'64 BSA Lightning Rocket - Paintwork

The factory finishes that went onto our British bikes have provided learning experiences for me throughout my restorations. The first challenge is understanding what left the factory for both color and decals. This can be deciphered through research although many times I find discrepancies in my sources. It seems there were variances on some makes and models.  I know there is a science and skill to painting although to me it seems to be more of an art. The paint work on my first two projects was done by a company that specializes in motorcycle restorations. They know our old bikes, how to get the appropriate finish, and how to restore them to last. I have seen auto body guys muck up motorcycle tanks and have avoided this by going to a motorcycle specialist. This has worked out well for me as the finishes on both of my restorations came out great and have held up well in the real world applications for which they were made.

The original tank with decal, pin stripes and badges. 

I have used little powder coating as sprayed finishes look better in my opinion. Powder coating is more durable and looks good in certain applications. I am learning where to apply it and will use more on this restoration. This Beezer was born the year I was and will be a keeper. Although I plan to show it, it will remain in my collection and be a prized rider. Let's get painting....

The Hornet paint work is brilliant. Nice job Precision Motorcycle Painting! Although I like the look of sprayed paint, powder coating will be used for some parts of  the '64 BSA. 

The RE's tail light bracket was powder coated and is a bit wavy. I have found this typical with powder coating finishes although some are better than others. 

The frame and bits on the Lightning Rocket looked as if they had been repainted at some point. Although not in too bad of shape the finish quality was poor and a bit knackered up. The tank and side panels had their original paint but were very scratched and a bit dented. I was able to fix the side panels but purchased a replacement tank with only one small dent. On to the painter...

I had two sets of original side panels. I picked the best pieces which were slightly different colors. I believed the one on the left to be the original paint.  

I opted for a replacement tank as this one was pretty knackered.  

What to do with the tank top decal??? One can be seen on the original tank but difficult to find anywhere else as I had only seen one other original bike with it. After a bit of research I found several more examples and included it.  

Although the replacement tank I purchased only had a small dent the chrome and paint needed to be renewed. My painter has a great process to restore these chrome tanks and mine was entrusted to him. It will not only look as new it will be good to process petrol for the next 30 years or so. I like to do as much of my own work as possible but painting is one area I care not to venture. I am mechanically minded and will stick to the mechanical aspects of a restoration. I will leave the artwork to artists.

This replacement tank was found at the AMCA Wauseon, Ohio meet. 

Parts to be sprayed were taken to Precision Motorcycle Painting in South bend Indiana. They have painted my last two bikes which came out very well. I like working with them and will continue to do so. Although I am powder coating the smaller high wear bits, the tank, side panels, headlight shell and number plate will all be sprayed. Basically the parts that catch your eye. I really don't like the look of powder coated surfaces on flat or large areas. It just looks too wavy.

Typical of the bits that will be sprayed to maximize the quality of high visibility parts. I have been bested at shows by guys that powder coat more parts than I plan for this build. I should be alright. 

Typical bits heading to the powder coating shop not to far away. 

They should stand up well in the higher chip and wear areas where they will reside. 

Once again Precision Motorcycle Painting delivered show quality work. A trip to Craig's is always interesting and the best burgers in South Bend are close by. A win-win trip if you ask me. 

CJ's - one of the best burger selections & burgers in the business. 
A bonus for heading to South Bend. 

Did I mention the Studebaker Museum in South Bend? It's worth the trip all by itself. 
You must go!

Next....time to restore the fuel tank cap.....its a bit crusty.  

On a side note the Interceptor won the "Battle of the Brits" Master's Class "Best of Show" in 2018. It was a good day. Go Interceptor!

'64 BSA Lightning Rocket - Disassembly

It's always fun to take something apart. Most people like doing this even if they are not mechanically inclined. I take my time when things come apart to make sure I know how they go back together. This was especially important on the Interceptor as it had most of its original bits. The Lightning Rocket has been apart and back together so what is there is not necessarily what is right. I will still take pics and make note of what I find. Digital pics and a copy of the spares manual are cheap so I use them to their full advantage. It will be a year or longer until this goes back together. My notes will aid in placing all of the unique fasteners in their proper place.

Disassembly in full swing. Taking the top end off of the power unit so it clears the frame and is easier to lift. Time is taken at each step to log what is removed.   

Taking notes on a copy of the spares manual. They will be used to make sure I have at least one of everything when the hardware goes to the CAD plater and to know which piece goes where. 

The disassembly is also the time when I start making my "parts needed" list. Each page of the spares book is reviewed as things come apart and my list of bits grows. I like to keep as many original parts as possible and save what I have where practical. The headlight shell and fender are good examples as both need a lot of work but are probably fixable. If repairs cannot be made I will look for used originals to restore. If originals are not available I will go to reproductions. Some "Made in England" reproduction parts are of excellent quality and a viable alternative in my opinion.

Many bits were not original or out of location. Rounded Vs flat head bolts were mixed up and someone had an affinity for UNC domed nuts which were threaded onto many BSC bolts...very creative. 

Hardware can be problematic on a bike that has had many bits replaced. Most can be identified as original or replacement when they are removed by checking thread types. Having a couple of BSA's to compare against helps too. Some pieces will need a bit of research to find out "what it was".  I also make duplicates of many pieces as something always gets lost or misplaced somewhere in the process. Parts that are not needed can be used on future projects, and after doing several of these builds, I am getting a bit of inventory built up.

Bits left over from previous builds. A great fall back to have when something is lost, vibrates off going down the road, or gets rounded by a wrench. 

So what surprises did I find on the tear down? While there were not any big revalations there were many little ones. The biggest surprise was that many of the fasteners were rusted together. Most came apart alright with the help of PB Blaster, although a few twisted off. I don't know why this occurred as overall the bike is relatively rust free. Maybe things were damp when put together....exposed to rain at some point....Maybe the bike was washed and not dried well? I will never know I suppose.

The last two bikes I disassembled for restoration used lug nuts to compensate for a stretched primary chain. Did they not sell new chains in the late 70's? It seems this mechanic took a step up with a chrome 7/16 "Wardmaster" socket.....nice....

To make the power unit easier to get out of the frame I removed the heavy pieces. A couple of the valve cover studs must have been stripped at some point as two of them were peened over to hold the nut on. It took me a while to figure out why the nuts turned but would not come off and it was a bitch getting them off without mucking up the cover. Heavy use of silicone gasket sealer on all joints increased the efforts to get things apart as well.

Valve cover studs peened over to compensate for stripped nuts. That's a new one for me. Gasket sealer was heavily applied to all sealing surfaces further complicating disassembly. 

To get the primary apart and the counter-shaft sprocket off the rear drive was left connected. (OK, truth be known I forgot once again and took off the final drive chain which had to be put back on).  I could not get the nuts on the clutch and crankshaft off with a breaker bar so I called on my old friend PB blaster and an impact wrench. This dynamic duo worked wonderfully.

Time for another tool in the collection. Why did you change the clutch hub threads in '64 BSA???

Now this fits much better....off pops the hub. 

The Lightning Rocket is the oldest bike I have worked on and I am running into a few learning experiences.  My A65 clutch hub puller would not thread into the hub on the LR.  I did a bit of research and found BSA switched threads around '64. Luckily there were many for sale on eBay. Time for a new tool. The 6 volt alternator looks a bit fragile and where in the world are the timing marks?  So it was on to the shop manual to discover how this is overcome. I finally understand why so many old time BSA guys have a degree wheel and TDC tool. I have both and have never used either one. Time to put them to work. This A65 is also pre-timing notch lock making these tools a must.

The second BSA in a row with a bent center stand and broken side stand lugs. I know how to fix them both.....been there....done that. The foot peg also needs attention. 

I didn't notice the Allen head bolt welded on to the center stand until I went to remove the spring. Very functional but I will clean it up. 

The side stand lug cracked and welded or brazed back together....I may want to clean that up a bit too. Time to sandblast and see what I have. 

The engine out.....the rest should be pretty straightforward.   

With the engine out it's time to finish sorting things out and assessing what I need to do. I break the project into a series of small tasks to keep it manageable. The gauges are off to Medicine Hat, the tank and side panels are in Southbend Indiana, hardware is heading to Broomfield, and engine machining will go a bit North of here. In the meantime I will rebuild the head and carbs and fix all of the metal parts. The wheels will take a tad bit of work and the forks will get rebuilt. It looks like I will not get bored next winter while I am sorting all of this out.

Projects bagged up and heading to work for attention during my lunch hours. 

The Hornet has been doing a few miles this summer. Jetting is sorted out with the open pipes and it's running quite well. It also smoked a woodchuck. I tried to dodge it but it seems those little buggers are faster than I gave them credit for being. I should not have swerved I guess. 

‘64 BSA Lightning Rocket – Setting Direction

"What it is"…..This is one of my favorite things about a restoration. Taking the initial assessment of what I am buying is part of the process of course but until I start to take things apart I really don’t know what I have. No matter how hard I study a bike I always miss things. Dents in bad places, hardware that’s been replaced, body filler under paint in a tank….and it goes on.....So far I have not seen any huge surprises but only the little things I am accustomed to. It ran when I brought it home so there shouldn't be anything big hiding in the "Power Egg". Now that I have taken many of the bits off I have a good handle on "What it is".

Starting the tear-down with my old friend PB Blaster. 

The number plate was much worse than expected. Body filler and paint hid the damage. 

I think I can fix it....

A front fender stay fell apart. I wasn't expecting that.

This will get replaced...

The headlight shell had a crack under the rim and dents in odd places. 

I think I can fix it...

"What it was"….I am a history nut that's spent a lot of time reading historical works and visiting historical places. Antique motorcycle restoration takes this obsession to the next level. Researching what left the factory is a passion of mine. Getting the factory workshop and spares manuals is the first step. Finding advertising literature and road tests is the next. These sources will answer most of the questions I have although there are always discrepancies as the British bike manufacturers modified their offerings throughout the model year. For example my 1964 Lightning Rocket was made at the very end of the model year and has a 1965 tail light. Did it leave the factory this way? I think so but cannot be certain at this point. There are still many experts to assist when all of these tools let you down. AMCA judges and members, owners groups, internet groups, and restoration experts to name a few. All of these are great sources and have been used in my quest to make a bike "What it was".

A 1964 Cycle World test....a great reference and fun reading. 

A factory magazine advertisement to use as a guide. 

The spares manual....yet another great reference although not always spot on.

"What it shall be"....I have focused on building motorcycles that look as if they just left the factory. I take a lot of pride in replicating those good factory worker's efforts. But what if something could have or should have been better when it left the factory? Clear coat over vinyl decals, tapered roller bearings in the steering head, electronic ignition, improved fork internals, better shocks. The list goes on and on...... I have built my bikes to ride so a balance between these areas is always sought. Although I started out wanting to be a master at making 100 point show bikes, that blend is leaning slightly toward building improved riders. I restored the Interceptor to its factory state all the way to its points ignition and starting capacitor with only a few minor deviations.  Although it worked out well I will probably upgrade more bits at a later point. I am still not sure where to be on the Lightning Rocket but will figure it out as I go. This is one of the more challenging and enjoyable parts of planning and executing a restoration.  

The Hornet's tank decal sealed with clear coat. A necessary evil if you want to put petrol in the tank and go riding, which I find is a must. 

One of the few mods on the Interceptor. Hagon shocks modified to replicate the originals. An expert can tell the difference but most won't notice. It rides great with the improved units. (Great for a bike of its era that is)

BSA built a fine bike when they made the Lightning Rocket.  Although the handlebars are a bit funky as the times dictated in the states, I will leave them as is. I did the same on the Series II Interceptor and have enjoyed the unique riding experience it provides. The tank and panels will be factory orange (BSA called it mandarin red) and I will use the factory finishes on all of the critical bits once I figure out what they are supposed to be. I will also make my best effort to return each fastener to its factory original state. There is currently a mishmash of UNC, BSW, BSC and other things that must be sorted. Most original bits remain but almost everything has been messed with.

Now these are some funky handlebars but I will leave them as is. It is a distinct feature of the bike and I will not mess with it. A sign of the year in which we both were born. 

The wiring is a place that may get a bit of special treatment. 1964 was a 6V Lucas year for the BSA. The swap to 12V, solid state would be easy to hide behind the large funky side panels which I have to admit I like. Of course the bike will get my LED light upgrade which I have refined quite well.  A negative ground too... Please don't tell the purists who enjoy working on their bikes roadside about my upgrades. It will be our secret....

The current state of the Hornet's electrics. It went battery free for several years but one is being added to assist the alternator's insufficient output at low & high RPM's. 

The LR's engine will also get some upgrades. The head ports will be cleaned and polished, the clutch will be upgraded, the pistons will be EV Engineering specials, and the crank will be balanced. I have not had this done before and would like to give it a whirl. Pun intended. I'm sure I will incorporate other "must haves" as I strive to build the perfect BSA and one that that will never be possible to get all of my money back out of. A person has to be good at something I guess so let's finish the disassembly and see what we have.....

What appears to be an unmolested example from the sales pages on the Internet. 

A lovely bike and a good target to work toward.  This is "What it shall be"...

Switching Gears - '64 BSA Lightning Rocket Restoration

The estate sale that delivered a Series II Interceptor on my 50th birthday also brought me a 1964 BSA Lightning Rocket and several lots of parts. What attracted me to the Lightning Rocket? If you have been reading my blog for a while you have found I have an affinity for BSA's which started in the early 80's. I'm not totally sure why. I just like them. Maybe its the styling which I find appealing, maybe its their mechanical design which I appreciate, or maybe its the BSA that was featured on Kolchak the Night Stalker's "Chopper" episode in the mid 70's. Maybe you saw it? Anyway, the Lightning Rocket was the first Dual Carb A65 head and was the drag bike of its day or so the advertisements and bike magazines proclaim. Made the year I was born, unique styling, a bike with a history that will help make it competitive for shows, and something about it appealed to me. Luckily it went for a price I could afford and ended up in my workshop.

Absolutely terrifying to a 10 yr old kid. "Kolchak the Night Stalker's" headless BSA knight and sword. A bit Lightning Rocket, a bit Hornet, and a bit 70's moto-cross for the jump scenes. A complex set of bikes for a semi-dead guy to bring together.  

I have been pondering what to do with the Lightning Rocket since it came home with me. It is setup in touring guise with what appears to be a factory touring seat and grab rail. Not as stylish as the stock look but unique. I think I will lose them to start but restore both and put them on at a later time. BSA did a great job with its factory out of the box styling so lets not mess with it.

The Lightning Rocket as found straight from the shed where it spent many years.  

BSA's high performance model for '64. The lightning Rocket. 

Details that made the Lightning Rocket break speed records and just a great bike. 

As far as originality goes it has most of the parts it departed jolly old England with. The previous owner took it apart and repainted most of its bits at some point coating all of the hardware with gold paint. Why? The last title was from the late 70's. Maybe a disco induced bad decision?  I was not a big fan of disco and blame it for everything I can. As with the Interceptor the BSA came from the same small town I grew up in. I probably saw it running about in my early days. The trials rear tire bound with the fender which was probably its final downfall. After reviewing the the setup it appears adding a link to the chain would move the wheel back far enough to provide a fix, although that still leaves a few other problems to tackle.

All of the hardware painted gold....hey, it was the disco era...weird stuff happened. 

When it was purchased I checked all of the oils and they looked relatively good. The fuel tank was a bit rusty and the lines were not hooked to the taps. The coils were unhooked which told me there were electrical issues as well as the binding rear wheel problem. A spare dual lead coil was wired into the system, a battery added, and fuel was put into the lines. Three kicks later it was running although very rough. I did not detect any mechanical issues and suspect carbs and/or electrical systems caused rough running. I considered putting it on the road but decided not to do so as the shocks were locked up and the forks had lost all of their oil. Time to move to restoration mode.

The rear wheel pressed against the fender and the shocks completely locked up :(

The wiring had been converted from 6V to 12V and the necessary bits had been added. Another point to ponder, which system to put back on? My plan is to make this bike safe to venture out on longer distances. It will feature the best bits I have found in my past tinkering which should be easy to conceal with the large side panels. I will also use more powder coating this time around as I like its durability. The headlight bucket and rear number plate will be sprayed but all other bits will probably head to the powder coating source.

Not supposed to have one of these I think...

The tank is badly damaged and a well used duplicate was purchased at the Wauseon AMCA meet a couple of years ago. It has one small dent to remove, although it is in a bad spot.  Now that "the master of metal" Ross Thompson  has retired I am not sure where to go with tank repairs but will need to figure it out at some point.

A bit of an issue.....major dents...not sure who can fix them...research time.

Better yet....get a tank with no dents....this has one small area needing attention. 

The front fender is banged up pretty bad. I will try to fix it but will most likely get an original to replace it with. The rear number plate is Swiss cheese and a bit broken up to. The primary cover is cracked and missing its plug cover and screws. Overall needing a few bits but it's a pretty complete bike. 

The front fender has dents in bad places....a tough fix but possible. 

So now its time to start collecting missing bits, do a rough assembly, then take it apart for restoration. I rather like starting new projects and this is an exciting one I can't wait to get going on.

Parts manual open....google doc build sheet created...now what do I need???