believe a chainguard of some sort is compulsory. chains can snap when riding  and can rip your ass if your without it.

sounds to me there is something amis with the electronic ignition pick up. ign switced off, connect meter set to ohms between 2 leads ,100 to 300 ohms ? and then check when it fails to restart. also check volt input to amplifier.

i ve had similar experience with my trusty a10. some mornings battery dead and first to blame is the cursed dvr2 with those confounded chinese diodes. went down the regulator route but all the time it was that original leaky headlamp switch which needed overhaul. i always use a keyswitch now to isolate the battery when parked up. another cheap chinese addition , but you need to remember to turn it on every time you fire up.

thanks for recomendations adrian. i am going to buy the service sheets as i have a online parts manual. i think the oil pump overhaul was time well spent as bits of piston ring and bore looked to be wedged in the gears. i will start a full strip later  in the week.

i took of the pump today and yes it was solid. luckily the body is in good condition and after i reamed out the spindle holes [1/4 "] it all turned well when bolted together. however,  sadly for me, further engine overhaul  looks on the cards. oil pump gear debris i was able to remove. but look at that horrible silicon and the rounded crankcase bolts. bore looked oily as well. no money to spend so the project goes on hold .

thanks for all the advise. i want to avoid any silly oversights.
i have the parts manual saved but not always so clear. 
is the haynes singles manual a good idea ? been unable to find a genuine bsa repair manual so far.
it seems the oil pump is worth investigation before i start up?
who is the best bsa parts dealer for b31 s ?
many thanks

hi , i m new to the singles , took the timing cover off today [ 1958 model ]and saw the timing side[/img][/img][/img] oil feeds have no oil seals. are they missing or is this normal ?  also is there anything else to check before i try to start the engine other than the obvious .tappet gaps, points gap , oil circulation.

thanks julian and dave,
your a great help as always.
i can now see there is no bevel on the bearing side and little clearance in the cases and on the shaft.
i will have to make something that will fit on the lathe next week. i found that triumph pre unit engine sprockets fit but different shoulders so would have to customise the width anyway. will search for this manual as well.