The BSA Otter Owners Page.
The Trials bikes you see below,will have a brief discription under each photo, Engine type,running gear, forks, ETC.
I will start with my BSA "Otter" collection First and then add images of your bikes as you send them to me....
Mk 2 Faber frame, BSA C15G engine , Cub Hubs, The back one extended by 1 1/2 in, The usual parts from Terry Weedy. Triumph four stud forks.
OK, Howard has been kind enough to send me this image straight away, so I have put it on, against my better judgment. Now is this image really a "Otter" frame, You decide? by the way the price is £595. No vat. 19/3/10 Howard has today e-mailed me to say that the Mk 2 Otter frame is still available at a price of £565.
This is My Scott Ellis Replica frame, that I built, over Christmas 2006.
Using the Widened Triumph Cub Subframe and Swinging arm. I also lengthened the swinging arm by 1 inch.
As you can see I have fitted a oil filter, to help the poor filtration in the F type engine, Paul is making me a Brass replica oil pump for this engine that should help a bit. A plastic cover will enclose the filter, as Scott's bike when finished.
This is my third BSA Otter, Nearly finished.
Its engine is from a TR25 Triumph, but I have re"badged" it.
Hubs are Bantam, Forks Four stud Triumph, and all the Terry Weedy bits.
Named "Tarka"But was in two minds what to put on the Tank as it needs painting as you see , Might get Dave's mate to do the paint job ,if the price is right? any eagle eyed viewer might wonder what ignition is on the bike. Well it is the set up with the zenor diode and Boyer unit I am going to fit to the Scott replica bike. just checking to see if it worked on this bike to be replaced with PVL. There.
Now Ian has is own page I will leave this image as I like the little fellow. Ian is BOOC member three.
. Photo from Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.
This is Rob's interpretation of a "Otter", B40 engine ,Bultaco front end? looks like Wassell fuel tank, Sammy Miller oil tank under fuel tank that Rob says really slims the bike down.
BOOC member four.
This is Ian's bike when it was newly built,
Don't forget this is a Harry Foster built frame.
What a lovely bike.
This is Scott on his last works suported bike. And the bike when sold to Colin Dommett, had the frame copied and named the "Otter".
I have put this on to this page until I can get a better Photo of Scotts bike, But I now have high hopes that I can.
Howard has a new batch of these in the "pipeline".
I think has they are built to comply for the Scottish trial, that this would be a good name for the frame. Mk 3 "Otter Pipeline"
What do you think Howard?
Paul has just sent me this shot of his bike.
he is one of several new visitors to the site over the last couple of weeks 8/12/10 Paul is looking for some wide ratio gears. I am on the trail.
Alan is one of the ever supportive Stratford club members. and turned up with his Cub and had a good ride at our show.
This bike sold for £2675. a while ago. Where is it? We May now know 2024...
Just going through my photo stock and found this of Ian Ballard,
When his bike was nearly new by the look of it.
Hi Jim,
I have a man in the IOM checking to see how many "Otters" reside there?
This bike belongs to the Ransom's, Steve, and his famous father Mick,
Who I had the privilege of meeting at the Classic Trials Show.
The bike with the yellow tank, is Brian Martin's, Development C15. BSA 250,
This bike is now owned by Ted Freeman, a friend of mine since 1961. This was the bike that Scott Ellis rode for six weeks prior to being given BOK228C to ride. The photo was taken at the Classic Trials Show.You can just see in the top left hand corner of the shot the Mk 3 "Otter" that Alan Whitton built up for Ian Marshall.
Otters. One,Two, and OOTC, the rest were out ,being ridden at the show at the time the shot was taken.
This is the first BSA C15, that we owned. the bike was bought from Pride and Clark, or Comerfords, I can't remember. But the bike was built for the 1960 Scottish, and had the subframe lowered. a load of chroming done, and still had the Scottish Six Days markings on the bike. I fitted the Rickman front guard. The riders? well their age added up to about 150 years old at the time.
My father, and grand mother, who was 99 years old when she died.
This is Pops, sitting on the bike he rode during the war years, and I remember him telling me that he did a few of them trials things! on it representing, his regiment. Sorry the two pictures are small but these are the only ones I could upload, for the moment.
Just found this shot of one of the last batch of "Otter" frames that Sammy Miller built. If you notice the subframe is bolt up and the swinging arm is different, to the ones that Faber built for him.
Sam might still build one or two of these? I don't know!
This is John's Otter that he had for sale in November ,this year
I don't know if it is still for sale?
This is a shot from the other side.
If anyone is interested in this bike I have John's number,and I can try and ring him for you.
This Otter belongs to Mark Parry Norton.
Who I met at our trial, What a Nice Guy.
This bike was for sale? I have Mark's number if you are interested?
The bike is Pre65? fit, exept for the forks which are Bultaco.
This is Pat after taking second place at the Classic Trials Show. showing class...
I thought he should have won? but there again I would.
Just look at the work that man has put into refirbishing the bike, back to how it was when he first built it. There again I think it is probably better now than it was then?
OK, I hold my hands up, I have forgotten the Guy's name, who owns this bike I spoke to him at the show and I would like to contact him?
This was the lads first day on a trials bike with Mick Andrew's showing him how it should be done.
This is the last shot of the day, out with Mick, and Alan Whitton.
And by the end of the day, they had got the lad riding realy well?
Just shows how good the two are at teaching trials skill's.
This is Patrik, doing the special test, at the show, on the ex Bryan Hyatt BSA C15T.
This is one of the alloy clutches fitted to a lot of the BSA comp shop bikes.
They came from the USA.
I have put this image on for the ones who may have a go to build their own frame. Read the frame build text.
and you can follow the other frame building further down this gallery.
This is the "Bad Boy" that is popping in to the next frame build.
I bet you think I have more than One screw loose now. 2016 could be the year that this gets done.
Well I will try, you never know this could be the one that boosts the OTTER name and Frame.in the future ...
Yes the starter is coming off. shame though.
I have put this on so you can see what you will need to make up a swinging arm,16" between centres.
This is a shot of the OOTC sub frame.
Bending the loop was a nightmare, T45 just does not bend without heat!!!!
Footrests were made up like channels so that they sat over the end of the swinging arm box, and were secured with the spindle bolt. simple but very effective.
Here is another shot of the bench marks. the tubes are set on this with steel blocks to be tacked.
I took a shot of this on the jig to show how to set the head angle. The bench, or jig, also needs to be set level with a spirit level in bothe planes.
First shot of this bike on the Otter Web Site.
I will finish this little bike as soon as the weather gets warmer.
21/1/2011.
This is my TR25 engined bike, I have just put longer rear shocks 13/1/2", I have been researching the suspention fitted to "Otters" for a new page, and have come to the conclusion that these are the shortest that you should fit, but there will be more info on the page.
This is the bike that Paul Beswick, built up in its final quise.
It has been the subject of much discution on Trials Central just recently.
Paul fitted engine rails to this bike, a long time before Faber came up with the same idea, to make the frame look more like the original BSA frame.
Rick has just bought this bike, and asked me what it was.
I told him to look after it has there were not many of these built.
If you know who built this bike up, we would like to know.
The silencer should give you a clue. Rick bought it from Oxfordshire.
I think this is one of the 1984-5 bikes, and it could have been one with an engine "GB" that came from the Johnson's at Banbury.
I have been looking for a photo of this bike for ages.
Well I take it ,it is the Barry Pocock, outfit???
This is one of the few Frames that Howard built for a T100A motor.
Kerry from the United States has just built this bike up.
There is a web site for the build, I am trying to get permission for a link! Now has it's own page...
Just had to put this bike on, I knew Ross and Mike Winwood well in the sixties along with there dad, and admired what they were doing at the time.
OK I think I am putting the spare Cub engine in this frame now, so have incorporated oil carrying in the frame.
Gussets were first tacked with the Mig, and then bronze weld run around the joints to distribute the stress.
The swinging arm was built on the same jig as the one I built fro the OOTC. and out of T45 tube (becase I had it), but the lot was Mig welded.
So the swinging arm is finished ! It has taken me half the time to make has I Mig welded it, instead of bronze welding.
I have also machined two bearing bushes out of PTFE,
The pivot spindle is 1/2" machine steel.
As you can see I have now decided because the frame is better than I expected, to build it for a BSA engine.
Squaring the jig and front down tube, before welding.
The front down tube was well tacked with bronze, and then I removed the frame from jig to finish the joint.
I have used bolt on engine plates as there is more adjustment, and makes it easy to fit with different make of engine.
Well I have only spent a few hours on this project this week but it has progressed well. I hope next week is as good? I have simplified the swinging arm pivot box as well !
Take a look next week.
Swinging arm box was cut from a length of 60x120mm 2.5 thick RHS. It was cut down with the band saw to be 45 mm deep. And triangular braces welded on.
Forward pressure was put onto the down tube before tacking to counteract the shrinkage..
After tacking in with the Mig, the joints were then Bronze welded, to disapate the welding stress.
I shall be using one of these little Glass-fibre tanks on this bike.
I will make a mould with a square profile base to fit the frame.
I now need to decide how to simplify the sub frame?
I was going to fit a Cub sub-frame to this bike. but they seem to be getting scarce., and would still need to be modified.
The jig was set up to carry the simple subframe tubes.
These were then bent and tacked to the frame.
Next step is to make top damper mounts, on the simple princible. and also align them.for good movement.
Well I am pleased with how this frame is turning out.
And don't forget it was only built to prove an engineering method.
This is the "Otter" seat base that I made,as you can see it is too wide for this subframe ,as the frame is only 8" at the widest point.
I removed the frame from the jig to weld the inside of the joints and to tidy the outsides. I have bosses for the shock retaining bolts still to fit.
I yesterday finished the top suspension mounts.
And today I milled up the plastic swining arm thrust washer ,to centralise the S/A..
Leveling the frame and fitting a pair of shock's, looks like I have got the dimensions spot on. Still trying to deside whether to use a muguard hoop or not?
Ok the last few parts were made for the frame./
The back mudguard loop was bent out of hydraulic oil pipe to keep it simple and quick 1/2" in diameter.Two bosses were turned up for this loop to plug into the seat rails.
Penny washers were used for the muguard mounting holes.
(well they were good enough for Sam).
A bracket was made up for the silencer mounting but not drilled until I know what silencer I am using.
I turned up alloy top suspension mounts and a couple of alloy retainers for the bottom.
Ok Lovely day 8/4/11. So I started to make the alloy base plug for the G/F tank. The I grabbed the old Lyta,tank I had. And it looked so good on the frame .So I decided to fit that instead.
Now have you tried to turn a cone on a lathe without angling the tool bar? Not easy ! But I was to lazy on this fine day to bother. so turned it with hand and eye coordination.Wow ! The plastic cone sits into the tank mounting void for a good fit.
I have made a brake stop with a 8mm stainless set screw, this also locates through the footrest braket, and helps to locate that, for a more positive feel.
I have realy enjoyed this project, with No deadlines to fullfill, and the more I have worked on the frame the better I like it. Such is life.
We will get the bike finished in 2016.
The old big lathe is now working, I may have a go at this this in 2016?
Jim said it would be a good idea to turn one up on this web site. so here is the start point a lump of alloy.
The Ray Tew engine is a Gem, and if i can get a C15 anything like this engine it will be a winner.
Wow that has just taken me 1hour to load this image.
The moral is leave your computor alone, when it is working.
The exhaust system is to be rebuilt using stainless tube.
Now we know this shape and length works.
As I have said, we need to fit a slightly bigger rear sprocket.
Which is a shame. Pretty little bike though,don't you think?
I have been sent this photo by a mate, who has had input into this machine, And I feel that I might have contributed. Compare with our Crusader. This has the new Maxton suspension fitted.
OK This is one of the bikes that has stopped progress on the bike builds that were in the pipeline
The new owner of this bike is George William Prescott,
My ONE year old Grandson.
As you can see this bike has a B40 GB motor fitted by John.
And this motor stops in the bike because John fitted it. And I told Nick that I would not change the bike!!!
Wish I was young again.
The future of Classic trials. Get the youngsters interested!!!
I should not be showing you guy's this.
I should be keeping the secret to my self.
Whatever.
The crank on the right . will be moded simular to Nick;s crank.
But with differences
He thinks these alloy parts are from Taylor-Dow.
They could have been Ian. Looks like one of there Goldie tanks.
This is a pretty little bike and you can see the work put into it.
Well done Mike.
Nick told me to use these forks on the bike on reassembly, has it always steered better with these fitted.
As you can see I have perchased a Alloy barrel from UPB.
That with the Honda piston makes it 230cc.
This is the frame from Nick Drapers bike .
Why is it on the jig???
Well while I redo the head gussets I thought I would make a jig for the frame!
This is a realy light and well thought out arm. the heavy part is actualy the spacer the bushes run on.
I could always make one out of Titainiam??
After discution on Trials Central. I set too to see if I could make the clutch control better? I hope it works.
These are the components that I made up, I will detail the set up on the MAN-IC page.
This is the head that I chopped to reposition the inlet manifold to the left.
Building a bike in a 8'x8' shed, you don't see the bigger picture until you remove the bike from these surrondings.
Just a few jobs left to get this bike running again.
But probably two weeks testing.
This is the up part of this section after coming down a slippery slab from the left. He practised this over and over trying to get it right . but the best was still a flighting dab. It was difficult . and he showed the true IOM winning spirit.
Dave did not like the wide subframe on the Faber frame so has pulled it in so that it is narrower.
Just put this on for a reference to the Draper bike that I am rebuilding.