So git 'er Done

I was concerned about the 0.5V drop to the ignition so I made up a couple of jumper wires using crocodile clips I had lying around. That gave me everything the battery could give. It didn't make any difference to starting.​

On a side note, if I'd realised how easy it is to "hot wire" a bike I think I'd have bought bigger chains over the years.​

The main link to the live wire in the harness from the (non-original) fuse carrier looked like this.​

boyer 01.jpg

So I chopped it off. I replaced the bullet connector with a blue ring-terminal and connected direct to the M6 post on what I presume is the starter solenoid.

boyer 03.jpeg

The fuse was 15amp so I changed it to the correct 20amp one.​

I'm running unsuppressed plugs and they are brand new so I checked out the suppressed caps which I understand can degrade over time. They both ohmed out at 460 ohms. 500 ohms is the expected value so I was happy with this. Chopped 10mm off the copper cored cabled and re-screwed on the HT caps.​

Took the coils off and cleaned up a bit of the frame, remaking the earth.

Boyer Bransden had responded to my email saying that half a volt drop would not be expected to cause a problem. Fair play to them. I got the reply to my email the next day and I bought the system over 10 years ago.

I was confident that the battery was OK but on pulling it out I noticed buckled plates.

boyer 04.jpg


So I popped along to the bike shop and got it tested. The guy shook his head and pronounced it dead.​

So I fitted a new AGM battery and it started from cold on the second kick.​

I'm just documenting this in case it helps someone coming on later. None of the changes I made fixed the fault, though they all needed doing. It was the new battery which was the key change.

​
 
Last edited:
Had an orange one as my first bike, that's the street version with low front fender, 18" wheel and 8" DLS front brake, mine was the trail version with high fender, 20" wheel and 7" front brake
I see someone replaced the lopsided shoebox muffler with something more appropriate
 
I've not heard it run yet.

I bought it last year and it's been in the garage since, hidden under lots of other stuff. We moved house back to the North East (North Shields, Tyne and Wear) and the house is smaller and the garage is too. Garages in the UK are much smaller, in any case. I've just dragged it out.

My middle son bought me a pillar box red triumph t-shirt. I remembered seeing a Triumph 250 for sale on Facebook Marketplace nearly a year before in the same colour. So, I took a look, and it was still for sale. No offers. Kismet.

It was a genuine barn find. The man was a farmer, and it was in the barn. He'd had it for a while but hadn't had it on the road since 2016. The tank, mudguards and side panels were all freshly repainted about that time. But he didn't get it all back together and there it sat.

No battery
No chain
Throttle broken
No handlebar grips
Throttle cable hanging down (It didn't seem to reach the throttle and i looked for a decompressor lever. But it was connected to the carb so I don't know what went on there.)

It's a rebadged BSA a TR25, I think. Triumph made a trail bike out what was the BSA Starfire and most of them, I think, went for the export market. As far as I can see it is completely original apart from a Domino twist grip, Boyer Bransden ignition and the after-market "air strainer". It kicked over with loads of compression so I took a chance.

Its OIF (oil in the frame). There doesn't appear to be a damaged or rounded nut or bolt anywhere. So, it's not been apart, I guess. The speedo odometer reads 8,000 miles and I think it's the original.

Its 1971. I still haven't stopped grinning.
 
RC4MAN said:
Had an orange one as my first bike, that's the street version with low front fender, 18" wheel and 8" DLS front brake, mine was the trail version with high fender, 20" wheel and 7" front brake
I see someone replaced the lopsided shoebox muffler with something more appropriate
Click to expand...

Yeah, I hate that exhaust system. But I've seen a few on the internet with this and it fits really well. I think it came from the factory like that. I've looked at loads of photos and youtube videos and no two seem the same. I've not heard it run so I hope I don't annoy the neighbours.
 
DaveO said:
Its OIF (oil in the frame). There doesn't appear to be a damaged or rounded nut or bolt anywhere. So, it's not been apart, I guess. The speedo odometer reads 8,000 miles and I think it's the original.
Click to expand...
A baby Triumph with 8k miles and not been disassembled belongs in a museum.... or at least give the Guinness Book of Records a ring? 😁
Jus' kiddin'... nice find!!
 
I thought I'd post in this thread cos I'm a bone-idle prevaricator and @MaxPete will tell me to git this one done, too. The weather in the UK is bloody windy, wet and freezing cold (at least where I am). But it will be sunny before I know it and then maybe some more castle tours https://www.xs650.com/threads/knees-in-the-breeze.62401/?

Maybe we just don't notice them living in the UK but there must be about 30 castles within 50 miles of me.
 
Nice! I’ve always liked the little 250’s, I even looked for one for a while. Funny…..you’d think they would be less expensive to restore than a bigger bike, but not so much.
 
DaveO said:
I thought I'd post in this thread cos I'm a bone-idle prevaricator and @MaxPete will tell me to git this one done, too. The weather in the UK is bloody windy, wet and freezing cold (at least where I am). But it will be sunny before I know it and then maybe some more castle tours https://www.xs650.com/threads/knees-in-the-breeze.62401/?

Maybe we just don't notice them living in the UK but there must be about 30 castles within 50 miles of me.
Click to expand...

C'mon @DaveO - get stuck into it!

Pete
 
Apparently, lead acid batteries can no longer be sent through the post in the UK. My son is an electrician and he came up with a 7 amp hour fire alarm battery. But it had spade end connectors. Superglued two bolt ends to the case and attached the battery leads and a battery tender lead to that. I'm almost ashamed to show my work but it looked much better in my head and if I can now check out ignition, well that's progress.

Yes, I should have put the posts at opposite ends of the battery but it's done now and its temporary.

Stop laughing at the back.

20240416_135003.jpg
 
Took the tank off and half filled it with vinegar. It's sat overnight and with a torch I can already see a tide line. Before doing this I washed it out with the garden hose and emptied it into one of those under the bed plastic storage containers. Some gritty bits. Some paint flakes. But nothing disastrous. The tank wasn't bad but I had the vinegar already. Progress.

The tank looks very small. A rucksack with a petrol container might be in my future. We'll see.

I roller skate, I ride my bike, don't drive no car,
Don't go too fast (and I won't go too far). 🎶

20240416_135049.jpg
 
DaveO said:
Apparently, lead acid batteries can no longer be sent through the post in the UK. My son is an electrician and he came up with a 7 amp hour fire alarm battery. But it had spade end connectors. Superglued two bolt ends to the case and attached the battery leads and a battery tender lead to that. I'm almost ashamed to show my work but it looked much better in my head and if I can now check out ignition, well that's progress.

Yes, I should have put the posts at opposite ends of the battery but it's done now and its temporary.

Stop laughing at the back.

View attachment 323342
Click to expand...


Try Tanya batteries - they send batteries via courier. I’ve ordered a few from them.
 

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