56 Gold flash resto

[wackyone]

I think as MG said Bsa started the 56 models back in august 55, as far as the rear wheel I think its correct along with the
tank. The front end is wrong and has already gone to a new home  8 inch half width drum being painted and the off for a new rim.
Im going to join the Bsa owners club and send off the details of the bike and see what it comes up with as the letter I have is not the same as the cert you have Kiwi.

Thanks for all the suport and info  keep it coming please

Rich

[trevinoz]

Rich,
                 Probably just old stock being moved out from the '55 production.
Nothing wrong with the '55 Flash. I ride one myself.

  Trev.

[bikerbob]

Hi there
I would say that if the dispatch date given is correct then you are 8 months into that year's production run and any old stock would have been used up long before that and both wheels would have been fitted with the ariel hubs. But if as the owner says he is going to join the owners club then he will get the correct details about the  bike and then he can make a decision about which way he is going.

[MG]

Hi bikerbob!

The despatch record says November 1955, so it is only 3 months after the model change. It was then registered early 1956, maybe has been standing at the dealer for some time, or the new owner waited for spring to come before using his brand new bike, who knows.  

The frame definitely is 1954/55 spec, and fitting an Ariel hub at the rear would require enlarging the hole for the swing arm spindle and fitting the cable bracket on the rhs frame loop. Also, as I have mentioned before, the swing arm and rear chain guard for 1956/57 models are markedly different. So using Ariel hubs is not a simple swap job, and the guys at BSA for sure would have used the QD rear hub on such an old stock frame, most likely together with the 8inch half width hub front.

[bikerbob]

Hi there.
 Must put my specs on when I read these posts you are probably right MG. As an aside from this it is possible to fit ariel hubs onto earlier front forks as I have already done this way back in 1995 when I undertook my restoration there was no Ebay and I could not find any front forks so I modified the earlier ones that came with the bike. If I remember correctly I just removed the the brake anchor lug and made a new anchor one to suit, fitted smaller internal  diameter bearings to suit the original spindle then had machined new distance pieces to keep wheel central in the forks and I also had to take a small amount off the inside of the brake hub as the new bearings were slightly wider than the originals. Most people do not notice until you point it out.

[KiwiGF]

Hi wacky as you have the silent blocs job to you might be interested in this thread as there are some pics of when I did it in frame section

http://www.audioworld.net/BSA/forum/index.php/topic,4293.0.html

[wackyone]

Thanks Kiwi, I had a good look at that one and hope mine go in the same !