little hook. That is what its for.

The beginning...

I'm Fred and I'm 7. I wouldn't be doing this without my Dad who brought the BSA JUNIOR. Did you know that the BSA Junior was one of the last production BSA that they made.

The first thing that I took off was the body... that was quite easy! Then I got some wire wool and I started getting the rust off. Then I had to make a decision whether to paint the handlebars or to leave them as chrome. I chose to leave them as I want to keep it as original as possible.

I took the chain off the wheel, so I could take off the engine and give it to a friend of mine to check it over to see if any bits are missing.

And then there was a disaster! I needed some ball bearings. And they have to be the right size. I think I can get some.

Next I took the frame apart to be shot blasted. I discovered that the original colour of the bike was metallic electric blue. It had since been painted white, then blue. I want to spray it its original colour and I'm going to spray it into every nook and cranny to make it look original.

We didn't put the forks through shot blast so I sanded the paint down smooth so the new paint would stick nicely.