News & Events:

Here's an update August 12  2008

I'm back!   Spent some time going through the emails sent in and will follow up on most of the subtle suggestions about updating the site.  

There are a couple of "parts wanted" ads below, please check them out and assist these guys if possible

You all should be aware that fees were due on 30 June, so if you haven't already done so, please send them in.  The end on November is the 'official' cut-off time for the annual subs.       

This Sunday, 3 August is the annual breakfast at Joe's Garage in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.  e hope to see people there at 10:30am, upstairs.

Welcome to 2008, the 10th year of the SR500 Club of Australia. Andrew (Andy) Hunt, the Club President and his committee have already been busy discussing new ideas for the club. 2008 should be a really good year for the club.

The 2007 SR500 Club Rally is just a memory.  It was hugely successful and enjoyed by all who attended.     Once again we were supported by our friends at Yamaha Australia (Victorian Division),   Motorcycle Trader Magazine,   and Deus ex Machina, suppliers of custom bikes and parts www.deusexmachina.com.au/.   Over 100 signed in and there were 31 SR500s, a couple of very tidy XTs, an SZR and a couple of SRX600s and visitors with all manner of bikes. 

The 2008 SR500 Rally and AGM is locked in for the  21 -23 November at Bethanga.  Plenty of time to get the old SR in top condition.  More info in the upcoming Newsletter.

Want to join the SR500 Club Australia?  We have members from all around Australia and from as far away as the Netherlands, UK and USA.  Contact the club via this site and download an application form here

10 Grand SR500 for sale.  See below in "Classifieds"  For someone who wants a perfect old SR500. 

Stew Ross with some help (lots of help) has set up a ACT group web site.  Lots of good SR500 info there and a chance to read Stew's ACT newsletters.  To check it out go to www.sr500act.org

Vanem parts has been added to our Links Page. Talk to  Club member Adrian  about the wide array of parts, new and used that he has for the modified SR500.  Click here to go to Vanem's site.

Victorians can now take advantage of the Classic Rego scheme (Red Plates) and for those who already  have them, a printable calendar can be found here

Club meetings are held at the Limerick Castle Hotel, corner of Errol and Arden Streets North Melbourne.  Meetings are on the last Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm

. The makers of Fuglies sunglasses is offering SR500 Club members a good discount out of their Ballarat site.  Checkout the website www.fuglies.com.au or phone on 03 5333 3889.  Ideal for under the full-face or open-face helmet

 Club member Dale Lindrea (aka Mr. Ed) continues to play his fine music around the pubs in t the Melbourne area. 

 *There is a new SR500 only Forum just started and will be great place to exchange info on SR's it can be found at www.sr500forum.proboards38.com    Check it out.

*   Don't forget.................  monthly meetings are held at The Limerick Castle on the corner of Arden and Errol Sts Nth.  Melbourne on the last Tuesday of each month,   starting at 7:00pm.    A club ride is held on the Sunday after our meetings .  Victorian members can give Russell MacDonald a call.

SR500 CLUB CLASSIFIEDS

WANTED:a left hand side panel for my 81SR and a rear wheel for a 78 model or a pair of XS or similar wheels that will fit. contact Kerrigan O'Neill at kerriganoneill@bigpond.com

Wanted:I am trying to locate a replacement set of damper rods for my 1981 XS650. I These are the same as a SR500.  part No 2FO-2317-00-00  Contact Bill at: wfwxs82@gmail.com or Mob. 0402015146

WANTED: SR500 motor needed.  Please contact  Garth Harris 0408720666

WANTED: SR500 , looking to build or buy a Std but prefer Cafe Race SR .  Cash waiting , will travel .    Contact- Lee .  Ph 02-44460262  Mb 0413014133 or email;  leeshelford@dodo.com.au

*The Club has  added caps, beanies and cloth patches to its growing merchandise range   Caps and beanies are $20.00 each plus $3.00 postage( in OZ) and are black with either gold or silver logo.  Separate patches are available for  $8 posted.  The classic club t-shirt's are $18.00/$21 posted and are black with white club logo  . Contact the Club for special postage rates for bulk purchases.  A pic. of some of the merchandise can be seen on the photo page. The club has added engine rebuild stands to its array of merchandise. If you're tired of chasing  your engine all over the bench, this is for you. $80 for this well constructed stand.  Give Russ a call on 0407 327 331

The Beesa Connection
Member Discounts

THE BEESA CONNECTION

An SR500 engine now carries the great BSA name.

Yamaha's SR500 is a descendant of a proud history of 500 singles which culminated, for the British at least, in the café racers and race bikes of the '50s and '60s. Manx Nortons, BSA Gold Stars and the AJS G50 and 7Rs ruled the road and the track until the Japanese came along with faster, lighter and more reliable bikes.

Most of the English companies collapsed in one form or another but the names survived, usually in a way which embarrassed the memory of the marques. BSA, however, is back with a bike of particular interest to SR owners - it's powered by a Yamaha-supplied SR engine.

Designed by John McLaren who has a proud history himself with AJS/Matchless and Norton, the new BSA is designed to appeal to nostalgia buffs in Japan but the bike also has a potential market in America and other developed countries.

The heart of the bike is a stock SR engine (with BSA stamped on the engine cases) but much of the rest of the bike is new. The frame is a tubular, double cradle unit with strong design links to the "Featherbed" type frame featured on earlier Nortons. Chassis dynamics include a 27 degree castor angle and 105mm of trail. The front brake is a 200mm twin leading shoe drum unit (which looks suspiciously like the unit on the 650 Yamaha twin) and the bike has a wheelbase of 1410mm. A relatively low dry weight of 149kg is aided by an alloy tank (and sidecovers, if specified as an option) and claimed top speed is 160km/h (or 100 miles per hour in the old language).

The marketers of the bike have gone for the values of simplicity and individuality. Here's an excerpt from the promotional brochure:

"The BSA Gold SR 500 is intended to appeal to the motorcyclist who admires the style and elegant simplicity of the traditional British motorcycle, but also expects the reliability and ease of use of a modern machine. It is more likely to appeal to the rider who appreciates fine balance and nimbleness combined with the inherent character of a big single, rather than following the crowd and choosing a machine based on maximum speed claims or power-to-weight ratio."

Using the options available, you can make your SR-based BSA look like a Gold Star or an AJS 7R.

Currently, an ex-factory bike is worth about $12,000, but a BSA-style alloy tank, a café seat and a BSA-style exhaust would go a long way towards customising a stock SR without spending a million dollars.

If you're on the internet you can visit the bike and play with the options available at the following address: www.bsa-regal.co.uk

TEN PER CENT DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS

• Stafford Yamaha (Heidelberg). Ask for Ray. 039453427.

• SR-SpecialParts  Call Andy for parts and bikes (03) 57871229

• Moto Tumbi for all your fibreglass needs, tanks seats etc – large range. 0243512576 or e-mail Mick at motumbi@terrigal.net.      See links.

• Gold Coast m/c Wreckers (gasket kits, billet cam adjuster caps etc), 07 5596 4279.

• REPLICOFAIRINGS for fibreglass bits. e mail  sales@replicofairings.com

• Moto Graphics for all your sticker needs including 500 Single, tuning forks etc,   (02) 97483164.

• Gary O’Brien Yamaha (Geelong, 31 Mercer St) parts and servicing, (03) 5222 3522.

• Motortrader – on-line bookstore. Ten per cent discount on all books purchased on-line (membership number required)