rocket goldstar

[trevinoz]

Alan,
       Have a good look at the 1962 road test of the RGS.
The inner primary case appears to be a "short" one but mine has a "long" one.
I have a long one fitted to my '55 Flash and another ready for the '54 RR.
Short ones with a hole drilled in the raised section would likely have been on a full width hub bike.
The muffler fitted is the long cigar shaped item as was fitted to mine and the other two which were bought new in my area.
Two had 190mm front brakes and one [mine] had 8"
My '62 SR has a four lug frame as do several others that I know of.
The four lug frame was also used on the South Australian Police bikes but had a steering lock and FWH yokes.
I know of at least one of these that became a RGS replica, probably the easiest one to do as all of the hard work was already done by the factory.
I have had my RGS since about 1970 when they were nothing special.
Even at that young age it had been modified with a newer chromed headlight and tear-drop badge petrol tank after an accident. Luckily I got the tank and since had it repaired.
I have a headlight shell with a plug but don't have the mating bit.

Trev.

[alanp]

Hi Trev, this is a fascinating subject.
The mating plug/socket for the RGS headlight is nowhere to be obtained these days. Believe it or not but I had one complete with original loom some 7/8 years ago but the plug/socket rubber had badly perished over the years and I threw it away, thinking that they must still be available...idiot!
Yes, I had spotted the older style inner primary on the Motor Cycle test bike, the mind boggles as to why it's on there in November 1962. The '62 model SRs with full width hubs and RGSs I've seen have the long primary inner. BSA using up old stock again?
Also the silencer is the cigar type, as you say, which they might have fitted because it is in touring spec. and not expected to take bends like the clubman's spec riders. To support this theory the test bike is in full touring trim with non rear set footrests which would have restricted cornering. I'm only guessing here since I had to 'bash' a tapered flat on my cigar type silencer back in the old days, more or less similar to the taper on the Goldie type silencer, to avoid road contact when cornering enthusiastically with rear sets. I don't recommend the cigar type for the clubman's spec with rear sets.
In 21 Jun '62 Motor Cycle the BSA advert shows an RGS with rear sets and Goldie silencer, much more sensible. It also doesn't have clip ons but an upturned handlebar, gaiters and chrome headlamp ears.
It's common knowledge that you could have either an 8" Goldie or a 190mm front brake, I'm not sure about other options, anyone know for sure any others and were export versions the same as home market models?
So, one other outstanding question now is whether BSA actually sold RGSs in full touring spec as per the November '62 test bike...or am I getting too deep into this?
Pass the straight jacket someone....
Cheers
Alan

[alanp]

Hi Alan
               Can you post a photo of the rear sets so I can see for myself.

Steve, hope this photo of the part which mounts the rear sets helps.
Alan

[townsends20]

Thanks Alan
    It all makes sense now as it seemed a bit close I will have another look in the boxes with the other bike ( don't get excited it is only a 250 mz)  if not any  idea were I can get some?
      Have a look at the headlamp that came with it what's it off ?  The lens is original Lucas but badly scratched I might try and polish them out sometime. The shell is in good nick.

[alanp]

Thanks Alan
    It all makes sense now as it seemed a bit close I will have another look in the boxes with the other bike ( don't get excited it is only a 250 mz)  if not any  idea were I can get some?
      Have a look at the headlamp that came with it what's it off ?  The lens is original Lucas but badly scratched I might try and polish them out sometime. The shell is in good nick.

You should be able to get the rear set hangers from the usual BSA bits suppliers e.g. Lyford Classics, George Prew (his telephone manner sounds abrupt but he's as good as gold really), etc etc they are the same for the rear sets on Gold Stars as well. If you need their phone numbers, let me know. Watch out though you will also need the fancy pins which go into the frame lugs and they are different left from right to give clearance for the rear brake pedal assembly.
The headlamp is not familiar to me, but I've led a sheltered life!
Alan

[trevinoz]

Alan,
          The ozzie RGSs were touring spec. I reckon they look better than the clubman. much neater than the ugly Goldie headlight brackets and naked forks.
Trev.

[alanp]

Alan,
          The ozzie RGSs were touring spec. I reckon they look better than the clubman. much neater than the ugly Goldie headlight brackets and naked forks.
Trev.

I agree the headlamp area looks better without the Goldie brackets. In fact my Goldie in the late '50s was converted over to get rid of the brackets. Not considered good form to do this to a Goldie in those days though.
Can you recall which silencer was fitted on the ozzie RGS versions?
Alan

[Flatboy 1950]

Hi Chaps , There is a Rocket Gold Star for sale here in S.A.
Engine # DA10R8418.
Frame # GA10.921
 Although it is not a barnfind , it is on this website  www.barnfinds.co.za
Price is just below 12,000 pounds ....
There is also a DB34 GS for sale too.

Regards , Flatboy.

[alanp]

It's interesting that he has priced the RGS the same as the DBD34.

[trevinoz]

Alan,
             My RGS had the cigar muffler as did the other two that I knew of.
I suspect that this was standard on all of them as the "goldie" muffler was listed as an optional "track silencer", I would imagine it was not acceptable to the "authorities".
When I restored mine back in the 80s, I had a goldie muffler made as I liked the look.
Now that everyone has one, I have now got an original shape one for the next go around.
My friend has also fitted the original to his RGS. Sounds better than the goldie one but no twitter.
I don't know whether the factory RGS goldie mufflers twittered but the ones made here certainly did.

  Trev.

[bsa- bill]

I don't know whether the factory RGS goldie mufflers twittered

Mine don't and it's almost  RGS engine spec.
I was told by a Goldie owner the twitter is down to valve overlap on the single, doesn't appear the same on a twin

[alanp]

I don't know whether the factory RGS goldie mufflers twittered

Mine don't and it's almost  RGS engine spec.
I was told by a Goldie owner the twitter is down to valve overlap on the single, doesn't appear the same on a twin

Funny you should mention that but a mate of mine with a Goldie didn't have the twitter but his Royal Oilfield fitted with a Goldie silencer did. He swopped them over and now his Goldie twitters and his RE doesn't. There's clearly more to it than just valve overlap it seems.
We investigated, as you do, and found differences with the internals between the two silencers. They both had the perforated tube running offset down the side taper but varied at the exhaust end of the tube. We can't recall where the one that twitters came from.
One of my RGS silencers, the one from Cake Street Classics, has a perforated short tube concentric with the silencer bore which doesn't reach the end of the body as far as the two just mentioned and another I've just tried on the RGS has a perforated tube running centrally right to the end. Neither of these has any hint of a twitter.
That's 4 different internals for a start. I'll start a topic in 'technical' to see if anyone knows who sells Goldie silencers which twitter.
Alan

[trevinoz]

The twitter is created by the internal arrangement of the baffles.
A Mate of mine has perfected the method. He made my muffler.
  Trev.

[alanp]

The twitter is created by the internal arrangement of the baffles.
A Mate of mine has perfected the method. He made my muffler.
  Trev.

Trev, this confirms our result that it's primarily silencer design, any chance of a description/sketch or anything from your mate which would point us in the right direction? My friends Goldie silencer from off his RE which twitters is too difficult to see inside with any certainty and we don't want to cut it up since we don't know where it was bought to get a replacement, but it's generally described as I mentioned above.
Alan