Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Bsa bulletin board How many of you own a FS

Been trying to get inspired to work on my 70 Firebird scrambler by doing a little google searching . Not much comes up . Not even here on Britbike. Very little talk of Scramblers at all as far as I can tell. I know Gary has a nice 68 . A few images come up in google but most have the scalloped european style tank. A lot have the wrong exhaust. Were most of these converted to Lightning specs? Lets have a count.... Photos if your is original looking please. Especially if its a 70.

I have a 1970 Firebird. It is matching numbers but I bought it as a frame and engine and nothing else back in 2008 and have been piecing it back together since.

It's up and rolling and I should have it fired up this spring. I am going to be using either a fiberglass Spitfire/Hornet tank or a 1966-1967 Thunderbolt/Lightning tank I have acquired since.

Excellent Jon. High side pipes? They seem to be missing on what turns up in Google search.

No high pipes on mine and I have low pipes for it. I see what you mean about Google searches and finding good, decent 1970 Firebird pics.

Here's a 70 FS photo.



1970 US spec Brochure.

Thanks J in KC ....The Brochure is nice. So it the red bike . Yours? Looks very original. Wondering about the side cover decals . Didnt know if they had the flags or not and I see quite a few with that decal on the tank. Not on the brochure though. Still a really sharp looking bike. I think I have everything (or a lead on everything) for my bike except paint and decals.

I am trying to assemble a '69 Firebird.

A large stumbling block for me, is the muffler support bracket.

I've heard for quite a number of years, from several sources, that the high pipes were too often removed, and low pipes installed.

I've managed to find a set of those take-off pipes, but not the support bracket....

Although, I've seen 3 of the OIF Firebird support brackets for sale...

I thought I heard Lannis say he had one,maybe he'll weigh in here.

The brochure is correct, which isn't always the case.
Obvious non-standard things with the red bike are:

• tank colour
• tank decals (shouldn't have any)
• side panel decals (should be the later style, as per the brochure pic)

There appear to have been at least 3 variants of the 1970 Firebird Scrambler

Candian

chrome / blue tank - possibly restricted to the US East Coast

arrowhead tank with chrome knee cutouts as per the 1970 Lightning. This might have been a "rest of the world" model.

Just to confuse things further, the December 1969 Cycle Guide has a road test of a 1969 Firebird.

Here's mine, had it since 1975. I put the birdcage back on:

Wade I have a 1970 firebird I have been restoring for several years! Other projects seem to get in the way. I will try to email you pics, post them if you wish. Bill

Add to that list, the "Cut Off" LH side cover. I had one of those awhile back and sent it off to a better home. (Ithink)
They are more than simply Cut Off. The one I had had a different oddie hole, which would mean there must have been a different attach point also. Another issue to deal with. Notice on the previous photo with the shield still removed, the cover is not under the pipes. It has 3 oddies !

OK so between here and the BSA group on Facebook , there are at least 7 that still exist in our world…. More to come I hope.

Rickman. I got a repop bracket from one of the US dealers. British only I think. I haven't fitted it yet but I hope its correct. Are you looking for OEM only?

Afternoon Wade,
Nope, I've even been entertaining the idea of trying to make one for myself... I just don't have one to copy from, thus, re-inventing the wheel, so to speak.....

Someone sent me measurements once, I just don't now if their measurements are where I'd measure from, and, my efficiency at making the correct... pressings? bends and folds..

Might be smarter to take the idea from those 3 OIF support brackets I saw, and utilize flat stock, I just don't wish to go too overboard with a weighty heavy strap!

Well if I can help let me know. I'll dig mine out and get a photo

Rick, that was me what sent you those details. Probably still got the pics from when I took the bracket off.

Like this, but looks like most of those pics didn't make it to the cloud. And that computer is long dead:

Wade,...Did you not receive my email photo of the sidecover with `69 decal affixed, and `70 decal loose for comparison? Klemph`s turned out to be a `69 sidecover item, not the tank top item they had listed...mis-numbered. Have found one more possible source for the tank top. We`ll see.

I may have missed the email. I will check tonight.

Just to add a bit to Shanes assessment of the "red bike": The instrument brackets & cups, headlight brackets & headlight, and apparently, the left sidecover are not correct. Save for the pipes, tank, and front fender, it could well be a modified Lightning. K.C. is correct regarding the sidecover. Stock FS one has the front 2 oddie holes only 3 1/2" apart. Decal is `68 FS only. The `70 catalogue has only one frame part # listed for all model twins, and I can`t recall where that lower oddie anchors. BritTwit will know where.

Leon,...Is that oddie mount bracket stock or fab?...and do you have a part# for the beast? I could find nothing is listed for it in `69 or `70 catalogue.

It's factory. I took everything off and measured it all a couple years ago. That photo was the only one I found at my photobucket account. I may have other pics in my laptop.

The brochure is correct, which isn't always the case.
Obvious non-standard things with the red bike are:

• tank colour
• tank decals (shouldn't have any)
• side panel decals (should be the later style, as per the brochure pic)

There appear to have been at least 3 variants of the 1970 Firebird Scrambler

Candian

chrome / blue tank - possibly restricted to the US East Coast


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I thought the Red/chrome was the FS tank and the Blue/chrome was the B25 tank.

Bill, I've seen a couple of pictures of Firebirds with the red/chrome, but only the blue/chrome was in the 1970 advertising.
My 1970 looks like the brochure. It was bought from Baxters and restored by one of our club members who decided it wasn't very practical for commuting. He included a red/chrome arrowhead tank and sidecovers in the deal.

The "Two Wheels" road test was in B&W, so the red/chrome for the "rest of the world" bikes is an assumption based on the greyscale, Lightning arrowhead tanks and my spare tank. I could well be wrong.

Boomer,...The `70 Starfire tank was unchromed and entirely blue paint with white stripe. Albeit the same Starfire tank, `70 FS configuration was chromed with either blue or red upper panel. I`ve never seen a `70 FS with the `69 style "under-inflated football" tank. Leon,..is your machine `70 or `69? And, I found the oddie bracket that mounts to the battery cradle - - part # 83-1375 - -FS only. Thanks for the photo clue.