Emerald County BSA
THE 1926 BSA is still not quite finished. There are still some little things to do to it but I have come a long way.
It was found in Townsville in the early 1900’s and taken to Mackay where John Gibbs purchased it and restored about 80 percent of it in his spare time in Nambucca. John sold it to another chap who rode it once or twice, put it in his lounge room and then decided to sell it to buy a new Harley. I was lucky enough to buy it off him.
Back in ’26 the engines didn’t last very long because there was no great design in them and the roads were pretty rough. They used to unbolt the engine when it blew up, go to the shop and buy another motor. This bike has its original engine in the frame as it came out of the factory. It was sold on 28th August in 1925 in Australia so it was probably built in England somewhere around 1923—1924. It would have taken a fair while to come out by boat but it was sold in 1925. It’s passed as a 1926 model. All its running gear, except for its big end and piston, have been replaced. It’s still got its original bearings and it’s still working fine.
"You have an oil-dripping system which drips oil onto the big ends as you are riding the bike."