Custom BSA Tracker

This exceptional piece of handiwork comes from one of our first customers based in New Zealand. He has hand crafted his own parts and modified others to fit so that nearly ever component is custom. Mike says  "the standard oil filtration on these bikes is designed to trap sparrows, bits of piston or con-rod and slow moving boy scouts. Anything smaller is considered acceptable. Not now tho’! I have mounted a paper type unit tucked up under the swing arm pivot and plumbed that in with big sized tubes. Now the oil will be properly filtered and the motor will not need to accommodate the ‘soup’ that originally would have passed through its vital organs."  I like the way this one stays true to the style and the updated technology looks as if it grew there....nice

Left Over Wires

A common question we hear has to do with wiring and left over wires. With electronic ignition the condensers are no longer required so they can simply be removed and the wires taped up to the adjoining wiring loom. If you have any doubts about the wiring we suggest you bring in a specialist or check with your local bike club for someone who's installed electronic ignition before.

Timing Tip

If you get your new ignition system on the bike and it wont start, one of the most common problems is easy to spot. After you've gone through the usual checks on fuel and compression and battery voltage and you're still finding the engine only backfires, this can be a sign that the timing is out of sync by 360 degrees. This might sound odd after carefully checking and rechecking the alignment of all the timing marks but it's easily done and also easy to fix. Just go back over the installation making sure that the number 1 or timing reference cylinder is on the Compression Stroke when aligning the rotor in the static timing procedure. You can double check this by ensuring both the intake and exhaust valves are closed when rotating the engine to the static timing position. Hope that helps.....

Where we're exhibiting in April

Our first exhibition for 2012 will be at the Honda Broadford Bike Bonanza running from 6-8 April at Broadford in Victoria. Check out our site in the road race area for new products and displays. Hosted by Motorcycling Australia, you can find out more about this great family oriented event on their website www.ma.org.au




We're also participating in the All British Rally again this year which is at Newstead Racecourse Reserve in central Victoria from 28-29 April. Come and check out our site - we will have some new products and displays for our 4th appearance at this event hosed by the BSA association. check out their www at www.bsa.asn.au

Triple Racing in Europe

Out in front is our customer Berni riding the x43 which is running second place in the German Historic x class racing. He has a number of Tri-Spark systems in his triples which he believes are the best in the world (we like to think so too!) and recently finished a Rob North which again has the Tri-Spark ignition. His Philosophy is to keep all the parts the same on his bikes so he can swap them around in case of an accident - sounds like a great idea!

Bonneville Phil

Phil likes to get around to bike shows like the Bombala Bike Show where his Bonneville won best British this year.

You wouldn't be alone if you were wondering where Bombala is - I'm guessing that would be somewhere near his home in Canberra here in Australia.

Phil adds that it does get ridden regularly and other riders watch with envy when his Tri-Spark powered machine fires up with one half-hearted kick.

We love to hear from our customers so keep those photos and stories coming in!

Spark Plug Fouling Q and A

               Do your Spark plugs look like this?

Q: Richard in Western Australia asks about misfiring , loss of power and a breakdown resulting from sooty fouled spark plugs. What’s causing the plugs to foul?

A: There are many possible answers to this question starting with the fuel. If the carbon on the plug is dull black (as above) it’s likely due to a rich fuel air mixture. Alternatively the problem could be oil burning if the carbon looks glossy. Usually these problems clear up to a degree if the engine is running at higher speeds – try checking your plugs after a high speed run to see the difference.

The fuel we get now is formulated for fuel injected cars with EFI computers which doesn't help things however many people find they can get their engines to run OK with it. If I have a choice between 91, 95 or 98 octane ( Australian fuels) I go for the 95.Possible causes:

• Overly rich idle mixture
• Oil burning
• Spark plugs too cold – incorrect heat range
• Excessive use of chokes
• Weak ignition or coils
• Excessive idling and low speed running

With the fuel we get now we expect a bit more soot on the plugs with slow speed riding. Check the heat range and consider going hotter but also check the plugs at high speed to make sure they are not getting too hot. Minimise warm up and low speed riding and keep the revs up.