This I still own and ride.
Just turned over 2500 miles and was one of Six by father purchased from the army auctions.
One of its sisters has been preserved and I have another one in bits for spares.
The above there is a picture of me at less than 5 years old on the same bike( hanging on to my dad......I later fell of the back of it when I was 7 on the Wirraba ridge army road and broke my leg) ........it has been in the family along time.
Interestingly too, in its life with my family I only had the motor apart once and its done the army road at wirraba ridge ( used to be the tuffest 4WD road in NSW) many times in its life and today goes and looks just as good as ever.
Interestingly the B40 was still competive with the current Jap bikes of the time the Yamaha DT 1 as I wouldnt rear up going up steep rock shelfs and the donk on the B40 would hang on at Zero revs
Yep xt 600 91 model got ours from auction 3 years ago don't know if there are any left in the system. Pic is not my bike but exactly the same not the tenere model
I use to own 3 x GS400 Suzukis including a PMs bike with siren.
These bikes are still about and one day may be fully restored again.
Note exarmy moke in back ground,,,,it has been preserved and one of the B40 BSAs went to the current owner of that moke.
Note Red Bike in back ground, it is a BSA B40 chopped down weight wise and a Suzuki long travel suspension fitted and high compression piston.
My first ever restoration was a WM20 BSA which I rode around as my only motor bike.
The rego ran out about 1987..........I sold it about 8 years ago to another collector as I found I didn't have time to strip it down again for a freshen up and new rego...........I badly regret selling that bike.
It won a prize for best restored one year.
I ended up finding all the hard to get bits for the WM20.
Kowmung river when the river was up abit.
The B40 loves water and is still running when the pic was taken........the current washed the bike on the rocks.
The above is Retreat river Macs flat.
I use to when I was abit younger carry my tent, food,spares and other camping gear on the bike.
The red on the arms of the oil skin are kids floaties..........a joke after the Kowmung river crossing a year before.
Thanks for posting up the photo's Ron, hell of a collection you've got/had!
Thanks also to The Booger, that looks like a lot of fun.
I've had a look around, can't find a GS400 anywhere and B40's are a lot of money - think the XT600 looks like the best bet at the moment. I can't find one with the same plastics in The Boogers photo - anyone know the exact model?
I can get a 600Z, a 600 ZE, a 600E, a 600L and a 600K - but none of them look the same!
A very tidy GS400 sold for $1200 dollars on Ebay at Wollongong a few months ago.( I thought about having a go at it, but I am not riding much anymore)
I like the Zuk very much.
Bullet proof, cruised at 100kph and could carry a load.
They were also good off road to appoint, because of the lower than standard GS400 gearing.
The small fairing and crash bars etc made them good for long distance too.
BSA B40, viberates, cruises at 80 kph, leaks oil etc , but is OK off road but not much good at anything else.
WLA Harley....reliable and does nothing else well...................forget any off road or rough dirt road work.
The WLA takes time to master and ride well and cruises at 80 kph
WM20 BSA......gutless but is well made, reliable if sorted out well, cruises at 80 kph and is a good alrounder and it will do off road work if riden slowly.
The WM20 will slowly haul a load.
The last B40 I sold went for $2000 dollars......I don't know what they bring now.
The WLA in the previous pics has a standing offer of 13 k on it from someone who wants to buy it.
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