My first bike was a 250 greeves,then traded in for a super rocket circa 1965, bright red with a rocket decal on tank with the words "big valve,super rocket." Ah those were the days.Still ridin now at 78 after many yrs of enjoyment of bikes. Thanks for the memories.
My first bike was a 1957 Road Rocket. I had it for more than 30 years. I only sold it when I moved West - couldn’t take everything. The sights and sounds are bringing back many memories. Thanks Mike.
Many thanks Martin. I can’t wait to take it for a longer ride. I like to do the “ever increasing circles” around the neighbourhood until I have more confidence in it and then we’ll take it for a nice long ride. Best wishes, Mike
Always gratifying to hear them come back to life after a little break. I can’t seem to re-create that sound of removing the tennis ball from the front brake lever… must be a Brit bike characteristic. Thanks for sharing
Lovely, honest video of the realities of recommissioning a bike. Well done and she sounds sweet. I've grwon to love the wider bars on my classics and prefer them. Makes handling much better and is more comfortable IMO
Mike you have done a terrific job on “Road Rocket”, you know I was a pin striper for about forty years, I wish I lived a bit closer so I could touch up the work on your beautiful refurbishment! Please keep up the great work! willy
Sounds fab Mike & I rather like the bars too,though I have reinstated the Brit bars on my '55 Tiger 100.I got a new monobloc for my birthday a few years ago as despite constant fettling,tick over became dodgy after years of riding & the transformation was great.Love your videos,keep em coming.
What a nice video, it remains me the same few problems I got when I started my Ariel Huntmaster for the first time after its restoration. Very good job. "Mike the bike" could be also your nickname...
That was great, so good to hear it running nice. Made me want to go for a ride on my 1959 Super Rocket but the weather in England is too wet. My bike never needs choke and only the one tickle for first start of the day. ¼ throttle, advance lever ⅓ back and she starts 1st or 2nd kick. I had a problem with flooding a few years ago and the float was toò high. Set correct with a shim kit from Amal and been good since. All the jets, needle and settings are standard and I find it runs better with Champion plugs. Cheers.
I’ve just got round to watching this and what a lovely machine. I think I mentioned when you first got it that it was a bit too garey for my taste . I’ve eventually grown to really like it as all the tinkering videos have gone on. Now it’s running and sounds sweet…wow! Can’t wait for a longer blast when the warm weather comes, especially with your local scenery. I think the western bars are a definite change. Really enjoying the vlogmas series, carry on what👍🏻
Brilliant video Mike. I appreciate your sharing of the trouble shooting process as you sorted-out the carburation. And that couple in front of your neighbor's house for sale at the 17:15 mark in your video must have been extremely interested in that house. That's the only explanation I can think of for them not being drawn straight to the sight and sounds of such fine motor bike just up the street!
Reminds me of my 59 Super Rocket, which I owned through the 70's, assembled from a box of bits by my two brothers and me. I learnt all there is to know about british motorcycles from that, it took me to the Isle of Man twice! Ah the memories!
The Kawasaki W800 is the only motorcycle now with the 360 degree firing order. With fuel injection and a higher idle rpm it really does not sound like these any more. The w650 carburetor models seemed to be the last true british version of early twins
My first BSA was a 1967 441 Victor followed by a 1968 BSA 441 Shooting Star finally followed by a 1970 BSA Rocket 3 which I finally sold in the 1980s. The odd part of this tale is the fact that I always wanted the single carb version of the late sixties BSA Thunderbolt 650 and to this day I still think British bikes of the 50s and 60s are without peer in the looks and sound department😄!
Cool bike! I really enjoy your channel, thanks for putting it on. When Its too cold to ride I can ride with you and your pals from the comfort of my living room. About the possible flood issue, around 13 minutes into the video, you point out that you might suspect the fiber washer on the fuel inlet banjo. Where you had that washer was not going to affect the needle seat position. It would have to be under the needle seating against the body of the carb. This would raise the seating. You also changed plugs. That may very well have been your issue. Either way, it sounds sweet!
Reminds me of the first start up after you rebuilt the T110 Mike, happy days. The SR sounds a treat now, once you have those bars sorted to your liking & replacement cables you'll be away .. atvb t ..
sounds sweet, gorgeous looking period custom paint job. over fifty years of messing around with monoblocs and i did not know that about the dimple. could there have been a slight air leak at the manifold/carb' junction that contributed to the bad running, or would that have had it spitting back through the carb' ?. biggest surprise; Mike has cables 'made up', a man of his abilities. 'i don't believe it'!.
Hehe, thanks a lot for the tips. Yes, it is possible that there was a leak. I haven't truly identified the root cause, but I suspect that it was a blocked pilot / idle jet and over-flooding of the carbs which then fouled the plugs. I've always been a bit nervous about making my own brake cables, but I might look into it if I can't get a factory cable. Cheers, Mike
Brilliant!, I have a replica BSA a10 gold star, it was running very rich at first, though in my case it was a blocked air jet, it now runs perfectly. After owning 34 bikes, I still have 10 left ...... the BSA a10 is the best, it has only taken 50 years of looking to find it. ha!
It sounds just like my 10 bsa perfect, by the way you aren't as old as me you can start it,am fitting stater motors to mine, well the ones am going to ride, well done 👍
OK, Mike, In 1978, I was offered a 1956 BSA Road Rocket for £350 by a guy in Rastrick, West Yorkshire, I wanted a more modern machine so I bought a 1977 Triumph TR7RV Tiger 750 for £799. Hearing that Road Rocket makes me think if I made the right decision.
I bought a 77 Tiger 750 for £770 in 1988. Had it till 2003,went through 2 sets of main bearings even after fitting cartridge oil filter. Still got 4 bikes including a 1959 Matchlessg12,had it for 11 years and been really reliable apart from some dynamo surgery. Passed my test in 81 and I love old bikes(moto).x
The Monoblock on my A10 was pretty sensitive to contaminants. It would flood if anything even tiny found its way into the needle and seat. Every once and awhile I’d have to clean it when the bike was running too rich. I could always tell, because hot starts were a nuisance.
@ granted. I used to carry a screwdriver specifically sized for the job in the left side toolbox. Rode that bike all through college though, all in all it was a dependable bike.
Hey, Mike, congratulations! And by the way: on my T140 V (Tiger, so also 1 carb) tickling the carb is everything; if you do, it starts at the second kick; if not, it will never start… and YES, it is a VERY nice looking bike! Greetings from northern Germany Manfred
Hi Paul, I hope all is well. Yes I think that was part of it. I never fully determined what caused the problem, but my best guess is that the bike was running just fine in the beginning but then I believe the Pilot jet became blocked and then the bike started to run really rich, which fouled the plugs, which caused the bike to run even rougher. I'm going to change plugs again to Champion as recommended by the guys. Best wishes, Mike
Just the main jet size reduced? I wouldn't have thought that would have an effect at idle/transition to pilot but maybe monoblocs are weird. I was thinking idle mixture. As another commentor said there may have been some dirt ingress. Remember how well it started(unexpectedly) when you first bought it?
now this new type of fuel has not got the viscosty of the old stuff so the float dose not flaot rigth and sinks and with filter fitted you need a smaller main jet hope this help But I still waiting with baited breath to see some blue on the freatherbed frame on the Manxman and its cycle parts
What ultimately do you think was the cause Mike ? It was certainly running rough. Could it perhaps of been a plug ? That washer under the fuel banjo might of contributed. But I don’t think that would have made it that bad mate ? And those cowhorn ???? Handlebars ? They looked so wide. Anyways its wet and horrible here in England. Weather is due to break this coming weekend. So I am hoping to get out for an hour and blow the cobwebs away.\
A fine bike with a brightened up paint job- well done whoever did it! Just a hot Xmas tip for you - being of a certain (mature) age, it would be a very smart Health & Safety-related move to fab up - or buy - your own electro-powered starter rollers, to obviate further wear and tear on those 60 + ageing skeletal joints - knees especially - from kick-starting those recalcitrant Brit twins! Moreover, you only need eg. one unexpected backfire to cause permanent, irremediable knee injury (like the Oz Bigfella of ADV fame suffered starting up an old Brit single). My neighbour, an industrial mechanic, wore out his 2 knee joints, requriing major surgery to replace both. It has slowed him up considerably. as you might imagine. And consider converting any Brit twins you may own to electric start. Oh yeah and being pedantic, bio-physics wise, the least hazardous ie most ergonomically efficient, kickstart routine is to sit astride the bike, so that your right leg knee joint is parallel with & not angled to the downward thrust vector stroke (and possible kickback), and use your step-down bodyweight to reduce the muscular effort required, as powered via the knee joint. Bikes are fun, but most of us aint getting any younger and sadly the maxim 'a biker is as young as the woman he feels on the back' doesn't apply to the kick-start routine! Merry Xmas & Happy New Year.
I had two mates that were A10 specialists. Their bikes were work of art I'm a >Norton specialist. Honestly, when I have had a beer I might admit that an A10 sounds better than... However the paint job would not pass outside an English pub. You would be called ban LA Poofter
For the life of me I can't understand why Brit bikes left the factory with dangling control cables. I've put a 90 degree throttle cable guide and sensible routing on every Triumph I've ever owned, and I'm about to do the same on an A10.
My first bike was a 250 greeves,then traded in for a super rocket circa 1965, bright red with a rocket decal on tank with the words "big valve,super rocket." Ah those were the days.Still ridin now at 78 after many yrs of enjoyment of bikes. Thanks for the memories.
Many thanks for your great note. Cheers, Mike
I enjoyed watching you go round the cul-de-sac the British way!
Excellent video showing how to rectify issues - so many to find on old British bikes as I well know from experience!
My first bike was a 1957 Road Rocket. I had it for more than 30 years. I only sold it when I moved West - couldn’t take everything. The sights and sounds are bringing back many memories. Thanks Mike.
Great Vlog, Mike! But the bars have to go…haha!
The Rocket sounds sweet now Mike, there’s nothing like the sound of a British motorcycle 🇬🇧👍
Many thanks Martin. I can’t wait to take it for a longer ride. I like to do the “ever increasing circles” around the neighbourhood until I have more confidence in it and then we’ll take it for a nice long ride. Best wishes, Mike
With all respects to all of your other bikes, this is the coolest bike in your garage.
Love the blinking eyes on the tennis ball and the week sound when you removed it.
Bikes looking and sounds great
Good video, and cool bike! Thank you Mike! George from Hungary!
Thank you for an awesome video!
So happy for you and happy it’s running good!
Always gratifying to hear them come back to life after a little break. I can’t seem to re-create that sound of removing the tennis ball from the front brake lever… must be a Brit bike characteristic. Thanks for sharing
Great job, it’s amazing how many parts a simple looking carb like an Amal has 😁 Gooday from AUS 🇦🇺🦘
Great job in getting to run perfect and nice BSA.
Lovely, honest video of the realities of recommissioning a bike. Well done and she sounds sweet. I've grwon to love the wider bars on my classics and prefer them. Makes handling much better and is more comfortable IMO
Mike you have done a terrific job on “Road Rocket”, you know I was a pin striper for about forty years, I wish I lived a bit closer so I could touch up the work on your beautiful refurbishment!
Please keep up the great work!
willy
Sounds fab Mike & I rather like the bars too,though I have reinstated the Brit bars on my '55 Tiger 100.I got a new monobloc for my birthday a few years ago as despite constant fettling,tick over became dodgy after years of riding & the transformation was great.Love your videos,keep em coming.
What a nice video, it remains me the same few problems I got when I started my Ariel Huntmaster for the first time after its restoration.
Very good job. "Mike the bike" could be also your nickname...
😊 love the excitement displayed when you got it right! Why all the for sale signs in the neighborhood? 😂
That was great, so good to hear it running nice. Made me want to go for a ride on my 1959 Super Rocket but the weather in England is too wet. My bike never needs choke and only the one tickle for first start of the day. ¼ throttle, advance lever ⅓ back and she starts 1st or 2nd kick. I had a problem with flooding a few years ago and the float was toò high. Set correct with a shim kit from Amal and been good since. All the jets, needle and settings are standard and I find it runs better with Champion plugs. Cheers.
Champion.
I’ve just got round to watching this and what a lovely machine. I think I mentioned when you first got it that it was a bit too garey for my taste . I’ve eventually grown to really like it as all the tinkering videos have gone on. Now it’s running and sounds sweet…wow! Can’t wait for a longer blast when the warm weather comes, especially with your local scenery. I think the western bars are a definite change.
Really enjoying the vlogmas series, carry on what👍🏻
hi mike sounds and looks great love the BSA A10s well done GB
Brilliant video Mike. I appreciate your sharing of the trouble shooting process as you sorted-out the carburation. And that couple in front of your neighbor's house for sale at the 17:15 mark in your video must have been extremely interested in that house. That's the only explanation I can think of for them not being drawn straight to the sight and sounds of such fine motor bike just up the street!
😉😉 I did go and meet the new neighbor and he seemed reasonably interested in the bikes... we'll see 😉😉
Always an adventure working on older mechanical stuff, Mike. Persistence pays off! 👍 Cheers! 😃🏍
Just the best. Wish I had your skills Mike. And of those in the club your ways too.
The Super Rocket moves on very well and sounds sweet. Enjoyed the video Mike and RIDE SAFE OUT THERE!
Hello Mike très belle BSA et vidéo ,merci
Reminds me of my 59 Super Rocket, which I owned through the 70's, assembled from a box of bits by my two brothers and me. I learnt all there is to know about british motorcycles from that, it took me to the Isle of Man twice! Ah the memories!
Those bars are pretty badass Mike, I say keep them. "Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against?" "What do you got?"
The BSA sounds great!!!
Bring back the 360 crank, what a glorious sound.
The Kawasaki W800 is the only motorcycle now with the 360 degree firing order. With fuel injection and a higher idle rpm it really does not sound like these any more. The w650 carburetor models seemed to be the last true british version of early twins
@Anilkarnam Ironically, it's not available in the UK.
Well done Mike! Another Bezza ready for action!👍
Tennis balls on the brake and clutch levers are a brilliant idea!
Hee hee, yes, they have saved me a few times! Best wishes, Scott
What an awesome machine!
My first BSA was a 1967 441 Victor followed by a 1968 BSA 441 Shooting Star finally followed by a 1970 BSA Rocket 3 which I finally sold in the 1980s. The odd part of this tale is the fact that I always wanted the single carb version of the late sixties BSA Thunderbolt 650 and to this day I still think British bikes of the 50s and 60s are without peer in the looks and sound department😄!
I’m loving the spark plug gap closing tool, affective and cheap, I must get one! What a great looking (and sounding) bike you have there.
Neighbors love you ;-) 🙂no better sound at sunday morning brunch.
Superb detective work!
Simply magnificent bike! 😍😍
Such a nice bike real excited for you mate!
Many thanks for your kind words, I appreciate it!
Cool bike! I really enjoy your channel, thanks for putting it on. When Its too cold to ride I can ride with you and your pals from the comfort of my living room. About the possible flood issue, around 13 minutes into the video, you point out that you might suspect the fiber washer on the fuel inlet banjo. Where you had that washer was not going to affect the needle seat position. It would have to be under the needle seating against the body of the carb. This would raise the seating. You also changed plugs. That may very well have been your issue. Either way, it sounds sweet!
Reminds me of the first start up after you rebuilt the T110 Mike, happy days.
The SR sounds a treat now, once you have those bars sorted to your liking & replacement cables you'll be away .. atvb t ..
Awesome...just awesome.
Really enjoyed viewing.
sounds sweet, gorgeous looking period custom paint job.
over fifty years of messing around with monoblocs and i did not know that about the dimple.
could there have been a slight air leak at the manifold/carb' junction that contributed to the bad running, or would that have had it spitting back through the carb' ?.
biggest surprise; Mike has cables 'made up', a man of his abilities. 'i don't believe it'!.
Hehe, thanks a lot for the tips. Yes, it is possible that there was a leak. I haven't truly identified the root cause, but I suspect that it was a blocked pilot / idle jet and over-flooding of the carbs which then fouled the plugs. I've always been a bit nervous about making my own brake cables, but I might look into it if I can't get a factory cable. Cheers, Mike
Nice sound it makes, love to hear it at full song!
Great job Mike! Just takes a little patience to sort it out🙂
Sounds sweet.
Brilliant!, I have a replica BSA a10 gold star, it was running very rich at first, though in my case it was a blocked air jet, it now runs perfectly. After owning 34 bikes, I still have 10 left ...... the BSA a10 is the best, it has only taken 50 years of looking to find it. ha!
Nice tennis ball eyes blinking. Ha ha.
It’s a real hardship having to do all those test rides 🤣😂🇬🇧
Very beautiful bike! I had a mid 60’s 650 Lightning in the late eighties, but I sold it because I didn’t know how to work on it.
Great, interesting video, so what did you put the problem down to? main jet, plugs or something else
I liked the blinking tennis ball😮
The float is catching on the screw hole/boss causing it to flood, take a few thou. off the plastic where the float is joined in the middle.
WOW! That bike is fire❤🔥. Were the plugs fouled initially? It has the most mellifluous exhaust sound. Congrats!.
I had one, just gave her a little tickle, and she would start first kick, mine had up swept burrges silencers, always wanted a rocket goldy.
the plastic float can cause flooding amal now have a stay up float with brass ears as the plastic ones can stick on the float valve
The Fuel level problem is due to you fitting a washer Under the valve seat. On monoblocks it's the seat sets the level. Not the filter/washer.
It sounds just like my 10 bsa perfect, by the way you aren't as old as me you can start it,am fitting stater motors to mine, well the ones am going to ride, well done 👍
Many thanks John. Best wishes, Mike
OK, Mike, In 1978, I was offered a 1956 BSA Road Rocket for £350 by a guy in Rastrick, West Yorkshire, I wanted a more modern machine so I bought a 1977 Triumph TR7RV Tiger 750 for £799. Hearing that Road Rocket makes me think if I made the right decision.
I bought a 77 Tiger 750 for £770 in 1988.
Had it till 2003,went through 2 sets of main bearings even after fitting cartridge oil filter.
Still got 4 bikes including a 1959 Matchlessg12,had it for 11 years and been really reliable apart from some dynamo surgery.
Passed my test in 81 and I love old bikes(moto).x
The Monoblock on my A10 was pretty sensitive to contaminants. It would flood if anything even tiny found its way into the needle and seat. Every once and awhile I’d have to clean it when the bike was running too rich. I could always tell, because hot starts were a nuisance.
My monobloc floods every time I open the taps, but all I have to do is hit it on the side with the screwdriver handle.
@ granted. I used to carry a screwdriver specifically sized for the job in the left side toolbox. Rode that bike all through college though, all in all it was a dependable bike.
One of the best BSA engines.
Well done Mike! However, I'd be tempted to lower the fuel level closer to the mark as this will reduce any propensity for over-richness.
Those bars are like a Texas longhorn.
Hey, Mike, congratulations! And by the way: on my T140 V (Tiger, so also 1 carb) tickling the carb is everything; if you do, it starts at the second kick; if not, it will never start… and YES, it is a VERY nice looking bike! Greetings from northern Germany Manfred
Shouldn't the Tiger be a TR7RV, not a T140V, that's a Bonneville.
Thought you’d like to know that back ‘ome, it’s dark, it’s raining and we’re definitely NOT wearing sunglasses!😮
Hi Mike, I’m halfway through watching the video but am wondering if your poor running is due to fouled plugs
Hi Paul, I hope all is well. Yes I think that was part of it. I never fully determined what caused the problem, but my best guess is that the bike was running just fine in the beginning but then I believe the Pilot jet became blocked and then the bike started to run really rich, which fouled the plugs, which caused the bike to run even rougher. I'm going to change plugs again to Champion as recommended by the guys. Best wishes, Mike
I bet your neighbours love you 😂
😀😀 They are very understanding and I don't see them much... hopefully they are not hiding behind the curtains 😀
The carb definitely needs to be synched - just kidding.
😀😀
Just the main jet size reduced?
I wouldn't have thought that would have an effect at idle/transition to pilot but maybe monoblocs are weird. I was thinking idle mixture. As another commentor said there may have been some dirt ingress.
Remember how well it started(unexpectedly) when you first bought it?
Too bad motorcycles can’t talk, I’ll bet that one has some stories to tell. It looks and sounds brilliant.
now this new type of fuel has not got the viscosty of the old stuff so the float dose not flaot rigth and sinks and with filter fitted you need a smaller main jet hope this help But I still waiting with baited breath to see some blue on the freatherbed frame on the Manxman and its cycle parts
What ultimately do you think was the cause Mike ? It was certainly running rough. Could it perhaps of been a plug ? That washer under the fuel banjo might of contributed. But I don’t think that would have made it that bad mate ? And those cowhorn ???? Handlebars ? They looked so wide. Anyways its wet and horrible here in England. Weather is due to break this coming weekend. So I am hoping to get out for an hour and blow the cobwebs away.\
A fine bike with a brightened up paint job- well done whoever did it! Just a hot Xmas tip for you - being of a certain (mature) age, it would be a very smart Health & Safety-related move to fab up - or buy - your own electro-powered starter rollers, to obviate further wear and tear on those 60 + ageing skeletal joints - knees especially - from kick-starting those recalcitrant Brit twins! Moreover, you only need eg. one unexpected backfire to cause permanent, irremediable knee injury (like the Oz Bigfella of ADV fame suffered starting up an old Brit single). My neighbour, an industrial mechanic, wore out his 2 knee joints, requriing major surgery to replace both. It has slowed him up considerably. as you might imagine. And consider converting any Brit twins you may own to electric start. Oh yeah and being pedantic, bio-physics wise, the least hazardous ie most ergonomically efficient, kickstart routine is to sit astride the bike, so that your right leg knee joint is parallel with & not angled to the downward thrust vector stroke (and possible kickback), and use your step-down bodyweight to reduce the muscular effort required, as powered via the knee joint. Bikes are fun, but most of us aint getting any younger and sadly the maxim 'a biker is as young as the woman he feels on the back' doesn't apply to the kick-start routine! Merry Xmas & Happy New Year.
It sounded like it was running on one cylinder. Probably fouled out a plug when it was so rich.
I had two mates that were A10 specialists. Their bikes were work of art I'm a >Norton specialist. Honestly, when I have had a beer I might admit that an A10 sounds better than... However the paint job would not pass outside an English pub. You would be called ban LA Poofter
Is that an irregular exhaust note, or are the neighbour's windows rattling??
Had a 59 super rocket never used the choke 19:25
👍
I see where your trouble is: Blinky the tennis ball cursed your carburetor because you didn’t take him along for the ride.
Ain't it annoying how the handle bar levers are at head height when the stand is raised 🙄.
NGKs are fouling easier than Champions when the engine is running too rich
Patient genius! Get new bars.
Cool bike! I have totally given up on those Ewart's type petcocks after much frustration. fecked sells some very nice quality vintage looking taps
For the life of me I can't understand why Brit bikes left the factory with dangling control cables. I've put a 90 degree throttle cable guide and sensible routing on every Triumph I've ever owned, and I'm about to do the same on an A10.
That's a great idea, thank you! I will add that to my clipboard 😉
Those bars are like a Texas longhorn.