Kerry Kebuna's,

Faber Framed,

"Stateside" BSA Otter.

Photos Courtesy Kerry Kebuna.

The Kerry Kebuna,

“Stateside BSA Otter”.

‘Currently (August 2012).When page written.

This is what Kerry said about his bike.

Kerry;

 The BSA “Otter” bike is out of action at the moment, as the PVL ignition is acting up and needs to be sent back to the factory for testing.

 Overall the bike has been great, and has given my peers a tough time.

 It is the last steady push rod 4 stroke ridden in my trials club.

 I am considering using a Mk3 Faber frame for a future project, as the Mk1 is a little long for some sections as most folk’s are riding Spanish or Japanese trials bikes.

I prefer the “Otter” to both my Bultaco and Montesa; However I do at times still ride one of these at the more severe events.

The build itself took about 5 years due to several other restoration projects.

 All hardware (when possible) was replaced with titanium.

I hand built all aluminium fitments outside of the fenders, tank, (Wassel type) and muffler, and finished the frame using a Urethane Paint system.

(I am an aluminium metallurgist,)

The motor is all stock BSA parts. The crank is from a WD B40 (end feed), cases are 1970 Victor, the cylinder is a 1967 Victor 441 alloy unit and shortened.

The camshaft, and transmission are stock BSA items.

 It is fitted with an 18 tooth primary sprocket, and uses a B44 primary chain tensioner modified to work with the PVL backing plate.

The Mikuni 26 mm carburettor came from a local cycle salvage yard.

 ~~~  

Kerry’s bike features a Bultaco-Betor front forks and Bultaco hub.

 The back hub is Bultaco too, but Kerry could not find one with a good chrome braking surface, so he set too and machined up, and fitted a steel liner to the hub.

You can see with the yokes that Kerry is using, this tends to throw the front wheel forward and makes for a longer wheel base on the bike.

The forward mounted spindle of the Bultaco forks, also increases this concept!

I would if the "Otter" was mine try Ossa legs, or sliders, for a start, and see if that improves the steering .

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The yokes could be changed for BSA four-stud and bored out and clamped.

I saw this modification in the Isle of Man last week. and I must say I liked the idea.

This was on one of the Spanish BSA B40 "Otter's".

Not knocking your bike Kerry, Just a thought, when you said you might use a Mk 3 Faber frame for your next project, because this one was a little long!

Check out what Dave Wood has to say,

about his bike, this could help.

Charlie,>

Quickly, Dave said the Mk1-2 Faber frame steered better than the Mk3, although Howard Fawkes told me that he had steepened the head angle on the Mk 3...

Dave,>

The front suspension was more problematic and no matter what I did, the forks just collapsed. The forks were AJS sliders with Marzocchi stanchions. I tried three or four different sets of internals and springs but nothing improved it. It seemed there was too much weight on the front, and the bike does feel 'nose heavy'.

I was running parallel yokes from one of Jim Pickering's mates, Alex and this seemed to put extra weight on the front wheel. I decided to try yokes with some rake built in instead of parallel to see if moving the front wheel forward took some weight off it.

I had some Ossa Gripper yokes in a drawer so they went in - after many nights in the shed making sleeves and spacers, lengthening the steering stem etc, to make them fit.

I also had some Ossa MK1 MAR forks spare, so as I know these work, I put them in. More work then, to make the front wheel fit those forks,

(why don't I just stick to twin-shock...)

I took the bike out to try and the front end felt better, actually springing instead of collapsing.

However, there was nothing serious at the venue to work the forks properly so I decided to take the bike to the Nostalgia trial the following weekend to try after the trial on some proper sections.

As it turned out the carb on the Bultaco I'd taken to ride suffered a problem (too bizarre to explain) so I had to ride the BSA in the trial instead.

This revealed the offset on the Ossa yokes was too much and the bike was even heavier on the front.

On top of that the trial was tough and the bike wasn't ready for something like that, so a bad day results wise, but lessons learned (stick to twin-shock...!)

Back home and two weeks to the Manx classic with the bike not ready...

The steering was awful with the current set up.

Back in the shed and I found some Marzocchi yokes, bottom yoke of a 303 Fantic, top yoke off a JCM.

More time in the shed making sleeves, spacers etc. and in with the yokes, still with the Ossa forks.

Four days to go to the Manx and back out to try the bike.

Better, the steering felt much better and not so heavy on the front as the shorter offset and bar position of the top yoke made me more upright and shifted a bit of weight off the front. 

Charlie,>These are Ossa forks on my B40 OTF Faber "Otter".

"Bessie".

I must say that this bike steers well for me and to other guy's that have ridden it. Mick Andrews included.

When you are building a bike up you do tend to use what you have at hand, and if it looks right you fit that item.

This page proves a point, Kerry's bike is very very nice but if it feels long compared to his twin-shock machines, and does not steer as well as it should, and you have another ride in the shed, you tend to leave a bike that you have spent years in Kerry's case building, at home and use one of the others.

We all know Dave Wood is a perfectionist when it comes to bike set up. But by spending that extra bit of time getting your pride and joy right must pay off in the end when the machine is transformed into a different beast by just changing some thing simple like the fork yokes.

More Later...

Updat2023...04...