Members bikes for sale.
(Hold your 'shift' key while refreshing this page to ensure you see the latest version)
1972 BSA Thunderbolt 650
From the collection of former club president Allan Tester.
This bike has been in Allan's collection since December 1998.
I had never heard or seen it running in the time I have known Allan, but that was not overly surprising with several dozen to choose from.
First impressions are of a very tidy original bike with correct parts for its model year and everything working as intended.
The bike has recently undergone a re-compliance test due to its original numberplate having lapsed, but at least it was in the system. For this reason the brakes have all been measured and are in spec, but have done very little work for many years. I have given them some use and they are improving with every ride.
Engine and frame numbers are A65T JG00935.
Rego expires 13 November 2024, wof expires 13 May 2024.
All work recently undertaken on the bike is documented here. That included a complete carb strip and clean plus new fuel lines.
Paint has some wear and tear but it looks fabulous from a few feet away.
Mufflers are I believe factory original items and make a pleasing level of sound.
All electrics are working as intended and it has a brand new battery.
Everything up front is smart, clocks look great and odometer is at nearly 18,000 miles.
The bike overall looks great and is pleasingly unmolested since birth. Koni rear shocks are one of two non-standard part fitments and no doubt contribute to the comfortable ride.
It starts easily, exhibits acceptable performance for this model, and is quite civilised in all respects. However, it has age related wear in the engine department which is going to require attention sooner or later.
The engine compressions were checked as being both approximately 130psi, using my best kicking leg.
While the engine runs happily on the single carb, the spark plugs show evidence of a little oil on the left cylinder.
Oil pressure was measured at 57psi cold, and this dropped to 42psi after a short ride. A subsequent ride in heavy traffic through the city resulted in the engine getting truly hot and the oil light coming on at idle, so I assume the pressure was below 7psi. The light would go out when the engine was revved.
The oil in use is Castrol GTX 20W50, and I am considering trying a 20W60 oil for comparison, but it does indicate that oil is escaping somewhere without doing its job properly. The oil pressure relief valve is nominally set to 50psi so that would seem about right, leaving oil pump, bearings and the timing side bush as the main suspects.
The second non-standard item is a spin-on oil filter mounted on the right side behind the kickstart lever. I would consider this to be a worthwhile addition.
If the recorded mileage is genuine it is possible that the motor has not received any major attention since new, so I would expect the pistons and bores to have useful life before reboring would be necessary. The spark plugs look healthier as the miles increase, so things may have freed up in the ring dept.
I did change the oil to Penrite 20W60 and it has improved the oil light behaviour, but there is a problem that needs sorting.
As it is doubtful that the necessary expenditure would result in a sufficiently higher enough resale value it has been decided to offer the bike for sale as-is. We are looking for $7000 or sensible offer.
It is currently usable in every respect but in the interests of preserving its life it would be prudent to heed the oil light warning.
Interested parties should contact the webmaster via the details in the 'contact' section.
Cheers all.