New Toy

[MrDavo]

It was quite easy to build a Rocket Gold Star replica from an A10 if you found all the right Gold Star bits. I briefly had one of those Goldie tanks with round badges and a trick butterfly fastener on the fuel cap, but didn't know what it was until after I'd sold it for buttons.

Sprinta will correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that a real RGS had a real Gold Star frame (were they lighter tubing? - A10 frames weighed a ton) and therefore a kink on the offside lower frame tube to clear the Gold Star oil pump. Wikipedia doesn't agree though, but it may have been last edited by someone with a replica RGS to sell.

[Spitfire]

Sprinta will correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that a real RGS had a real Gold Star frame (were they lighter tubing? - A10 frames weighed a ton) and therefore a kink on the offside lower frame tube to clear the Gold Star oil pump. Wikipedia doesn't agree though, but it may have been last edited by someone with a replica RGS to sell.
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In the olden days I always thought that was the approved way of telling a genuine RGS from a dressed up A10.

Cheers

Dennis

[ka-ja]

A good look at the steering head frame area soon tells what it is, gold star or standard frame, there was a wrap around on the GS frame

[Seamus]

Thanks for the kind words.
For info a real RGS was made between 1962 and 1963, only about 1500 produced. BSA decided to build them after Eddie Dow built a few for his customers from Gold Stars. There was a demand for a more user friendly Goldstar. The BSA version had a different frame as it was marked GA10 and the engine was a super rocket. Loke the 500 Gold Star, the options available was huge. Suspect this was also a way of using up old stock as the A65 was introduced at that time.

Mine started life as a 57 500 Clubmand Gold Star, but sometime in the 60's the engine was put to use for racing. A 1960 Super Rocket engine was fitted as a replacement as per RGS. It does have the RRT2 gearbox and all the correct RGS parts. I bought it from my brother's mate who owned it for 35 years, this came for another friend who had it about 5 years and the next previous owner is also well known to my brother. They even know the chap who fitted the engine.

Brother told me it was for sale as the PO had become dissallusioned as he had completely rebuilt the engine and collected all the correct stuff over his ownership. He could not get it to run properly and had a couple of other Brits to play with. I saw it and liked it straight away. Found a couple of dry solder joints on the electronic ignition wiring and it runs really well, starts easy too. Waiting for some decent weather so I can test the dexterity of my feet and see if they can still swap gears and brakes as they used to.

[sprinta]

As Seamus has advised the RGS's had a specific GA10 frame with several detailed mods unique only to that frame, though with a bit of butchery you can mod one to look the same.  It also used the GS swinging arm with a Q/D rear wheel. It did not use the Goldstar frame which had the kink in the lower RH frame tube to allow for the oil pump.

In total I believe there were some 1584 made of which some 272 were in scramble form. It is always claimed that there are now more than that number on the road due to many fakes and replicas.

Fortunately my March 63 bike has the correct numbers from an old green log book and a certificate of authenticity from the Goldstar & RGS owner club.

When I first got it it had the std RRT2 gear ratios but had also been fitted with a smaller rear wheel sprocket and a larger engine sprocket and was practically impossible to get going even on the flat, hence the quick conversion to touring trim with the correct sprockets and the fitting of the std 1st gear which then made it a very pleasant bike to ride.   

[davefirestorm]

One of the nicest looking BSAs built I reckon.A friend of mine built a replica for his son few years ago.Eddie Dow had a Renault car dealership in Banbury with a RGS in the showroom in early 80s I didn’t know who he was then and not sure if I met him 😁

[Seamus]

Sprinta, did you fit a standard A10 first gear set or the A65 version? Both obviously lower than the RR box. Not been out on mine yet, so wondered what the RR first gear was like to ride on

[sprinta]

Sprinta, did you fit a standard A10 first gear set or the A65 version? Both obviously lower than the RR box. Not been out on mine yet, so wondered what the RR first gear was like to ride on

It would have been 1st & 3rd gears (they have to be done as a pair but the 3rd gear ratio is the same) from an A10 box which has the separate gearbox.

Don't know if the A65 & A10 boxes had the same ratios?

As indicated when I first got the bike it had the std RRT2 ratios but had been fitted with a smaller rear wheel sprocket and a larger engine sprocket, so more or less impossible to ride. All three ratios were done at the same time so I can't advise what the std RRT2 1st gear on it's own was like, assuming the rear wheel and engine sprockets had the correct std ratios.

[Seamus]

Thanks Sprinta,
Guess I will find out when the weather improves.At least I know its an option if needed