Purchased new by Bob Gardiner; 1954 ISDT, 1954 BSA 500cc Gold Star Trials

Registration no. JNJ 295 Frame no. CB32.955 Engine no. BB34.GS.1334

• One of six prepared by BSA for private entrants in the 1954 ISDT
• Purchased new, sold and reacquired
• First machine acquired for the Gardiner Collection
• An older restoration

'JNJ 295' is one of six machines prepared by the BSA Competitions Department for private entrants to ride in the 1954 International Six Days Trial (ISDT). Purchased new by Bob Gardiner, it was reacquired some 30 years later and is also the first machine of his collection.
In Bob's own words: '...(it) is of rare if not by now unique pedigree, many ISDT machines having been modified for other purposes, their special equipment being lost in the process. Much of the equipment on this machine, particularly the special waterproof magdyno, is to be found only on special "works" bikes.

'In 1954 Messrs Dinnages Garages of Haywards Heath, Sussex were Ford and Rootes Group dealers and they also had an agency for BSA motorcycles. Having dealings with Dinnages through the family garage business, an approach was made through them to BSA enquiring the possibility of their preparing a machine for the 1954 ISDT, held that year in Wales. BSA's response was favourable stating that as well as the official works entries, a limited number of Gold Stars (it turned out to be six) would be built in the competition department for private entries and that they would accept our order. The order was confirmed and eventually we were advised that the machine would be available for collection, on I think, the Wednesday or the Thursday of the week prior to the weigh-in at Llandrindrod Wells on Saturday September 18th. I caught the early morning train to Birmingham and then a taxi to Armoury Road, arriving late morning only to find that the machine was not ready. To pass the time I was taken on a tour of the factory and finally to the Competition shop where I was eventually handed the machine late in the afternoon.'

The first day of the trial was completed without penalty, as was the daylight part of the second. However, within the last few miles of the second day Bob took a nasty tumble, damaging the front forks and snapping the right-hand scrambles footrest. Although only his pride was hurt, the bike was in a sorry mess. Nevertheless, he made the final control without penalty and handed the bike into the parc fermé. That evening saw the start of the trial's night section, but after a few miles Bob decided that the bike's handling was such that it would be prudent to retire.

Back home and after repairs, the BSA became his road transport and was regularly ridden in NCC long distance events and at Silverstone until 1958 when various modifications were made, and the machine entered for the Scottish Six Days Trial. Bob started the SSDT with a right hand badly sprained during a practice tumble but nevertheless successfully completed the course, winning a 3rd Class award in the process. In its trials trim he rode the machine in one-day events until 1958 when he withdrew from competition.

Marriage and house purchase followed and the BSA was stored until 1966, when, in a moment of weakness, Bob sold it together with most of its special ISDT equipment to a fellow Crawley MCC member for £125. Some years later he was approached by Peter Bennett, proprietor of a small motorcycle business at Pease Pottage, who and told Bob that he was commissioned to sell the machine on behalf of its current owner and would he like to buy it back. The BSA was standing in the showroom and had been fitted with a competition sidecar, apart from which it was just as Bob had sold it. Eventually he agreed to buy the combination for £75. The sidecar was removed and sold back to its builder, Ernie Smallridge, for £5 plus the return of the compressed air bottle. Other items of special ISDT equipment were recovered from other people through whose hands the machine had passed, and Bob subsequently rebuilt the machine as near as possible to its original ISDT specification, being careful to mask off the scrutineers' seals before repainting the frame. Some of the paint seals are original (green for ISDT and silver/grey for SSDT) while others have been touched in, but all components are marked as originally at the weigh-ins. Otherwise the paint and chrome is largely original.

The accompanying file contains the machine's original logbook listing Bob Gardiner as first and last owner, and recording the names of the other four owners. It also contains correspondence between Bob and BSA Motor Cycles Ltd concerning the original order; a list of modifications made to bring the machine to ISDT specification; a copy of the original engine test sheet; and Bob's notes concerning preparation for the 1954 ISDT.