This was my first bike at 17 years old. Actually might be the exact bike, I modified the dynastart cover so I could fit a kick start gearbox. The bike was painted black with a silver tank and I hand painted the Villiers logo. The swinging arm had a braze repair done at my school in metalwork class. Used to keep up with my mates Suzuki ts125 in a cloud of blue smoke. Those were the days.
Beautiful machine..very similar to my Norman B4 sports which also had the Villiers 250T engine...I got mine in 66 after the previous owner blew the engine and it was all in boxes including the frame...
What a beautifully looking and designed simple motor bike! Thats what motor cycles should be, not the bloated heavy expense technolgy laden, expensive beasts of today! You are extremely lucky to own one!
I really enjoyed this video, as a ex owner of 2 Panther model 35,s back in the eighties, the sound of the Villiers 2T engine on song brought back many happy memories .
The tank is very similar but the petrol cap was of the quick release type and in a different position, the flyscreen was higher, the plugs did suffer from whispering hence the change of plugs
Lovely bike, brings back some memories for me. I've always been a fan of Villiers two strokes, especially the twins. I bought a complete and running 1964 Panther 250 twin for £60 when I was 16 back in 1981. I hoped to get it fixed up and on the road for when I was 17 but never managed it. I do remember its 2 into 1 exhaust system and jelly mould fuel tank, and how lively, smooth and torquey the engine was even though the Villiers 2T engine is rated at about 15 BHP I think.
Interesting bike - a couple of pals of mine have 2T variants , an earlier Panther 35 and a DMW Dolomite both suffer from poor starting when warm. Yours with an electric start should help no doubt. nice video.
Wow!! What did you get it up to on the bypass? My brother back in the day had a fanny B with the Villiers 325cc twin in it and that went like the clappers
Picks up well enough! they were nice and nimble, shame not a lot of the 2T engines around also could hear the noisy gearbox! hope it sounds better now!
i'm guessing the YDS5 was the Yamaha 2 stroke predecessor to the RD range, back in the mid 80's you could pick up bikes so cheap, a friend had an old yammy 2 stroke probably a YDS and 1 night he had a few mechanical issues, unfortunately a big gang of us rather enthusiastic but technically inept and too helpful rogues 'fixed' it however the next day he was going round an island and it caught on fire and unfortunately that was the end of that particular YDS , i think we forgot to put the carb overflow pipes back on and i think he had a sticky float. Anyway, the yds, which today would be worth, pre fire, alot of cash, even honda c90's go for £1500.
@@MakeAllThingsBeautiful Great story Robert ! Yes the good old days eh ! I had a YDS7 back in the summer of '76, great bike and yes this was the predecessor to the RD series, Take care.
re comment by Arthur Pendragon - Poor Crank seals may be a cause of poor warm starting ( hot is OK, cold is OK ?) as it happens I have repaired one of those motors this winter so it will be interesting if it starts better?
There's a lot to be said for the Villiers lightweights; relatively low initial cost, plentiful engine spares and the 2T and 3T twins go, as a friend observed, like Stink!
i had a sun 2t 250 a nice reliable bike till i modifed the front hit a car end of a good friend no money to repair apprentice joiner 3 pounds 50 p a week
This was my first bike at 17 years old. Actually might be the exact bike, I modified the dynastart cover so I could fit a kick start gearbox. The bike was painted black with a silver tank and I hand painted the Villiers logo. The swinging arm had a braze repair done at my school in metalwork class. Used to keep up with my mates Suzuki ts125 in a cloud of blue smoke. Those were the days.
If Panther had made them like this , they would have sold a lot more ! Well done a ' Top Job' You should be proud ! 👍👍👍
Beautiful machine..very similar to my Norman B4 sports which also had the Villiers 250T engine...I got mine in 66 after the previous owner blew the engine and it was all in boxes including the frame...
listening to you open it up, makes me want to put my 1959 DKW RT200VS back on the road and frighten my self one more time. :-)
What a beautifully looking and designed simple motor bike! Thats what motor cycles should be, not the bloated heavy expense technolgy laden, expensive beasts of today! You are extremely lucky to own one!
I love it when folk adapt their bikes to their own taste & you've got this little machine looking as "sharp as a bowl of razor soup" my friend!
A dish I may never be bold enough to sample but thanks for your kind comment.
I really enjoyed this video, as a ex owner of 2 Panther model 35,s back in the eighties, the sound of the Villiers 2T engine on song brought back many happy memories .
Thank you! Really enjoyed this, especially your calm knowledgeable narration.
Like a previous comment I had a Norman B4 Sports, very similar barring for the front forks. A lovely bike but benefitted from fitting Lodge R47 Plugs.
I had a Francis Barnett cruiser twin with the Villiers 2T back in 1971. This is the first time I have heard a 2T running since then. Thanks!
The tank is very similar but the petrol cap was of the quick release type and in a different position, the flyscreen was higher, the plugs did suffer from whispering hence the change of plugs
I was lucky enough to ride one of these in 1974 as a 20 year old with no fear, it handled really well but forget about stopping quick.
I like the idea of 'no fear' as a substitute for brakes.
very smooth running Sir
Lovely bike, brings back some memories for me. I've always been a fan of Villiers two strokes, especially the twins.
I bought a complete and running 1964 Panther 250 twin for £60 when I was 16 back in 1981. I hoped to get it fixed up and on the road for when I was 17 but never managed it. I do remember its 2 into 1 exhaust system and jelly mould fuel tank, and how lively, smooth and torquey the engine was even though the Villiers 2T engine is rated at about 15 BHP I think.
Interesting bike - a couple of pals of mine have 2T variants , an earlier Panther 35 and a DMW Dolomite both suffer from poor starting when warm. Yours with an electric start should help no doubt. nice video.
That would be the crank seals shot then.
Wow!! What did you get it up to on the bypass? My brother back in the day had a fanny B with the Villiers 325cc twin in it and that went like the clappers
I knew a bloke with a Suzuki T500 with four leading shoe Yamaha brake.
Picks up well enough! they were nice and nimble, shame not a lot of the 2T engines around also could hear the noisy gearbox! hope it sounds better now!
Wow never seen one before , i suppose it was killed off by the Super Six and Yam YDS5 , great vid really enjoyed thanks :o)
i'm guessing the YDS5 was the Yamaha 2 stroke predecessor to the RD range, back in the mid 80's you could pick up bikes so cheap, a friend had an old yammy 2 stroke probably a YDS and 1 night he had a few mechanical issues, unfortunately a big gang of us rather enthusiastic but technically inept and too helpful rogues 'fixed' it however the next day he was going round an island and it caught on fire and unfortunately that was the end of that particular YDS , i think we forgot to put the carb overflow pipes back on and i think he had a sticky float. Anyway, the yds, which today would be worth, pre fire, alot of cash, even honda c90's go for £1500.
@@MakeAllThingsBeautiful Great story Robert ! Yes the good old days eh ! I had a YDS7 back in the summer of '76, great bike and yes this was the predecessor to the RD series, Take care.
Reminds me a lot of the JAWA or Mondial.
re comment by Arthur Pendragon - Poor Crank seals may be a cause of poor warm starting ( hot is OK, cold is OK ?) as it happens I have repaired one of those motors this winter so it will be interesting if it starts better?
Excellent video I could easily be a two stroke panther convert
There's a lot to be said for the Villiers lightweights; relatively low initial cost, plentiful engine spares and the 2T and 3T twins go, as a friend observed, like Stink!
i had a sun 2t 250 a nice reliable bike till i modifed the front hit a car end of a good friend no money to repair apprentice joiner 3 pounds 50 p a week