[Rick Parkington]

Hmmm, no shortage of bureaucracy there then...!
I think part of the trouble is that policy is designed to deal with the most common business. Anything unusual does not fit and because people in official roles have been trained always to follow policy they are very reluctant to assume responsibility by using their own initiative, so anything like this becomes a problem - and possibly if you asked three people you would get three conflicting answers.
However, on a more positive note... a friend in Germany found a BSA frame for me. He decided to deliver it, strapped to his BMW sidecar. Arriving at the docks in the UK he went to find what he must do to pay customs - but after being sent here and there and found nobody who could deal with it, he shrugged, started the bike and rode off.
It seems that while the internet has provided government agencies with an almost limitless capacity for data, there is still not enough manpower to use it.
We have to be grateful for that!
Cheers Rick
     

[Thomas]

Now the tank...

A colleague recommended a company in Scotland to line and gold plate my damaged tank. Because of Brexit, customs are of course involved. I phoned them and received answers that should be of interest to all continental owners. To avoid having to pay customs duty on the subsequent invoice, you first have to make an export declaration. This is done via a customs agency, which has to be paid for. In my case, the tank would have to be excluded as a cultural asset worthy of protection (the motorbike could be worthy of protection). From the customs point of view, it is not just a liquid container. Before exporting back from the UK to Germany, it has to be done the same way, which can be problematic for a small company. If something is not declared accurately on the parcel, you run the risk of it being left somewhere or never arriving. This is exactly the problem for many small companies. The woman at customs seriously advised me to find a company within the EU. Then it would only be about the parcel postage.

[Thomas]

You're right Rick, it needs to be sorted by an expert. I hence have sent it to a respective workshop and I am in close contact to the engineer. They have a professional bench for the task which is much better than fooling around, of course. And they said, they can certainly do the job. Indeed, small mistake – big trouble. But I take it easy and with John Ruskin: Pay half – pay twice.

[Rick Parkington]

H Thomas,
I'm sorry I missed this  thread until now.
Yes I'm sorry to  say that is not good and will need to be sorted properly. It is best to get three long,  straight pieces of the correct size bar - maybe easier for you to get sleeves made to take 8mm or something readily available there) and put them through both fork spindles and the wheel axle. Using something like 1m long bars will give you enough to judge by eye how far out it is looking from the top down at the three bars and also from the front with the forks vertical. The problem with girder forks is that their triangulated design means that although they are quite weak side to side they are very strong front to back. That means that if you took the wheel out and pinched the wheel spindle plates together, you could easily bend them - but they would be easy to straighten again. But when you have a front impact as you have, they resist bending and spread the load to several places at once - that is clear from the way that upper tube has bent. That means that unless you can straighten them all at once it is very difficult to get back right as every bit you straighten affects another area.
This is similar to the problem with my forks, unfortunately although my forks were a side impact, because the car actually drove into me, he hit the forks with enough force to break the casting for the lower link and I suspect I will need to find another fork. At worst yours could be re-tubed but hopefully it will not come to that - but I think they may need to be heated to get them right.
So annoying the way a small mistake causes so much trouble but very good that you ad your wife are ok! 
Cheers Rick 

[Thomas]

You are right, John! That is exactly what I believe, too. I've sent the fork to an expert and told him that.

[singleminded]

I have a feeling that the bent right hand rear tube at the top has effectively shortened the rear tube.This would, I think ,have the effect of pulling the front tube bend backwards causing the miss-alignment, Unless the photo has is misleading.

 John

[Thomas]

Thanks, Daniel. You are certainly right.

[Daniel]

Thomas
Try to push the axle through the lugs. I don't think that this is correct, they should be equal on the table.

[Thomas]

Hi all!

After my accident the lower left side front tube of my girder fork was bent. A local workshop straightened it. However, the technician and me are not sure if the job is already done or not. When I place the fork on a flat surface, the two axle mounts are not evenly aligned with respect to the surface. We are now wondering whether this is okay or if we need to take a specific reference into account. In addition, the upper left side rear tube is still slightly bent but doesn't show any marks from the accident. Does somebody have an idea how to assess the situation?

Cheers, Thomas

[Thomas]

Peter, Daniel, thanks a lot for your messages. I admit that I was pretty shocked about the accident. We are both more or less fine, although I had broken a rip. But we were really lucky. You can kill yourself even at 25mph...

At a first instance I thought I have to sell the machine in pieces but that is nonsense. After settling my mind I started with the fork. Yes, Daniel, the fork is slightly bent and already in a workshop close by for straightening it. After a short test run I will check the primary case. The outer part is still flat with no damage but I need to check the inner part, as well. It looks as it got a punch towards the rear. The front bolt is sheared off. I have a local car body mechanic. The tank will be cut open at the bottom, then bulged and hard soldered again. So everything is feasible. I will report here about the progress.

Thanks again and cheers, Thomas

[Daniel]

Hi Thomas
What a nightmare. Thankfully your wife and you are +/- okay. Because of the tank I would search for a tank repair specialist in Germany. I'm sure that the bump can be removed and the surface flatended with tin afterwards. Are you sure it's the frame that is bent and not the fork? However, both can be repaired.

Regards
Dani

[Peter 100]

Thomas
Sorry to hear about your accident, glad you and your wife are OK. Shame about the bike and the damage that has been caused. I myself do not have much knowledge of vintage bike repair specialists but hopefully somebody out there does. I am sure your bike can be repaired it will take time and be costly but will be worth it in the end.
Good luck and hopefully you will get the assistance you need.
Cheers, Peter

[Thomas]

Hi all,

last night my wife and me had an accident with the Sunbeam. We are fine, although with some bruises. At 10pm we drove right into the pole of a traffic light. Luckily we have somehow flown along the pole. I simply saw the mast too late. I am now deeply frustrated, of course, and I do not see a solution for the machine considering the probable impossibility to repair the steel tank. In addition, when driving the last four miles I noticed that the machine pulls to the right. And indeed, the front and rear wheels are not aligned anymore. So, the frame got a punch. The primary case leaks at its front and the LED flickers. Any suggestion especially for the tank of my 1937 Model 9 Series 2 is well appreciated.

Cheers, Thomas (who destroys a wonderful machine  )