I have owned 3 Triumphs ( '69 250 Trophy , '67 and '69 Bonnevilles ) , but always loved the BSA style . All the British bikes were great looking . Thank you for posting , as well as the history .
@@MOS6510Models Not really. I had one (70's). Spent a fortue on it, rebuilds, etc. POS. Good for a work commute, useless if you wanted to go anywhere trouble free. Thank you Japan!
@@skysurferuk BSA was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world at one time, no one gets to be world leader in anything, if their products are as bad as you claim. I had a BSA 350 B40 that I used to ride to work and it was as reliable as any Japanese bike, even if it didnt have indicators and an electric starter. My friend had a BSA M20 attached to a sidecar and he would agree with its description in the video as one of the most reliable bikes ever. Most British bikes were very reliable and I've owned and ridden many of them.
As a kid growing up in a small bedfordshire village I remember guy in our street had a 650 lightning, I used to talk to him as he was cleaning it fascinated by the blue header pipes. That's where my love of bikes began, approximately 57 years later I'm still riding, Thank you Paul carpenter really nice guy who had time to talk to a smitten young lad .
Sorry I'm so late to the party but what a wonderful story! This is why I always give my time to any youngster that has a question or seems interested in motorcycles. That memory sticks just as well as does the knucklehead who tells a kid off for asking too many questions. Always try to encourage an inquisitive young, or old!, mind!
I owned a 650 lightning rocket (1965 ?). It had the best looking engine of any motorcycle I’ve ever seen. And a beautiful sound unlike any other bike I’ve heard. Not as loud as the newer “V” twins, but sweeter. I loved that bike. Wish I still had it.
bonkey dollocks that was around 1971. Had too many old folks pull out in front of me. Decided to sell it for my own good. Now I’m one of those old folks.....and I REALLY try hard to watch out for the motorcycles.
I am a 70 year old formulation chemist, and my first bike bought in 1970 was a used 1965 BSA Teardrop Lightening. It was great sounding, great looking, but...it was a mechanical nightmare. It leaked oil,it was difficult to start from cold,the electric lights only worked intermittently, and I was constantly fixing things like the clutch, fuel system and a myriad of other details to keep it running. My cousin owned a 1963 Y Engine BSA. It was rare that we could get both bikes to run at the same time. I loved British cars, owning a new 1973 TR6 and my cousins owned MG-B's ,TD's and Aston Martin DB 4's. Loved the memories.
My first BSA was a C15 with a burnt exhaust valve. I replaced that and the guide and it ran perfectly. Then had a 1958 Triumph 5T (wouldn't go round corners), a 250 scooter, A65 (utterly reliable), Panther 650 (idiosyncratic to say the least) C11, B31, and now run a Harley sportster hardtail custom (knucklehead lookalike), another 250 scoot engined C15 and a Starfire. Anyone want to buy the Harley? I'm getting old and the Harley's too heavy, besides I always drive my Bugatti Type 35 replica these days. Now THAT'S real fun!
My experience with a 1970 Lightning was similar. The motors tore themselves apart. Lasted 5000 mies before the crankshaft bearings would self destruct. Utter junk. Bought a BMW and never looked back.
Really disappointed to see my 441cc single BSA Shooting Star snubbed here along with its off-road counterpart the Victor Special. The Shooting Star was an awesome machine in every way and deserved mention
That pair of big singles had enough torque to haul a lorry out of a mud hole! The Victor was the wheelie king of the late 60s with an experienced bloke aboard! 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦
Great video with a lot of memories. I had a bantam, a C15 and a Super rocket. Nomention of the bantam here which is a shame because it was a very popular bike.
My brother owned a BSA "Victor" 441cc, single cylinder motorcycle. Of all the videos I have watch on BSA models I have never seen one of these bikes mentioned.
That is correct. I still own one. The problem with 90% of videos about Motorcycles and Cars are fairly worthless. They are not accurate or complete in their coverage. They also fail miserably to illustrate the reason or reasons why a particular vehicle or bike was exceptional or garbage.
My brother had a BSA Bantam in the 60s. Unfortunately he crashed it and the insurance company wrote it off. The insurance company wrote it off and gave him 4 quid. He bought another Bantam for 3 quid and built a good bike from the two bikes. Almost worth the scrapes he got when he crashed 😃
@@MOS6510Models - it's so long ago that I can't remember but I think that the bike he bought had a seized engine and the one he crashed still had a good engine but was badly bent. Unfortunately my brother is no longer with us so I can't ask him.
-One thing about BSA and that is they were not afraid of chrome. They even had chrome on the side of the gas tanks & other time almost the entire tank. Plus both fenders and muffles Unlike the Japanese bikes that used mostly paint. To bad BSA went out of business. It would be nice if a company in the U.S.would pick up where BSA left off and started selling these bikes over here. And bet they would sell like hot cakes, Everyone loves that chrome on the BSA and that would be the key to there comeback. Probably wishful thinking but you never know.
"History of The BSA Motorcycle Company" is a bit misleading. I was expecting a documentary about manufacturing processes, management (and products of course) etc, but this is just a chronological list of their bikes with a short description of each one. Disappointing. :(
This is part of a larger program about old British bikes. It also included Norton and Trump. It called the History of British motorcycles. I would like to get a trump but at £12K I think I will be sticking to Honda/ Suzuki they are about £4k cheaper..
Thank you so much for this interesting video. BSA are very dear to me. I had an A10 with a sports sidecar as my 2nd. bike in the late 1960's & still claim it was the best I ever owned.
I had 2 BSA bikes back in the 60’s. My first was a ‘68 Firebird Scrambler 650c.c. It cost $1200.00 CDN in Toronto new. I traded it in on a brand new ‘69 Rocket 3, it was $1800.00 . Both good bikes and the Rocket 3 was pretty quick for that time period.
I've owned two of them. Both 650cc twins. First one was a 1967 that I chopped. And the second one is a 1968 650cc with twin carbs and is chopped and I still own it in 2020 at 76 years old. I love BSA bikes as much as I love my Harley here in the US.
@@MOS6510Models Yep, still ride it occasionally. But it's bad to "kick back" when starting and I just had knee replacement surgery and I'm not sure if that's going to work out so good now. My Harley has electric start, so no problem there. The BSA isn't street legal here, no front brake, so just ride it around close to home. I've owned quite a few British bikes and cars. Two BSA's, two Triumph, old Norton. Cars.....1953 MG TD, and a 1966 Austin Healey 3000 Mark lll. My 67 BSA was QUICK, out ran any Triumph I ever went up against. It was a single carb but outran every Bonneville with twin carbs. That was way back in 1969-70. Those were FUN times. I enjoyed you vid by the way too.
Hope the knee surgery went well and hope it gives you a more mobile life. I can see the kick back being harsh too.. Its difficult for my generation to buy british.. sadly i think that won't change.. I can't afford a mclaren, rolls royce or bentley lol.. But visiting vintage rallys has been a joy since i was a young lad.. seeing them bikes gleam from the blood sweat and tears of their owners making them road worthy is a real pleasure.. I dont have the funds to do it myself but one day ill try and restore one and have a reason to ride it.. Take care and thank you for the nce words
Born and bread in Small Heath,have vague memories of the factory in full production,also have sad memories of me and my mate walking my uncles dogs over the then half demolished factory late 70's.....so so sad!!!
My wife lived around the corner from the factory and you couldn't get a job if you didn't have a relative in there. The owners were selling big in the states so thought they didn't need to really develop their product. The Japanese came in with 50cc bikes and developed a dealer network across the country for commuter bikes. When they started the Benly and the dream they sold well and the 750 when it came finished off BSA.
I knew an old man (i was worked on his garage when i was 12) and he had the Spitfire.Man i still remember the sound and how beautiful that bike was even if the bike was old.Unfortunately that bike disappear when he launch it on a train as a gift for his niece.Thanks for the video man it bring me so many memories
Enjoyed the video👍🏼. Regarding the gold star you surely meant clip on handlebars and sweptback exhaust. The forests are known as reasserts. Thank you for your efforts in making the video
Yes i wrote it don wrong in the research then spoke it.. and it didnt realise what i said.. but you are correct and will be more careful next time. Thanks for commenting and i hope you will subscribe for more videos.
I had a 1959 A10 650. I and the BSA dealer could not get the electrics to work right. It soured me on British electrics. I had chopped it in the early seventies. Now, I wish I hadn't. It is nice to see them in stock form and restored. Sad to see what happened to BSA and the British motorcycle industry. I remember in the seventies, there was so many Honda 750s around. I had about 5 myself. So many good things about them, and the reliability.
My first bike was a BSA C12 and although having no experience I couldn't help but notice that it was getting lower each week. The handling was getting quite alarming at the same time but again since someone had told me that BSA's are not noted for good handling I tried not to worry about it. What had happened was that the center stand had worn through the main bolt that also holds the lower frame halves together so that only the chain and the pivot bolt at the front of the seat were holding it together until the day the chain broke. Wish I still had that bike now though.
During the latter 50s and very early 60s, BSA was reliably rated as the top selling motorcycle manufacturer in the world! That was after BSA had brought out Triumph from nearby Coventry England 🇬🇧 in 1951, so I suppose included both marques! 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦
I picked up a 1967 Lightning in 1976. It was no longer the fastest bike on the road, but it was definitely too fast for my first bike. It was a lot to handle but God she was gorgeous, all red and chrome. I still think about her 44 years later.
The first bike I ever rode on the road was a BSA 125 Bantam, back in 1959. Later, in 1970, I owned a D14/4 and, in 1971/2, a C11G. The bore on that bike was oval, but I couldn't afford a new cylinder and piston, so I had to replaced the piston rings every three weeks, in order to keep it running. Got so used to doing it that I got the start-to-finish change time down to just 45 minutes!
A good over-view of a storied English brand! Triumph & BSA merged in the late '60's and the Rocket 3 was a Trident with cylinders canted forward about 15 degrees. The engine was basically a Triumph 500 with an additional cylinder. In the mid sixty's Edward Turner offered management a prototype in-line OHC 4 cyl. Management inquired how many existing parts were used in the new prototype? When Edward replied :" none", he was instructed to return to the drawing board, thus: "to little, to late".
Its these pieces of info you dont find on pure research, they are in the minds of those who love the brand.. Thank you for sharing that.. Even back then management were recycling parts all the time.. you are right, a little too late
If only they had told him that before he started to design it. Concurrent Engineering was just a dim light in the distance. Resting on laurels too much which was such a shame. Love BSAs and, Triumphs who are ofcourse still alive and well in Hinckley, Leicestershire.
As a point of historical accuracy, Triumph was sold by owner Jack Sangster to BSA in 1951, not in the late '60's. Sangster had owned Triumph since 1936. He previously owned Ariel, which he also sold to BSA, in 1944. BSA Group was a highly-diversified company which, in addition to motorcycles, produced military and sporting firearms, cars (both 3-and-4-wheelers), buses, machine and hand tools, amongst other things. They also owned Daimler cars from 1904 (as well as Lanchester cars from 1933), until 1960, when they sold Daimler to Jaguar. Whilst I'm not aware of an OHC 4 cyl, in 1973 Triumph did actually produce a one-off 1,000 cc four-cylinder OHV, based on the Rocket 3 with an extra cylinder grafted onto it. Designed by Doug Hele, it was called the Quadrant and finished in a rather nice shade of blue. It resides in the UK's National Motorcycle Museum at Bickenhill, Birmingham.
A friend of mine had a Rocket 3 like in the above video. Back in the 1960s, the Cape Town (South Africa) traffic police had BSA motorcycles. I did not own a BSA motorcycle, only a BSA bicycle and a BSA air rifle.
went to school right next to the factory.we would go on to the test track that was known as the wooded hill were they would test the bikes.just breaks your heart to see its all gone.
I have a 1971 A65L with a THUNDERBOLT top end. Not a chopper. Original scoop front brake, Smith Speedo,Dunlop Gold Seal(new) tyres. Wrapped up and stored 2 1/2 years. Due to health. $3ooo.takes it.
Enjoyed the video and learned a few things. In my humble opinion, the Golden Flash was the most attractive bike BSA made. Sorry to see it excluded from the vid.
There was a bsa sloper side car in an eposide series 8 of the tv show 'call the midwife' which is set in the 60's and the bike was about a 1935! I think you also missed the 250 cc bikes were important because as young rider with a Learner permit you were restricted to less than 250cc. Also many poor commuters drove cheap simple motorcycles not big 650's. Cheers Warren
Back in the 70's when i had bikes my mate's next door neighbour had a BSA Bantam that'd done 118,000 miles with just 2 helicoils in the cylinder head for the spark plug.
have some BSA motorcycles, 50's, 60's, they all run and ride...I have restored and rebuilt many motorcycles over the years. There is just something about the BSA's I like...as a rider I like the handling of the A65's, as a mechanic I find it a better design than others, just take a look at the gasket kit ! You have to change the oil...in a BSA...but alas, when it comes to rebuild time you have to be a machinist...which you can avoid if you would just change the oil...
sadly im too young to remember them in their heyday but visiting many vintage rallies ive grown to love the sound, smell and look of these machines.. they are just lovely.. thanks for watching, feel free to subscribe
Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I had a 1958 A10, aluminum head, single Amal carb, tachometer drive off the magneto gear as pictured in one of your shots, drum brakes, etc. It seemed fast when I had it and it was, comparatively speaking, although a Honda 300 SuperHawk could outrun it without difficulty. It was quicker than any Harley that challenged me at the time. I have a Yamaha FJR 1300 now with better power, brakes, handling, ride, wind protection, etc. With EFI a you just turn it on and drive it away, no tickling a carb, etc. And… far less maintenance to boot.
But dont you get it, that's what makes these British bikes desirable is the primitiveness of them. Tickling the carb, kicking the starter, feeling the cold metal and smooth thick chrome, it's that hands on tangible experience that only a man and his machine will understand; its what partitions these from the soulless stuff in the east. Look they copied these from the start and made them better, but that's however you interpret 'better'. Its subjective. European bikes ooze style personality and soul. Keep riding Italian and British folks!
Thanks for commenting. Riding my BSA A10 was a much less clinical event than riding a modern bike today. I’d jump at the chance to ride one again if the opportunity arose. But.. I would have to reset my thinking - rear brake on the left, gearshift on the right - up for first, down for the rest. I am not too sure about that high effort dry clutch - it seemed like I was always tightening the springs to keep it from slipping - now I believe I would switch into neutral waiting at a traffic light instead of holding the clutch - that’s considered a best practice from a safety perspective these days. Bottom line, I have to confess I took a lot more pleasure from my BSA than I do from the FJR1300 and that I expect that is what you are talking about.
I agree with all the comments above. Sadly i was born after their demise (1979 baby) but my love for them comes from being taken to vintage rallies in my youth and seeing them all buffed to a shine, proper meaty filthy noises coming from them. They just look class and as a child i thought only real men could ride them because they looked heavy. Doing my research all i got from owners was love for the pre Japanese bikes, you had to treat them like a lady.
Great video, thanks. I started in 1968 with a Bantam D14/4/S, then went on to a 250 Starfire, and finally an A65 Thunderbolt, before crossing to the other side!
Please keep up with our chosen way- of-life's history. The National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa drives home the importance of all marques. What would BSA have been without Dick Mann and Jim Odum racing them here in the 'States? Fantastic video.
I had a order for a BSA 350 in 1973 but after a month was told BSA had gone bust. A year later I got a Honda PF50 for £50. It had a broken pedal and brake cables that were useless. I found that after the brake cabler snapped and I hit a brick wall and fell over. Happy days!!!
Ive never owned one either.. but when ive been to vintage rallys they are always the bike people gravitate to.. and the triumphs lol thanks for commenting
The Kawasaki W1 and W2 engines were copies of the 650cc BSA. I owned a 1969 Commander W2 TT and my neighbor had a 69 BSA Lightning. I believe the W1 was the first large displacement OHV 4 stroke vertical twin made in Japan. It cost less than the Triumph or BSA but could not compete in sales with the Bonneville or Lightning which were Royal Jewels.
Kawasaki Aircraft Industries produced them under licence beginning in 1966. However, they made improvements both in engine and chassis design, as well as in production. Both the type's reliability as well as its oil tightness were substantially improved. I love the Beezers, but I'd rather own a vintage W1 if I had the choice! Kawasaki produced variants of the 650 twin design (actually 624 cc) intermittently as recently as a 'retro style' influenced W650 as recently as 2019! 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇬🇧 🇬🇧
A local chap who is now sadly passed away had a prototype bsa rotary which was shelved and then appeared as the norton never been able to find anything about it on here but saw it at the mot centre once
The Norton Commander rotary started life as a BSA project and came to fruition during the NVT days. A number were put into UK police service. There was/is an example at the National Motor Cycle Museum at Bickenhill, Birmingham.
Lack of investment! My Dad was a ships pilot in Gibraltar and a couple of times piloted Lord and Lady Dockers luxury yacht. They usually dropped into Gibraltar only to pick up cases of a particular wine before swanning off down the Mediterranean again!! Meanwhile the Japanese were comming!!! The Dockers of course owned BSA.!!
My buddy had a Shooting Star. He road it conservatively and never got close to red line. He never had a problem with it but his parents urged him to sell it.
BSA motorcycles are currently building a factory close to their old site in Birmingham England. Though staff will consist of only 45 employees, so a lot less than the thousands they employed in their heyday. The machines will be assembled from UK suppliers as well as from abroad and will cost from £5,000 to £10,000 They are now part of the Mahindra automotive group, one of Asia's largest manufacturers. Only time will tell how successful they will be.
@@MOS6510Models Here is a newspaper report. www.google.com/amp/s/www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/people/indian-billionaire-revive-iconic-bsa-motorbike-banbury-and-manufacture-electric-bikes-factory-town-3085548%3famp
I really wish i could.. days after recording it i had a major hard drive failure and lost the script and voice over., it took over 2 weeks to record and edit as i had to find pictures etc.. this was listed for 5 months before it gained any traction.. ive moved on since then and doing it again would be a pain in the backside.. i have so many project i want to do. but i want to do a full history in the future,
In my humble opinion, the 60's-era Triumph Bonnevilles were the most beautiful motorcycles ever produced. The 65-70 BSA Lightning runs a close second...
I always liked the 500 Daytona and the Tiger 90 too. The last models of Norton Commando 850 and the export version of the Rocket 3 are still my dream bikes.
I'm a little puzzled about the 1968 Spitfire Mk lV supposedly being the fastest of the 1960s BSA range, from a personal point of view, the 1966 Mk ll was the quickest, I rode a number of Mk lll & lVs while working as a m/cycle mechanic & found them to be quite sluggish in comparison to the Mk ll. My Mk ll was standard but I ran the GPs with 270 -280 main jets with no mechanical advance, the points cam solidly locked in place (not sitting slightly loose on the advance unit's shaft) & running an extra 3 to 4(?) degrees of advance - 37' to 38' instead of 34', set using the timing plug with A65 uppermost (max advanced). Top recorded speed at Bathurst in 1967 was 128 mph (206 kph), some people say the Tridents & Rocket llls were faster but when you do the maths (not even including the larger frontal area of the 'triples') & carrying a 170 lb rider, the Mk lls only needed 50.5 bhp to match the 750s performance figures.
Like with all videos, you can only research so much, I dont remember reading that the MkII was quicker, i was led to believe the IV was the quickest. but i take your points on board.. The best bit is i can now take all the comments for my next video and put those quotes out there from personal experience. Thank you so much for spending the time commenting your experiences. I love reading them.
They gave people lots of good memories including me, but they got left behind. Turner didn't like anybody else's designs and the bean counters held back development. No indicators or disc brakes and no overhead camshafts or horizontally split crankcase then along came the Honda 750 four to put the final nail in the coffin. Sad tale, but repeated across many british industries so we now make other countries designs if we're lucky enough for them to build a factory here.
Have to agree with all of that statement.. Such a tragic loss.. how many people would be in jobs now creating the wealth, if bean counters didn't look east at cheaper manufacturing costs... cheap labour doesnt always mean quality goods, youll find cheap labour is only part of it, cheap materials is a very close second!!! thanks for commenting
I read a book about the British motorcycle industry, very interesting. It described Turner visiting a Honda factory and being blown away by the sheer volume and quality being produced by Honda.
@@track1219 I think the machine tools at BSA must have been pretty much knackered and the engines had little development for years. The B31 went from girdet forks and rigid rear to telescopic forks. Then came rear plungers and then a fairly decent frame. Still the same engine though. My wife lived two streets away from the factory. She went their for a job and was asked have you got a relative here?. No well I can put you on the waiting list then. Seems like a lot of complacency there.
i had a 1952 BSA Bantam D1 deluxe in 1956, learnt to ride, passed my test and was when MOTs were introduced. Went everywhere on it. Tuned the engine stuffed the crankcase, gasflowed, etc. Very sad to have to sell it.
BSA ?? Remindse of the Nsa y dad rode in my childhood days ! He parted with it I'm 1970 ! He then bought a vespa super sprint 125 model ? By 1990 I could Stoll spoty father's former BSA cruising on Kampala roads !
@@MOS6510Models The 68 is getting put together the 72 in actual 70 Daily driver Ride it to work and the gas station Somebody always says my buddy had 0ne 30 years a go
Riddled with errors and omissions. It failed to mention the C11G, C15, Bantam, B31 and B33 all of which sold in far greater numbers that most of the models mentioned. It also made the glaring error of implying that BSA went broke because they couldn't sell bikes in the face of Japanese competition.
Thanks for the clip, but the inappropriately non-period background music was a little loud and distracted from the commentary. Great marque, BSA. More reliable but not as legendary as Triumph. Over the years I've had many bikes, Japs, Triumph, BMW & Harley, but will always have a soft spot for BSA. I rode a home built TriBSA for a number of years that consisted of a B34 frame, B33 top end, B31 bottom end, AJS piston and con-rod, and a Toyota Corolla generator driven with a washing machine pulley. The only problems I ever had were due to broken wiring on a semi-fake key I'd later fitted purely to discourage thieves. The bike took me round Wellington in the North Island of NZ, and all over the South Island when I was a muso in Dunedin. Not too fast, but solid and reliable. I developed a reputation for turning up at parties and riding into the lounge. Mine was probably the only BSA that didn't leak oil. I always said that British bikes didn't so much leak oil as mark their patch. While I was away in the UK I left it in Christchurch with a friend, but another 'friend' borrowed it without my knowledge and didn't know how to maintain it properly. He over filled the side case, making the clutch slip, and set the tappets way too wide, which caused a valve seat to shatter. On my return, I rebuilt the clutch and top end, but later swapped it for a Suzuki 750. I always regretted that. While working in London as a motorcycle courier '87-'91, I also had an A7 Star Twin that I took on the '89 Rockers' Reunion London to Brighton. A memorable trip, with the bike living up to the apocryphal story of what BSA stands for...
Timing of description of bikes and appearance of bike are not synchronized... what about the Devimead and later SRM 750cc conversion..? I had one on a 1967 A65S..
@@MOS6510Models no need to apologize.. was an excellent video... I can also remember some old clipping where they so say drove a Rocket III straight out of the crate on some oval ring.. they claimed some sort of speed endurance.. they said 135 mph, but I find that hard to believe.. the riders were quoted as saying it was the most boring and dangerous thing they had ever done as they kept shredding tyres - well I could believe that.. keep up the good work..
@@milesinnz appreciate the kind comments It was my first video.. I did all the research and wrote the script.. learnt how to edit and pit it out there :)
Noted as with others who commented.. i wanted the video to be around 10 mins long.. i will do a follow up video with the "flash" in it :). Thank you for watching and commenting.
Companies made 250cc motorcycles in the 50s and 60s because you could ride them on L plates I learned on a 250cc in 1966 and passed my test in 1967. Still ridding at 72.
I had a 1968 shooting star 441 bulletproof absolutely bullet proof I rode it for 40 years never had a bit of trouble except for one thing I put a can of octane boost in the fiberglass fuel tank that did the sealing in and the tank started leaking
if you liked this video I’ve made a Documentary on the History of Adler motorcycles - A Pause of 40 Years ua-cam.com/video/IhXhpo0-qzE/v-deo.html
.
I am a certified BSA Motorcycle mechanic
I have owned 3 Triumphs ( '69 250 Trophy , '67 and '69 Bonnevilles ) , but always loved the BSA style . All the British bikes were great looking . Thank you for posting , as well as the history .
Thank you for watching.. hope you can share the video to your social media platforms
So good to see the old bezas again. Still the British bikes have a unique sound and look
Alan Inman ☝️ I agree completely
Great . Thank you !! what a pity that such a beautiful brand of motorbikes has disappeared ....
Agreed 👍👍
@@MOS6510Models Not really. I had one (70's). Spent a fortue on it, rebuilds, etc. POS. Good for a work commute, useless if you wanted to go anywhere trouble free. Thank you Japan!
Rocket 3 look amezing
@@skysurferuk
BSA was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world at one time, no one gets to be world leader in anything, if their products are as bad as you claim.
I had a BSA 350 B40 that I used to ride to work and it was as reliable as any Japanese bike, even if it didnt have indicators and an electric starter. My friend had a BSA M20 attached to a sidecar and he would agree with its description in the video as one of the most reliable bikes ever. Most British bikes were very reliable and I've owned and ridden many of them.
@@satampady675 I still have my 1970 BSA Lightning 650. It need s bit of maintenance before I take it out again.
My God they knew how to make absolutely gorgeous,gorgeous Machines
yes.. sheer beauty. Thanks for watching
As a kid growing up in a small bedfordshire village I remember guy in our street had a 650 lightning, I used to talk to him as he was cleaning it fascinated by the blue header pipes. That's where my love of bikes began, approximately 57 years later I'm still riding, Thank you Paul carpenter really nice guy who had time to talk to a smitten young lad .
memories to behold and cherish. Thank you. Appreciate the support
Sorry I'm so late to the party but what a wonderful story! This is why I always give my time to any youngster that has a question or seems interested in motorcycles. That memory sticks just as well as does the knucklehead who tells a kid off for asking too many questions. Always try to encourage an inquisitive young, or old!, mind!
It was a really good manufacturer indeed, bikes are still legendary.
I agree.. Its a great manufacturer. Thanks for commenting
I had a 66 BSA Starfire 250cc single cylinder. My first bike.
I owned a 650 lightning rocket (1965 ?). It had the best looking engine of any motorcycle I’ve ever seen. And a beautiful sound unlike any other bike I’ve heard. Not as loud as the newer “V” twins, but sweeter. I loved that bike. Wish I still had it.
They were stunning back in the day.. and even now
Thank you. Appreciate the support
What happened to it Joyce?
bonkey dollocks that was around 1971. Had too many old folks pull out in front of me. Decided to sell it for my own good. Now I’m one of those old folks.....and I REALLY try hard to watch out for the motorcycles.
@@joycethomas8868 haha your only as old as you feel
I am a 70 year old formulation chemist, and my first bike bought in 1970 was a used 1965 BSA Teardrop Lightening.
It was great sounding, great looking, but...it was a mechanical nightmare.
It leaked oil,it was difficult to start from cold,the electric lights only worked intermittently, and I was constantly fixing things like the clutch, fuel system and a myriad of other details to keep it running.
My cousin owned a 1963 Y Engine BSA.
It was rare that we could get both bikes to run at the same time.
I loved British cars, owning a new 1973 TR6 and my cousins owned MG-B's ,TD's and Aston Martin DB 4's.
Loved the memories.
great memories mate :)
My first BSA was a C15 with a burnt exhaust valve. I replaced that and the guide and it ran perfectly. Then had a 1958 Triumph 5T (wouldn't go round corners), a 250 scooter, A65 (utterly reliable), Panther 650 (idiosyncratic to say the least) C11, B31, and now run a Harley sportster hardtail custom (knucklehead lookalike), another 250 scoot engined C15 and a Starfire. Anyone want to buy the Harley? I'm getting old and the Harley's too heavy, besides I always drive my Bugatti Type 35 replica these days. Now THAT'S real fun!
My experience with a 1970 Lightning was similar. The motors tore themselves apart. Lasted 5000 mies before the crankshaft bearings would self destruct. Utter junk. Bought a BMW and never looked back.
I’ve had 60s vintage British bikes as a younger guy and did plenty of wrenching on them. But I enjoyed it , it made me a better mechanic!
Really disappointed to see my 441cc single BSA Shooting Star snubbed here along with its off-road counterpart the Victor Special. The Shooting Star was an awesome machine in every way and deserved mention
There will be another video soon
That pair of big singles had enough torque to haul a lorry out of a mud hole!
The Victor was the wheelie king of the late 60s with an experienced bloke aboard!
🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦
Can't believe you missed the BSA 441 Victor. One of the sweetest designs ever produced anywhere.
There are quite a few, i chose the ones Ive seen in books or at rallys.. If i do another one ill put that in the video :)
@@MOS6510Models Thanks for highlighting this sadly missed brand. Enjoyed the video immensely.
That S.O.B. was the hardest starting bike I ever owed, but it sure was sweet.
My neighbor had one. Yellow gas tank, a beast to start.
Great video with a lot of memories. I had a bantam, a C15 and a Super rocket. Nomention of the bantam here which is a shame because it was a very popular bike.
i will probably do another video with the other models
@@MOS6510Models Look forward to it - lot of work though!
My brother owned a BSA "Victor" 441cc, single cylinder motorcycle. Of all the videos I have watch on BSA models I have never seen one of these bikes mentioned.
was it limited edition? my friend who helped with the script doesnt remember it
That is correct. I still own one. The problem with 90% of videos about Motorcycles and Cars are fairly worthless. They are not accurate or complete in their coverage. They also fail miserably to illustrate the reason or reasons why a particular vehicle or bike was exceptional or garbage.
My brother had a BSA Bantam in the 60s. Unfortunately he crashed it and the insurance company wrote it off. The insurance company wrote it off and gave him 4 quid. He bought another Bantam for 3 quid and built a good bike from the two bikes. Almost worth the scrapes he got when he crashed 😃
very interesting.. any idea what he kept and used from the original Bantam?
@@MOS6510Models - it's so long ago that I can't remember but I think that the bike he bought had a seized engine and the one he crashed still had a good engine but was badly bent. Unfortunately my brother is no longer with us so I can't ask him.
Good video, not sure you need the intrusive music?
Thank you for the feedback.. I will look at the levels when I next do a video :)
Enjoyable informative video but agree the music is really annoying
Good video but so hard to listen to with that gawd-awful 'musick' distracting.
I was vibin to the background music
Very important video of BSA BIKES, I thank you for sharing this video.
Thank you. Appreciate the support .
-One thing about BSA and that is they were not afraid of chrome. They even had chrome on the side of the gas tanks & other time almost the entire tank. Plus both fenders and muffles Unlike the Japanese bikes that used mostly paint. To bad BSA went out of business. It would be nice if a company in the U.S.would pick up where BSA left off and started selling these bikes over here. And bet they would sell like hot cakes, Everyone loves that chrome on the BSA and that would be the key to there comeback. Probably wishful thinking but you never know.
"History of The BSA Motorcycle Company" is a bit misleading. I was expecting a documentary about manufacturing processes, management (and products of course) etc, but this is just a chronological list of their bikes with a short description of each one. Disappointing. :(
Fair enough..
This is part of a larger program about old British bikes. It also included Norton and Trump. It called the History of British motorcycles. I would like to get a trump but at £12K I think I will be sticking to Honda/ Suzuki they are about £4k cheaper..
Thank you so much for this interesting video. BSA are very dear to me. I had an A10 with a sports sidecar as my 2nd. bike in the late 1960's & still claim it was the best I ever owned.
Glad it was helpful!
I had 2 BSA bikes back in the 60’s. My first was a ‘68 Firebird Scrambler 650c.c. It cost $1200.00 CDN in Toronto new. I traded it in on a brand new ‘69 Rocket 3, it was $1800.00 . Both good bikes and the Rocket 3 was pretty quick for that time period.
Ive talked to a few who had a rocket and all say the same :)
I started with British bikes and I really like them.
i think a certain generation did...
Great video. Thank you for the effort you put in this.. I learnt a lot
Thank you. Appreciate the support
I've owned two of them. Both 650cc twins. First one was a 1967 that I chopped. And the second one is a 1968 650cc with twin carbs and is chopped and I still own it in 2020 at 76 years old. I love BSA bikes as much as I love my Harley here in the US.
do you still ride it? fair play if you do. I hope im still riding at that age lol Thank you for watching and commenting.
@@MOS6510Models Yep, still ride it occasionally. But it's bad to "kick back" when starting and I just had knee replacement surgery and I'm not sure if that's going to work out so good now. My Harley has electric start, so no problem there. The BSA isn't street legal here, no front brake, so just ride it around close to home. I've owned quite a few British bikes and cars. Two BSA's, two Triumph, old Norton. Cars.....1953 MG TD, and a 1966 Austin Healey 3000 Mark lll. My 67 BSA was QUICK, out ran any Triumph I ever went up against. It was a single carb but outran every Bonneville with twin carbs. That was way back in 1969-70. Those were FUN times. I enjoyed you vid by the way too.
Hope the knee surgery went well and hope it gives you a more mobile life. I can see the kick back being harsh too.. Its difficult for my generation to buy british.. sadly i think that won't change.. I can't afford a mclaren, rolls royce or bentley lol.. But visiting vintage rallys has been a joy since i was a young lad.. seeing them bikes gleam from the blood sweat and tears of their owners making them road worthy is a real pleasure.. I dont have the funds to do it myself but one day ill try and restore one and have a reason to ride it.. Take care and thank you for the nce words
Born and bread in Small Heath,have vague memories of the factory in full production,also have sad memories of me and my mate walking my uncles dogs over the then half demolished factory late 70's.....so so sad!!!
it was a very sad day when it stopped being a factory.. i bet it could tell a few stories too if around today.. Thank you. Appreciate the support
My wife lived around the corner from the factory and you couldn't get a job if you didn't have a relative in there. The owners were selling big in the states so thought they didn't need to really develop their product. The Japanese came in with 50cc bikes and developed a dealer network across the country for commuter bikes. When they started the Benly and the dream they sold well and the 750 when it came finished off BSA.
I knew an old man (i was worked on his garage when i was 12) and he had the Spitfire.Man i still remember the sound and how beautiful that bike was even if the bike was old.Unfortunately that bike disappear when he launch it on a train as a gift for his niece.Thanks for the video man it bring me so many memories
im glad you enjoyed it
Had a good friend in school that had a lighting 650, no body could keep up with him, Very Nice Bikes, BSA’s!!
They were great. Thanks for commenting
True that! i was born late 70's and loved them when i first saw them at the local vintage rally..
Enjoyed the video👍🏼. Regarding the gold star you surely meant clip on handlebars and sweptback exhaust. The forests are known as reasserts.
Thank you for your efforts in making the video
Yes i wrote it don wrong in the research then spoke it.. and it didnt realise what i said.. but you are correct and will be more careful next time. Thanks for commenting and i hope you will subscribe for more videos.
Rearsets
It's worth watching these videos just for the hilarious subtitles - Thunderbolt - "teeth on the boat"!
is it my devonian accent? ;D
I had a 1959 A10 650. I and the BSA dealer could not get the electrics to work right. It soured me on British electrics. I had chopped it in the early seventies. Now, I wish I hadn't. It is nice to see them in stock form and restored. Sad to see what happened to BSA and the British motorcycle industry. I remember in the seventies, there was so many Honda 750s around. I had about 5 myself. So many good things about them, and the reliability.
Yes japanese bikes were far superior in build and quality that the british bikes couldn't compete with that reliability
Lucas electronics?
Excellent! Loved every moment, took me back to my youth👍
thank you for the kind comment
My first bike was a BSA C12 and although having no experience I couldn't help but notice that it was getting lower each week. The handling was getting quite alarming at the same time but again since someone had told me that BSA's are not noted for good handling I tried not to worry about it.
What had happened was that the center stand had worn through the main bolt that also holds the lower frame halves together so that only the chain and the pivot bolt at the front of the seat were holding it together until the day the chain broke.
Wish I still had that bike now though.
Thats amazing.. i think a lot miss their first BSA
During the latter 50s and very early 60s, BSA was reliably rated as the top selling motorcycle manufacturer in the world!
That was after BSA had brought out Triumph from nearby Coventry England 🇬🇧 in 1951, so I suppose included both marques!
🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦
I picked up a 1967 Lightning in 1976. It was no longer the fastest bike on the road, but it was definitely too fast for my first bike. It was a lot to handle but God she was gorgeous, all red and chrome. I still think about her 44 years later.
I think everyones first bike is a little too fast. Thank you for sharing your experiences. Red and chrome is always a sexy look :)
The first bike I ever rode on the road was a BSA 125 Bantam, back in 1959. Later, in 1970, I owned a D14/4 and, in 1971/2, a C11G. The bore on that bike was oval, but I couldn't afford a new cylinder and piston, so I had to replaced the piston rings every three weeks, in order to keep it running. Got so used to doing it that I got the start-to-finish change time down to just 45 minutes!
Thats proper quick.. pit lane speed
I've got a 69 Rocket 3 and a 69 441 Victor, love them both !
Wasn't the victor produced for the export market.. hence why i've never seen one?
A good over-view of a storied English brand! Triumph & BSA merged in the late '60's and the Rocket 3 was a Trident with cylinders canted forward about 15 degrees. The engine was basically a Triumph 500 with an additional cylinder. In the mid sixty's Edward Turner offered management a prototype in-line OHC 4 cyl. Management inquired how many existing parts were used in the new prototype? When Edward replied :" none", he was instructed to return to the drawing board, thus: "to little, to late".
Its these pieces of info you dont find on pure research, they are in the minds of those who love the brand.. Thank you for sharing that.. Even back then management were recycling parts all the time.. you are right, a little too late
If only they had told him that before he started to design it. Concurrent Engineering was just a dim light in the distance. Resting on laurels too much which was such a shame. Love BSAs and, Triumphs who are ofcourse still alive and well in Hinckley, Leicestershire.
As a point of historical accuracy, Triumph was sold by owner Jack Sangster to BSA in 1951, not in the late '60's. Sangster had owned Triumph since 1936. He previously owned Ariel, which he also sold to BSA, in 1944.
BSA Group was a highly-diversified company which, in addition to motorcycles, produced military and sporting firearms, cars (both 3-and-4-wheelers), buses, machine and hand tools, amongst other things. They also owned Daimler cars from 1904 (as well as Lanchester cars from 1933), until 1960, when they sold Daimler to Jaguar.
Whilst I'm not aware of an OHC 4 cyl, in 1973 Triumph did actually produce a one-off 1,000 cc four-cylinder OHV, based on the Rocket 3 with an extra cylinder grafted onto it. Designed by Doug Hele, it was called the Quadrant and finished in a rather nice shade of blue. It resides in the UK's National Motorcycle Museum at Bickenhill, Birmingham.
A friend of mine had a Rocket 3 like in the above video.
Back in the 1960s, the Cape Town (South Africa) traffic police had BSA motorcycles.
I did not own a BSA motorcycle, only a BSA bicycle and a BSA air rifle.
i had an air rifle too from BSA
Love the M21,that engine is glorious...🙂🇬🇧
it is.. its a proper classic. Thank you. Appreciate the support
went to school right next to the factory.we would go on to the test track that was known as the wooded hill were they would test the bikes.just breaks your heart to see its all gone.
Unfortunately we wont get them back either..
I have a 1971 A65L with a THUNDERBOLT top end. Not a chopper. Original scoop front brake, Smith Speedo,Dunlop Gold Seal(new) tyres. Wrapped up and stored 2 1/2 years. Due to health. $3ooo.takes it.
very cheap :) bet it looks great
Enjoyed the video and learned a few things. In my humble opinion, the Golden Flash was the most attractive bike BSA made. Sorry to see it excluded from the vid.
Thank you.
A- I never knew that BSA built 1000 c.c. V twins.
B- the SLOPER was a absolutely beautiful engine !!!!
The G33 had that same engine too.. it was a beast
There was a bsa sloper side car in an eposide series 8 of the tv show 'call the midwife' which is set in the 60's and the bike was about a 1935!
I think you also missed the 250 cc bikes were important because as young rider with a Learner permit you were restricted to less than 250cc. Also many poor commuters drove cheap simple motorcycles not big 650's.
Cheers Warren
Passed my test on a D14/4 in 1980. Had 2 B40 SS90 singles, bought a 1970 royal star 500 in 1982 & still own it.
40 year ownership, thats a special relationship :)
No mention of the 2 strokes, and my 1st Bike, a 70cc Dandy 🤗🤸♀️
Great point! Next time :)
Back in the 70's when i had bikes my mate's next door neighbour had a BSA Bantam that'd done 118,000 miles with just 2 helicoils in the cylinder head for the spark plug.
lol
Yes, in 1971, I did own a BSA C15.(1962). And yes, it did run it's big ends.
"They all do that, Sir...".
hahaha :) :)
have some BSA motorcycles, 50's, 60's, they all run and ride...I have restored and rebuilt many motorcycles over the years. There is just something about the BSA's I like...as a rider I like the handling of the A65's, as a mechanic I find it a better design than others, just take a look at the gasket kit ! You have to change the oil...in a BSA...but alas, when it comes to rebuild time you have to be a machinist...which you can avoid if you would just change the oil...
sadly im too young to remember them in their heyday but visiting many vintage rallies ive grown to love the sound, smell and look of these machines.. they are just lovely.. thanks for watching, feel free to subscribe
Thank you for the trip down memory lane.
I had a 1958 A10, aluminum head, single Amal carb, tachometer drive off the magneto gear as pictured in one of your shots, drum brakes, etc. It seemed fast when I had it and it was, comparatively speaking, although a Honda 300 SuperHawk could outrun it without difficulty. It was quicker than any Harley that challenged me at the time. I have a Yamaha FJR 1300 now with better power, brakes, handling, ride, wind protection, etc. With EFI a you just turn it on and drive it away, no tickling a carb, etc. And… far less maintenance to boot.
But dont you get it, that's what makes these British bikes desirable is the primitiveness of them. Tickling the carb, kicking the starter, feeling the cold metal and smooth thick chrome, it's that hands on tangible experience that only a man and his machine will understand; its what partitions these from the soulless stuff in the east. Look they copied these from the start and made them better, but that's however you interpret 'better'. Its subjective.
European bikes ooze style personality and soul. Keep riding Italian and British folks!
Thanks for commenting. Riding my BSA A10 was a much less clinical event than riding a modern bike today. I’d jump at the chance to ride one again if the opportunity arose. But.. I would have to reset my thinking - rear brake on the left, gearshift on the right - up for first, down for the rest. I am not too sure about that high effort dry clutch - it seemed like I was always tightening the springs to keep it from slipping - now I believe I would switch into neutral waiting at a traffic light instead of holding the clutch - that’s considered a best practice from a safety perspective these days. Bottom line, I have to confess I took a lot more pleasure from my BSA than I do from the FJR1300 and that I expect that is what you are talking about.
I agree with all the comments above. Sadly i was born after their demise (1979 baby) but my love for them comes from being taken to vintage rallies in my youth and seeing them all buffed to a shine, proper meaty filthy noises coming from them. They just look class and as a child i thought only real men could ride them because they looked heavy. Doing my research all i got from owners was love for the pre Japanese bikes, you had to treat them like a lady.
Good to know the great history of the BSA!
It sure is!
You missed the 441 Victor, great video, i had one, an A10 and a Rocket 3
i had to shorten the video.. i might do another one with the other missing models
Great video, thanks. I started in 1968 with a Bantam D14/4/S, then went on to a 250 Starfire, and finally an A65 Thunderbolt, before crossing to the other side!
I had a RGS copy when I was 18 in Edinburgh. The guy who made it actually preceded BSA with his mods of a A10.
I think there has been many attempts to recreate the bikes of yesteryear
Please keep up with our chosen way- of-life's history. The National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa drives home the importance of all marques. What would BSA have been without Dick Mann and Jim Odum racing them here in the 'States? Fantastic video.
Oh yeah. The music that the bikes make is enough.
sorry about the music...
my first big bike was a BSA 650 Goldflash cost me £50 , it was in bits, my dad and myself rebuilt it in 1977 , great memories
A Son and dads relationship are built on projects like this.. fair play my friend
Thanks for the video. Really enjoyed it
thanks
I had a order for a BSA 350 in 1973 but after a month was told BSA had gone bust. A year later I got a Honda PF50 for £50. It had a broken pedal and brake cables that were useless. I found that after the brake cabler snapped and I hit a brick wall and fell over. Happy days!!!
funny story :)
I really enjoyed this video. Always good to learn new things. I have owned many bikes but never had a BSA, maybe someday lol.
Ive never owned one either.. but when ive been to vintage rallys they are always the bike people gravitate to.. and the triumphs lol thanks for commenting
Nice slice of Britbike history. Thank U!!
Could do without the background 'music' tho...
(NSU was an early competitor.)
Appreciate that. i think i must of mistyped it in the script. . Appreciate the support
Great motorcycle history presentation... You can beef it up with a few videos though...
i have things planned
Surprisingly little or no mention of BSA’s best selling motorcycle the Bantam!
The later models were fitted with Amal Concentric carbs, not Monoblocks.
Thank you for the extra info
The Kawasaki W1 and W2 engines were copies of the 650cc BSA. I owned a 1969 Commander W2 TT and my neighbor had a 69 BSA Lightning. I believe the W1 was the first large displacement OHV 4 stroke vertical twin made in Japan. It cost less than the Triumph or BSA but could not compete in sales with the Bonneville or Lightning which were Royal Jewels.
fascinating, did they copy other engines? Thanks for watching and commenting
Kawasaki Aircraft Industries produced them under licence beginning in 1966. However, they made improvements both in engine and chassis design, as well as in production.
Both the type's reliability as well as its oil tightness were substantially improved. I love the Beezers, but I'd rather own a vintage W1 if I had the choice!
Kawasaki produced variants of the 650 twin design (actually 624 cc) intermittently as recently as a 'retro style' influenced W650 as recently as 2019!
🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇨🇦 🍁 🇬🇧 🇬🇧
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_W_series
For what its worth my 650 Commander was quicker than my friends Lightning. But the BSA Lightning was my 1st love and the bike I wish I had today.
I raced a gold star when I was young and ended up with a rocket 3 always wanted a royal star
bet that was an experience
A local chap who is now sadly passed away had a prototype bsa rotary which was shelved and then appeared as the norton never been able to find anything about it on here but saw it at the mot centre once
interesting.. i guess a collector owns it now
The Norton Commander rotary started life as a BSA project and came to fruition during the NVT days. A number were put into UK police service. There was/is an example at the National Motor Cycle Museum at Bickenhill, Birmingham.
Birmingham England gave us two great things, BSA Motorcycles and Black Sabbath..
You sir can preach!!
Yes 👍 & the two go together very well too, as in listen to some Sabbath then head off on the beesa..
Lack of investment! My Dad was a ships pilot in Gibraltar and a couple of times piloted Lord and Lady Dockers luxury yacht. They usually dropped into Gibraltar only to pick up cases of a particular wine before swanning off down the Mediterranean again!! Meanwhile the Japanese were comming!!! The Dockers of course owned BSA.!!
thats very interesting. that type of history makes the BSA great
My buddy had a Shooting Star. He road it conservatively and never got close to red line. He never had a problem with it but his parents urged him to sell it.
I bet he was sad when he sold it too
I had a shooting star wrote it for 40 years bulletproof absolutely Bulletproof
Great Doco, thank you for a huge effort
My pleasure!
beautiful machines
Yes they are!
BSA motorcycles are currently building a factory close to their old site in Birmingham England. Though staff will consist of only 45 employees, so a lot less than the thousands they employed in their heyday. The machines will be assembled from UK suppliers as well as from abroad and will cost from £5,000 to £10,000 They are now part of the Mahindra automotive group, one of Asia's largest manufacturers. Only time will tell how successful they will be.
wow.. ill check that out and thanks for the info
@@MOS6510Models
Here is a newspaper report.
www.google.com/amp/s/www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/people/indian-billionaire-revive-iconic-bsa-motorbike-banbury-and-manufacture-electric-bikes-factory-town-3085548%3famp
Mate, you've clearly done you research and put a lot of work into this great presentation
Your voice over is great too. But please lose the music.
I really wish i could.. days after recording it i had a major hard drive failure and lost the script and voice over., it took over 2 weeks to record and edit as i had to find pictures etc.. this was listed for 5 months before it gained any traction.. ive moved on since then and doing it again would be a pain in the backside.. i have so many project i want to do. but i want to do a full history in the future,
Good man. I hope you can find the time to do it.
In my humble opinion, the 60's-era Triumph Bonnevilles were the most beautiful motorcycles ever produced. The 65-70 BSA Lightning runs a close second...
ive heard that said a few times so you are not alone :)
I always liked the 500 Daytona and the Tiger 90 too.
The last models of Norton Commando 850 and the export version of the Rocket 3 are still my dream bikes.
I'm a little puzzled about the 1968 Spitfire Mk lV supposedly being the fastest of the 1960s BSA range, from a personal point of view, the 1966 Mk ll was the quickest, I rode a number of Mk lll & lVs while working as a m/cycle mechanic & found them to be quite sluggish in comparison to the Mk ll. My Mk ll was standard but I ran the GPs with 270 -280 main jets with no mechanical advance, the points cam solidly locked in place (not sitting slightly loose on the advance unit's shaft) & running an extra 3 to 4(?) degrees of advance - 37' to 38' instead of 34', set using the timing plug with A65 uppermost (max advanced). Top recorded speed at Bathurst in 1967 was 128 mph (206 kph), some people say the Tridents & Rocket llls were faster but when you do the maths (not even including the larger frontal area of the 'triples') & carrying a 170 lb rider, the Mk lls only needed 50.5 bhp to match the 750s performance figures.
Like with all videos, you can only research so much, I dont remember reading that the MkII was quicker, i was led to believe the IV was the quickest. but i take your points on board.. The best bit is i can now take all the comments for my next video and put those quotes out there from personal experience. Thank you so much for spending the time commenting your experiences. I love reading them.
@larrysimons3189: How was the starting & reliability on the '66 BSA Spitfires? They probably had to tune them down for reliability.
Could you please do a video on the C 15 development that was my first motorcycle
They gave people lots of good memories including me, but they got left behind. Turner didn't like anybody else's designs and the bean counters held back development. No indicators or disc brakes and no overhead camshafts or horizontally split crankcase then along came the Honda 750 four to put the final nail in the coffin. Sad tale, but repeated across many british industries so we now make other countries designs if we're lucky enough for them to build a factory here.
Have to agree with all of that statement.. Such a tragic loss.. how many people would be in jobs now creating the wealth, if bean counters didn't look east at cheaper manufacturing costs... cheap labour doesnt always mean quality goods, youll find cheap labour is only part of it, cheap materials is a very close second!!! thanks for commenting
I read a book about the British motorcycle industry, very interesting. It described Turner visiting a Honda factory and being blown away by the sheer volume and quality being produced by Honda.
@@track1219 I think the machine tools at BSA must have been pretty much knackered and the engines had little development for years. The B31 went from girdet forks and rigid rear to telescopic forks. Then came rear plungers and then a fairly decent frame. Still the same engine though. My wife lived two streets away from the factory. She went their for a job and was asked have you got a relative here?. No well I can put you on the waiting list then. Seems like a lot of complacency there.
Owned a 1968 250 Starfire and a1971 500 Gold Star. They both leaked oil and broke down a lot. Threw a rod on the 250 on the way to skool one morning.
i bet there are thousands who experienced the same issues lol
Thanks for commenting
The New South Wales (Australia) Police force had some of the BSA motorcycles.
Interesting.. I never knew that. Wonder if they were Ex military machines re purposed for police use?
i had a 1952 BSA Bantam D1 deluxe in 1956, learnt to ride, passed my test and was when MOTs were introduced. Went everywhere on it. Tuned the engine stuffed the crankcase, gasflowed, etc. Very sad to have to sell it.
Fantastic
BSA Gold star always wanted one had a few triumphs but never a Gold Star much to my “regrets”.
some one else stated the same
wonderful engines!
Yes they are!
superbe documentaire,tout est claire !
appreciate the comment. Thanks for watching
Thanks for this video
Thank you. Appreciate the support
Curious as to why you skipped those daily rider singles, namely the B31 and B33 made for years. Few could afford the eventual B34.
It was just time.. I am working on a part two with other bikes
Would love to get hold of the blue prints for the lighting, would have been great to have a 750 twin lighting, AWESOME 👍😎💪🇳🇿🌈 KIWI PIP 🌈🇳🇿💪😎👍
That would be cool!
My oldest brother had a 57 Hornet 650 with scrambler pipes. The burnt leg special. How he yearned for low pipes! Brit bike's were #1 back in the day!
They certainly were.. its a shame they never survived
BSA ?? Remindse of the Nsa y dad rode in my childhood days ! He parted with it I'm 1970 ! He then bought a vespa super sprint 125 model ? By 1990 I could Stoll spoty father's former BSA cruising on Kampala roads !
fantatsic story
It's a total research work
Nice Story with sad ending.
its very sad :(
I still have a 68 lightning and 72 Thunderbolt
wow.. do you ride them a lot?
@@MOS6510Models The 68 is getting put together the 72 in actual 70 Daily driver Ride it to work and the gas station Somebody always says my buddy had 0ne 30 years a go
Mahindra group🇮🇳 owns Pegeout motorcycles🇫🇷, jawa motorcycles🇨🇿, pininfarnia🇮🇹,.
Now hope they will bring back the legendary BSA motorcycles🇬🇧
interesting.. looking forward to seeing them
Mahendra do not own JAWA, they are licensed to use the JAWA name on the Indian produced bikes. JAWA are still Czech owned.
Riddled with errors and omissions. It failed to mention the C11G, C15, Bantam, B31 and B33 all of which sold in far greater numbers that most of the models mentioned. It also made the glaring error of implying that BSA went broke because they couldn't sell bikes in the face of Japanese competition.
Ok
I miss my 1965 Lightning Rocket ....I saw 133 on the clock...
amazing.. i bet the cheeks were squeezing hard to keep on lol
Thanks for the clip, but the inappropriately non-period background music was a little loud and distracted from the commentary. Great marque, BSA. More reliable but not as legendary as Triumph. Over the years I've had many bikes, Japs, Triumph, BMW & Harley, but will always have a soft spot for BSA. I rode a home built TriBSA for a number of years that consisted of a B34 frame, B33 top end, B31 bottom end, AJS piston and con-rod, and a Toyota Corolla generator driven with a washing machine pulley. The only problems I ever had were due to broken wiring on a semi-fake key I'd later fitted purely to discourage thieves. The bike took me round Wellington in the North Island of NZ, and all over the South Island when I was a muso in Dunedin. Not too fast, but solid and reliable. I developed a reputation for turning up at parties and riding into the lounge. Mine was probably the only BSA that didn't leak oil. I always said that British bikes didn't so much leak oil as mark their patch. While I was away in the UK I left it in Christchurch with a friend, but another 'friend' borrowed it without my knowledge and didn't know how to maintain it properly. He over filled the side case, making the clutch slip, and set the tappets way too wide, which caused a valve seat to shatter. On my return, I rebuilt the clutch and top end, but later swapped it for a Suzuki 750. I always regretted that. While working in London as a motorcycle courier '87-'91, I also had an A7 Star Twin that I took on the '89 Rockers' Reunion London to Brighton. A memorable trip, with the bike living up to the apocryphal story of what BSA stands for...
It was my first edited video.. i will do better next time
Timing of description of bikes and appearance of bike are not synchronized... what about the Devimead and later SRM 750cc conversion..? I had one on a 1967 A65S..
sorry about that...
@@MOS6510Models no need to apologize.. was an excellent video... I can also remember some old clipping where they so say drove a Rocket III straight out of the crate on some oval ring.. they claimed some sort of speed endurance.. they said 135 mph, but I find that hard to believe.. the riders were quoted as saying it was the most boring and dangerous thing they had ever done as they kept shredding tyres - well I could believe that.. keep up the good work..
@@milesinnz appreciate the kind comments
It was my first video.. I did all the research and wrote the script.. learnt how to edit and pit it out there :)
Why no mention of the 650 Golden Flash??
Noted as with others who commented.. i wanted the video to be around 10 mins long.. i will do a follow up video with the "flash" in it :). Thank you for watching and commenting.
What happened the Bantam? This was a massive seller for BSA.
thanks for watching it. i hope it was a good video
A excellent video
Glad you enjoyed it
Companies made 250cc motorcycles in the 50s and 60s because you could ride them on L plates I learned on a 250cc in 1966 and passed my test in 1967. Still ridding at 72.
The Starfire was a nice looking bike.
I had a 1968 shooting star 441 bulletproof absolutely bullet proof I rode it for 40 years never had a bit of trouble except for one thing I put a can of octane boost in the fiberglass fuel tank that did the sealing in and the tank started leaking
Oh no.. gutted to hear that...
What a shame they went out of business I loved those bikes.
yes tragic to see the brand disappear
1:06 that was my first BSA......1:18 was my second BSA.
fantastic.. do you own one now?
Yes I do, 3 runners 2 basket cases. one 441 two 650's one 250 in parts and another 650 that I will take a lot of work.
@@keithsage7258 thats delighful.. i hope to find one to restore one day.. for now ill keep going to vintage fairs and admire :)
What about the singles, C15, B40, B44 etc?
i wanted to keep it under 10 mins.. but i will do another video with the other bikes :) Thanks for commenting