BSA drop down centre stand

[SakuraParticipant @sakura]

Hi,

The first BSA A7's had a strange centre stand that dropped out of the seat tube. It wasn't successful and only fitted to the first 1000 bikes. I have been asked to replicate one. The main support is made of 1.25" steel bar. It has two longitudinal flats leaving a raised centre section into which is cut a set of "teeth" for the ratchet to engage. It will need to be hardened after machining. What would be the best material for this and then what sort of heat treatment for the teeth? Any suggestions?

[SakuraParticipant @sakura]

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Is that round bar ?
You may be able to buy a piece of hardened rack that could be fixed to the bar, would save the hardening process.

Emgee

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Given that most old bikes don't cover many miles one made from EN16T should last for many years.

[SakuraParticipant @sakura]

Posted by Emgee on 27/06/2020 18:24:39:

Is that round bar ?
You may be able to buy a piece of hardened rack that could be fixed to the bar, would save the hardening process.

Emgee

It's not actually a rack with gear form teeth, they're cut like a ratchet form. Easy to do with a slightly angle end mill.

Chris, my best guess was EN16 but I'm no materials expert.

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

I bet (as an ex-BSA emloyee) that the steel was nothing special. And if the design only lasted for a few months, the design wasn't much either. But centre stands were a bit new – Norton had them on the International in 1936, though. (I worked for Norton, too, but later)

Cheers, Tim

Edited By Tim Stevens on 27/06/2020 20:32:55

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Bet it froze up in the winter

[Oily RagParticipant @oilyrag]

Through the mists of time I seem to remember that this design was dropped because the stand had an alarming tendency to self deploy whilst the bike was in motion. Many moons ago I knew a BSA test rider and he told me he had these stands drop down on him and once it led to a nasty accident. This was on the prototype A7 with the plunger rear suspension and the single downtube frame. He had a shop in Grendon and later in Atherstone in North Warwickshire. Amongst his collection of bikes was an all alloy A7 engine in the later Gold Star style frame that he raced as a scrambler in the early 60's – went like stink that bike.

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

I have only had the later A10 with conventional centre stand and don't recall the earlier A7 stand design.

My present BSA bikes are from 1929 and 1932 so still have the drop down rear wheel stand. Both are missing the correct front wheel stand.

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

I would use EN36 and case harden the ratchet teeth.

[SakuraParticipant @sakura]

Posted by Oily Rag on 27/06/2020 21:34:31:

Through the mists of time I seem to remember that this design was dropped because the stand had an alarming tendency to self deploy whilst the bike was in motion. Many moons ago I knew a BSA test rider and he told me he had these stands drop down on him and once it led to a nasty accident. This was on the prototype A7 with the plunger rear suspension and the single downtube frame. He had a shop in Grendon and later in Atherstone in North Warwickshire. Amongst his collection of bikes was an all alloy A7 engine in the later Gold Star style frame that he raced as a scrambler in the early 60's – went like stink that bike.

That certainly is the lore amongst classic bike enthusiasts.

[Peter Jones 20Participant @peterjones20]

I've got some original A7/A10 literature around somewhere 'safe'. Will have to dig it out and see if therte is any mention of the early A7 stand?

[Robert ButlerParticipant @robertbutler92161]

Harris? Coleshill Road, Atherstone – now Huggy's prior to all of this  Co-op groceries

Robert Butler

Edited By Robert Butler on 28/12/2020 09:29:44

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

There are some excellent scans of a brochure here: **LINK**

https://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php?topic=8655.msg61644#msg61644

Doesn’t answer the opening question, but nice to see.

MichaelG.

[Oily RagParticipant @oilyrag]

Robert,

Yes! Dave Harris – moved to the old Co-Op shop in Coleshill Rd Atherstone from Long Street Grendon about 1968. John Randle who lived on the A5 at Grendon was another rider in AMCA scrambles – he rode a ZB32 Gold Star. I had a 1957 DB32 Gold Star as my first road bike, bought as a jumble of parts for £2 15s from a man in Twycross whose son had stripped it down and then joined the army and was posted in Germany.

You must be local to me!

[Robert ButlerParticipant @robertbutler92161]

OR, Born, brought up and lived on a small farm at Baxterley for 35 years. Now live at Edingale just outside Tamworth. I know Peter & Stan Savage, Peter particularly noted for his Velocette's regrettably not enjoying the best of health.

Mainly a customer of Zak's and D F King Motorcycles who were also clients of mine for many years – Gerald Rowley is still around and I saw Dave King just before Christmas. He always needs a box of Black Powder cartridges which I load. Still interested in Motorcycles but haven't had one for 30 years now and at 68 perhaps a bit late.

Robert

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

My first trip for spares for my Trident was to Bennetts in Atherstone. Not long after I bought it the tip of a tooth on the shock absorber sprocket broke off and found its way to the oil pump gear train. So new gears, new sprockets, new rubbers, new primary chain and tab washers and gaskets were on my shopping list. I think the original post about the stand would have me worried unless a secure method of retaining it was usually in place. I find a kickstand most convenient most of the time so it wouldn’t be too much of a problem to have to release a security device to use the centre stand when required. It’s funny how anything that drops down from a vehicle immediately finds a raised drain cover.
Mike

[Robert ButlerParticipant @robertbutler92161]

Mike, remind me where were Bennetts located?

Robert Butler

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

My rather flakey memory thinks Station was in the address and I see there is a station street in atherstone. I was not local to the area but A.Bennett and son were recommended to me so I took a ride up there from Oxford on my spare bike a Honda 250.

Mike

[Robert ButlerParticipant @robertbutler92161]

Mike I've sent you a PM Robert Butler

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

 

I found this Robert so I guess my memory was correct, it would have been 1978 when I visited and it looks like there has been some redevelopment since then. This advert was from 1975.

Mike

Edited By Mike Poole on 28/12/2020 19:41:21

Edited By Mike Poole on 28/12/2020 20:25:55

[Robert ButlerParticipant @robertbutler92161]

Mike, we have rather hijacked the original posting, was the garage opposite the bus park (station would be too elaborate) if so there was a glass fronted "shop" which i can recall displaying cars? Around this time although still living at Baxterley I was working full time in Tamworth and under the spell of a number of girlfriends and my attention was elsewhere. Is it perhaps better to PM rather than completely sidetrack this thread. Robert Butler

[Oily RagParticipant @oilyrag]

Bennet's were behind the Red Lion pub in Long Street. Later they moved to Long Street itself, opposite but close to the Grammar school. Long before they were in Station Street Atherstone they were by Coton Arches in Nuneaton. From memory they moved when the Arches were developed into the giant roundabout it has now become, lot of the old shops and houses there were demolished – probably around 1970. Always a good place to get Triumph spares, but being a BSA man myself I only went there with friends who ran Triumphs, one of whom had a very original Sprung hub 500 TR5 with twin carbs and a GP model.

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Re bike stands.

In the 70's I was commuting from Nottingham where I then lived to Grantham on my BSA D7 Silver Bantam with centre stand.

Unfortunately one day it was off the road so I borrowed a JAWA 250cc twin port ISDT replica which was sort of insured as the guy who owned it ran a back street garage and had a traders policy and I worked evenings and weekends for him ……………. !

Coming home I was driving out of Grantham when a police motorcyclist pulled up alongside and waved me down. Oh ********! Leaning over towards me he said 'Your side stand's down' (a sophistication missing from the Bantam)

A little helpful advice and many thanks from me and he let me drive away.

Apart from that my worst stand experiences were with a BMW with a spring loaded prop stand. You would sit on the bike pull it up while you put on your gloves and reach for the ignition key, letting the bike sit back down on the stand.

Only it had folded itself away ……….

Edited By Nick Clarke 3 on 29/12/2020 11:19:01

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