I bought my C15 as a non runner with a broken kick-start shaft. However I have also found that the inner side cover is cracked. Advice is to fit a later cover and shaft from a B25, which is better engineered. Are there any wrinkles I should be aware of in doing this?
Ian
There is a big difference in terms of price. I have found a second hand C15 cover for £20 with p&p, or £95 for a new old stock B25 cover. Hence I want to be sure to get the best thing.
OK I've not had any replies yet, so I ordered the C15 cover. £20 seemed hardly worth worrying too much over, but I may still order the B15 cover too if people think that might be a good move.
You haven't said what year your C15 is and what year of B25 you are considering. If you are talking about a late C15 then the differences with an early B25 are minimal and I doubt there would be any advantage in using B25 components.
Ahhh... OK, thanks, I am new to BSAs. My bike is on an A late so around 1962 or 1963.
Regards,
Ian
As your C15 is an early model it must be a distributor engine, unless someone has changed the engine for a later side points unit. The B25 uses side points and the kickstart mechanism is totally different to early C15's. It is possible to convert an early C15 to the B25 setup (Rupert Ratio's book describes how) but it is quite a lot of work and requires a B25 gear cluster, some machining of the crankcase, plus other bits and pieces.
As you say your kickstart is broken it is probably a ratchet fault, either the pawl or spring is broken. Both parts are readily available and fairly cheap, so repairing as standard is probably the best solution.
Thanks Colin!
And that may have saved me £100 and/or a lot of angst.
Ian
P.S. Sounds like you might be into small Hondas. My other bike is a C50 of 1973 which I fitted with a Lifan 110.
The SS90 moniker is from a BSA B40 not the Honda version. Good luck with getting the C15 up and running, I'm sure it'll give you plenty of angst.
Cheers, Colin
Like I said I am new to this scene..... ;D