Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Bsa bulletin board Calling all Dash Y and Y bike owners..

Haven't read the book yet.

Do you mean tool up for 1968 crankcases (rather than 1967)?

I guess that would explain the difference between 67 Y models that look like 67s (minor rework) versus those that are entirely 68s except for the VIN.

Seems that, if you go through the trouble of tearing down an unused '67 only to rework it into '68 cases, why keep the serial number??? Was the 67-in-68-cases motor going back in the 67 frame? Seems an awful lot of work just to offer a transmission dipstick and new alternator mount.

I think you'll be simultaneously delighted and frustrated. Peter has lots of new (to me) material, but there is only so much that can fit in a book, so there isn't as much detail as I would have liked.
Unfortunately, he has suspended international shipments for the moment due to problems arising from shipment delays out of his control.

I gathered it was the 1967 cases, because they'd just scrapped truckloads of them without thinking to retain some in stock. Possibly they couldn't do that because they were already stamped. The book quotes the rebuilds as using UNF/UNC cases, which I think were introduced fir 1969.

You, Rich and Kevin did most of the research here, so I'll see if I can get you and Peter in touch. He seems a really decent bloke, so may well add an addendum on the '-Y' and 'Y' machines.

I think the 1967s that look like 1967s are the '-Y' machines with minor tweaks to the points cam and oiling.

I doubt we'll ever know. The higher-ups who made the decisions are no longer with us.

The book doesn't say, but he thought it was just a matter of swapping the cases and a few other parts. That certainly wouldn't apply to the 1970 'Y' bikes, since there isn't a lot in common between a 1967 and 1970.
Yes, definitely a lot of work for not much benefit. Perhaps the US dealers couldn't shift left-over 1967 models. One possibility suggested in the book was corrosion damage which led to extensive re-work.

A big problem with this topic is that if the questions are ever definitely answered..........I'll not be able to remember the answers for very long.

Some of the questions have been definitively answered (e.g what the '-Y' means), but there is a lot of material to go through.
Perhaps somebody can while away their CoVid-19 lockdown time by adding a sticky thread with a summary of what has been discovered over the years.

Bump

Ah now I have a reason to read this whole thread through again... Got me my very own -Y bike... Matching numbers 68 Spitfire... Mostly not there but ... I already have all the missing parts... Or at least most of them as far as I can tell...

OK Maybe not 68.... A65SA 1339x-Y on the motor and same number on the frame minus the -Y

Although if my glance back here tells me what I think its telling me .. It was built as a 67 and rebuilt as a 68... Making it a 68.... Correct?

Wade, there are '67 Y models that were upgraded with newer parts (ZD mount, oil pipes, etc). I don't think these ever shipped without those parts installed. The rest of the bike (forks, engine cases) are '67.

Then there are the '68 hybrid Ys. These are 100% '68 in appearance but have a '67 VIN. The big giveaway is the transmission fill on top that moved from the right side case to the timing cover. The alternator stator mount was also changed from a bracket over studs in '67 to a mount that's cast into the left-side case. It's not likely that these were "reworked" either, as it wouldn't make sense for BSA to take a '67 bike and strip it down to the cases just to turn it around as a '68.

Hopefully this helps point you in the right direction. Based on your pic, looks like you could essentially build that into anything you want.

I like to make things as correct as possible but you might be right in this case. With the exception of alloy rims I have a freshly painted tank and side covers and a seat and exhaust . Already put a front end on it with new head bearings and a TLS front brake. Ive got carbs ... Supposedly the bike was a running bobber when it came into the shop but the front end was wrong and so was everything else that eventually got robbed from it ... So if the motor is good as they say it should be then once I hang all of my parts on it then Im golden.... Fingers crossed...

As we previously conversed, the numbers indicate it is a '67 Spitfire.

I'm just posting this on the thread so no one gets confused.

I just bought a bike yesterday
A 67 Spitfire that has a -Y on it

Should I be contacting the UK club or is there a group here in the states that has a registry? I want to make sure this bike is correct...it looks ok, but Beezer numbers are always suspicious to me.

Usually nothing suspicious about "-Y" bikes. Very common. To get a dating certificate, contact the BSAOCUK librarian.