BROUGH SUPERIOR SS80 ...........................

Remember the one that got away? The bike you sold for a fiver which would’ve been worth a fortune these days? Bob Cartwright goes one better, and recalls how he gave away a Brough Superior

My BSA A10 refused to start after only (!) fourteen years in the back of the garage. On the plus side, the oil was still in the tank with only about half a pint in the crankcase. I recalled my father’s advice from his time riding a Matchless G3 around for a few years at His Majesty’s expense, not as a DR but his personal transport in the artillery. ‘If you have a spark, and petrol is getting through, it will go.’

First, no spark. Clean off all contacts, pickups and points, giving a reasonable spark. No start. Swap plug leads, no start. The spark plugs appeared damp with petrol. Check magneto timing. No start. Fit new spark plugs, no start. Next, petrol getting to carb as able to tickle to overflow. No start.

Refit magneto drive to confirm timed correctly. No start. Swap plug leads, no start.

I emptied the tank of old petrol and a bit of debris. The taps were a bit gummed up so I washed them in fresh petrol and I broke the filter gauze on one. Never mind, the original taps are in a box on the shelf. While I am thus far, I stripped the Monobloc carb; it was just as clean as the day Amal put it in a box to go to Small Heath. At this point the bike museum’s open day autojumble supplied new clips and T-piece to make new fuel lines. Once fitted and brand new petrol in system, no start. Swap plug leads, no start.

Refit magneto drive to confirm timing. No start. Swap plug leads, no start.

Now it is time to clutch at straws and try the illogical. I retrieved the old spark plugs from the bin and fitted them. A few kicks and there was a cough and a bang and the old girl ran roughly with and uneven tickover for a few minutes, giving me time to check the oil was returning to the tank. After cutting out I started up again.

The next time it cut out I put the new plugs in, a couple of kicks and it started and settled down to a nice, even tickover. By this time my wife had appeared, summoned by the noise. This was a stroke of luck as I had disconnected the cut-out wire on the magneto and had no way of stopping it. Jackie held the button down while I touched the end of the wire on the magneto earth contact.

The big question is… what had I done to start it? As expected, I have no idea. Now it is running I can begin the process of oil changing and adjusting things to make it roadworthy again.

I was spurred on to get the A10 going as I rode it to university in 1970. There is a reunion next year and it may be fun to ride there. I remember arriving at York from Bath after Christmas 1971. I was in a queue to collect the key to my college room, my face was filthy dirty apart from white around the eyes where my goggles had been. The young lady in front turned and asked, in a voice straight from Cheltenham Ladies’ College, ‘Have you been skiing as well?’

I informed her that, unhappily, I had not.

Nick Crook, member 1342

I share your mystification, Nick. Here, have a photo of my Triumph. Like your Beesa, it can stop working and then start working again for absolutely no good reason. It is, apparently, called ‘character’ and it’s why we love them. (See also: cheque in post, respect in the morning, etc).

Rowena