I’ve always wanted an A10 and this was a non running wreck with a bent frame when I got it so I had to start from the beginning.
I got it running and rode it for a while as it was but it was rubbish pulling hard to the left and within no time at all, zero oil pressure.
The beauty of making your own frame is that you can tailor it to suit the proportions of all the other parts of the bike to get the exact aesthetic you want so its a case of collecting together all those parts first.
Only the cradle and headstock remain from the original bent frame.
I found the springers on ebay, they are ideal. Long, skinny, twisted 40+ year old survivors with good chrome and the handlebars are a match made in heaven, 70s Wassell NOS survivors found in an old bike shop among junk.
The springers needed some parts remaking, the steering stem, the top yoke, a rocker pin and a brake restraint, thats all.
The front wheel uses a 70s japanese TLS chosen because its narrow drum width fits in the springers.
The engine was rebuilt and runs fine with its magneto ignition and 6v dynamo.
Starting with a pair of replacement crankcases that only needed a weld repair machining flat the crankshaft was sleeved and a bush machined, installed and then scraped to fit.
The left big end journal needed a skim and a hone to bring it to size and the crankshaft timing gear needed a slight mod to fit the oil pump, other than that it was a straightforward rebuild.
I paid only for the big end regrind and did all the other machining myself.
Rear wheel is a Triumph bolt on hub with a tyre too wide for the standard gearbox chain run.
The pre unit belt drive open primary allowed me to position the wheel centrally by moving the gearbox to the left and the corresponding spacing out of the crankshaft pulley moved it onto an unworn part of the crankshaft spline.Win win.
Parts like the tanks and the mudguard were bought in and the forwards were kept from the original bike so I only had to make all the linkages, bracketry and sissy bar. All in Stainless.
I dont like involving other people as I find it rarely works out so absolutely every last thing about this build was done by me alone.
The paint was the one time exception on the grounds of time available and to some extent health and safety.
A friend stepped in and did the whole job with the exception of the candies.
All I had to do was go along to his paint shop on the right day for the candies to do the design I wanted, the design I was so indecisive about right up to holding the gun.
Once built it did 1200 trouble free miles over the summer and for a chopper handles really well.
Over the winter I had planned to do a few mods but have only done one, made some longer rockers that lighten the steering, soften the front end a bit and also raise the headstock an inch.
Layla