Another BSA for Brendan - BSA B40 Project - Final Update
John Earp writes: After having a minor operation on his right knee Brendan asked me if I could go round to his house this morning to kick start his bike as he’d been advised to refrain from using a kick start for two weeks.
The B40 is now registered and is all legal so I jumped at the chance to be first aboard his ‘pride and joy’.
Starting a mid sized British single is all new to me. I do have an Indian Royal Enfield but it’s electric start only.
After turning on the ignition and fuel, a bit of choke, tickle, feel the engine go just over the compression stroke with the aid of the valve lifter and a hearty kick, and nothing!!
Same again, nothing, try again, it tried, then it tried again.
Another tickle, kick and she’s away!!
Brendan rushed out with my helmet and gloves and suggested I take it for a spin.
Once onto the open road the engine sounded, well just like a big single. It never missed a beat.
Both brakes excellent with plenty of feel, front suspension spot on and no nasty noises. I’m sure a car let me filter in front of him on the Derby road so he could have a better look at the bike!!
I have to say it was a pleasure to ride the B40. Everything worked as it should. The bike just dropped into corners and to be honest I thought I was aboard my Enfield and in fact my only criticism is that the bike belongs to Brendan , not me.
No doubt you’ll see Brendan riding the bike at club events in the future but remember I had the first ride!!
Brendan writes a final, final update:
Ed, a conclusion for the B40 piece.
Following on from John taking the bike for a run I thought I give a bit of background to the model, namely the B40 Sportsman.
When I first saw the bike on eBay and as a unit single fan it was a 'must have' bike. I didn't know much about them, in fact I didn't know the 'Sportsman' name had been used on anything other than the C15. So straight to my unit single reference books to find out more. The Rupert Ratio volumes are probably the best, some would say, of a bad bunch. No mention in volume three which covers the lesser known models and very little in volume two which covers everything except the engine. In BSA Singles Gold Portfolio 1964-1974 there is a road test but the bike photographed has the earlier headlamp, not the separate item as fitted to mine. The seat detail is different too but other than that spot on. The text does refer to the bike as a Sportsman but not the title which uses SS90. To be fair the test is dated July 1964 and that would have been the month of magazine publication so the actual test would have been earlier. My guess is it's the best BSA could do for a test bike prior to production proper starting in late summer.
The same goes for the brochure illustration, correct headlamp but early seat. Also of note is the 'Sports Star 90' decal on the side panel, the Sportsman used the piled arms.
Next stop was Allen House to look at the dispatch books, actually book 299. This revealed that B40 9211 was dispatched to BSA New Jersey pn 26/02/65 and confirmed the engine number matched. The number is prefixed 'FB' and that is correct for a Sportsman with confusingly SS90 spec engine. The on dispatch book also uses SS90 as description, not that that surprises me! From the the brief time I was studying the book it was obvious that almost all the production went to the US, I didn't note any going anywhere else but without spending more time I can't be 100%. The total production was just short of 800, again subject to more study.
So possibly a bit of a rare bike in the UK and with such a small number produced it would be interesting to discover how many have survived. Unfortunately rarity doesn't necessarily imply value, or high value should I say, so not an investors bike unfortunately. You're still going to have to find a dusty RGS in a shed with a gormless seller for that.
Should mention the bike is now complete with V5 and CY Croydon registration, thanks to Vicki at Allen House for that. That doesn't mean I got it for nothing, I did pay!
So looking forward to the Wolds Run next year when the B40 should make its Burton Section debut. Brendan
Brendan eventually decided to move the B$0 on. See it here with the new owner.