RADICAL GOLD STAR
Owner Barry Barnard braves the wrath of the Goldie cognoscenti with this ‘modified’ DBD34
Braving the wrath of the DBD34 purists with a £20k custom bike
AN ILLUSTRATION OF an Excelsior Manxman hanging on the wall at the Northants Classic Bike Centre (NCBC) in Rushden, Northamptonshire, crystallised a custom concept in the mind of Barry Barnard. A fan of American board track style bikes and British singles, he visualised a street rod that blended both. And he had a star ingredient: a BSA DBD34 500cc engine, the acme of sporting British singles.
A custom bike with a Goldie motor, especially the big fin 500, would indeed be very special. But who dares use a Goldie motor for a custom – a motor so revered that almost all find themselves dressed in period attire?
Barry respects standard spec Goldie owners. But beneath that tough-looking 65-year-old exterior lies an impish sense of humour that is tickled at the thought of outraged reaction to this low slung custom. “I’m a rebel when he it comes to standard Goldies. I didn’t want to do what everybody else does,” he says.
Discussing the project idea with NCBC owner Steve Hasler and former NCBC owner Ernie Merryweather, who raced a Goldie, Barnard made up his mind. The project was go.
A diesel fitter by trade and now owner of Barnard Classics at Laid Back Garage in Bedfordshire, Barry was perfectly capable of building the bike himself. But busy with cars, especially American pick-ups, he asked Hasler to build the bike from scratch.
Barry wanted a bike he could ride on the road with punchy acceleration away from the lights. High top speed was not a priority. He wanted girder forks, a low and dressed down look, and an SU carburettor. For
practical road use with safety in mind, he wanted a front disc brake, indicators and lights.
Hasler reasoned that a front disc could be too powerful for girders and Barry accepted the advice. The compromise was a Honda twin-leading shoe drum.
What about the frame? It just so happened that Steve had a plunger 1956-registered 350 BSA B31 in the shop for sale. A really smart one. Barry decided to buy that. Parts removed were sold off. The running gear problem was pretty much solved at a stroke.
To keep it simple and minimalist, LED lights run direct from two powerful alarm batteries. LEDS integrated into the Chinese-made solo seat serves as light, brake light and indicators. Stacked mini headlights and small indicators are fitted at the front. Hasler was against fitting any lights because it would compromise the look but Barry insisted. A friend had been badly injured riding a bike with no indicators. For ignition Ernie Merryweather provided a magneto from an AMC single.
The fuel tank is new from India. Wheel hubs were sent to Central Wheels for WM3 18in rims shod with 4.10 section Dunlop Roadmaster TT100 tyres.
BSA pre-war girder forks were sourced. On first fitting they gave too much rake, so new linkages were made by an engineering contact. The more conventional steering angle lowered the front end giving the bike a low bulldogbreed stance. This is complemented by BSA A10 bars turned upside down.
Steve had trouble with the SU carb. The mighty intake pulses the 500 single generates pulled the slide up and wouldn’t let it come down. So the engine raced at tickover. Steve fitted an Amal Concentric Mk2, the slide controlled by the twistgrip rather than getting its orders via a butterfly.
Barry was set on having an SU though, because of its simplicity, so once the bike was in his workshop he fitted one and experimented. Eventually he got a result by removing the slide spring and damping oil and weighting the slide with a brass ring. The engine starts first kick and settles very quickly into an even tickover, announcing itself via a Wassell silencer.
The standard B31 gearbox was retained. Barry didn’t want a Goldie-style high ratio first gear so overall gearing is lowered for traffic light punch. Owner Barnard says it’s spot-on for his requirements.
He specified BMW ‘Pyripe’ metallic brown finish, the same as his 1965 Ford Ranchero pick-up. The paint, along with many details in black, result in a subdued, dressed down look.
What does owner Barry Barnard think? “I couldn’t be more pleased with it. It has turned out exactly how I wanted. It’s happy at 60-65mph and will probably do 100mph. It’s on scrambles cam profiles – I didn’t want anything too spiteful – and the gearing is bang-on.
“It pulls like a train. There’s nothing that sounds like a Goldie when they are pulling hard, and it will pull from 35mph in top. A friend was following and he said it sounds so cool.
“I had to have the SU. I’ve been into SUS all my life. They are simplicity. Everyone runs a Concentric and I wanted to be different. I like quirky bikes. A lot of people will say what a waste of a Gold Star engine, but we are keeping a Gold Star going, so why not?”