I went to a local bike show today (wimbotsham) on my trusty 1941 WM20 & thought best place to park was in the show.I had already parked up when a highly polished BSA DBD34 turned up and parked next to me. the owner got off then looked at my M20 I just grinned and said if I didnt use my bike nearly everyday then it could look like his,this got a look of disgust on his face so I metioned that his bike too was leaking oil just like mine,must a hit a nerve as he stomped off, just as well he didnt hear me say I would like his engine to fit into my WM20 but painted green Dave...

It is often a certain 'sort' that owns a Goldie..and those are imbued with a built in sense of superiority.
I've owned a couple of Goldies and have been asked what I thought of them..answer?...'Well, I don't own them now' ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

hi dave,hope he didnt rush off before fitting the obligatory sink plug into his bell mouth (velocity stack for gs owners)bsa part no dbd-u-bend cheers rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Many years ago our "gang", who all had twins except for one Goldie, used to finish the evening out with a bit of a race around the town centre of Oxford,making a LOT of noise.
By the time four or five of us had passed any Bobbies on foot they would be awake enough to stop the Goldie which was invariably at the back still revving madly and slipping his clutch frantically to try and keep up.
The same bunch of "mates" laughed at me so much when one day I was forced to turn up on a borrowed M20 that I was compelled to sell it. I tried for £15 but had to accept a tenner - another of life's regrets. Probably the same for the bloke who swapped the Goldie for an A10.

email (option): dbelcher1949@hotmail.co.uk

I almost bought a Goldie a few years ago and one of the reasons for not doing so was the fear of being identified as a “Goldie owner”! (the price was also a bit too steep for what is just a bike!).

Last year at the BSA international in NZ one American owner was heard to reply to the question as to what such a bike costs “if you have to ask you can’t afford one”. Then he wondered why nobody was particularly sympathetic when he tried turning at the top of the world’s steepest road and fell off.

Cheers
Pete

email (option): petercomley@web.de

Hi Pete, That would be Dave from Cornwall then.....In fairness to the Goldie it was not a machine built for racing around town where it would always be at a disadvantage because of the gearbox ratios...get one 'on song' on the open road and you won't find it so easy to pass on a twin. Just check out the Clubmans TT results for confirmation...
However, unless you particularly want a 'hot' single the twins deliver the performance in a more flexible and less tuned state...and that ultimately is easier to live with.
The current 'legend' status of the Goldie though, whether justified or not, tends to attract the people with a need to impress the less well informed..
The Goldie won more individual events than any other motorcycle in history...you can't knock that...but some of the owners..?!**...'all mouth and trousers' as they say...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

On Sunday I went over to Sammy Millers for a bacon butty and to watch the bikes assembling for the Sammy road run. What looked like a touring Goldie turned up, so I went for a closer look. If fact it was just a tarted up BB31. The owner had not tried to hide the fact that it was a B31, but it just looked super and would have given him a nice comfortable easy to ride bike. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I don't like that personally..How about an M20 engine?..it's like putting racing colours on a cart horse..Better in my opinion just to have a nice B31..Of course if you fit a fully tuned up 430cc B31 motor, or better still a fully tweaked 600cc B33 motor, THEN you have Gold Star performance at a lower price and the 'GO' to match the 'SHOW'... and the world remains in harmony ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I don't know enough about them to comment on what is standard or not, and I didn't get to speak to the owner. It had a rather exotic looking carb and an ally barrel. It was very pleasing to my eye Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

If it had an alloy barrel it wasn't a B31 motor..but I get your point... no one can reasonably argue against the Goldies good looks whichever engine is fitted... Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Nope, wasn't Davey, it was one of our american cousins. I spent a fair bit of time riding around with Brin & Davey enjoying the foul smell from his Goldie's clutch as it cooked going around Christchurch!
To be fair to him he hadn't planned on using the Goldie for the tour but his twin had died on him. The close ratio box he had really wasn't suited to the NZ terrain but he still had a lot of fun.

Cheers
Pete

email (option): petercomley@web.de

Hi Peter, Yes, I was aware of that...I sold Dave the A7 a few years back and he has had good service out of it, but it now needs a bit of TLC in the engine department..Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Give it to Brin, I'm sure he could get it up and going (probably just scare the poor thing into motion!)

email (option): petercomley@web.de

Ian just out of interest, can an ally barrel be fitted to a B31? That bike was definitely stamped BB31 on the crankcase. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi All,

I have a rather nice 58 MGA and get the same treatment from Jaguar owners.

Some people just have to be "superior."

I won't sell my tools to those pricks either!

email (option): britool51@hotmail.com

Hi Ron
I though quite a few of the Goldie crowd used BB31 cases when racing to save the expensive original cases, so if a GS top end will fit then I reckon the answer is yes.
Weren't the B32 engines alloy?
Cheers
Pete

email (option): petercomley@web.de

There is no alloy barrel that can be fitted to a B31, with the iron head, without extensive modification of the barrel.
B32 and 34 alloy top ends and ZB,BB,CB,DB and DBD Gold Star complete top ends can all be fitted to the B31 cases. Varying degrees of modification are required depending on type, with the later big fin types being the most involved..Late ZB31/33 onwards crankcases, of the 'wide flange' type are the best choice for tuned engines.Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Robb I like MGB's! So I must be one up on you Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I have a '58 DBD34 Clubman with a scrambles box and Pearson clutch, Boyer mag conversion with an Alton, and it is fairly comfortable around town. I built it 12 yrs ago and it looks all of that, but better for it, in my opinion. With all the scrapes and scratches and well-run-in look I smile at the poseurs on the trailer queens and enjoy their pique. At MidOhio I let a bunch of the BritBike group ride it around the grounds. The young chaps were chuffed to death and a few of the old duffers cracked a private smile. Great fun.

The older I get the more I like the older iron for its relaxed and solid feel. Can't bring myself to build the mock RGS I've been planning forever, preferring to work on the WM20 and the B33. You chaps on this list have been very influential in my drift toward the old stuff. I cannot tell you all how much I appreciate this group and enjoy the cheerful advice so freely given!

Jeff Bandola

email (option): jjbandoo@aol.com