In early 2004, I purchased what was supposed to be a meticulously restored 1968 BSA A65 Thunderbolt which turned out to be a parts bike that someone had slapped together. All things considered, I've dealt with the problems that I have encountered with it, but it's a blast to ride, especially through the mountains of Colorado.

Having developed a fondness for the marque (how could you not love a motor bike made by a *gun* manufacturer) I decided to start searching for another BSA, but an older vintage. I came across a fellow in the UK that had an old Panther 250cc for sale which was interesting, but when I told him that I'd prefer something with a bit more steam he mentioned that he had a 1937 BSA B23 which was a 350cc machine that had a bit more top end. Well having ridden the bike for the past few months I can attest that it will do 45mph, downhill, with a tail-wind. I do enjoy riding it regularly around town!

Several weeks after I purchased it, I took it to the Colorado Conclave, just to spend the day with a bunch of fellow British motorcycle enthusiasts. Imagine my surprise when I returned from lunch and there was a second place ribbon awaiting me! I'm guessing that displaying an original owner's manual and shop manual probably helped to acquire judging points.

Several weeks later I attended an auction in Colorado Springs for a shop that had closed down quite a few years before. There were over 100 bikes that had been sitting there for approximately 30 years, covered in dust and grime. I ended up returning home with a 1957 BSA A7 in the back of my truck. I will obviously have to put a bit of effort into the machine since it is now holding 30 year old sludge where oil and grease need to be, but I'm expecting it to be a fun project.

I'm going to tear down the motor and transmission on the A7, convert the primary and dynamo drive systems to belt and am toying with the idea of putting a set of A10 heads, pistons and cylinders on it to bring it up to 650cc. I'm thinking that bringing the motor up from 500cc to 650cc will give it a bit more power for riding up in the mountains around here.

Other then that, the bike will be left in the minimalistic state that I found it in. When dealing with smaller machines like British twins I have to withhold my urge to turn them into touring bikes like the majority of my Harleys.

Having three of these fine steeds in my stable, I was not looking for another, but just 2 months after acquiring the A7, I spotted an 1952 A10 for sale in Colorado Springs which is just over an hour from where I currently reside. I just could not help myself, and in short order I made arrangements to add it to my already-full garage. Having a number of projects underway, I decided to let it sit for a while.

Of course projects are supposed to be done during the winter, and the spring/summer is for riding, correct? Well I could not help myself and even though it was the end of May, I started to play with the A10. It may be a while before I do a full-up restoration of it, but tinkering with it can't hurt, right?

Well after spending 2 evenings flushing out the old fluids I got it started after 4 kicks, and since I have no idea how long the machine had been sitting, I was quite pleased with this development. After going over the machine with a wrench and screw driver, I couldn't help myself anymore. I took it for a couple of laps around my cul-de-sac. It runs like a dream, not bad for a 54 year old machine! Well I've since registered and insured it and hope to start racking up mileage on the odometer. I like this one even more then my Thunderbolt!

Of course there is some additional charm with older and more primitive machines with flat-head motors and pre-hydraulic forks so when a friend called me and asked if I was interested in a WWII M20, I couldn't say no! Even though it's been redone in civilian trim, it's a lot of fun to ride and unlike my oldest one, this will get to 60 mph so I'm not in danger trying to ride it on a highway or fast county road. Of course with BSA's, my garage is quite full!