It is quite unusual these days to find yourself in a position where you are wheeling a rusty motorcycle out from beneath a tarpaulin, or from the corner of a barn, that has been untouched for decades. Well this is one such case, when a few years back, Mark Harris found himself in the rare position of unearthing three old bikes in a miserable state beneath a tarpaulin. One of the motorcycles happened to be a sad and unloved BSA Sloper which was given the chance to breathe fire once more. This is the story of its revival.
But first, a brief introduction into the BSA Sloper.
The iconic BSA sloper series was launched in 1927. The slanted motor and new-era saddle tank design were novel, and an instant hit with the public who appreciated motorcycles that were that little bit out-of-the-ordinary. “In vogue” some may say. It was in fact a capable machine that handled well, helped by the modern saddle tank that enabled a low seating position and improved the centre of gravity.
The first models featured a 493cc overhead valve motor with a single ported cylinder-head, topped by a cast-aluminium enclosure for the rockers with exposed valve springs. It was housed in a duplex-frame and mated to a three-speed gearbox which spun the rear wheel. A sportier twin-port head was soon on the scene, and the Sloper Series was updated to include a smaller, punchy 350cc overhead valve model, and two side-valve options – a 493cc or a 557cc.
In 1930 there was an optional sports package available for an extra £10. This included a high-compression piston, hardened valves and springs, and a racing sparkplug, albeit BSA noted that there was little interest – a likely result of the economic depression.
The Slopers ceased production in 1935, by which time there were only two models – a 595cc side valve and a 595cc overhead valve. The heavy flywheel and easy cams gave the Slopers a slow and determined tick over; they were easy to ride, looked the business, and could cruise happily at 55mph. It was for these reasons that they were a popular choice with bikers around the world.
This is a short tale of how Mark happened upon this wonderful twin-port S28 Sloper (493cc OHV), in his words.
I have a bit of a tale to tell. Sat around a fire while camping in Dorset in the Summer of 1998, the conversation turned to bikes. A nice old chap, and a friend of my sister was asking about the bikes I rode. At the time I was campaigning an Armstrong 500 in long distance trials organised by the MCC. He then dropped into the conversation that under a tarpaulin at the house of his deceased fathers-in-law, there was an old British trials bike, and would I be interested?
I was of course and suggested that when we got home, I went round and had a look. Perhaps others have been in similar situations where there is a balance of being interested but not badgering the chap. We got home and I heard nothing.
A few months later he called to say they had started to remove the tarp, but there was a wasps nest under it, and so they would wait until they died off over winter. The wait went on………and on. The next spring came and there was delay after delay, and more excuses than I can recall. I started to wonder whether there was in fact a bike, or was this all some concocted tale!
Then out of the blue in April I got a call asking if they could borrow my trailer to put the bike on, as they were trying to clear the garden. I dropped the trailer and waited……..
At about three in the afternoon, I got a call to ask if I could come and get the trailer. Oh, and they were mistaken; there were actually THREE old bikes under the tarp. I was asked whether I could come and pick up the trailer as they were heading out, and the entire lot of bikes, I was told, were left on the drive. Fearing that I would arrive to an empty drive I headed over and discovered that on my trailer, there was a D1 Bantam, a G3 Matchless, and a BSA Sloper. I was overjoyed!
It transpired that the old chap bought the BSA new in November 1927. It was run until 1960, when he bought a new BSA Gold Flash. The Sloper was put under the tarp with the other two old bikes for almost 40 years until I picked them up. The bottom of the Sloper tank had rotted away, but otherwise it was all together there. I still own it, and I am the second registered keeper.
Mark is a also a bit of a fan of vintage cameras and photography. This photo was captured on Xray film in an Eastman-Kodak No.4 from 1897!
Thanks to Mark for the write up and photos of this wonderful old motorcycle.
an article by The Girder Club
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