I had a Yamaha, with suspension that might have been described as a bit wooden, but not quite as much as the rear of that bike! Another great project gets under way. Thank you, Michael.
Starting the right way with the measuring stick. Now to press on and make it happen. I still remember the best of the 2 pre-war MAC's I had (converted to tele's) at 52" wheelbase and 30 degree forks. Loving it so far, thanks Mike.
Hi Michael, Very exciting being at the start of a new project. I noticed on the rear chain that the "fish" is swimming the wrong way on the split link? Very clever thinking of raising the rear suspension to tuck in the front rake, brilliant! Roll on part two, Cheers Dave UK
You will need one of those funny 'U' shaped kick start levers although they have a spline on them rather than a cotter pin....i'm getting into this build! Thanks.
Brilliant, I'm doing the same myself, but was unsure whether to restore original or build a trails. My scenario was slightly easier choice as I have non matching engine and frame , ones a 64 the other a 65, no seat or lights or loom. I have the tank and oil tank and wheels although they're shot. Keep up the good work and excellent videos, I'll be following you all the way.
Now the title excited me. I have a B25 starfire in bits in the garage but it came with a c15 engine. My plan is to rebuilt it in mild trials form so this will be an educational series
Very interesting looking project, the C15 makes a very pretty looking trials bike. My own C15 is a Cafe Racer........it looks much faster than it is!!!!!
Wire nuts, in UK in the 40s they were used in domestic wiring, made from ceramic and called screwits, the internal thread was cast in the ceramic. Never used them only removed them during rewires! From an old electrician.
No that won't work. The tops of British stanchions were tapered and pulled into a matching taper in the top yoke unlike the Japanese bikes for instance that use a clamp and pinch bolt. Enfield even went one step further and the stanchion was threaded and screwed into the top yoke.
@@BritanniaMotorcycles Hi Michael. Thank you for that explanation. You had explained that in a previous video, but I had forgotten. I really enjoy your builds but also the explanation and how you overcome problems. Keep up the great work! Regards, Rob
Michael I reckon it might be easier to alter the base than the the cover. also that way the cover will hide all the modifications, Just a suggestion I know it doesn't look the same on video than in the flesh I really enjoy your channel
C15 road bikes have different offsets in the top and bottom yokes - this makes the fork tube angle greater than the steering axis angle. I suppose this reduction in trail is useful in more modern trials sections?
Nice project going to be a good one. And I say this not to critical I put the right foot rest in the same place your going to put it. Thinking that the reach for the shifter was no big deal. Well it was a problem and I kept catching my trousers on the kick start. The other thing the back off the seat. Your going to cut it . weld it. Bend it. And your going to be left with somthing called a Kickle
A great start to the project, no matter what you do with it, restoration, trailie, trials cafe racer or whatever it will be another great series we can all learn from. I see you using combination spanners, it beats me why they don't make them instead of say 10 mm ringer and 10 mm open ender they're not 10-11, 11-10, 12-13, 13-12, 14-15, 15-14, 17-19, 19-17 etc other than they sell you 2 sets of spanners, there maybe another good reason but hell I can't think of it.
@@MURDOCK1500 Bodge? On a motorcycle or any other vehicle, yes. Wire nuts are intended to be used on exactly the “Mains Voltage” Peter mentions and only inside a terminal box in a dry environment. There are millions in use all over the US, I’ve never heard of a problem. BTW, my father was an electrician. I’m pretty sure I’d have heard if wire nuts ever caused a problem. When I bought my house many years ago I was replacing a worn wall outlet and found the previous owner (or somebody working for him) had used black electrical tape in a place where he should have used a wire nut. Of course, the tape had turned into a bunch of plastic ribbon and a bit of goo, the “hot” wires completely exposed. That is a bodge and a really scary one. I put a wire nut in with the new outlet.
@@petefletcher Many times I seen these used on 3/029 stranded cables for connecting lights in roof space voids i.e. 240v, they were made of white porcelain.
@@lexstockton2451 i'm an electrician and I can assure you they in no way can provide a proper electrical connection, both electrically and mechanically
I think the reason there were a large and small nut / bolt on shocks was so the owner only needed two spanners not a pair. Did the shocks have to be undone to get the wheel out for roadside puncture repair?
Bend the original kickstart to clear or buy an aftermarket trials kickstart. They used to be available but i want to see Michael Wrestle with the one he has 😀 If you look carefully the kickstart has an MCE logo, they were the company that bought out Wassell and are still in business today trading as Wassell.
Would it not be easier to cut a section from the middle of the sidepanel backplate and reweld , than it would to add a section into the sidepanel and then dealing with what looks like a set of compound curves for the new piece maybe ?
I did not see ist clearly, but perhaps the front oriented position of the right footrest ist in case of the clearance of the kickstart? Btw: I like your experimental setup for the driving geometry!
Nice project looking fwd to seeing the series.. 're the battery side cover mod.. would it be less complex and less risk to cut and weld the back plate to align with the cover ?
You could well be right. I did contact the seller but all he knew was that it came with pile of C15 parts. In hindsight i should have asked him to measure the mounting hole distance.
The rear wheel situation is maybe not as "rigid" as you think. It would be relatively easy to lenghten the swingarm. Flex it through, get a length of tube of the same diameter to place inbetween but also a longer piece that fits snugly inside (1 tot 2 inches longer at both side). After carefull rewelding the swing arm shoud actually be stronger then it was, thus accompanying the increased moment. Then you'll only need longer shocks to also lift the rear accordingly! That the chain will have to be longer is of course selfexplanatory. To me those teeth on the rear sprocket however look nackered! :-)
That still will not solve the problem of the chain line to wheel centre line which is why BSA moved the engine over by modifying the cast engine mountings.
@@BritanniaMotorcycles Ah yeah, I assumed that the pipes of the swingarm are parallel. Is that what you mean? That would indeed lead to further complications because one would have to compensate for that. One could however do that by carefully double bending the inset pipes so that the extensions run parallel. Easier said the done though! :-)
Hi. Very interesting video. I’m sure everyone has seen this other video on a similar bike. Search under ‘1961 BSA C15T @ Trail Version’ It’s put out by MotoSyndrome Area 755.
wow, small world. I hoped that was a Boro accent, I was born in the Boro , and live in Stockton, I've been a bike nut since I was a kid, I used to race a C15 on Redcar beach .about 7 years ago my Canadian cousin and I rode a Valkyrie and BMW from London Ontario to New York to pay our respects to ground zero and visit Billy Joel's bike museum
Hi . Re right side door peg . Would this not foul the kick starter , lovely bike had one back in the 70s. Thanks for the vid with no nonsense commentary. P sw uk
Just found your channel . Love every part . Thank you my evenings are loads better . In true fashion Yorkshire tea and a bacon butty and no disturbing me . Love the norton . And all the bikes thank for your clear info p sw uk - Devon
Did you unfortunately manage to nick the swing arm bracket with the cut off wheel? Shame that, . Probably brought up with hack-saws not new fangled cut off discs, like me !
Yeah, 20" was common for some BSA dirt bikes of the period. I recall the B50MX I rode had one in 1972 or so, was working for a BSA dealer at that time. IIRC, B44 enduro models had an 18" rear and a 19" front.
The turn in speed is determined by the angle of the forks relative to the overall mass of the bike ie frame! And was the bench level [which is what you are using as a datum. Your whole calculation is very flawed😮
