Happy new year to you all. Out of the blue a man offered me a 1968 B40 WD and very clean it is too.. how come it took BSA 20 years to copy a G3L ?? Yet to ride it..will i be impressed ? Comments please ? 3000 built apparantly...Ed

email (option): edd@abbottracing.com

Hi Ed...I ran one for a few years...It's still around in my area..

They are nice and light, generally reliable with the best combination of parts for durability, including an additional external oil filter.

Decent lights courtesy of the alternator...Performance isn't stunning due to the (sensible) lower compression ratio..

A 20" front tyre is fitted so choices for replacement tyres are limited (but available)..Pannier bags and carriers are hard to find if missing, as is the full chain enclosure..

The carb is an oddball as far as production motorcycles go..I replaced mine with an Amal for an easier life...

Gearing is LOW due to the wide ratio gearbox (an item highly sought after by the trials boys)..For road use I thought an alteration to the gearing was desirable. I replaced the gearbox cluster on mine.

Like the Triumph TRW they are now becoming collectable for what they are, not for what they could be (a trials bike) and that is reflected in improving prices..

Complete originals are less common these days due to 'conversions'..RAF B40s are the rarest versions I believe..(with different frame numbers)...

I quite liked mine , in fact I tried to buy it back before I picked up a TRW...Less bulky than many of the wartime machines....Ian

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

hi ed, i also got a bsa b40 wd, great bike for general use, i use mine regularly to get back and forth to work and if you need any bits for yours, there is steven mitchell, he has got his own website and he sells a lot of genuine parts for the b40.
cheers michael

email (option): michael.rutland@hotmail.co.uk

Boys, thanks for that feedback, Yes Steven Mitchells B40 Wd site is well worth a visit, so thanks for that.. Ian,, your Forum photo reminds me of the time i first clapped eyes on you in Creully , Nr Bayeux in June 2004.. despite me being on a G3L you stopped and we had a cup of Tea !!

email (option): edd@abbottracing.com

I remember it well Ed...I do like BSAs, but really, if it's got a wheel on each end I'll look on anything favourably..even a G3L.. ...Ian

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

Australian WD B40's ( B40GA ) use 18" wheels front & back as do the Canadian one from memory.
Thus only 1 size tyre.
The Aust variant also uses crinkle hub QD wheels both ends which makes them an excellent all round bike despite having a very low 1st, 2nd & 3rd then a massive & I mean massive jump to 4th.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Hi All

Re: Ian Wright's comment about the rare RAF WD B40s.
You may like to have a look at my RAF WD B40 GR website at: http://www.rafwdb40.uk

Cheers
Dave

email (option): dave.stapleton@me.com

Australia also used B40s painted blue for the RAAF.
And like the ones you mention, they also had chrome, street tyres and a normal 4 speed street box unlike their army cousins.

I have known of 2 of these bikes, both od which were bought at surplus auctions in the 90's and both subsequently stolen.

However there is a better than average chance, a few of them made their way down here.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Hi Trevor

I would be very interested to hear more about these blue RAAF WD B40s you mentoined. I have not come across any of the 135 RAF machine having ever been sent down under from the factory and none of 135 RAF record cards show any sent there either. Do you know of any RAAF contacts that might be able to help shed some more light on this subject?

Cheers
Dave

www.rafwdb40.uk

email (option): dave.stapleton@me.com

Hi Trevor

Original thread dragged up... I was wondering if you could shed anymore light on the RAAF WD B40s you mentioned. See my post above that you might not have seen?

Dave

email (option): dave.stapleton@me.com

AFAIK they were part of the Australian Army order.
They were Australian spec fitted with the dud B 50 needle roller big end, 626 carb chrome handlebars and low level pipes with std gearbox same as MP's bikes except the colour which may have been a local overpaint chromed levers foot & hand and no dispatch box or saddlebag.
They were sold in 1982 as part of the first clean out of WD B40's ( about 200 bikes ) from the army's Moorebank depot by the Department of Administration Services who had taken over all government stores.
Painted Airforce Blue , no regimental ( wing ? ) insignas other than the rondel + kangaroo on the oil tank & air box ( not on the tank )

Thus they were B40GA's and from memory had a number less than 500.
The Australia Army could not directly order it had to go through the Department of Defense - Stores so it looks like the RAAF got a few of the 497 B40 GA's ordered for the army.

I think 3 members had them ,
I was stolen
the other 2 suffered terminal big end failures so were sold off for spares.
Nearly all of the B40GA's got repainted civilian black and they were popular thieft items as the tanks were he same as one of the Gold Star tanks so the paint could be stripped off then the tanks plated and sold for twice what an army B40 would bring.

Most of the Army B40GA's had no markings either.
The MP's had some chrome and weather shield but al the others were plain green.
No contract numbers, no army numbers and no regiment numbers unless they were sent overseas.
I had 2 plain green ones ( both stolen ) and one over painted sandy green with an 1st AIF insignia on one side of the tank and a signals (white on blue ) patch on the other side with 40 in red.
Nearly all of them had the garter belt BSA decal on the oil tank and nothing on the air box.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Hi Trevor

Many thanks for that, very interesting indeed.

Cheers

Dave

email (option): dave.stapleton@me.com

I have just got myself a BSA B40 WD. I would be interested to hear tips or advice off any other owners . Also , would like to hear from anyone with spares for sale . Thanks

email (option): bsadom@hotmail.com

Personally I found life much easier (and spares more readily obtainable) with an Amal Mk1 Concentric fitted...

I also replaced the original gear set with one having standard ratios...The GB40 is very low geared for road use in my opinion...
I can't remember now if I changed the gearbox sprocket at the same time...

If the bike still has its 20" front rim investigate the availability of suitable front tyres...They were hard to find when I had mine but may actually be easier to obtain now...If not another rim would be a good idea if you tend to use it a lot...

Nothing else to do really unless previous abuse has occurred...They are a fairly sound and useable bike as they come...Ian

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