Jerry Doe
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- Joined
- May 21, 2003
- Messages
- 2,293
I had a great trip to California to the Hansen Dam show/ meeting as Mike said in the other thread. I wanted to do this thread as well to let you know what I been doing with the BSA and the trip.
I left Colorado to Arizona and had a great time visiting my good friend Bob. I was able to load the bike in my F150 truck on my own ok. Its along drive. Took HWY 285 to South Colorado, then the Navaho Nation across to Arizona. This time since I was in the truck I visited the Grand Canyon as never been there. All I can say is wow. I packed loads of spares and tools for the BSA as was planning on riding it as much as possible.
A few weeks before leaving I decided to change the piston rings as I could not get the NOS ones to bed in (after 1200 miles). I changed to Hastings rings. During the process of putting the rocker cover back on, I screwed up while turning back wheel to make sure push rods had seated in properly. I bent a push rod and ex valve. So I ordered some nice molybdenum pushrods, new valve and I changed the valve adjusters to decent allen wrench type. I was able to do a few hundred miles before leaving Colorado and the new Hastings rings bedding in nicely. I could not get the bike to do over 70 though. I looked in the exhausts and they had a very restrictive mesh in there. I cut an inch 3/8 hole in the mesh of each ex. and it spins up very well now! Fun bike to ride. It purrs along an 75 MPH. Sounds great. It really out performs my expectations!
On the day I met Mike and other friends in Orange CA and we rode up to the Hansen Dam and it ran very well. I was not planning on entering it in the show. Was just going to catch up with old friends. As I pulled up they asked me if I wanted to enter, so why not I said. To my huge surprise it won best of show and best 1960s bike. I had a nice ride back and it did not miss a beat.
It was great to see and get caught up with old friends.
I put it back in the truck and yesterday decided to get home as soon as possible as lots of storms coming in over the Rockies (HWY 70). I hit a terrible snow storm anyway. Was a tough one. 1000+ miles home in one day, but did it.
So super stoked about all this. I love this bike. I ride it more that my other 3 bikes. Here is the pic:
I left Colorado to Arizona and had a great time visiting my good friend Bob. I was able to load the bike in my F150 truck on my own ok. Its along drive. Took HWY 285 to South Colorado, then the Navaho Nation across to Arizona. This time since I was in the truck I visited the Grand Canyon as never been there. All I can say is wow. I packed loads of spares and tools for the BSA as was planning on riding it as much as possible.
A few weeks before leaving I decided to change the piston rings as I could not get the NOS ones to bed in (after 1200 miles). I changed to Hastings rings. During the process of putting the rocker cover back on, I screwed up while turning back wheel to make sure push rods had seated in properly. I bent a push rod and ex valve. So I ordered some nice molybdenum pushrods, new valve and I changed the valve adjusters to decent allen wrench type. I was able to do a few hundred miles before leaving Colorado and the new Hastings rings bedding in nicely. I could not get the bike to do over 70 though. I looked in the exhausts and they had a very restrictive mesh in there. I cut an inch 3/8 hole in the mesh of each ex. and it spins up very well now! Fun bike to ride. It purrs along an 75 MPH. Sounds great. It really out performs my expectations!
On the day I met Mike and other friends in Orange CA and we rode up to the Hansen Dam and it ran very well. I was not planning on entering it in the show. Was just going to catch up with old friends. As I pulled up they asked me if I wanted to enter, so why not I said. To my huge surprise it won best of show and best 1960s bike. I had a nice ride back and it did not miss a beat.
It was great to see and get caught up with old friends.
I put it back in the truck and yesterday decided to get home as soon as possible as lots of storms coming in over the Rockies (HWY 70). I hit a terrible snow storm anyway. Was a tough one. 1000+ miles home in one day, but did it.
So super stoked about all this. I love this bike. I ride it more that my other 3 bikes. Here is the pic:
