TALES FROM THE SHED
What, exactly, can be difficult about fitting a carb to an engine? Nothing, that’s what. I must surely have fitted over a hundred carbs to over a hundred engines down this long and amusingly mis-spent life, and rarely does fitting a carb present a problem. In fact, problems arrive only around the periphery, when I decide that the mounting bolts should be studs, decide to replace them with studs, then discover when things refuse to fit that I was wrong all along and that I’ve stripped the threads anyway. Whenever I’m feeling even slightly smug I gaze at the G12 CSR Matchless, oozing malevolently beneath its grubby cover. Hateful thing. And no, it’s not for sale…
This time I’d decided that I would go the whole hog, bite the traditional bullet and replace the bench BSA’s carb, using nothing but new components, sourced entirely from reliable and trustworthy sources. This wasn’t actually too difficult a decision to reach, given that the Beezer came without a carb to its name. Or a cable. Or a twistgrip. Or … anything, really. But now…
Now all the bits are here. Great new handlebars in black, because the Better Third has an irrational dislike of the lovely metallic blue bars I’ve been carrying around in their original wrapping since maybe 1997 when they were sent to me as some sort of promotion by the company who make them – Renthal. It’s bad form not to plug everyone who sends free kit. Otherwise where would we be? I’d need
