https://www.facebook.com/166141519905043/

1970 BSA Starfire Restoration

Home
United States
North Kingstown, RI
1970 BSA Starfire Restoration

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from 1970 BSA Starfire Restoration, Motorcycle repair centre, North Kingstown, RI.

09/03/2025

FINALLY, I managed to get the bike registered in RI. I took two drives down to the White Plains NY DMV (2.5 hours each way) to try and get the previous owner's sales tax paid so I could prove ownership that way, but that turned out to be a dead end.

I spent $70 on a consultation with a guy who specializes in sorting difficult titles and he suggested going for a court-ordered title - but that would be more time, money and hassle. Then a friend suggested selling the bike to my daughter who lives in NH. You can register an older bike there with just a VIN check and a bill of sale. Long story short, that's what we did and once she had it registered in NH, she could sell it back to me so I was able to register in RI.

That wasn't quite the end of the story though. The RI DMV initially refused to register the bike because it doesn't have a 17-digit VIN. They told me I would need to contact the manufacturer to have them issue a new VIN. When I explained that BSA went out of business in 1971, the girl behind the counter shrugged. I'd need to speak with Andy in Enforcement, but he was at the beach that day. Eventually I tracked down Andy, who turned out to be a great guy, even although he's an Indian rider. He set up a meeting for me, checked out the paperwork, and got the registration done.

Moral of the story: if you want to restore old bikes with slightly iffy paperwork, best move to New Hampshire.

07/05/2025

How d’ya like these snazzy decals? I figured if I’m going to spend hours sitting by the side of the road waiting for AAA to show up, I may as well do it in style.

Meanwhile, I took another trip to the New York DMV in an attempt to give them money. This time, although they did agree that I had all the right paperwork, they announced that you can’t transact business at the NYDMV unless you have a NY state driver’s license, even if you’re doing it on behalf of someone else.

So it’s time for a different approach. I’m using a company that that specializes in this stuff to help put together an application for a court ordered title. If the court determines that you have proven ownership of the vehicle, they will order the DMV to issue a title in your name. I have the paperwork for the court, I’ll be sending it to them this week.

06/19/2025

Quick update: the bike is just about ready to go. The headlight switch is a bit iffy, so for $15 I have a new one on order. The persistent fuel leak has been fixed by replacing the spigots on the tank petcocks. There is a small oil leak that I think will be fixed by tightening down the sump nuts.

Other than that, I just took it out for another road test and it seems to be doing OK. All I need now is the registration. I have an appointment at the NY DMV on Tuesday. Wish me luck. If I can get the sales tax receipt from there, then I will need a VIN check at the local cop shop then it’s over to the RI DMV to attempt to get the registration.

06/03/2025

God must have been having a particularly bad day when he invented the DMV.

“Floods- been there done that. Plagues of locusts- got the t-shirt. Seven bowls of wrath- . But these humans are really pi***ng me off. I know - I’ll make them sit in a fluorescent-lit room for hours on end waiting for their number to be called. But, the numbers will be allocated randomly, so no one has any idea when their number will be called. So they’ll have to pay close attention and can’t do anything productive while they’re there. Then, when they are finally called up, we’ll make sure there is always one piece of paper missing that we didn’t tell them they will need, so they’ll have to go away, make a new appointment and go through the whole thing again.”

Thus it went with my first trip to the NY DMV. I’ll try again soon.

05/26/2025

Bunch of stuff checked off the list this week. Front and rear brake light switches are fitted and operational. I know that the use of turn signals, or blinkahs as they are known around these parts, is considered optional (even frowned upon by some) in New England. But I found these cheap and cheerful Chinese items on Amazon for $50 and they work. So I fitted them, then bumped one with my elbow and it snapped off. I guess you get what you pay for. Nothing a bit of duct tape can’t fix.

I put on a new rotor so the alternator is actually generating electricity now. The seat and the gas tank are fitted, as is the front mudguard. Which looks a bit wonky but I don’t know why. The seat has a cigarette burn in it which adds character, I think.

Still to do: there’s a metal strap that goes under the gas tank that is apparently important. It’s not available to buy anywhere so I will have to make one out of scrap metal. Also I need to check the alignment of the rear wheel. Final item is of course the registration. I have an appointment at the New York DMV on June 2nd. If they accept my paperwork and a check for $40 for the sales tax that the previous owner didn’t pay, then I should be able to take the receipt to the Rhode Island DMV and get my registration. Oh joy, two DMV trips in my future.

05/04/2025

As usual, it’s one step forward, one back. On the positive side, I discovered that the inability to start was caused by a blockage in the air vent in the gas cap combined with one of the carb fixing nuts working loose. I was also able to fix a persistent fuel leak by putting on a new fuel line and jubilee clip. The horn and engine stay are fitted and working as is the rear brake light switch.

Work in progress: waiting for the arrival of some funky sized bolts to finish fitting the chain guard and front fender, also the adjusting nut for the rear brake so I can finish that off, and the front brake light switch which is also not working.

Steps backward: the alternator appears to be completely dead. It’s not shorting out, but spinning the engine doesn’t produce any electricity at all. Given that it’s a brand new stator, I’m guessing that the problem is a lack of magnetism in the rotor, which is after all more than 50 years old. So, a new rotor has been ordered up and we’ll have to wait and see. I also discovered that the oil pressure warning light switch is not working, so I’ll have a look at the price of a new one and see if it’s worth replacing.

04/30/2025

Let there be light. Took a bit of fettling and soldering, but the LED lights are working. Need a new switch for the rear brake light which exploded when I removed it. Also I’m not sure if it needs turn signals to pass inspection in RI - some research to do there.

04/26/2025

Rain meant no riding today, so I got a few little things done on the BSA. The top yoke bolt had gone AWOL so I replaced that. Also a couple of pesky little bolts holding the rear fender in place. I put the cleaned up headlight cowl back on and also painted a few of the parts that are waiting to be fitted, rear brake lever, chain guard and the “tool tray”. Just waiting on a delivery that includes LED replacements for all the bulbs.

As far as the registration is concerned, I found someone at the RI DMV who was actually quite helpful. He told me that, if I can get a sales tax receipt from New York State (where the previous owner lives) then that provides them with the proof of ownership that I need to register the bike in RI. I contacted the previous owner who kindly agreed to sign the sales tax form so I can take it to the NY DMV and pay the tax (only 4%). So I sent him the form, once he sends it back I’ll be trundling back down to NY to pay the tax and hopefully get a receipt. Stay tuned!

04/03/2025

As usual, there’s one or two steps forward and one step back. Wheels are now fitted with new tires and brake shoes. I’ve started to work on sorting the electrics. BUT… now when I start the engine, it coughs and dies when I open the throttle. Seems like the carburetor needs fettling in some way, but I am no expert on these. Some research needed!

03/28/2025

Got the wheels and new tires back from Razee’s. We went with Duro tires - I have no idea if they’re any good but they look the part and were pretty inexpensive. I also fitted the new brake shoes and got the brake hub back onto the wheel. I do have new shoes for the rear brake, but in the interests of moving forward I’m thinking I will leave that for later.

Next, get the wheels back on and have a look at the electrics. Also starting to research what I need to do to get the bike registered.

03/20/2025

On to wheels and brakes. The front wheel came off very easily. I have new shoes for the brakes, so that's a job in the queue, and I've ordered new tires from my local motorcycle shop. Once they come in, I'll take the wheels down there and they can put them on.

The "QD" rear wheel wasn't quite as "quickly detachable" as I'd hoped. The spindle had been in there for quite a few years I think, and it took a lot of heaving, shoving, sweating and swearing to get it off. Eventually though, off it came.

Meanwhile, I'l going to have to have yet another look at the clutch, which is still slipping more than I would like when I try to start the bike. There's still a bit of adjustment on the springs, so I can tighten them all the way down and see if that fixes it. Still a bit of a mystery though, since at this point I've replaced everything in the clutch - the basket, the hub, the springs and all the plates.

02/22/2025

I know the ground is still covered with snow and ice, but spring was definitely in the air today. Which inspired me, just for sh*ts and giggles, to jam the bike into gear and ride it up and down the driveway. Despite the tires being completely flat and having no seat or footpegs, it rode pretty well! I did consider a ride around the block but that probably would have been pushing my luck. Sorry, no video.

Anyhow, when I got back in the garage, I snipped the perished old fork gaiters off and after a lot of pushing and shoving, with some help from a little bit of Vaseline, I got the new ones on. I know the forks could probably do with a strip down and refurb, but that will have to wait for next year.

Next I'll be removing the back wheel so I can take both wheels somewhere where there is someone much more qualified than me to put new tires on them.

Oh, and I had a few spare minutes, so I fitted a windscreen to my Bonneville Speedmaster and fixed the faulty heated grip. Am I getting old?

Address

North Kingstown, RI

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when 1970 BSA Starfire Restoration posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Autos & Automotive Service in North Kingstown?