BSA C15 - An Indian 'Smiths' Speedometer and a wee run to Glaick

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Hugh Ferrier

8 ай бұрын

My speedo stopped working so this is trying a replacement with an Indian one from Ebay.

Пікірлер: 42

@LunaMoonfae 6 ай бұрын

Really enjoying your videos, keeping you in my prayers 🙏💖

@hughferrier5837 5 ай бұрын

Just noticed your lovely comment. Thank you. I hope it'll not be long to better weather and wee trips out on the C15.

@LunaMoonfae 2 ай бұрын

Great to see that you're back out again @@hughferrier5837

@michaelfirth1075 5 ай бұрын

Nice to see you back in the saddle Hugh.😊

@hughferrier5837 5 ай бұрын

Oh I wish Michael. This was made back in October. Longing for the better weather and excited at the thought of being out on the C15 soon

@neilmackinnon3371 8 ай бұрын

Nice little ride through some delightful countryside. I've just bought an Indian 'Smiths' speedo for a T140 build I am doing and also had to grind down the cable to fit. Oddly, an original rev counter cable I have fitted perfectly. I'm a little way off having the Triumph on the road, but hopefully next spring I'll get to test the speedo's accuracy.

@hughferrier5837 8 ай бұрын

Thanks Neil. Don't hold your breath on your speedos accuracy. Why make something that looks so good not to work well? Enjoy your T140 when Spring comes.

@Tonyv1951 7 ай бұрын

I thought I had left a reply but it seems to have disappeared - anyway - the speedos are not that complex and the original one can probably be repaired if the substitute is not accurate. Long ago - about 1970/71, I took my C15 speedo to the Smiths workshop/ factory/depot on the North Circular road in London when I was a student, and they reconditioned it while I waited. I had over-oiled the cable and it stopped working. At the time, I had no idea what they did, but in about twenty minutes they fixed it and it was perfect. Inside there is a geared odometer and a spinning disk, driven by the cable, which rotates a magnet inside an aluminium drum. You can google how they work and there are strip down videos and repairs on youtube. If it were mine, and since it is essentially scrap, I would rinse out the whole of the inside with naptha (lighter fluid - but you can buy a gallon of panel wipe naltha on ebay for about £18 delivered) and then, when it has evaporated, very lightly lubricate the gears which drive the odometer. If the squared drive is taking the drive from the cable and spinning the inside there is very little to go wrong in there. Take great care around the hairspring which restrains the needle. If you wreck that - all is lost.

@petermckee1061 8 ай бұрын

Nice to see another post from you, Hugh. And I think the Smiths speedo looks wonderful. I wonder if the odometer error is more an issue of gearing. Cheers, Peter.

@hughferrier5837 8 ай бұрын

Thanks very much Peter. It is a 2:1 drive that's fitted which was OK with the old Speedo. But it does look nice!

@frankboff8185 8 ай бұрын

Very enjoyable and unexpected video, thanks for sharing.

@hughferrier5837 8 ай бұрын

Thank you Frank. It was good to get in a wee run. I couldn't resist it but no more till Spring. Here in the North that's a long time away.

@grandadsfishingboat7455 8 ай бұрын

That speedo is nicely proportioned and perhaps shes going quicker than you think after all the tweeking😜Regards Stuart from south of the border

@hughferrier5837 8 ай бұрын

Stuart how I wish it was the speed indicated! We will learn more about it in the Spring.

@a65builder67 8 ай бұрын

hi Hugh good to see you out and about on the lovely c15, i hope your going to keep the old speedo as part of the c15's history very often you come across old bikes with very little or no history at all. anyway Hugh please take care with kind regards Adrian.

@hughferrier5837 8 ай бұрын

Hello Adrian and thanks for commenting. I will keep the speedo. I was thinking of having it refurbished but then a grey faced speedo was not original to C15s of that year as far as I can see.

@nickaxe771 8 ай бұрын

Hugh I was hoping you would tell how accurate the speedo was reading speed.....we did get a glimpse in the video....I was pleased to see a nice steady needle. Your C15 sound very sweet.....love its exhaust note. Nick from Cheshire.

@hughferrier5837 8 ай бұрын

Nick accurate is not a word you could use to describe that Speedo. It was saying 60 when I would be doing about 40. At least it gives the impression of speed! Thanks for being so complimentary about my wee bike. It has its issues, I assure you!☹️

@nickaxe771 8 ай бұрын

Oh dear thats a shame.....as it looks a real nice unit....I bought an Indian Lucas??? amp meter for my near new Triumph T100. Even marked up made in England.....its a super little thing....and very well made. It fitted into the head lamp binnacle just to make the bike more old school. £14 delivered...as you say....how do they do it. @@hughferrier5837

@sunroof6430 8 ай бұрын

It looks great. Maybe have someone drive ahead of you in a car and signal when they reach an agreed upon M.P.H., thirty or whatever. Then you'll know if it's off and can make a mental adjustment and live with it just fine. Probably not off that much anyway. Thanks for the video.

@hughferrier5837 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for that. I could calibrate it using my handheld Garmin! I will use it to get a notion of speed. Its measurement of distance covered is way out.

@5dTraveller 8 ай бұрын

I enjoyed that ride passing our cottage again Hugh, I didn't hear you that time though. I took a ride up to Boath for the most recent video on my Channel, so I passed your place twice. It's a pity about the speedometer, perhaps you could make your own dial. Thanks, Mick

@JoshuaRoberts-kq9cs 8 ай бұрын

My bloodline comes from Scotland and when I view alot of these videos i would love to ship my t120 Bonneville over there and enjoy your beautiful country side.Maybe one day.

@5dTraveller 8 ай бұрын

@@JoshuaRoberts-kq9cs You'd be very welcome Joshua

@hughferrier5837 8 ай бұрын

I'm surprised you didn't hear, Mick. I shatter the peace of the countryside as I pass through it. You live in a lovely place. The Boath road isn't too shabby either.

@5dTraveller 8 ай бұрын

@@hughferrier5837 I must have been out at the time then Hugh. I stayed at Moultavie Cottages for a while in the 1970s, a great view of the Cromarty Firth from there.

@markdale1720 3 ай бұрын

I wonder if the speedo drive on the rear wheel needs swapping to a one with a different gearing? Bike certainly seems to go nicely - just the encouragement I need with my C15 project!

@hughferrier5837 3 ай бұрын

Mark thank you. The speedo drive is the correct ration for a C15 but maybe I should investigate what the Indian speedos require. Thanks for being helpful. All the best with your C15 project.

@clarehennessey3653 4 ай бұрын

Hi there Hugh. I hope you are well. Spring is upon the Northern Hemisphere, have you been fettling the BSA, what are your plans for. the channel? Regards Clare.

@hughferrier5837 4 ай бұрын

Oh Claire don't make me feel so bad. I know I have been putting off sorting out the old C15 ready for Spring. I had been running the engine every week to pull the wet sumped oil back into the tank till Christmas when the brute would not start. I hurt my knee yet again kicking too much. I must take encouragement from your wish for more films and get cracking. Thanks for your interest. My scooter is in a hundred bits at the moment and I'm working on it. Look at my website www.ferrier.net and Travels to see why!

@williamnethercott4364 8 ай бұрын

Accurate or not, the new speedometer looks good. You had a very pleasant ride anyway. I hope you are well. I've just reached the end of my AJS engine work and I've managed to reinstate the valve lifter that somebody else had removed completely. I've got some compression back but I've also got the gearbox oil leak back so I haven't been able to try it out yet.

@hughferrier5837 8 ай бұрын

Oh William, these oil leaks. I hope it all goes well come the Spring and you get some good trips, leaving a little trail of gearbox oil! Thanks for the comment.

@clarehennessey3653 8 ай бұрын

Great to see you out and about on your trusty steed. The speedo looks good, quite retro. How are you doing health wise? Best regards, Clare.

@hughferrier5837 8 ай бұрын

Thanks again Claire. That's definitely my runs till Spring. Health-wise - I've just had a PSMA PET Scan in Aberdeen last week. I don't get results till after the 22nd. Thanks for asking. I feel really well.

@timothynorris4288 8 ай бұрын

Spotted the speedo for a co

@timothynorris4288 8 ай бұрын

Spotted the speedo for a couple of seconds at one point ! Bikes sounding well. Do you put her away for winter ? All the best. Tim.

@hughferrier5837 8 ай бұрын

Thank you Tim, yes just a glance! Yes, the old bike will not be back out till the salt is off the roads. I sometimes crack in March.

@ballkeeper6662 Ай бұрын

how much would this bike cost ?

@hughferrier5837 Ай бұрын

I bought mine four years ago in Sheffield. I rented a van and made a wee adventure of it. I've seen them go from about £1200 to £2500 dependintg on condition. Mine was £2050.

@hughferrier5837 Ай бұрын

Join the Facebook group - BSA C15 Restoration & Preservation Group or Bsa C15 UK Owners Group. You see ones sold there. I've also seen them on Ebay! I got min on Gumtree.