I bought one exactly like that new. Had it for about 20 years. Great power and handling but you must fit a cartridge oil filter in the return or else the crank sludge trap blocks in 20,000 miles and trashes the bottom end. I recall the riding position was absolutely perfect, just natural.
I owned a lightning identical colour here in Australia in mid 70s until I was hit by a truck which wrote the BSA off and put me off work for 8 months. Until I saw this video I had not seen another one the same colour. Mine wasn’t as nice as this one but still loved it. Last I heard of it it was in Tamworth NSW, repaired and rebuilt. I think it was a 1971model.
Nice job! I had the 1st year of the OIF Beezers - 1971, a Thunderbolt. Euro version w/ larger, sculpted tank, bike painted in 'Rolls-Royce Green', slightly metallic, dark green, shorter bars. About 15 of these made it to the U.S. - mainly S. Cal. & a few to S. Arizona. The fork legs were polished for the '72 models. 'Loved my T-Bolt!
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽. Excelente y maravillosas reconstrucciones. Son modelos que marcaron un tiempo, una clase de vida, un estilo y que han originado otros modelos un siglo mas tarde inspirados en ellos.👍🏽💓🏆
I absolutely loved my Lightning. I found a British bike repairer who fixed the oil leaking problem. The main issue is pressure builds up in the primary chain case and cant escape so blows the gasket creating the leak. The fix is to drill hole/holes from chaincase through to the sump at original oil level. Remove the oil seal on the main bearing in the chain case and the oil level is maintained for lubrication of the chain, the excess drains back to the sump and no oil leak.
I remember seeing these "more modern" BSA's on the covers of motorcycle magazines of the day. Couldn't get enough of those classic British bikes...they had character, they had style. Funny thing is I don't ever recall seeing one on streets. I guess buyers were more interested in Honda's CB750 about that time. Great bikes but didn't have the "charisma" of Triumphs, BSA's or Nortons, at least not for me.
I had a blast in the late sixties and early 70's on a 1964 BSA Thunderbolt! I also built 1966 bsa tHINDERBOLT IN 1988. Both were dependable and smooth. I don't know where these people get the vibration complaint. Maybe cause they were Lightnings with 2 carbs?
A mate of mine asked if he could leave his 71 BSA lightning in my garage ....how could I refuse? He left me the keys and told me to keep the battery charged...,.I only took it for one ride ..... Boy it was fast it was nimble and I had a grin a mile wide
Estas motos son muy sensibles con la alimentación. Qué carburadores y chicles lleva esta unidad? He probado mil combinaciones con una moto igual y el ralentí tengo que dejarlo siempre alto para evitar que se cale cuando se calienta y no consigo que vaya mas alla de 120...
Haces unos trabajos impecables, con mucha calidad y bien terminado. Eres muy bueno tío, sigue así. Una pregunta. ¿Cómo se matriculó esa moto en España porque en el 72 no abia importador de BSA aquí y veo q se matriculó nueva aquí en el 72? ¿Que entró por las islas?
Hola Diego. Las restricciones con la importación de motos, solo fue con el Japón. Curiosa causa (por ejemplo) de que se importaran las caras Japauto como fabricación francesa, cuando en realidad eran unas Honda. Gracias y un saludo. Loscar
Hello Roger. At the beginning of the video I make a small comment. It's a job for a friend. The pretty BSA just needed a little love😉😊. Best wishes, Loscar.
@@LoscarMotorcycles Hello and thank you. Yes, indeed, you did and what a fortunate friend to receive back his precious machine "as new"! By the way, I recall a road test of the 1970 model in Motor Cycle Sport, here in the UK. Despite being the most powerful and fastest British 650-twin, the tester achieved only 103, the vibration so intense. I have a hunch that will not apply to your friend's! Best regards, Roger. PS Several of your other videos have also brought great enjoyment and admiration. I'll try to watch the remaining ones as rapidly as time allows. I h
Thanks for this vid! I had one of these. A 1972. I bitterly regret getting rid of it but I was only 18. Got it new but the main bearings only lasted three thousand miles. All the machine tools in the BSA factory were by that time completely worn out so what you got was pot luck. Also, unlike a Bonneville, the crank was at 180 degrees so the vibration was ridiculous like a single. Faster than a Bonny though!😀 Zener diode was another weak pint. Edit: I seem to remember that there was a firm who offered what was called a Devimead conversion to fit roller bearings to the mains which supposedly cured the crank bearing problems. PS. The bike you have is I think the export model?
It was 360 crank.Are you sure yours wasn`t only working on one cylinder ,actually making it a single? THe garbage BSA were throwing out at this time ,then anything was possible
BillyCaspersGhost 360 degree crank i meant. I thought that essentially the reason the vibration was so bad was because with lightning both pistons went up and down together whilst on the Bonny they didn't?
The twin 360 ° parallel cylinders designed by Val Page and Turner leave since 1937 and were the most common type on British motorcycles. Crankshaft vibrations balanced only by counterweights caused many problems. In fact in this year, 1972 they were still solving the breaking of the bearings with the new "Superblend" in Norton. Only with the invention of Isolastic, they extended the agony a little more. But our passion for British irons and tons of nostalgia will always forgive EVERYTHING!! 😊😊😊 Best wishes, loscar
The British bikes were by far the most beautiful and best sounding but the Hondas of the same era you could get on and ride virtually trouble free for tens of thousands of miles. Shame on you British bike industry. You were the absolute King of the Mountain and you let it slip through your fingers. Even the massive industry of the United States only had the piece of crap Harley-Davidson, which at that point, who's machine tools were completely worn out and were turning out garbage that brand new, had to be rebuilt by the dealer to be rideable. You limey's should have stayed on top of your game.
Hi Mitchael. Thank you for your comment, but I'm sorry to contradict you, because it's the other way around.😌 ”In 71 the color of the frame was" dove gray "and in 72 black. That Lightning was in totally original condition with very little use. I only did what you see in the video. A general overhaul and tune-up with just the paint on the tank and the side covers. Best regards and thanks for commenting. Loscar✌👍
@@LoscarMotorcycles the other fella is right 1971 first six month dove grey and orange, second half of 1971 black frame and orange - 1972 red tank and side panels and black frame. you have a 1971 model or you have a 1972 in the wrong colors. post the engine number and put an end to the debate
@@johnnymoped The truth is that I did not look it up in the BSA archives and now I am also intrigued by this question. That's the number A65L GE10384. Thank you for your interest in resolving this debate! 😊 Loscar
@@LoscarMotorcycles A65L = Lightning G = July E = 1971. there you have it, you have a July 1971 A65L which would be painted in the colors you have shown, Bronze/white with black frame. The error is you thinking you have a 1972 model. I have a DE which grey frame,
I am not a professional and I only restore my bikes as a hobby and also because I am located in Spain. I'm sorry, Lome. Thank you very much for your interest and for watching my videos. My best wishes. Loscar✌
@@SS-sh6ww Thank you very much for the enthusiasm 😊. I have very good memories of your wonderful country. Please take care of yourselves and stay safe. My best wishes. Loscar✌👍
@@LoscarMotorcycles I just wanted to request if it would be possible if you could build for some Spanish Classic Bikes like Bultaco, Ossa, Motesa etc.. It would be fun to watch !
I studied industrial design in the 1980s, and remember how modern this kind of design looked then, and how well it still looks. Great restoration!
Beautiful BSA... thanks for restoration and memories.,an era when every motorcycle was British ,well most ! ..frm NZ.
Fab ! love the look of this gorgeous bike , great resto.
I bought one exactly like that new. Had it for about 20 years. Great power and handling but you must fit a cartridge oil filter in the return or else the crank sludge trap blocks in 20,000 miles and trashes the bottom end. I recall the riding position was absolutely perfect, just natural.
Yes, I loved the riding position too. It had great power to weight ratio, impressive acceleration and handled very well. Wish I'd never sold it
One of the best looking bikes of that era! Beautiful!
I think the same as your friend.Cheers, Loscar
Still love the music as well as the video - working on y 1971 A65 FS right now.
I still think that the 1970 BSA was the best looking. Had one for about 10 years.
man..i recall these in dealerships when i was 16...ended up with a Z1 but i loved the style of the BSA
Stunning Beautiful. Great work.
Great video, a stock unit many were customized in the 70s. These bikes gave a great riding experience and handling for the times. I miss mine.
You can elongate those trunnion s on comical front break to give your self more purchase muttz nutts UK made a solution
I miss mine too.
Absolument superbe travail de restauration. Bravo! Quelle belle machine de notre jeunesse qu'on ne pouvait pas se payer hélas.
What a beauty ! Classic Brit iron at its best. Nice restoration 👌
Thank a lot! Cheers, Loscar
I owned a lightning identical colour here in Australia in mid 70s until I was hit by a truck which wrote the BSA off and put me off work for 8 months. Until I saw this video I had not seen another one the same colour. Mine wasn’t as nice as this one but still loved it. Last I heard of it it was in Tamworth NSW, repaired and rebuilt. I think it was a 1971model.
Yes they were a little unloved back in day TRI/bsa were rubbis for seat height conical brake etc but beauty in the
Beauty in the I of beholder also loved hi pipe f/ bird scramble r
Nice job! I had the 1st year of the OIF Beezers - 1971, a Thunderbolt. Euro version w/ larger, sculpted tank, bike painted in 'Rolls-Royce Green', slightly metallic, dark green, shorter bars. About 15 of these made it to the U.S. - mainly S. Cal. & a few to S. Arizona. The fork legs were polished for the '72 models. 'Loved my T-Bolt!
I also love this bike. I had many bikes but never this one. I appréciate your work. You are a real master in motorcycle restoration. Congratulations.
In the beginning all I see is a pile of parts, but you had the vision, you saw the masterpiece hiding inside. Well done my friend, well done.
From memory the key was in a nasty position like 71/72 triumphs! But beautiful looking m/c
Great video as usual, great viewing to us that remember these lovely machines 👍👍😎
Thank you! Best wishes, loscar
Beautiful restoration. Thank God it wasn't as trashed as many others from the outset.
Beautiful machine. I love the shape of that tank and the colours.
Another beauty!
A pleasure Gerk. Thank you very much for your note. Best regards, Loscar ✌️
Truly splendid !!
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽. Excelente y maravillosas reconstrucciones. Son modelos que marcaron un tiempo, una clase de vida, un estilo y que han originado otros modelos un siglo mas tarde inspirados en ellos.👍🏽💓🏆
beautifull bikes,.....and nice music taste ( jazz guitar)
Don't know much about them, but i do like the BSA lightning , as a alternative to the Triumph Bonneville, great workmanship as always .
Cool Jazz.
As always, great job, beautiful bike.
For me a Song describes what you do..."Welcome to My World" past previous owners see their prayers and search for you. Friend, Vince. 6/29/22.
superior talent
😊A pleasure Williams and thank you for your note. Thank you very much for watching my videos. My best wishes. Loscar✌👍
I absolutely loved my Lightning. I found a British bike repairer who fixed the oil leaking problem. The main issue is pressure builds up in the primary chain case and cant escape so blows the gasket creating the leak. The fix is to drill hole/holes from chaincase through to the sump at original oil level. Remove the oil seal on the main bearing in the chain case and the oil level is maintained for lubrication of the chain, the excess drains back to the sump and no oil leak.
Classic motorcycles sound so much better than modern ones of today's day and age.
Really?
Bellissima complimenti
A thing of beauty...
Totally true. Thanks for watching my videos. Best regards Loscar 👍
I remember seeing these "more modern" BSA's on the covers of motorcycle magazines of the day. Couldn't get enough of those classic British bikes...they
had character, they had style. Funny thing is I don't ever recall seeing one on
streets. I guess buyers were more interested in Honda's CB750 about that time.
Great bikes but didn't have the "charisma" of Triumphs, BSA's or Nortons, at
least not for me.
excellent
Nice work!
Lovely bike. For me BSA gained cult status when one was featured in the 1970's film IF with Malcolm Mc Dowall being the rebel riding it.
Happy Christmas Loscar from the smoky Dragon (Cardiff) uk….Love your stuff ...and Keep on Building
A pleasure Martin. Thank you very much for your note. Best regards, Loscar
Beautiful.
So nice! I love your videos and all the details! Great music too! Cheers!!
Thanks very much for your nice comment. I really appreciate it.Best wishes to you and your family. Cheers, Loscar ✌️
@@LoscarMotorcycles And to yours! Be well!!
when i was growing up old enough to drive I had bought one iI liked it same color and everthing until it rained so i sold it
I had a blast in the late sixties and early 70's on a 1964 BSA Thunderbolt! I also built 1966 bsa tHINDERBOLT IN 1988. Both were dependable and smooth. I don't know where these people get the vibration complaint. Maybe cause they were Lightnings with 2 carbs?
belle couleur belle machine nickel chrome bravo loscar motorcycles
The music sounds a bit old ))) and im a bit dizzy after that road test, EXCELLENT WORK AND A BEAUTIFUL BIKE
Hi Jim. Yes, too many laps Haha! But I can't think of another way to see the bike. Best regards Loscar
very nice
😊A pleasure Richard. Thank you very much for watching my videos. My best wishes. Loscar✌👍
engine sound 👌👌👌👌👍
you do some beautiful work mate
😊A pleasure Rod. Thank you very much for watching my videos. My best wishes. Loscar
Now if I can get my TX650 to run like that...
Cool bike. I've always liked the metal strip down the top of the tank. I'm getting a little dizzy with all the riding in circles at the end.
Ha ha! Yes, it's true Dave 🤦♂️ Too many laps. I will try to do better. Thanks for comment. With the best wishes . Loscar✌
My bsa heart sank after 1970.!
A mate of mine asked if he could leave his 71 BSA lightning in my garage ....how could I refuse? He left me the keys and told me to keep the battery charged...,.I only took it for one ride ..... Boy it was fast it was nimble and I had a grin a mile wide
😊That is having a good friend! Thanks for comment✌
Estas motos son muy sensibles con la alimentación. Qué carburadores y chicles lleva esta unidad? He probado mil combinaciones con una moto igual y el ralentí tengo que dejarlo siempre alto para evitar que se cale cuando se calienta y no consigo que vaya mas alla de 120...
The music sounds a bit old)) im a bit dizzy after watching that road test, Excellent work and a beautiful bike
Haces unos trabajos impecables, con mucha calidad y bien terminado. Eres muy bueno tío, sigue así. Una pregunta. ¿Cómo se matriculó esa moto en España porque en el 72 no abia importador de BSA aquí y veo q se matriculó nueva aquí en el 72? ¿Que entró por las islas?
Hola Diego. Las restricciones con la importación de motos, solo fue con el Japón.
Curiosa causa (por ejemplo) de que se importaran las caras Japauto como fabricación francesa, cuando en realidad eran unas Honda.
Gracias y un saludo. Loscar
These bikes have Hemi heads🏆
Another wonderful video. Who wrote that music?
Goodness me, as new, half a century on. What an achievement. Have you kept it or sold it to someone very lucky?
Hello Roger. At the beginning of the video I make a small comment. It's a job for a friend.
The pretty BSA just needed a little love😉😊.
Best wishes, Loscar.
@@LoscarMotorcycles Hello and thank you. Yes, indeed, you did and what a fortunate friend to receive back his precious machine "as new"! By the way, I recall a road test of the 1970 model in Motor Cycle Sport, here in the UK. Despite being the most powerful and fastest British 650-twin, the tester achieved only 103, the vibration so intense. I have a hunch that will not apply to your friend's! Best regards, Roger.
PS Several of your other videos have also brought great enjoyment and admiration. I'll try to watch the remaining ones as rapidly as time allows.
I h
Nice Job ! Loscar ,What amount of Euro do I need to have to buy such a restored BSA from you?
Thanks for this vid! I had one of these. A 1972. I bitterly regret getting rid of it but I was only 18. Got it new but the main bearings only lasted three thousand miles. All the machine tools in the BSA factory were by that time completely worn out so what you got was pot luck. Also, unlike a Bonneville, the crank was at 180 degrees so the vibration was ridiculous like a single. Faster than a Bonny though!😀 Zener diode was another weak pint.
Edit: I seem to remember that there was a firm who offered what was called a Devimead conversion to fit roller bearings to the mains which supposedly cured the crank bearing problems.
PS. The bike you have is I think the export model?
360 crank
It was 360 crank.Are you sure yours wasn`t only working on one cylinder ,actually making it a single?
THe garbage BSA were throwing out at this time ,then anything was possible
BillyCaspersGhost 360 degree crank i meant. I thought that essentially the reason the vibration was so bad was because with lightning both pistons went up and down together whilst on the Bonny they didn't?
The twin 360 ° parallel cylinders designed by Val Page and Turner leave since 1937 and were the most common type on British motorcycles. Crankshaft vibrations balanced only by counterweights caused many problems. In fact in this year, 1972 they were still solving the breaking of the bearings with the new "Superblend" in Norton. Only with the invention of Isolastic, they extended the agony a little more. But our passion for British irons and tons of nostalgia will always forgive EVERYTHING!! 😊😊😊 Best wishes, loscar
Have same bike
Larry Carlton?
The British bikes were by far the most beautiful and best sounding but the Hondas of the same era you could get on and ride virtually trouble free for tens of thousands of miles. Shame on you British bike industry. You were the absolute King of the Mountain and you let it slip through your fingers. Even the massive industry of the United States only had the piece of crap Harley-Davidson, which at that point, who's machine tools were completely worn out and were turning out garbage that brand new, had to be rebuilt by the dealer to be rideable. You limey's should have stayed on top of your game.
Did you clean out the infamous 'sludge trap'?
72 didn't come in that color. That color was 71 with a grey frame.
Hi Mitchael. Thank you for your comment, but I'm sorry to contradict you, because it's the other way around.😌 ”In 71 the color of the frame was" dove gray "and in 72 black. That Lightning was in totally original condition with very little use. I only did what you see in the video. A general overhaul and tune-up with just the paint on the tank and the side covers.
Best regards and thanks for commenting. Loscar✌👍
@@LoscarMotorcycles the other fella is right 1971 first six month dove grey and orange, second half of 1971 black frame and orange - 1972 red tank and side panels and black frame. you have a 1971 model or you have a 1972 in the wrong colors. post the engine number and put an end to the debate
@@johnnymoped The truth is that I did not look it up in the BSA archives and now I am also intrigued by this question. That's the number A65L GE10384.
Thank you for your interest in resolving this debate! 😊 Loscar
@@LoscarMotorcycles A65L = Lightning G = July E = 1971. there you have it, you have a July 1971 A65L which would be painted in the colors you have shown, Bronze/white with black frame. The error is you thinking you have a 1972 model. I have a DE which grey frame,
@@johnnymoped Thanks Johnny. The registration date was in 1972 and that has been my mistake🙏😌. Thank you for your clarifications. Kind regards. Loscar
Where are you located? If in US do you offer a restoration service?
I am not a professional and I only restore my bikes as a hobby and also because I am located in Spain. I'm sorry, Lome. Thank you very much for your interest and for watching my videos. My best wishes. Loscar✌
@@LoscarMotorcycles You do exceptionally good work. Stay safe
Are you from Spain?
Yes 😊 Greetings from Spain✌
@@LoscarMotorcycles You are extremely Talented.. Luv your clean work 😍... Luv & Hugs from India 💞
@@SS-sh6ww Thank you very much for the enthusiasm 😊. I have very good memories of your wonderful country. Please take care of yourselves and stay safe.
My best wishes. Loscar✌👍
@@LoscarMotorcycles I just wanted to request if it would be possible if you could build for some Spanish Classic Bikes like Bultaco, Ossa, Motesa etc.. It would be fun to watch !
Une si belle moto pour la voir juste tournée en rond ?
Had the same model in the late 70’s complete with sidecar, very unreliable unfortunately
Rebuild ? Change gaskets and destroy the surface of the cylinderhead I dont't call it a rebuild