1971 A65T Thunderbolt - The other 650!

[Semper Gumby]

Here are the pics.  The Flashy BSA sticker and the Triumph sticker (underneath the BSA sticker) are coming off.  We figured it was a Red-neck thing   [smiley=cheesy.gif]

It needs a new battery plus the original sidecovers back on (Which I have).  The black paint is actually really nice black on top of Gold flake.  When the sun hits it the gold appears.  Not a stock color though.

[Semper Gumby]

And another (Why can't I put more than one pic on a page?)

[Semper Gumby]

Arrrghhhh

[Semper Gumby]

Thing runs great.

[Ed Miller]

Pretty!

Is it as fast as your R65?    

[Semper Gumby]

Hi Ed,

Its faster but only because my R65 is the Goldwing version of the R65!

Bill

[Semper Gumby]

What a nice day for a ride.  Almost all the electrics work!  A $2.89 2 post flasher from Autozone has the turnsignals working just fine after last weeks tear-down of the Lucas handle bar switches.  The front brake cable has a short in the switch so it is disconnected (Switch that is, brakes work OK).  Everything else works.  The chain is shot so I'm replacing the sprockets and putting on a modern o-ring chain.  This bike is approaching "reliable transportation" status.

Got the new 5 gallon fuel tank in the mail.  Time to get it and the side covers painted.  (What color?)

R65 is still at Nathan's.  The wrong parts showed up (R65s are different).

Spring is sprong on the South.  Timetoridetimetoride......

[Ed Miller]

Is your front brake switch that in-line one, giving you a two part front brake cable in effect?  I don't think I've ever heard anything good about them.  That's what would have been stock on my Triumph, but when I got it in '87 it had already been changed out for a 1 piece, and I recently had a new one made to fit which is also one piece.  I just turn on the brake light with the rear brake.

For a long time my R65 front brake switch didn't work either, but it started working again.  What ever.  I'll probably buy a new one some day.....

Hope you had a good ride!  I put in a couple hundred miles last Saturday on the Triumph, having fun on curvy roads with my Airhead friend Keizer Dave on his beautiful R75/5 Toaster.  Luckily SWB!

[Semper Gumby]

Is your front brake switch that in-line one, giving you a two part front brake cable in effect?  I don't think I've ever heard anything good about them.  <snip>

Hope you had a good ride!  I put in a couple hundred miles last Saturday on the Triumph, having fun on curvy roads with my Airhead friend Keizer Dave on his beautiful R75/5 Toaster.  Luckily SWB!

Yep a two piece!.  New one on order.  A Barnett! (I have always had good luck with Barnett stuff)

Mid seventies.  Drove down to the Autozone in Barnsville to hunt down and kill the flasher.  Then a short jawnt to the "The Rock" Georgia and a visit to the 12 "unknowns".  Beautiful day.

I hate to say this but a good friend of mine from church went to St. Joseph's hospital in Atlanta for some abdominal surgury.  After eight weeks he is still not out of the ICU.  Various hospital induced infections have kept him in.  Now the family has gone quite with e-mail updates and I fear the worst.  (What can be worse than eight weeks in the ICU???)  His name is Duncan Curl and a prayer (if you are so inclined) would be much appreciated.  Thanks in advance.  

Bill

[msbuck]

Consider it done...

[Semper Gumby]

Short update.

My friend Duncan Curl is out of the ICU (phew) and (thank you).

Did major surgery on the LH side of the A65T yesterday to replace the countershaft sprocket chain and drive shaft sprocket.  This was a major deal.  Took about ten hours.  Oh and the new brake cable with the switch nobody likes - the switch didn't work!!!!  I had to dissassemble the thing and adjust the position of the contacts to get it to function!

To get to the countershaft sprocket you have to remove the Alternator, Primary chain, Clutch and Clutch basket with its twenty little rollers that make up the clutch basket bearing.  All back together (after three tries) and running though.  More later....

I have one small leak on the RH side of the engine left to go.

[Ed Miller]

Short update.

My friend Duncan Curl is out of the ICU (phew) and (thank you).

To get to the countershaft sprocket you have to remove the Alternator, Primary chain, Clutch and Clutch basket with its twenty little rollers that make up the clutch basket bearing.  All back together (after three tries) and running though.  More later....

Good to hear about your friend; you're right, that was a long time in ICU.  Sheesh.  I think hospitals are dangerous places to be.

For your counter shaft sprocket, I've never had to remove the alternator.  I get the clutch basket stuff off, and wiggle until the 20 little bearings fall out into a ready pan, and the primary chain comes off.

When I'm ready to put everything back together, I install the little bearings with small needle nosed pliers.  I don't  even have a clutch hub puller.

As always, I have no idea how a BSA is assembled in that area.  

[Semper Gumby]

Time to paint.  I have a large 4.5 gallon tank from e-bay and its time to paint it.  There is one problem.  I don't like the original color - "sterling moss green" is a bit too frog-like for me.  I'm leaning to the same lines as BSA put on their tanks but in a different color.  Right now I'm liking black with a peralecent white or metalic silver.  Here is a pic of the green and white from a bike in Holland.

[Semper Gumby]

Well I have stopgapped my oil pressure issues on the 1971 Thunderbolt.  The I'm running Spectro 70 Wt with some Lucas oil stabilizer and a Lockhart oil cooler.  This keeps the oil pressure light from coming on even in Stop 'n Go driving (94'f in Atlanta today).

I've got some brake parts from England to make the Drum brakes work better.  And now it is time to paint the tank and side covers and go ride the bike in the North Georgia Mountains.

The bike is FUN to ride.  

Sorry I'm going to miss the BMW-RA in Ashville.  You all have fun.

TTFN,

Bill

[thrang]

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/5106/rafflebike2005.html

My dad had an A65 when I was a kiddy in the '60's and it was the first bike I ever had a ride on. . I've always fancied one but never had the money when the opportunity came up