classic motorcycle forum
The VintageBike Message Board => Autojumble => Topic started by: timbo on February 13, 2017, 08:26:10 PM
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Hello,
For the restoration of my BSA Blue star I am searching for a
original 8 Inch headlight. Maker is not so important.
If you have annything please let me know.
Regards
Tim
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This is is a replacement from India.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/282355068657?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
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I bought one for my Empire Star some time back. Changed out the frosted glass, but it was actually quite good otherwise.
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Best repro headlamps come from this guy www.vintage-replica.cz, not cheap but the quality is first class which is more than you can say for most of the crap from India.
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Hey,
I did find the reproductions on the web. I was wondering
if there are stil originals going arround that can be restored.
Tim
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you'll be lucky,
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Hey,
I did find the reproductions on the web. I was wondering
if there are stil originals going arround that can be restored.
Tim
Bound to be, and they'll be sold at one of the Bonham's estate sales when the old hoarder dies off, but by then you'll have wished you'd paid for a repro.
Search Ebay or innumerable tat sales (which used to be known as "autojumbles") and see that the low-hanging fruit has been picked decades ago. Unless you have the luck of a lottery winner you'll never see one at a price you'd want to pay.
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I did see a B52 (as fitted to my Sunbeam) go for north of £500 on ebay last year.
It was in very poor condition as well and IIRC was missing its (probably even rarer) switch.
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Wow,that is a lot for just a Light.
I knew they where expensive but not this expensive.
Probably wil save up for the replica than.
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Old bikes are not a cheap hobby any more.
They used to be, 40+ years ago.
Back in 1964-ish I needed one of these lamps, and a tank top instrument panel; I went to old Perce Rye in Fulham, bike breaker, open on Sunday mornings till the pub shut.
"Upstairs son, in the corner." So there were, a big pile of them, all 8 inch Lucas, I can't remember what I paid, but the instrument panel, with all instruments, cost me 10 bob, thats 50p to you.
The 1938 500cc bike I wanted them for came free, off a council tip. Still got it.
See what I mean?
Bung any old headlamp on it, and ride it, everybody wants a prize winning bike, not many know how, or have the right bike to start with.
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Hey,thanks for the replies.
I was not going for a concours bike but I do like the look of the
big headlights. My bike left the factory as a foot gear change model
but someware in its 80 year lifespan it got changed in a hand shifter.
Not original annymore but I dont mind that to much. I want a correct looking
bike that is a good runner.
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After 80 years there are very few folk around who can tell you what's right or "correct" about your bike.
Them as think they can mostly get their information from magazines that were published before they were born, and which were wrong anyway.
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People didn't tend to fit hand change to a foot change bike (other than the bobber-knobber crowd with their somewhat sad Triumphs etc of a few years ago now) so, I would guess that your bike probably started as a hand change from the factory, unless you've have proof of how it was built?
Despite the contemporary ads etc your bike could've been one hanging around in a show-room for a while, or even more likely, one of those bikes that were built "to use up that pile of existing hand change bits before we start building the new footchange version".
Last thing any business wants is a pile of unsellable parts hanging around.
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My bike left the factory as a foot gear change model
how can you be sure of that?
1930s were a bad time as regards the economy, bikes were offered with a choice of foot or handchange as a lot of buyers still preferred handchange. You'd be surprised how many bikes hung around unsold for a couple of years. It was the same in the 1970s; dealer I worked at had a stock of Triumph/BSA bikes 3 year sold, and were still legally new when sold.
No-one under 60 can have any concept of how skint folk were back then, its like these snowflakes whinging on about " austerity", they have no idea at all.
Incidentally, the world is still full of brand new unsold cars, just google 'unsold cars' it will stagger you, and the manufacturers take them back for scrap, BMW have a special plant just for that.
Capitalist over production gone mad.
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Hey,dont know for sure about the hand shifter of course but the serial
number makes it a foot shifter. It is number 101,so the first of the line I have been told.
I dont know exactly what year as I am not able to read the first letter. The number is ?5 101.
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post the letters of the registration I'll tell you what year it was registered,then you can compare numbers to factory records.
If I were you I'd be wary of numbers, and the BS you might be told from "experts", Factory records are availiable.
I have several sets of number and letter stamps, availiable for hire for those that want that "factory special" :o :o ::)
another thing is that I have seen BSA sent out with the fittings for hand change on the tank and foot change.
I had an ex-police 500cc J12 like it.
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I know what you mean.
I found the numbers on a website explaining Pre war BSA serial numbers.
There al the years start with a 101 so I tought my bike could be a first one.
If it is not,al the same to me. I do not know what you mean with registration.
I live in belgium and the bike was bought in france. The owner did not know much about
its past. He told me it could be an ex french police bike as they rode on this type of bikes in
the 30's. A lot of gessing tough. The engine number was completely worn or filed away.
Had to use an acid to be able to read it. It is Z5 361. The first didgits I am sure about but the 361
was not quite clear. I do think the frame numbers are original but you can never be sure af course.
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ah,well, that explains a lot.
In the UK it is possible to reference the letters of the registration [or matriculation?] to a particular town and specific dates of issue.
Sometimes the BSA records can even tell you which dealer the bike was supplied to. I think you should contact the BSA owners club with photos of the bike and of the numbers. They hold copies of the records.
Besides which there is the added complication of impressed bikes.
In 1939/40 there was a shortage of bikes for the military, so the government grabbed 1000s of bikes from everywhere, dealers, factory stock, private owners; the result was, until standardised, a vast variety of sometimes unsuitable bikes. Thes ecould have been disposed of anywhere and vast numbers where abandoned after Dunkirk.
If you can find pictures of the vehicle dumps in Belgium and France in 1940 you will see some interesting stuff, this was dispersed all over europe by the German army who put a lot of it back into service.
Your bike could possibly have an interesting history.
Anyone of the above could have resulted in your bike having any old number stamped onto it.
Plus, if it was in use in prewar France you could fit a Bosch, Marechal or any make of headlamp and it would not be wrong; Bosch headlamps could be bought here in the 1930s as well.
I reckon you need to book a trip to the big bourse in Strasbourg this year.
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Thanks for the interesting reply.
I had the same thought about the bosch or other european headlights
but they to are rare.
What is this bourse in strasbourg?
Tim
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In Strasbourg,or rather just outside there is a huge bourse around september time I think, I last went ther ein 2001 so I presume its still there;can't remember the name of the actual town, and of course there is Mannheim, and the MotoLegende event which use to be at Montlehry South of Paris but which has moved.
Sorry can't be more specific, have not crossed the channel since 2007.
I will rummage in the dark corners of my memory and see what I can remember.
here
31 March to 2 April 2017: Veterama, Hockenheim, Germany.
27 and 28 May 2017: Coupes Moto Legende, Dijon, France.
6 to 8 October 2017: Veterama, Mannheim, Germany.
- Huge autojumble.
17 to 19 November 2017: Salon Moto Legende, Paris, France.
- French show. The dates are provisional. No exact dates available at time of writing.