Stunning BSA A10 hardtail chopper lowrider, Sooty's customs, Spark in the Dark

Sooty. the famed builder of custom bikes and specials at Sooty's Customs (check out his website) is selling his beloved Spark in the Dark lowrider. as he is moving to Australia and can't take it with him (very restrictive laws over there. regarding modified bikes). He has owned this bike in various guises continually since 1976. going from a fairly standard bike. to 70's chop. to hard-tail chop. to part-time drag bike (his main drag bike was Poison). to the fast and stunning-looking lowrider. as you see it now. It is still fully road-legal and easy to ride on the road. and has proven to be reliable. even in the heat of competitive drag racing (and riding to Lands End and back with a 50-mile range peanut tank!).

Over the years this bike has won literally hundreds of awards (best engineering. best chop. best British. the list goes on)at shows. including third best British at the World Championships of Custom Building at Ally Pally. third best chop at Faro 1997 (see last picture) out of the 13000-odd bikes on site (plus he rode Sparky over two thousand miles there and back (twice). unlike most of the trailer-queens that usually win at Faro!) On the drag strip it raced in Supertwins class from 1990 to 95. his best time was 14. 1seconds at 98mph. beating far more modern and powerful machines. It has been featured in Back Street Heroes. Live to Ride and numerous other features and pictures when drag racing. The last few years have been in retirement. as Sooty concentrated on his custom bike business. but it is now checked over and running sweetly again. and ready for a new owner to give it some beans!

Below are the specs. as given to me by Sooty:

Motor:

1954 BSA A10. 703cc. cases polished by M&D. helicoiled by Sooty. timing bearings hand lapped by Chester. SRM thick flange barrels. SRM 10:1 pistons with new Mazda rings. squished. polished & CC'd heads. big valves. twin inlet port conversion by SRM. ally pushrods by SRM. followers lapped by Chester. timing gears & rockers lightened by Sooty. lightened balanced & nitrided crank by SRM. balanced & polished rods by SRM. main bearing roller and crank end-feed oiling conversion by SRM. Spitfire cam refaced by Joy Engineering. 32mm Amal Concentric Mk11 carbs. SRM clutch rebuilt by Chester. 15mm offset gearbox rebuilt by sooty. 15mm offset primary cover polished by Sootys Customs. one-off primary drive sprockets machined by Oodie to ensure engine is central. A65 Spitfire exhausts modified by Sooty. chromed by Stotfold Plating. chromed engine plates.

Frame:

1959 BSA A10 swingarm. lower rear cradle. goosenecked 4”. racked to 43 degrees. hardtailed with drag-style oval struts (one acting as catchcan). ally rear wheel adjusters. welded rear fender & seat supports by Sooty.

Front-end:

Kawasaki ZXR 400 L1 forks polished by Sootys Customs. yokes designed by Sooty & machined by Lentons Engineering. drag-style fork brace by Sootys Customs. GSX-R 1100 Suzuki wheel polished by GA Polishers. 120/70 x 17” Avon tyre. spindle by Oodie. Kawasaki ZXR 400 L1 brake rebuilt by Sooty. Goodridge hoses. Honda VFR brake lever. quick action throttle & clutch. bar ends by Sooty. Bates headlamp. Sooty Customs bars. Lucas switchgear.

Back-end:

Yamaha FJ 1200 wheel polished by GA Polishers. Avon 160/80 x ZR16 tyre. Kawasaki ZXR L1 caliper. sprocket by In Chains. stainless disc bolts by M&P. caliper mount & number plate mount by Sootys Customs. hidden GSX 600 master-cylinder & chainguard by Sootys Customs. 1939 Ford teardrop taillight. BSA brake arm.

Bits & Pieces:

Rickman Accessories custom front guard. Parker custom alloy tank with tunnel modified by Sootys Customs with Aero-style filler cap and Pingel high-flow tap. seat base by Sootys Customs. covered by Andy Egg. six inch flat rear guard. battery box by Sootys Customs. 1979 Cal Custom brake pedal. BSA footpegs.

Electrics:

Dynamo & rectifier by Dave Lindsley. wiring by Wazzer. Yamaha TDM850 battery.

Paintwork:

Andy at Hairy Designs. featuring Alice Cooper and his "The Spark in the Dark" record track.

Pretty impressive. I am sure you will agree. Viewing is recommended at Sooty's unit near Milton Keynes. but don't expect a test ride without £10k cash deposit and proof of your licence and insurance. for obvious legal reasons. Bank transfer. cash (which will be checked). credit card or cleared cheque are payment methods of choice. The bike is registered in Sooty's name. the registration number is transferable (if that interests you). it is MoT exempt due to age. free historic road tax. and eligible for classic insurance (but you would have to tell your insurance company that it has been modified). If you need any more information please contact me and I will pass it on. or phone Sooty direct (he might have to call you back). Thanks for looking.