BSA B50 special Photopage .
Do you want to have your BSA B50 on this page please
send me your photo and I publish it here.
B50 homepage

Mike C´s BSA B50 SS 1973.
Florida, USA



I have owned this bike since new in 73, it has been improved a couple of times and here it is as of now.
It has a E&V full race motor and everything else is stuff that I made up or adapted.
The bike weighs 238lb's dry and is quite fast and has good brakes at last.
Of all the bikes I have ever owned I would have to say I like this one best.
Mike C
Florida, USA

Jerry Bradford´s BSA B50 SS 1972.
Bentonville Arkansas USA

Here's a picture of my '72 B50SS that I have mildly customized.
I have owned this one since 1982. At one time I had seven B50's,
but now I'm down to four, plus a couple 441's and a B25.
Jerry

Peter Brinkwart´s BSA B50 SS Racer.
New York USA.


The B50 story goes way back to 1971 when my brother George bought a brand new B50ss
for all the reason why anyone did, it was cheaper than the Jap bikes,
think he paid close to $1000 for it, and it sounded right.
Well I do remember all those horrible times having to help push start it and some times
it just did not start period, God,! if only there was a way of time transporting all of
todays knowledge to then, as I'm sure it was a fair remedy for all its ills.
When it ran it was quite a ride, vibation and that sound, had a shorty muffler, simply great!.
Well the good times only lasted a year and then the crank pin snapped and it just coasted to a
to a spot where you could curse and scream at it without a soul noticing. There was no case damage
and it was that which prompted him to buy his first set of tools, so apart it went, and thats where
it stayed for a good part of a year until the dealer got a new crank assembly.
He put it together rode it for a while, stripped the original red and black paint scheme
and spray painted it some shade of blue, At this point he lost interest and sold it to his
brother-in-law, who sold it again.
Those memories always facinated me so I decided to buy a B50 several years ago. I found my B50T
on ebay in Louisiana for the sum of $1400, plus $400 to ship to New York, the bike was pretty
tired and did not have the original forks or front rim, something off an italian bike, Ducati I bet,
it ran but smoked quite a bit since I don't think it ran in quite a while, I think I bought it
as a non-runner. So it sat in my shed for over a year with hardly a notice, until my brother
George got wind of my purchase, he is quite an experienced trials rider and had to have a crack
at it, boy did his youth flash into his eyes at the first ankle smashing kick start,
still leathal after all these years!
Good fun was had by all as they say, and then again back to the sleepy shed it went. It was not
till a buddy of mine was visiting from California that I told him about the Bsa and that I wanted
to build a cafe racer," so lets bring it down to the garage so you can look it over", always helps
to have a few beers in you when you start a project... So it was over the next few months I took
it all apart, blasted the frame and disassembled the engine. To my surprise it looks as if I was
the first one in there as all the fasteners were original and not rounded off, and nothing was worn out!!!
What I ended up doing I may have done differenly today but this is what I did.
Stripped and removed all unnecessary lugs from the frame, welded on oil cooler mounts
and an oil fitting, made up stops for the triple trees and other miscellaneous attachments,
thouroughly cleaned and flushed out the frame and had it powder coated.
The hubs were drilled, powder coated and fitted with sealed bearings, and new alloy w3 18inch rims
fitted with S Steel spokes I also use a 19 tooth countershaft sprocket with a couple of different
rears, currently a 47 tooth powered by DID 520 ers chain, does not stretch and would probably solve
most peoples chain stretch and wear problems, expensive but worth it. I bought new 35mm Betor vintage
road forks, 35 mm clip ons, with Magura forged levers, custom made the fork stem and axel to work with
e BSA stuff, fitted works performance race shocks, Vintage Brake compitition linings arced to fit the
trued drum, amazing how powerful a professionally set up 8 inch TLS can be. Heavy duty front cable really
adds to the firm feeling.
The gas tank is alloy b50t with one tap welded up and a cross over tube fitted, really only need
one for the track. Seat is alloy b50t pan custom bent and welded to give more support with a custom
seat cover made, still attaches in the stock location. Front fender and rear tail section I made from
fiberglas cloth with epoxy resin, hate the smell of polyester resin.
The oil breather tank I made from sheet aluminum then tig welded, along with all the other
aluminum pieces I made them myself, rear sets, shifter linkage, torque arms, brackets etc.
I made the exhaust out of 1 7/8 S steel tubing and the megaphone from sheet SS stock tig welded.
The intake manifold I would probably do shorter next time but it does give a very torquey feel, and I
did not want to cut up the frame, it is aluminum taper cut and tig welded to match the carb and the
ported head. The carb is a 38mm Mikuni round slide with 270 main, Ignition is electronic twin plug and
curently it has all the charging system and battery in place.
The engine has most of the good stuff, Forged JE .020 over piston with total seal rings, Carillo 6.5 rod,
alpha crank pin, balanced and lighted crank, Bigger valves, Comp. springs, titanium retaines,
longer push rods, oiling modifications, oil cooler, out rigger bearing for the clutch, heavy duty
clutch plates and springs, its all saftey wired and has a belly pan to be legal in the vintage classes
of road racing, so far nothing has fallen off. I'm sure there is a bunch of stuff I forgot to mention.
Runs great on race gas and pings on high test, even with only about 24 gegrees of advance.
Peter Brinkwart.





Wendy Ousley´s BSA B50 SS.
I am building a “rocker” B50 café bike. Attached is a photo of the work-in-progress
that includes the Goldstar Clubman replica tank custom made for the OIF backbone
and filler dimensions on the B50 by John Williams of The Tank Shop in Dumfries, Scotland.
Did the stock 1971 B50 ever come from the factory with a low pipe that did not wrap through the frame?
Is there a part number for this header? If not do you know an after market supplier for the header
(the reverse megaphone muffler shouldn’t be too hard to come by).?
Sort of working for a final look that says, “I wish I were a REAL Goldstar!” Ha!

Here are the finished photos of my B50 “Special”.
The motorbike is mostly stock except for the Boyer Bransden
Micro Digital Kit, and the tank.

Wendy Ousley USA

Roger Brown´s B50 T 1971 (Calgary, Alberta, USA)
Here are 2 photographs of my B50 Cafe Racer.
Originally a 1971 B50T the frame has been powder coated British Racing Green
18" alloy rims with Avon tires. Original Dunstall silencer, rear sets, clip ons.

Seat is fabricated from the original B50 base.
Engine rebuilt to MX spec with 32mm concentric. A65 countershaft sprocket
to take 5/8 chain. 3/4" breather through ford non return valve.
Currently running with points and capacitor ignition. No battery.
Has covered about 1,200 miles this year and runs very strong.
Roger Brown


The Frame is a "Faber Frame" from England.
It is a very nice Frame and the bike is easy to ride.
The Engine was a B40 from the Army... Now 450cc, with
a Victor Crankshaft and Cylinder Liner (90x80mm)
Twin Spark Head, 11,5:1 Comp. Ratio, bigger valver,
portet Head, 33mm Carb.

The wheels are Crimeca (Italy) and the Fork is from
Italy too (Ceriani). Rear Shocks from NJB and the
mudguards are from the early CCM Models.
Dany Nüssli ( Switzerland )

This one is a B50 CCM hybride in a B25 frame
It belongs to Benedict.
Aart Mulder (Groningen) Holland

Chris Hunter´s Homemade
The frame was made by me and the only original part of the stock frame is the back bone
(oil tank). As for the filter you described it is a K&N crank case breather filter ,
the exhaust was also built by myself, made from 1 inch and 7/8's stainless it looks
like an open pipe but there is some baffling in there. The swing arm is from a 1998
Suzuki GSXR 600, the front end is from a 1999 Suzuki GSXR 750, The seat and tank come
off a 1995 Ducati 900ss, the front fairing comes a company called Magni and they make
that fairing for a late model Moto Guzzi V11 Sport, and of course the heart of the bike
is a 1971 BSA B50 ss engine By Ted Hubbard.
The bike is going through the paint and polish mode at the moment.
Chris Hunter Seattle, Washington.

Nick Garcia´s BSA B50 SS(1971)
Columbus, Ohio, USA
The seat is a matchless race seat from Unity Equipe in England. I
fabricated an aluminum pan to mount to the original rear mounting points on
the frame. The seat is then attached to that using industrial velcro. The
battery is hidden underneath the hump.
The tank is from a '68 BSA Starfire(?) and was originally blue and white.
I have painted over it with a flat silver. I also painted the metal badges
gloss black.
As far as the engine is concerned, it is totally stock but a very strong
runner. This winter I plan to build it up as much as I can and still kick
it. Bigger piston, valves, alpha bottom end, and 1 7/8 pipe. The exhaust on
the bike now is a stock pipe with a custom made racing exhaust. The carb has
a bellmouth.
I put Performance suspension shocks/springs on the rear. I upped the
shock length to 14.25" . I plan on dropping the front 1.5" this winter with
new fork tubes. Tires are Avon Super Venom's with a 110/80 up front and a
120/80 on the rear. 18" wheels front and rear.
I kind of put the bike together in a hurry so I could have something to
ride while I finish restoring my '50 Ariel SQ 4. This winter I plan to take
it back down and do a real cosmetic/performance package on it. I plan to
polish all of the aluminum on the bike, drill and vent the hubs, build the
engine, add a handmade Gold Star style racing tank, and whatever else I can
think of. I want it to be the ultimate B50 cafe/road racer.
I need to thank Craig Breckon and Don Jagger for all of their help. They
both race in the AHRMA series and have been invaluable in providing parts,
assistance, and great advice as I have undertaken this project.
Nick

Philipes´s BSA/Husqvarna
Some pictures from my Husa B44.(Husky+Bsa).
The engine has a HC piston and an MX-cam and has a lot of torque.
The weight is about 110Kg.
I own the bike for about ten years and it was restored five years ago.The early engine was an B40.(not enough power..)
My next project is fitting my B50 engine in this frame.

Phil

Todd Sorel´s BSA/? B50
California near San Francisco ( USA ).
I've only got old photos that do no justice to the current state of the
bike.
The head has been ported with larger valves, and it uses a 38mm
Mikuni. I plan on modifying the oiling as well. The wheels, brakes, and
suspension are from a '91 Suzuki GS500E, slightly modified to fit. I had to
move the engine over about 9/16inch and machine the rear sprocket in about
1/2inch. I still haven't finished the rear swing arm, I want everything to
line up perfectly. The tank is from an earlier Suzuki GS400, the headlight
is off a BMW R90s, Yamaha rear sets, Honda CB750 rear fender (I don't think
I'll keep it on. I'm still working on the seat also. I'm modifying a
dualseat to fit but I want to make some sort of fiberglass rear hump to
match. I'll let you know whenever I finish (if).
Todd.

Costa Zarifi´s BSA B50 MX (1972)
Alexandria, Ontario, Canada.
At the moment, the bike is fairly complete (you're looking at something
close to the fiinished product!) The motor started life, in 1972, as a
B50MX, while the frame came attached to a Triumph 250 lump (long gone!)
The engine retains its MX cam, but has CCM valves and a 34mm Amal Mk2
carburetter. At the moment, it has a close ratio MX gearbox, but I hope
to replace that with a CCM 4speed box, with splined clutch hub. The
exhaust, hiding on the far side of the photo, is a small Supertrapp
"silencer", attached to a high mounted header pipe. I'm afraid I don't
like down swept pipes on oif unit singles, as they're not well mounted;
besides, the high pipe is quite sexy! CCM inspired oiling mods look
after pressurized rocker oil feed, as well as modified crankcase
ventilation. 17 x 50 tooth sprockets result in fairly tall engine
gearing, and should be enough to give me an honest 100 mph B50 (should I
have the nerves to take it up there!)
The electrical system has been modified, with a Boyer Powerbox handling
charging duties, while another Boyer box is responible for reliable
spark timing! A small, maintenance free battery takes care of storage. A
foam Uni filter and OTJ oil filter also compete for space under the
seat.
I haven't done anything special to the frame, apart from home built rear
sets and the A65 Clubman seat.
The bike is fun to ride, and doesn't seem to vibrate as much as I'd
feared (my CCMs are quite shocking vibrators, actually). The tall
gearing helps quite a bit, in that respect. The bike should be quite a
bit of fun around twisty roads, next summer.
Costa Zarifi

Don Udey´s BSA B50 T (1971)
Illinois, USA
The tank is off of a 1963 era Lightning 650 and is cut back to accept the OIF cap on the top side of the frame. (I wish I could say i did this, but I did not). The picture is a BEFORE pix; right now the bike is completely disassembled and the frame is being painted and the motor is getting new main bearings.
Don Udey

Rick Ferguson´s BSA B50.
Raleigh, NC USA
The tank was made by John Williams at The Tank Shop in Scotland, to resemble the old
Gold Star competition tanks, but configured underneath for the B50; fenders
were common alloy universal fenders, with front brackets from Unity Equipe.
I used an 18" rim on the front; cut holes in the brake hubs and painted
them and the electrical box with Kal-Gard Gun Kote. The muffler is from a
Triumph 250 which had been languishing behind a friend's shed. Hagon
shocks; relocated pegs to rear and adjusted foot controls to suit. Motor is
stock B50SS as is the frame and fork. This was a very satisfying bike:
handled great and plenty of power for anything but superhighways. And it
looks right. It was relatively cheap to build. I built it to replace a B44
Victor Special which I loved, but I wanted better handling, power and
brakes.
Rick Ferguson
Look at Rick´s Racer.

Stanley Millard´s livingroom lamp.
Stanley Millard Street BSA B50.
Left side 13k Closeup31k
1971 BSA B50 Frame and Suzuki Savage 652 cc four stroke
singe motor.
We put one of our custom Gold Star seats and a
BSA 4 gallon tank on it, along with new Acront alloy
rims with stainless spokes laced to a conical rear hub
and the Triumph double leading shoe front brake hub.
As you can see the finished bike has all of the flavor
of an old BSA, but with the power and convenience of a
modern bike...which makes it run and handle like a dream.
It's an absolute riot to blast through the North Georgia
mountains on this great bike.
Debbie Melvin
Thunder Road
Homepage:
VintageThunder (USA)
BSA B50 MX engine in YAMAHA TZR chassie.
Sweden.
Point at photo to see more.
Does Santa have a B50??.
TO TOP
Updated 23:39 2006-05-14
© Rickard Nebrér
