When did Raleigh stop rebranding some of its bikes as BSA?

[bonzobanana]

Just bought a BSA bike locally for £15 and very pleased with condition but very confused by the specification and assume its been partially upgraded and so hard to date the bike. Here's some pictures. I'm planning to convert to drop bar. The crankset and shifter look non-original to me (the seller claimed original but think he is mistaken). The freewheel is 5 speed but the shifter is 6 speed for the rear but with a friction shifter over-ride button. The BSA head badge is super well done, quite impressive for a badge slap if it really is a Raleigh bike. Note the bike is quite dirty in the photos, most of what you see is dirt not corrosion. The condition is super impressive for the age. It is steel ertro 630 wheels. Seems mechanically perfect at the moment and it has a very good set of tyres. No obvious model name on the bike. I'm sort of thinking it was made around 1978 to 1980 with a component change to crankset and shifter around 1995.

 

[figbat]

I’d say the stem, bars, shifter and grips are all replacements, and I’d be surprised if BSA put a bolt-on cable stop right over their logo.

Are any parts date stamped? Brake calipers for example?

 

[bonzobanana]

I've actually stored the bike away at the moment until I'm going to work on it but should have taken a few pictures of key parts. I see what you mean about the bolt on cable stop, I thought it had just been moved but the bike could actually have been drop bar originally? Now that I look at it the headset looks like its nice chrome finish at the bottom but pretty much all black at the top so a mixed headset. I'll want to find a bolt for that headlight bracket thread too. The black of the handlebars, stem and headset all look out of character with the rest of the bike.

 

[Chris S]

Definitely a BitSA

 

[Deleted member 1258]

It looks like its had a flat bar conversion at some stage, was probably drop bar originally, I suspect it might be older than you think it is, as Chris s said its a bitsa.

 

[Cycleops]

As said a lot has been changed and most components non original.
Is there a pip on the down tube to stop the band shifter slipping?
Is the cable guide for FD separate or brazed on? If it's seperate and so is the stop for RD could be it might have had a hub gear originally.
What make is the RD & FD?
Try to find some BSA catalogues and identify the model from there.
Frame number might not help much as I believe they were all over the place.

 

[bonzobanana]

As said a lot has been changed and most components non original.
Is there a pip on the down tube to stop the band shifter slipping?
Is the cable guide for FD separate or brazed on? If it's seperate and so is the stop for RD could be it might have had a hub gear originally.
What make is the RD & FD?
Try to find some BSA catalogues and identify the model from there.
Frame number might not help much as I believe they were all over the place.

I tried to google for BSA catalogues of the 70s and 80s but didn't have much luck. I did come across a forum posting that said that the BSA bikes typically had near identical Raleigh versions but as this model is a bit butchered component wise its difficult to know where to start. I've just googled a bit more and came across this model which is the Raleigh BSA Tour of Britain model and apart from the colour looks identical so I'm fairly sure this is the model now so I can work towards restoring it to something similar. I have some very similar brake levers and some handlebars and hopefully a suitable stem. I should be able to convert it back without buying any more bits hopefully. I won't be going for authenticity as I will want the shifters on the stem or handlebars

Here's one on ebay in my colours. I can see they have also moved the shifters to the stem. Pleased with mine as the frame is in a much better state although saying that you can still see the tour of britain logo on the top tube on this bike but its just a clear painted area on mine and it has the front light bracket that mine is lacking.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174700949038

 

[Drago]

The Beeza brand name was dropped arpund 1980ish, Triumph dropped early 80's.

 

[bonzobanana]

The Beeza brand name was dropped arpund 1980ish, Triumph dropped early 80's.

That definitely seems right. My model seems to be 1980/1979 and there doesn't appear to be any later versions of this model. Of course other models might exist but the Tour of Britain model seems to be one of their main models. BSA continues as a Indian brand with some very retro looking bikes and some children's models too.

https://bsa.in/