1965 BSA A65A rebuilt engine with carb and exhausts

1965 BSA A65A (engine number 1245) rebuilt engine with rebuilt carb and exhausts for sale. I bought this engine early last year. as part of a dismantled chop project with a supposedly rebuilt engine (but no proof of work done). I already had an A65-powered NorBSA with engine problems. so I thought to use this engine to build one good one out of the two. As it happens. the NorBSA was not as bad as I thought. and I only needed the barrel and pistons off this engine. However. image my surprise when I lifted the head off this rather shabby engine to find brand new pistons in rebored barrels. and then when I removed them to fit them on the NorBSA to find what looks like new con rods too. At this point I put the engine to one side whilst I finished the NorBSA. then started collecting bits over Winter for the chop. Earlier this year I decided the chop was not what I wanted. so I sold the rolling chassis but kept the engine. carb and exhausts. thinking to find an A65 or A50 to do up and fit this engine into. To that end. I started rebuilding this engine. but have now decided to have a clear-out and try and get down to two or three bikes. instead of the twelve I currently have.

So. that is the introduction over and done with. Now it is time to list what I have done so far. Are you sitting comfortably? Then we will begin.

Starting at the bottom end. There is no play in the big ends or main bearings. which together with the new con rods seems to support the rebuilt engine story. So I have left it well alone. The +060" pistons out of the NorBSA were in pretty good condition. so I cleaned them up and had the barrels rebored to suit. then had fitted new piston rings gapped to suit and the barrels fitted by Andy at Classic Motorcycles near Woburn (I don't have proper piston ring compressors so farmed this job out to make sure it was done right). He also reamed out the small end bushes as the new gudgeon pins were a rather snug fit. The cylinder head was bead-blasted then new standard valves and guides were fitted by Headworks near Milton Keynes. The gears all select OK. so I have left the gearbox well alone. The rev-counter drive was seized. so I removed it. freed it off and fitted new O rings to the spindle. The primary drive is as it was when I got the engine. but the clutch centre was clearly worn. so I have got a good used centre (I ordered a new one from Draganfly. but their supplier couldn't!). and got new plain and friction plates to go with it. The primary chain and adjuster look to be OK. as does the alternator. but it is so long since I last looked at them I can no longer remember. The fact that I haven't ordered new ones suggests that they looked OK at the time. anyway. I have a set of new case screws for the whole bottom end (except for three small case screws that Draganfly could not supply). but a few might need cutting to length. The timing side comes with standard points and A/R unit. and also a used electronic ignition set-up. which has not been tested or checked. This came off the NorBSA and might have been a cause of it's problems. but I will throw it in anyway. It also has shabby kick start and gear levers. and the oil pipes from the bottom of the engine. The oil pump has not been checked yet. as I was going to fit an up-rated one.

The carb is the correct one for the engine (Amal monoblock 389/233) with choke mechanism and has been cleaned and fitted with new slide and all new jets and needle valve to suit this engine. The float has been tested and is fine. The 2 into 2 (without balance pipe) exhaust system is standard for the year and is in good condition except for a few dents and marks and blued at the top from obvious use.

So. the current state of the engine is that the bottom end is all together with the barrels bolted down. The head is loosely fitted (with a freshly-annealed copper head gasket) and needs bolting down and the valve gear fitted. The primary drive will need checking and putting together with the new parts supplied. The ignition will need fitting and timing up. and the new case screws for both covers sorting and possibly trimming to length. I think that is about it.

OK. now I know what this engine has cost me. but what it is actually worth is another matter. The listing price sounds like a lot. but is probably less than what it actually owes me. so although I am open to sensible offers I am not going to give it away. So please don't waste your time and mine by making silly offers. as I will ignore them. If it doesn't sell for what I am prepared to accept I will keep it and finish it off and look for a bike to put it in (as was the original plan). No swaps. trades or deals thanks. as I need the cash to buy an Interstate Commando. Cash on collection preferred or you could send your own courier once payment has cleared. I do not have a box strong enough for it or strapping to put it on a pallet. so if you send a courier please make sure they have the gear to transport it safely.
Finally. I have described this engine as best I can and in all honesty. but this is a 50 year old engine and I haven't had the bottom end apart. so this engine is sold strictly as seen and described. with no warranty. Thanks for your patience in reading all the way down to here. and thanks for looking.