A goodbye to my friend Jessi Combs— educator, welder and fabricator, land speed record holder, motorcycle builder, TV show host, off-road racer, Queen of the Hammers, beautiful, bad ass, intelligent woman.
The Rust Bucket BSA Project Inspiration
While I’m finishing the Monster, I’ve had a lot of things rattling around in my brain for this Rust Bucket / BSA Project of mine. Firstly, I found out it’s a 1958 BSA A7 or A10. The difference being the exact model and either 500 or 650cc (thanks to everyone who corrected my typo). I’m stoked to know it’s about 7 years older than I thought and pre-1960s! So cool.
Hand stamped VIN number close up- this is one thing I love very much about this bike. It might have been bondo-ed to shit, but damn it has character. Paul D’Orleans of the Vintagent clued me in on the fact that all British bikes have hand stamped identification numbers. I had no idea!
Anywho, I figured I’d share some of the inspiration I’ve collected while figuring out exactly where to go with this.
If you haven’t seen the current state of affairs, check out Phase 1. The terrible hard tail custom work will be cut off completely and redone with better lines. I’m going bobber with this methinks.
I am planning to keep some of it’s patina and all the glory therein. How exactly will be revealed later.
Thinking this definitely needs to have the glorious flip fender I have long pined for.
Digging the lines on this. and the exhaust. Well played.
Ideas for paint.
And I think for me, the most exciting and difficult part of this will be, just like my Monster… the front end. It’s not going to be a bolt on situation. The steering stem, bearings, triples all must be considered… not sure how much fabrication it’s going to take quite yet. But I’m taking a lesson from Mitch Sander’s amazing 1966 Triumph Bonneville and planning to put sportbike forks all up on this mother.
Links to where these photos came from and the rest of my Rust Bucket Project inspiration can be found on the MotoLady pinterest.
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Posted on April 8, 2013 in Motorcycles by Alicia Mariah Elfving