Apparently the best swap sales are in the spring, but I was still waiting on the bike to arrive on the shipment to know what parts I needed. In September I was going to be able to catch two of them.
September was a busy month — I had the chance to hit two swap sales. The one on the left was first, the one on the right still to come.
Mohawk was the first outing. Luck wasn’t exactly on my side, but at least I had Mario along, and that was a godsend. The man knows his parts. I was on the hunt for exhausts, a seat, rims, and even a replacement Ammeter. What did I actually manage to drag home? An old 1961 BSA spec book — basically a paperweight with more dust than answers, but hey, a bit of history for the collection.
Mario, meanwhile, walked off with a full set of chromed dual exhausts for one of his bikes — $50. He didn’t even need them, but he negotiated like a pro until the poor seller caved. Formula for discounting: pretend you don’t want the thing, then buy it anyway.
Mario reckons the supply of British parts is starting to get thin. Makes sense — it’s been over 60 years since these bikes rolled out, after all. The tables were full of Japanese bits and Harley parts, most of which, judging by their condition, probably fell off on the highway and were scooped up for resale.
So, reality check: I may have to look at replica parts over the winter for some of the rarer components. “Made in India” instead of “Made in England.” At this stage, I’ll take whatever works, so long as it doesn’t explode or look like it was stamped out of tin foil.
Enough for now — next up: the engine dismantle. It’s already done, but I’ll try to recall the pain without bursting into tears.
Fair warning: it involves seized bolts, questionable engineering, and enough swearing to make a docker blush. Stay tuned.