Club for B.S.A. owners in N.Z.

Press, 26 April 1979, Page 24

Club for B.S.A. owners in N.Z.

The New Zealand B.S.A. Owners’ Club, based in Wellington, is now more than a year old and is expanding its range of influence. It recently appointed a southern regio-

nal officer, Clarrie Haines, of Christchurch, and he is already working hard to form a branch committee in the South Island.

A meeting of members and B.S.A. owners has been arranged for Thursday, May 10, in the Shirley Lodge Hotel. The national club came into being as a reaction to the problem of finding spare parts for a motor-

cycle marque no longer being manufactured. It has a parts officer to look after this side of the club’s activities. But there are many other aspects. A library of model information has been formed, and social events are held.

Full membership is available only to people owning B.S.A. machines, but there is also an associate membership available for those who do not.

Mr Haines has no problem in this respect. He has three old B.S.A. motor-cycles in various states of repair — a 1949 CU 250, a 1953 831 350, and a 1934 vertical 500. He is particularly pleased with the latter machine. "It is a nice old thing, but I am short of a tank.” The vertical 500, which is in pieces ("This s a retirement project”), is the only one of its type Mr Haines knows of in New Zealand. “There are plenty of slopers about, but no verticals,” he said. The vertical 500 was the first of the four-speed, foot change models.

The New Zealand club is affiliated to the B.S.A. Owners’ Club in Britain.