Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Bsa bulletin board New acquisition - 1968 A65 Lightning

Brought it home last week. It'll need some work, but most is there. At least I think so. I've had Triumph T140s up to now.

Only Items missing are (1) clocks and mounting hardware; (2) horn button and horn and (3) headlight high/low beam switch.

Chrome on tank and rims look fine.
Engine has compression.
Lights are present to include a single red warning light. Wiring diagram shows it to be a high beam warning light, not an OP warning light. Didn't they have one?
Worst chrome pealing is on the upper front forks.
Carbs are now cleaned and reinstalled.
Exhaust system is clean. It is a Dunstal two into one with a Decibel muffler!
It has compression, so fuel and spark can be arranged soon.

Only time consuming task looks to be the cleaning of the rust inside the tank. It even came with a bonus amount of very stale gas. I removed the petcocks and they are shot. Are these special to BSA or can Triumph ones be installed?


Looking forward to completing the oil drain jobs and installing a battery.

Maybe in a month or so after going over the bike.

Pics soon

Steve

No oil pressure warning light until later years, 1970 or 71 I think.

I know '67 BSAs have larger-than-standard holes for the fuel taps, '68s might also. So the taps are particular to BSA, but you can get adapters to bring the diameter down to the more standard size used by Triumph and later model BSAs.

Sticklers for originality like the push-pull Ewarts cork taps, but I find that good quality quarter-turn, all-metal taps are more reliable.

Hi Steve, we can supply most of what you are looking for. I'll send some links to our website listings.

https://www.thebonnevilleshop.com/p...ey-face-150-mph-speedometer-pn-tbs-4194/
https://www.thebonnevilleshop.com/p...ratio-pn-tbs-4195-a-19-2189-rsm-3003-06/
https://www.thebonnevilleshop.com/p...ent-mounting-bracket-1966-70-pn-68-9148/
https://www.thebonnevilleshop.com/p...ton-bsa-models-pn-82-8318-s3857-lu09103/
https://www.thebonnevilleshop.com/p...o-3-8-bsp-petrol-fuel-tap-2-pn-tbs-001a/
https://www.thebonnevilleshop.com/p...ve-set-pn-83-2800-83-2801-f12800-f12801/
https://www.thebonnevilleshop.com/p...ree-1-4-bsp-petcock-fitting-pn-tbs-0920/
https://www.thebonnevilleshop.com/product/633726143036/

Hope this helps. Good luck with your project!
-Dave

69 was the first model year to have the pressure switch, 69’s had the tapered switch and a 5psi switch. 70 on had the NPS switch which was a 7psi actuated.

Depending on the tank, 3/8 bsp taps were used until the oif tanks, this covers the “peanut” 2 gallon tank and the uk 4 gallon tank. The scalloped tanks were 1/4BSP Much like the later OIF tanks.

Adaptors sold by some BritBike suppliers are identical to and 10x the price of those in the local DIY stores. I’ve seen them on eBay for £5, in B+Q they are 50p each.

I like the original ewarts taps. Very repairable and robust.

For your lights, prior to 69 I beleive they did use a red light for the headlight main. When they introduced the OP Switch in 69’ the high beam indicator changed to green.

Your headlight should have a toggle switch and a single hole for the idiot
Light (plus hole for ammeter). That shell was only used for 1 year.

Thanks so much for all the comments. I now see the horn and high beam switch assembly were one unit on the Lightning. I've ordered several pieces to begin the engine refurbishment. Seal for rocker cover too allow for checking the gap, oil cover square seal to get the oil changed, conversion adapter to allow for use of Triumph style taps (not too concerned with originality at this point), Gas Tank rust remover and sealer to get it squared away, new air cleaner elements and other small parts.

The carbs were taken apart and took a bath in ultra sonic cleaner. They're good and air bleed passage is clean. The slides do move fully as bore isn't warped. Good thing!! It even came with the complete choke assembly now removed and hole plugged!!

I do have a question regarding the forks. They don't have the rubber gaiters. Was that normal or are these forks from another machine? Is there anything special about a rebuild if that is needed? Sorry, but I don't see a way to add pics. Board seems to require the pic be sent to a separate URL. Any way to directly add pics?

Hello Dave, thanks for the reply and your effort in putting together the list of parts. But because of a disagreement over a defective Lucas bullet crimping tool, management took steps to block my number. Too bad as I always received very good advice from you and others. I now have to go elsewhere for the parts I used to get at your shop. Best Regards, Steve

If forks are original they should have external springs, and yes, gaiters. If springs are internal, the forks are from some other marque or model year.

Lots to know about rebuild. To start, get a service manual (factory, Clymer, etc.) and a factory Spares manual. For parts, check out some of the banners on this page, British Cycle Supply, Classic British Spares, Klempf's, etc.

To add pics, upload your photos to a photo Hosting site (I use postimages.org). Then copy the URL and paste into the Reply block. If you use postimages, copy the URL labeled "Hotlink for forums".

Hi Steve, well at least you can review the parts I recommended and purchase them from another supplier. There are plenty of them out there! Best of luck with the project.
-Dave

Dave, thanks very much.

Mark Z, I've seen this enclosed style of forks, sans gaiters, on some BSA Lightnings. Can't all be aftermarket or some other model. As for photo host sites, nope not gonna happen. Life's too short to spend hours joining and figuring out how to do it. Thanks anyway.

Steve

Next best way to show type of forks on my 1968 Lightning: Go to Ebay.com

Then search for item number: 363724379128 ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/363724379128?hash=item54afa993f8:g:dhIAAOSwc71iBsDL&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoNmq5EIdu7fCEQ2S3ozwZVWhzv54W0AHpob5IashLF8Il%2FzHgxXoZbUoXaUPugK8JPlN7tD65P2h2ZPADGayzf808VxZFvWHEW4t%2F7c44%2BZzKH%2FmRQ6QwBYbpPvdGrmxrgrNwzHFfQGMtO1%2B5a7dSyIzrt6YV0HR9ihC7BoRwXoxkU%2F1vWmPITcozRg7WS62EMTBlxsw618kzkh9%2B9NcTlA%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6rS4c28YQ



or another listing: 363750303426 ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/363750303426?hash=item54b13526c2:g:L7YAAOSwsINiINQF&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoN2c6mXbx%2F5kAStx075Hkgm4yLgexn4S716zacPOLld9evzO7bVMyC98MjAwqSvDPkDsGwOaVhLR8aFOg7uN%2B%2BXHQph1R1DlPL8Y3Ks77PzZeQYJZO7qmFUWiS0hkSJSsHINkKqt9ypO7P9r%2F0fcNDY1wfqWsOiT%2F0mR2HpQiPVeDBF3G1sC%2F9ihKLR4xWJKyY%2BkBI8gppUOJNSx4ZcG7tg%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6rS4c28YQ

Springs totally enclosed.

Obviously, the listings won't be present in six months, but should be available within a reasonable time from today.

These are external spring's front end with some Hornet ( no ears for a front lamp ) external chromed covers. Looks like 67 / 68 sliders, probably with dampers in them. To join postimage.com take exactly 5 min and pictures are essential for any help to give you.

Thanks much for ID of the style forks. Yes, I understand any help will be extremely limited w/o pics. As said many times, "It didn't happen without a pic."

Sorry, but I'm not about to join it. Spent several minutes after landing on Postimage.com. Nothing about joining or creating an account whatsoever. So, I've lost 4 minutes of my life and no way to get it back. Only so many available, as I'm sure you appreciate. I'm not whining. I just hate wasting time. Steve

Boy, have you got the wrong hobby! doing up old British bikes is a definition of "wasting time" (I looked it up).

I believe that if you upgrade your membership to Premium you can post images directly. (?)

So, you do not want to waste time figuring out how to post a picture but you want us to waste time looking at ebay listings and figuring out your problems from your descriptions?

+1. And it's not postimage.com, it's postimages.org. And Alan is right, it takes about five minutes to get started. If you're inclined to try again, I'll be happy to provide pointers.
1. Username is email address, establish password.
2. Click on "Choose Images"; this will bring up your hard drive folders. Select a photo and click on "Open".
3. After uploading, a list of links appears. Select "Hotlink for Forums", right click, COPY. PASTE into reply block on britbike.

If you want to copy a photo that was previously uploaded, select the photo, click on "Share", then copy the "Hotlilnk for Forums" URL as above.

Searching on Google for "1968 BSA Lightning Images", "1969 BSA Lightning Images", and "1970 BSA Lightning Images" (another thing that's quick and easy to do), all the photos I see show forks with gaiters.

Noticed the long period/gap from 1st 2017 post, to the recent 2022 wake up ? Anyhow,
Photos post so easy….. 👀 This site offers so much help and support, it’s certainly worth a few $ to help run it.
To avoid wasted “band width”, Will delete these tomorrow. 🥸

No A65 came like that, even the hornets which didn't have a headlight came with gaitors.

Those shrouds are off the pre 1957 bikes which had a headlight known as a "Divers Helmet", the divers helmet I beleive mounted off the pinch bolts and the fork top nuts, it was later changed for the "nacelle" or trousers as some call them.

the forks with the clamps at the bottom are 1968 sliders (the bottom bits) they are quite unique and only fitted to Lightnings and firebirds ( I beleive correct spitfire ones had the front mudguard stay tab cut off) and Thunderbolts and royal stars had the QD front brake carried over from the previous year.

The other forks with the QD front brake are pre A65, 66-on QD forks had damper rods, on the SLS type forks they were drilled at the bottom so access could be made to the damper rod lowers.

Pre 66 bikes didn't have damper rods but... since all A50/A65 bikes with the QD front end had 8" brakes, they would have had the brake cable adjuster off the brake plate itself, not the fork slider/leg. So these are for the 7" brake. Someone more learned that me might know if the unit singles used this slider? However they would have been used on the likes of B31's pre 57, leaving that listing just to be a misadverising.

Hope this helps.

DMadigan, coming across as if you're upset? I believe I'm capable of creating a word picture or alternatively posting a link to an outside source to bring across of what I'm speaking. Seve

Dave Martin, thank you. Very helpful reply

Just trying to follow Adam M's advice:

"To join postimage.com take exactly 5 min and pictures are essential for any help to give you."

I went to that exact website and of course it took me nowhere..com versus.org.

I'll go ahead and give joining another attempt later this evening. Hopefully it'll prove successful.

No, too busy to reply. What time does TV go off?