So, I'm on my first ever restoration and it's a BSA C15. Coming across these videos is a Godsend, and they're even done with a proper accent. I'll forgive you for being from the wrong side of the Pennines lad (not sure many Americans will understand that) but it is great to actually see things that I'm going to need to do rather than just read about them. I'm a couple of months behind you. I'm waiting for some shiny bits to come back and then I can start to reassemble the wheels, forks and shocks. Thanks Michael for doing these videos - perfect for a newbie like me. I'll toast you with me Corporation Pop.
Michael Thank you for this informative video. I am learning much about the building of the C15. Just one comment: in episode 12, at 31:50, I can see a slot in the bottom of the front fork damper tube. This slot locates on a small unthreaded extension of the fork drain plug bolt and prevents the damper tube from rotating when the bottom bolt is threaded into the damper tube and tightened. When you are installing the damper tube, (36:32) the slot does not seem to be at the right position to line up with the oil drain bolt. It is possible to tighten the bolt at the bottom of the damper tube with the slot not lined up with the bolt, but the damper tube will not be correctly seated. (The damper tube does not necessarily rotate to the correct position when the bolt is tightened.) I hope you have got it correct! I am learning much from you bike building series, and look forward to your future builds. Richard Zay Nepean, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Hi Michael, Loved the electrics mounting, all together and very very tidy and neat, Great. Lovely finish on the frame, Congratulations on the new subscribers, your fame is spreading! When you were using the tool to tighten the forks you reminded me of the war movies with the Submarine Captain at the periscope!!! Well that's it for this week, Take care of yourself and Linda, Cheers Dave UK
Just lovely work and so helpful for me to visualise what to do before my own work to be done. I can't thank you enough for the time and effort put in to share this. I don't understand how some negative person can put a thumbs down up there. Don't let that get you down, the rest of us are in awe of what you do. I now wait with very eager expectation for each weeks offering. Best wishes from the North of Scotland. Hugh
I recall Bamber often said "Your starter for 10" but it was a long, long time ago 🤣. I recall that way back in 1971, I had been eyeing up a C15S that was outside a bike shop in Hunslet, Leeds. By the time I decided to buy it, I went into the shop just in time to see another customer buying it. One of my many regrets!
I once wanted to buy a Commando at a bike shop in Middlesbrough in 1972. It was 650 quid but when I went back with the money they had sold it. I was 21 and all keyed up to buy and they had a Yamaha XS2. 650 twin, electric start, disc brakes, indicators etc and the same price. I bought it and nine months later it threw me off at about 80mph. Nice engine, crap handling.
@@BritanniaMotorcycles I think the XS2 Engine is what the Bonneville should have become instead of enlarging it to 750. Now Enfield are leading the way!
Great feeling when it starts going back together and all the bits fit (most of them) you make some really good progress. Although not 100% accurate, it will be a pretty little thing when it's done. Thanks Mike.
This is starting to look really nice Michael It's come a long way since the first video when you showed us a rather sad excuse for a motorcycle Nick Australia
When i was a lad, at a local ale house with my tr6 parked out the front, an oul fella sidled up to our ugly mob busy making the place look untidy and leaning in asked the group; 'if you go to southend on a bsa what do you come back on?' his answer floored the lot of us; 'A BLOODY SORE ARSE' was his gleeful reply! fella musta bin pushin 80! British iron keeps old men young and turns young men old!
Good morning from Blighty, will the ignition to coil low tension wire be long enough? Then would it be better to turn the ignition module the other way up so it will reach and then the potted wiring joint into the module will have gravity to help keep moisture off. Cheers Stu
On my Norton, I turned up a couple of Delrin shoulder washers. They don't rot like the originals yet the are resilient enough. If the tubes foul the brackets, just turn them as washers. Cheers!
Two reasons really. One is I like the look of the stainless button heads, but more importantly you can get these type of fasteners at the hardware shop. Bits do fall of, or get lost during maintenance, so I don't see it as very practical to replace nuts and bolts with British thread forms when you don't have to.
Starter for ten, then each follow up question worth five, if the team answered all correctly, there score increased by twenty five, if you came in before the end of the starter question and got the answer wrong the penalty was five. Are you not concerned about water, muck, mud laying on top of your electronic gizmo where the wires exit ?
Sorry to be negative Michael but I believe that you have an incorrectly fitted item in the forks. I came across this when assembling my B40 forks and holding the top bearing spacer (68-5134) in my hand I thought 'which way up should this be?'. I checked my parts list which clearly showed it with the larger diameter on the top bush. This bothered me though as I thought that the smaller rounded diameter could interfere with the oil seal. I checked another years part list which was the same but then I checked my copy of 'Rupert Ratio's Everything but the Engine'. On page 61 there is a paragraph headed 'The top bush retainer' which goes on to say 'This retainer is incorrectly shown upside down in most BSA parts books. The B40 Military parts book only correctly shows it the right way up with larger diameter uppermost'. Can I also tell you that I have watched every video you have ever posted and thoroughly enjoyed them. Part of my Monday morning routine.
Funny you should mention that. When I took it out the wide part was to the top but as you say the parts book says the other way up, so I went with the parts book. But the forks barely moved so I took another pair apart and found the wide part at the top. I have taken them apart again and changed it around.
I like how you call them fork yokes and not triple trees. And spanner, not wrench LOL!!! Americans must love you. "Geez, What the gawd darn is this limey talking about"????
So, I'm on my first ever restoration and it's a BSA C15. Coming across these videos is a Godsend, and they're even done with a proper accent. I'll forgive you for being from the wrong side of the Pennines lad (not sure many Americans will understand that) but it is great to actually see things that I'm going to need to do rather than just read about them. I'm a couple of months behind you. I'm waiting for some shiny bits to come back and then I can start to reassemble the wheels, forks and shocks. Thanks Michael for doing these videos - perfect for a newbie like me. I'll toast you with me Corporation Pop.
11:38 'Bugger me' made me smile, not heard that for ages!
same here gerry..best program on telly this is...
Use it all the time. It's in the Yorkshire vocabulary.
Not something you want to say after you've dropped the soap!
Great video. Nothing like old school corporate knowledge.
Great to see it all coming together, Michael 🙂 Another enjoyable watch 👍
Michael
Thank you for this informative video. I am learning much about the building of the C15.
Just one comment: in episode 12, at 31:50, I can see a slot in the bottom of the front fork damper tube.
This slot locates on a small unthreaded extension of the fork drain plug bolt and prevents the damper tube from rotating when the bottom bolt is threaded into the damper tube and tightened.
When you are installing the damper tube, (36:32) the slot does not seem to be at the right position to line up with the oil drain bolt.
It is possible to tighten the bolt at the bottom of the damper tube with the slot not lined up with the bolt, but the damper tube will not be correctly seated. (The damper tube does not necessarily rotate to the correct position when the bolt is tightened.)
I hope you have got it correct!
I am learning much from you bike building series, and look forward to your future builds.
Richard Zay
Nepean, Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada
Hi Michael, Loved the electrics mounting, all together and very very tidy and neat, Great. Lovely finish on the frame, Congratulations on the new subscribers, your fame is spreading! When you were using the tool to tighten the forks you reminded me of the war movies with the Submarine Captain at the periscope!!! Well that's it for this week, Take care of yourself and Linda, Cheers Dave UK
Just lovely work and so helpful for me to visualise what to do before my own work to be done. I can't thank you enough for the time and effort put in to share this. I don't understand how some negative person can put a thumbs down up there. Don't let that get you down, the rest of us are in awe of what you do. I now wait with very eager expectation for each weeks offering. Best wishes from the North of Scotland. Hugh
Mike, bikes looking very good great job thanks for sharing
I recall Bamber often said "Your starter for 10" but it was a long, long time ago 🤣. I recall that way back in 1971, I had been eyeing up a C15S that was outside a bike shop in Hunslet, Leeds. By the time I decided to buy it, I went into the shop just in time to see another customer buying it. One of my many regrets!
I once wanted to buy a Commando at a bike shop in Middlesbrough in 1972. It was 650 quid but when I went back with the money they had sold it. I was 21 and all keyed up to buy and they had a Yamaha XS2. 650 twin, electric start, disc brakes, indicators etc and the same price. I bought it and nine months later it threw me off at about 80mph. Nice engine, crap handling.
@@BritanniaMotorcycles I think the XS2 Engine is what the Bonneville should have become instead of enlarging it to 750. Now Enfield are leading the way!
Nice tidy electrical installation Michael!
Great feeling when it starts going back together and all the bits fit (most of them) you make some really good progress. Although not 100% accurate, it will be a pretty little thing when it's done. Thanks Mike.
The frame and wheels there at the end looked sweet. This is going to be a great bike at the end.
Hi Michael,
Nice to see the reassembling started...
Take care
Paul,,
Woohoo my Sunday evening fix 😀😀
Loved it, really coming together! Good Jon Michael!
Well done, a true craftsman.
Lovely Michael, keep 'em coming
looking dame good
Great job 👍👍
It's starting to look good.......
I thought it was a starter for ten on University Challenge :)
just checked it out it is starter for ten
Starter for ten.
Five point penalty for incorrect interruption to a starter.
Yup, fingers on buzzers, starters for 10
It is!
This is starting to look really nice Michael
It's come a long way since the first video when you showed us a rather sad excuse for a motorcycle
Nick Australia
Fantastic
When i was a lad, at a local ale house with my tr6 parked out the front, an oul fella sidled up to our ugly mob busy making the place look untidy and leaning in asked the group; 'if you go to southend on a bsa what do you come back on?'
his answer floored the lot of us;
'A BLOODY SORE ARSE' was his gleeful reply! fella musta bin pushin 80! British iron keeps old men young and turns young men old!
It certainly keeps me off the streets.
Great watch.
Good morning from Blighty, will the ignition to coil low tension wire be long enough? Then would it be better to turn the ignition module the other way up so it will reach and then the potted wiring joint into the module will have gravity to help keep moisture off.
Cheers Stu
Don't worry everything fits. See the next episode.
How about 'O' rings between the ears and top yoke Mike?
On my Norton, I turned up a couple of Delrin shoulder washers. They don't rot like the originals yet the are resilient enough. If the tubes foul the brackets, just turn them as washers. Cheers!
Now it is all together there is hardly any gap and it is under the top yoke so I don't think that it will be a problem.
I believe it was "your started for TEN" not 5
Bm 25 trials part 10 for the wheels for anyone wondering
Out of curiosity why modern fasteners? Love this build anyway 👍
Two reasons really. One is I like the look of the stainless button heads, but more importantly you can get these type of fasteners at the hardware shop. Bits do fall of, or get lost during maintenance, so I don't see it as very practical to replace nuts and bolts with British thread forms when you don't have to.
@@BritanniaMotorcycles makes perfect sense thanks for the reply.
Top !!!
You've got 3/4 bikes done in the time I've found a tank for my Suzuki dr 600r Dakar I'm rather astonished
👍
My 1968 TR25W has exactly the same forks michael
Starter for ten, then each follow up question worth five, if the team answered all correctly, there score increased by twenty five, if you came in before the end of the starter question and got the answer wrong the penalty was five. Are you not concerned about water, muck, mud laying on top of your electronic gizmo where the wires exit ?
It is shielded by the mudguard and what was the battery tray. It should be fine.
Starter for 10
Who knew Michael Caine builds motorcycles?
See the next episode.
And what do Americans call Terry Clips?... Hard to believe, but it's Terry Clips. (Herbert Terry & Sons Ltd. Redditch, England. Est. 1855)...
Sorry to be negative Michael but I believe that you have an incorrectly fitted item in the forks. I came across this when assembling my B40 forks and holding the top bearing spacer (68-5134) in my hand I thought 'which way up should this be?'. I checked my parts list which clearly showed it with the larger diameter on the top bush. This bothered me though as I thought that the smaller rounded diameter could interfere with the oil seal. I checked another years part list which was the same but then I checked my copy of 'Rupert Ratio's Everything but the Engine'. On page 61 there is a paragraph headed 'The top bush retainer' which goes on to say 'This retainer is incorrectly shown upside down in most BSA parts books. The B40 Military parts book only correctly shows it the right way up with larger diameter uppermost'.
Can I also tell you that I have watched every video you have ever posted and thoroughly enjoyed them. Part of my Monday morning routine.
Funny you should mention that. When I took it out the wide part was to the top but as you say the parts book says the other way up, so I went with the parts book. But the forks barely moved so I took another pair apart and found the wide part at the top. I have taken them apart again and changed it around.
I like how you call them fork yokes and not triple trees. And spanner, not wrench LOL!!! Americans must love you. "Geez, What the gawd darn is this limey talking about"????
They will just have to learn.