Norfolk based Gold Star expert Phil Pearson is a mechanical engineer who has worked with Gold Stars for over 35 years. His own DBD34 has benefited from his vast experience, firstly with his Suzuki clutch conversion and the Weber float needle and pressed up flywheel assembly with which he has led the field. A 4LS front brake for the 190mm unit with no visible outside difference is now under development. It will be a direct replacement for the original.

Phil can make a Goldie engine to any size or specification you want. Whether you want an over-square 250 or a 98 x 90mm 623cc thumper, Phil can make it at no extra charge. He owns all of his own engine patterns which he has had cast locally. These include barrels, rocker boxes, float bowls, carb bodies, timing covers, bronze rev counter drives etc.

Incidentally the DBD cylinder pattern had to be made with metal fins, as a previous wooden finned pattern would not cast the fins true. The castings are made from LM25 aluminium and heat-treated. Attention to detail is of great importance to Phil and his cylinders even have the air gap between the push rod tunnel, to allow for better cooling just like the original BSA ones! All castings are machined by Phil.

Other trick parts for Goldie enthusiasts who wants to get the very best from their BSA include vernier cams, which are made from the original drawing supplied by the late Roland Pike. The vast range of parts available include forged pistons, valves, bearings etc. Gas flowing, valve seat inserts, head repairs and race tuning are Phil Pearson specialities.
All the work is done by Phil in his Norfolk workshop, where all the machinery and jigs relate to the BSA Gold Star.

Phil started his engineering apprenticeship within the trade, and has a wide experience of diesel and petrol engines. Working for eight years with local firm Newtown Motors as top mechanic gave him a vast knowledge of engine and gearbox repairs on everything from a BSA Bantam to the V12
Jaguar, with the odd lawn mower in between. He then ran his own repair business for 12 years.

Sub-contracting to an oil company kept him busy with the manufacture of wireline units on which he designed a fully floating measuring system capable of reaching 20,000 feet under the sea. Other designs include a reverse drive gearbox driven from the engine management shutdown system, and a spooling system that enables the "slickline" to be wrapped under extreme pressure onto its drum to eliminate fouling.

Phil has owned three Gold Stars: a 350 and a 500DB, and his current DBD that has been with him for 20 years. The 350 is a stronger motor as it's less stressed and the Gold Star was made as a 350. It has often been said that a good 350 will out run a 500. Phil's answer to that is: "It's not a
good 500."

Phil's first motorcycle was a BSA Bantam Major which was soon replaced with a 250cc Ariel Arrow Super Sports. Phil tuned this by putting balsa wood in the balance holes of the flywheels to increase crankcase compression and machining the cylinder heads to give a 12:1 CR. These mods pushed the machine to just over 90mph. The Arrow was then replaced with a 650 BSA Super Rocket. Again it wasn't long before a pair of 9:1 pistons, Spitfire cam and a big valve head was fitted. The Gold Stars then followed with the odd Triumph and Norton in between.

Phil has covered over 40,000 miles on his present DBD, mainly two-up with his wife Linda as pillion. Linda takes an active part in his business and not just in the administration department, as she often dons a pair of overalls and helps out in the workshop.