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Project Daytona is a team of
BSA enthusiasts based in the US and Scotland who have been working on the
restoration and 50th anniversary event since 2001.
The search for information
and parts needed to complete the bikes has of necessity spanned both
continents.
Email and a web-based
document archive and project management tool have been essential tools to
help a team that often works apart and who in some cases have not yet met in
person!
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RESEARCH |
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The search for parts
and information has at times been more like archaeology than restoration.
Although based on production bikes there are in fact many differences, big
and small, obvious and hidden. In addition a lot of hand-finishing work was
done by fitters in the competition shop.
Much of this was not recorded so finding out 50 years later has required a
long and intensive research effort. Surviving BSA competition shop staff
have been a great help though after 50 years there are few remaining. Both
Arthur Lupton and Roland Pike have passed-away within the lifetime of this
project though we were lucky - and privileged - to benefit from both.
We have also been able to speak to the surviving original riders who, even
50 years later could remember even small details.
Other sources have been books and magazines. In the many books about BSA the
bikes produced for the US market and US racing is given almost no coverage.
The same lack of attention is apparent in UK magazines (the Blue 'un and
Green 'un) of the time. Even BSA's publicity department showed a
reluctance to make much of the success with Dunlop spending as much as BSA
did.
US magazines of the time have been the greatest help and many, many hours
have been spent late at night on the phone between Scotland and the USA
debating grainy old photos at high levels levels of magnification!
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RESTORATION WORK |
| n 1954 BSA sent both Gold
Stars and Shooting Stars to Daytona. Both were fitted with rigid
frames as it was felt that the reduced weight was of greater benefit on
sand than swinging-arm suspension.
We’re preparing examples of both machines for
2004 - Tommy McDermott’s Gold Star and a reproduction of Al Gunter’s Shooting Star. Find
out more about restoration work in progress below.
 The
Gunter frame project |
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US AMC class 'C' regulations of the time required bikes to be
production bikes. While 1954 was the first year the large finned CB engines
appeared, the earlier BB type was sent to Daytona. However, the bikes BSA
sent had engines that had been substantially modified by Roland Pike.
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McDermott's 1954 Gold Star |
The Gold Star was Pike's favourite and he may have used his position to
'sneak' some of his own project work into the racing programme.
Find out about the Gold Stars BSA prepared for Daytona below.
Daytona
Gold Stars
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As with the Gold Stars, the
twins also had to be production based.
However, the twins benefitted from
careful preparation by the competition shop staff. Fitted with special
thick-flange barrels, hot cams and twin
carburettors, these bikes were capable of more than 130mph.
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1954
Shooting Star |
Find out about the Daytona twins below.
Daytona
500cc twins
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