Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Bsa bulletin board Starting my B50 today

It's still dark outside and I'm waiting for the sun to come up and for it to warm up a bit....then I'm rolling the B50 (that's been sitting unfinished in the shop for YEARS!!!) out and going to be trying to start it.

Yesterday here in NC the rain came down in BUCKETS all day long so it was a wash out for a start up. Today they say the rain has moved on, so we're "going live" around 9 am.

I'm as much nervous as I am excited....I purchased this engine already "built"....a LONG time ago. Every thing looks good, carb jetting is a guess since the engine is 580cc with non stock exhaust, but it should be close enough to get some fire flying out of it. Fingers crossed.

Photos to follow.....come on sunrise.

Opie

Good luck, Gordon. Hope she fires quick and loud. Greg

Hope everything goes as planned. 580cc. is the engine built for high performance?

what do you mean "your" b50?

and btw, it's almost 10 your time, where's the updates?

That's exciting, Gordon. A beautiful machine, let us know how the first ride went.

...on pins and needles here in NorCal.

So, it's lunchtime at your place.
Are you sitting back and admiring your new ride or are you still trying to get the initial tuning set?
Tweek on Buddy!

Don in Nipomo

Gordon, I know you will like will like that ride. I very much liked my 441's , a Victor and a Shooting Star, but the B50 was a real treat. In fact, I traded riding bikes with Ben up at Brimfield a few years ago and he had himself a B50 by the next spring. IMO, it was the best BSA every had to offer. You get better brakes, better handling, more grunt, and a more comfortable riding position and better seat. I took off the signals and other stuff and replaced the levers with a dipper switch and horn combo, added a six plate clutch, oil filter, K&N Air filter, and rerouted the oil feed fore better circulation. I also installed one of those crankcase breather devices recommended by HP Stan (and it works) and put on a 1.5 inch exhaust pipe. If you like unit singles, you will be happy.

Good luck guy!

Mr Mike

YEE HAW!!!!!!

Okay after a SWMBO delay....I finally got gas in it. SWMBO insisted that she watch even after I explained the Brit Bike conundrum that increases your chances of it NOT starting when somebodies watching and an almost 100% certainty of a no-go if that someone is female. Didn't work...she had to watch.

Messed up right off the bat....turned on the main instead of the reserve.....duh...no tickle?????? (only put 1/2 gal in it) Took a bit to figure that one out....got it, no worries. Then came the "first kick".....nothing (take note: the kicker is just kissing the muffler...gota fix that ASAP) Second kick....it started. OH MY!!!!!! it's running after all this time. Check for oil return, okay. Sounds good with no smoke at all on new rings. Clicked it into first and off down the driveway.

Thought I better get a couple of photos of it now...because this is as clean as it will ever be....from now on it will be in different stages of dirty.





To answer the qusetion, yes.. the engine was built for better speed, big carb, big valves, 580cc. I got it geared pretty high so it's not a parking lot bike.

Still some tweaking to do but I'm as happy as a little girl.

Opie

That looks sooooo good! Beautiful.
Love the preoilinframe tank treatment.
I think it's your best yet.
Great lines, you really captured the correct balance of form and function.
:bigt

Don in Nipomo

Sweet

That's a good looking bike!

oohhhh yeah!
now...where'd u get that exhaust?

I WANT one.

btw...#1 b50 nearly done.
#2 b50 ..have the tires on rims and that's about IT!

If you're trying to make people believe that's a B44 with that school-bus yellow tank so you can surprise them off the line ... it's not going to work, the OIF lines are too classic!!

Really looks great, I like the short seat so it doesn't look like a banana, I never understood why stock B50 seats kicked up so hard in the back.

Slap some stock profile meats on those rims and do something about that tire-fender gap!

And let us know how it compares to a good-running B44 on the road! Pull, vibration, handling .... there's not many people that can give valid input on the subject around, and we've heard from almost all of them now!

Enjoy the ride.

Lannis

Soooooo sweet Gordon. You will be thrilled. I am running 18t/47T. Are you at a 19T? If you need clutch help I'll send you the answer. I'll bet that is a strong motor and you may need some extra clutch. Ed V always bores my cylinders and furnishes the pistons. I have never had one smoke from day one.

Lannis, that seat is the most comfortable I have ever had on a BSA. I have a nice solo seat seat but I put it on the B44. i am done on that seat after 50 miles.

Nice ride Gordon! We are connected now.



Mr Mike

Thanks for the kind words fellows....so far it's been a hoot. It never ceases to amaze me when ANY motorcycle I work on runs....I swear if I can get em to go anybody should be able to.

Lannis....I hear ya on the "fender gap". I can make up some brackets and lower the front....but couldn't see a way out of the space in the rear (see Mr Mike's) so I let it be...I can live with it. Tires??? I'll tell ya how long this poor thing has been sitting in the shop...Avon doesn't make those tires any more.


I tried to use a B25 oil filter (first and only filter I've ever used...since 1969) and it didn't have all the bits and peices. I thought I had it figured out but I have a leak in it and have to sort that out. BUT, if that's the worst thing I have to deal with....I'm still happy as a little girl.

The twitter sounds nice...so far no vibs and I was told with the old style piston in this kit it would shake...I guess I got lucky again. I got the shifting reversed and I'm having a bit of a problem remembering where I am with it. Power??? wow all I can say for now...it sure isn't a B44.

Mr Mike....I'm at 19/49 and so far the clutch is doing fine...but I've read and reread your postings on the clutch mods and can take care of it if it needs it.

More later....Opie

There is NOTHING correct about this poor bike. It started it's life out as a 1971 B50T

It now has.....

Modern tires
Modern handlebar mounted switches
H4 headlight w/pilot
Down pipe
Twitter muffler
Pegs moved up and back
Folding kicker
520 X ring chain
Ford emission valve
932 carb
580cc kit
Bigger valves
K&N sock filter
Li battery
Boyer EI
Pod
Single point grounds with all new wiring
Progressive Shocks
MX seat
TLS 8" front brake on an 18" rim
Reversed shifting
B25 oil filter

It's a mess but I'm hoping it'll be a fun ride.....so far so good.

Mr Mike....getting this thing on the stock centerstand is a real PIA...better stay away from that unless you can get a shorter one.

Opie

I have a B50SS with the 18" wheel. The front fender sits nice and snug.

There is a difference between 18" and the more common 19".

The mounting braces are obviously different but can be cut and rewelded. In this case it would mess the chrome though.
From memory the curvature is quite different though.

The brackets on the forks can be fitted incorrectly. They can go on both ways. I have a NOS front fender here and used that as a pattern to straighten an old 18" blade.

The fork mount brackets are a trick but can be fitted with the fender down.

What a great looking bike You have always been partial to singles and this bike shows why...Great job man

Your friends in Florida...Mike and Dave

Damn you Lannis

First off.....the experts should have noticed that the rear and front fenders on this bike have NOTHING to do with a BSA B50. If I have to tell you why...you're not an expert.

This isn't my first rodeo or front fender......please tell me what's wrong with this attachment. I'm always willing to learn something new.



Unless I'm missing something...and I might be. The way I see to lower this fender is to add a 4 hole plate (the kind norbsa used to make and sell) If I had wanted the bike to look like an SS, I would have gone to the trouble to lower the fender....look at a B50T's front fender...I didn't want it to look like that either.

I can live with it like it is.

Opie

Thank you Mike.....maybe we can spin a wheel together in 2014???

Your friend in NC Gordon (aka Opie)

I see you don't have that dreaded electrical box..a totally dumb idea. It will be nice to see where you located all the electrical stuff. I want to get rid of the box and so I can get at any electrical component in the event of the problem. To get at a coil, condenser, or a rectifier requires taking that electrical box apart...no simple task. I too installed a 32mm carb and ported the head to match. I stayed with the points as I find them relatively trouble free. Might go electronic ignition when I get rid of that electrical box. Got a 3.25 x 18 ribbed up front and a Dunlop copy 4x18 in the back. Back brake is poor..I need to study why as the shoes appear in good shape. Another nice thing is the speedo...it's the only clock on my bikes that works right.

Mr Mike

Hey Mr Mike,

You can see where I put the coil....used one of the brackets for the "box" to mount it and all the rest of the stuff (Boyer, Pod) are under the side cover on the left side....plenty of room and air flow in there. I would take a photo of it but it's kinda a rats nest right now.

Our bikes share something else too....the man who did the paint work. :bigt

I don't like decals...but will probably add some to this bike, just not sure which ones just yet.

See ya in May......Opie

Gordon, I don't often venture onto the BSA board, so I just saw this. Congratulations on the successful startup! Bike looks great. I hope you continue to enjoy it. I think I'd like the reverse shifting, if I could keep my mind straight.

Ray

Oh Geez, a fine looking and running bike after only a decade... dammit Goob, you are setting the bar awfully high for the slothful here.

Congrats anyway, looks like a pile of fun comin' up!

Looks really sweet Gordon, I like the cafe look to it too. The solo seat is a good idea, I think the duel seat appears to have the pillion wedged at the back of the rider.

How does she ride??