Actually, I’m not even comfortable referring to this Beeza as a “hot rod bobber” as I’m not really sure it fits that category. Maybe it’s more of a vintage-style hot rod bobber or maybe it’s just one wicked cool custom that happens to be built around a veddy British BSA A65 650cc vertical twin. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Like any and all of The Factory Metal Works builds that lean towards bikes from Old Blighty, Lucas Joyner has a style, no make that a signature style, that lets each TFMW build have an unmistakable look of their own. The lines are always tight and right with a cohesiveness of design from front to back. Check out this previous Barnett’s Magazine Online TFMW Triumph Nine O-clock Gun feature article and you’ll see what I mean.
In between those tip-to-tip points of cohesiveness lies one extremely well-thought out and extremely well-built BSA custom. It even looks sorta familiar like it might have even been an actual factory model if BSA had lasted long enough to get into factory customs like the Craig Vetter-designed Triumph Hurricane that actually started out as a BSA 750cc triple and magically became a Triumph. In this case, the result could have been an early ‘50s sporty British version of a hot rod bobber that was popping up in Eisenhower era here in America.
Lucas’ build called Greengo with an apparent nod to not only the color, but the owner, Phillip George Phillip who happens to live in a city with the same repetitive pattern of first and last names, Mexico City, Mexico. If the name of the bike bothers the PC Police, please take it up with Phillip George Phillip.
The rigid frame bobber was built around the unit construction BSA twin that had a birth date sometime during the 1971 model year. The engine retains its twin carb setup but with polished carbs instead of raw aluminum and capped with screened short stacks. Same goes for the exhaust with what Lucas refers to as “cocktail shaker mufflers” but I knew as just loud (and stylish) megaphones. That kinda set the standard for the rest of the engine that bears a distinct resemblance to the original factory model, but with a hell of a lot more spit and polish until it resembles possibly the cleanest BSA vertical twin you’ll ever see.
I’m not exactly sure what the frame is, but I do know it’s not the stock oil-in-frame model that polarized traditional BSA freaks with its huge, curved oil-carrying backbone that lost the clean and light lines of the previous models. Whatever, that O-I-F styling handicap didn’t faze Lucas an iota as his rigid frame loses nothing (other than the O-I-F lump of a hump) and gains everything with a purposeful spindly look like any good looking vintage Brit bike. The rake is untouched so it’s still gonna handle quick and be easy to ride at low speeds or high speeds. BSA forks with über-hip external springs seals the deal.
Rolling stock consists of vintage pieces like the BSA twin-leading shoe front brake polished to within an inch of its life with the huge scoop on the side of the drum to help cool things down when the going gets hot laced to a 19-inch steel rim. Out back, an original version of a sprocket brake that didn’t know it was a sprocket brake like the famous Exile Cycles sprocket brake of today does its best to show off the laced 18-rim. One big difference is that it is a skinny drum brake enclosed inside the sprocket carrier instead of a hidden or semi-hidden caliper clamping on the chain sprocket. In reality, they’re probably both as about as effective as the other in day to day riding and not my first choice of brakes, but that’s never stopped anyone before and never will in the future.
You gotta love the vibe of the beefy and tall, vintage square tread Firestone tires in similar cross sections sitting proudly fore and aft. Really give the bike some bite and a bit of tough bastard image in the looks department like owner Phillip George Phillip could ride over or through anything he encountered. Well at least that’s the feeling I get from this tire choice and I’m totally onboard with Lucas’ tire choice. After seeing this setup, no other will do including the vaunted Avon Speedmaster MK II tires you often see on Brit bikes.
Body-wise, Lucas kept things looking period correct, but with a TFMW touch that makes it special. I’m going to play ignorant here (yes, I do it well, thank you) about what the tank started out as, but I do know it’s not the squared-off version of the 1971 models. More Triumph shape than BSA to me, but maybe all the chrome on the BSA tanks of yore has blinded me to their basic shape. Same goes for the oil tank which could have originally been from a Velocette or some other obscure British bike. Hey it could even be a previous model BSA oil tank for all I know as their frame-mounted oil tanks were gorgeously covered by the most voluptuously sculptured fiberglass frame covers that I never looked underneath. Either way, I like what’s there and it looks appropriate. Same goes for the centrally-ribbed rear fender which always says classically British to me.
When it came time to paint, Lucas didn’t fall into the British Racing Green pit which seems to actually vary widely from BRG hue to BRG hue depending on who’s saying it’s BRG. At least that’s what I’ve seen over the years and Lucas’ green paint looks like it’s acquired a bit more black pigment than what I know of as BRG. The idea’s there, but the execution doesn’t take the easy way out. It’s a handsome and simple paintjob not let down by all sorts of graphics or acres of pinstriping. Nothing crazy, just simple paint executed well.
Somewhere in Mexico City tonight I’d like to think that Phillip George Phillip is winding the hell out of this bike and snatching gear after gear between stoplights. Lucas Joyner has built him one fine looking and one fine riding machine I’d be proud to own even if it was British. I know Jack Cofano would beat me to the punch if he had a chance to recapture his misspent youth riding the twisty Hawaiian roads on his BSA Lightning by substituting TFMW’s cool beyond cool Greengo BSA bobber.
Hey, if you’re addicted to or even the slightest fan of Brit-based customs, you gotta check out The Factory Metal Works web site http://www.thefactorymetalworks.com/
for more of their variety of customs with a twist of Brit. The style and workmanship is second to none and the style has substance. Can’t ask for more than that.