1967 B44 Rear Brake Shennanigans

This is the rear brake pedal arrangement on a 1967 BSA B44.

By 1967 the threat to the British motorcycle industry was not something that was hiding somewhere over the far distant eastern horizon, it was, in fact. a clear and present danger to the very survival of the industry itself.

Including the pedal and various washers there are 27 components that go into this assembly alone! Whilst their passion for maintaining good and solid engineering principles can be applauded, the cost in parts and labour must have been very high, and this is a pattern carried on throughout the bike.

At 441cc this bike was in direct competition with the fabled Honda CB450 "Black Bomber" and, one suspects, had to be sold at a loss to bring the price down to compete on the showroom floors.

We all know what happened 5 years later!

Spreading the rails

On the mid sixties 250/441 BSAs there is 1/8" spacer on the bottom engine stud, on the drive side between the frame lug and the crank case. This is often overlooked during reassembly, resulting in the lower frame rails being tweaked in. 

Using a 7" length of M10 x 1.0 studding with two nuts on the inside of the rails the gap can be spread to the specified 4 5/8". 

Once the motor goes back in there will now be clearance which can be measured accurately and a bespoke spacer made to take up the gap minus 0.002" resulting in minimal movement of the frame when tightened.