old british motorcycle

[flypaper]

thanks guys, i love my old brit bikes, i have a few, one i race and ride the most is a 1968 BSA bushman trials bike, in used condition haha, well the poor thing get raced around a oval.

i have started a build on a 1965 bsa bantam, thats going to be a classic lightweight speedway bike, in chrome and purple.

its so much easier working and playing with bikes in winter

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you bring back some fun memories
my friend had a 69 BSA
what a beast it was to get started when you were a 15/16 yo kid
but it was a monster once it got going,
it was one the fastest Bikes back then on the trails for its size for a period of time
then they came out with lighter and faster a few years later.

 

[Slap Stick]

Ha Ha
You want to know something?
I took my S1975 Superglide apart one winter in Rhode Island...(snow, can not ride)
It was made assembled poorly
I found out that in 1975 H.D went on strike and the engineers / non-union workers assembled the bikes
But hey: That was a good bike...
In all honestly, but yes...todays bikes are different..

The bikes were bad before the strike. That's why amf sold it.
And it took many years for them to build in quality.
Funny...they still have problems with cam bearings. That was a problem on Shovelheads.

 

[super-bee_ski]

The strike was probably over the AMF takeover. We always called it A Major F... up! Those years weren't the same. When Willy bought it back then things became a whole lot better.

All of my older HDs might have leaked some oil but they were dependable. My last one was a '97 FLHT and it was well built with no oil leaks. Ran and rode great.
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NO
You need to learn your Harley-Davidson history...AND to clear things up...AMF did NOT ruin Harley-Davidson, but SAVED Harley-Davidson, as many Americans believed it was AMF that caused the poor quality...
It was not that at all....

A little known and misunderstood fact: American Machine and Foundry (AMF) bought the nearly bankrupt Harley Davidson Motorcycle Company in 1969 for an undisclosed amount of money. AMF operated the company until 1981 at which time Vaughn Beals, “Willie G.” Davidson and a group investors purchased the company back from AMF for $80 million.

 

[PeteBell68]

Love those bikes but always liked green . I would like to get an old classic to cruise now .1998

 

[BeeKool]

NO
You need to learn your Harley-Davidson history...AND to clear things up...AMF did NOT ruin Harley-Davidson, but SAVED Harley-Davidson, as many Americans believed it was AMF that caused the poor quality...
It was not that at all....

A little known and misunderstood fact: American Machine and Foundry (AMF) bought the nearly bankrupt Harley Davidson Motorcycle Company in 1969 for an undisclosed amount of money. AMF operated the company until 1981 at which time Vaughn Beals, “Willie G.” Davidson and a group investors purchased the company back from AMF for $80 million.

From what a few of the older motorcycle enthusiasts in my area have told me, you are 100% correct.

The assembly process/tools whatever were standardized and made more efficient. Dealerships were modernized (many were very podunk) and the whole company itself was brought up to par with the times. And judging by the amount of AMF era Harleys out there, it must have been a real shot in the arm to sales.

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

Yup without AMF Harley would be a memory

 

[Slap Stick]

AMF did inherit HDs problems but did nothing to correct them. Instead they bought more companies that were totally unrelated to their core business.
They bled money and sales during the time they held HD because the bikes were no better and probably worse because they didn't invest in the company.
They sold HD in 81 and in 85 were taken over and reorganized, selling off unrelated businesses.

 

[khryslerkid]

NO
You need to learn your Harley-Davidson history...AND to clear things up...AMF did NOT ruin Harley-Davidson, but SAVED Harley-Davidson, as many Americans believed it was AMF that caused the poor quality...
It was not that at all....

A little known and misunderstood fact: American Machine and Foundry (AMF) bought the nearly bankrupt Harley Davidson Motorcycle Company in 1969 for an undisclosed amount of money. AMF operated the company until 1981 at which time Vaughn Beals, “Willie G.” Davidson and a group investors purchased the company back from AMF for $80 million.

You're absolutely right Bee, should have done my homework. Thanks for setting me straight and I'll offer a thousand pardons!

I was going "off the cuff" on my recollections from that time period. I was riding with a pretty large group of guys, mostly Harleys and myself on British bikes. I did eventually end up on a '49 panhead.

The guys were really complaining about the takeover. Something about the change in the Sportsters that really got to them. I always understood that 1972 was the last good one. But if '69 was the takeover than that doesn't make sence. I do remember the amount of Japanese bikes flooding the market. Probably a major contributor to HDs lack of sales. The 900 Kawasaki was really hated by the Sportster owners. They didn't stand a chance trying to take one on back then.

Anyway at my age, am I allowed to use this as an excuse for my lack of expertise?

 

[Tex013]

nice unit .
I used to have a 1958 BSA 650 A10 , nice but lived up to its name after 10 minutes - bloody sore arse .
Had alloy front fender and later fibreglass Lightning (?) fuel tank plus sportier mufflers

Tex

 

[Bladecutter]

Not British, sorry. I loved this bike, actually my second one, built with some donor parts of my first one that I took flight over a cliff with....my Ferret was with me too...She was OK, but I got a bit twisted.
'Zuk 'Water Buffalo' gt-750...liquid cooled 2 stroke triple....first production liquid cooled street bikes. These pics(1982)were taken day before I hung Jardine expansion chambers & I got rid of the hideous taillight for a small billet affair & short bobbed the rear fender & hung the front fender back on. Rear tyre was the fattest Dunlop Elite available at the time......these bikes were not as heavy as they looked. Stock dry weight was 480 lbs. The stock exhaust was a bit over 40 lbs. The 3 Jardine's weighed less than 10 lbs.
36" case cover to cover, stability was very good, could balance upright at a dead stop, at speed, had to be a little forceful on the lean but the bike layed over nice & was responsive in switchbacks...could straighten out a road pretty good with it.
I'd die to have the factory werx TR-750.

 

[elevensies]

Not British, sorry. I loved this bike, actually my second one, built with some donor parts of my first one that I took flight over a cliff with....my Ferret was with me too...She was OK, but I got a bit twisted.
'Zuk 'Water Buffalo' gt-750...liquid cooled 2 stroke triple....first production liquid cooled street bikes. These pics(1982)were taken day before I hung Jardine expansion chambers & I got rid of the hideous taillight for a small billet affair & short bobbed the rear fender & hung the front fender back on. Rear tyre was the fattest Dunlop Elite available at the time......these bikes were not as heavy as they looked. Stock dry weight was 480 lbs. The stock exhaust was a bit over 40 lbs. The 3 Jardine's weighed less than 10 lbs.
36" case cover to cover, stability was very good, could balance upright at a dead stop, at speed, had to be a little forceful on the lean but the bike layed over nice & was responsive in switchbacks...could straighten out a road pretty good with it.
I'd die to have the factory werx TR-750.

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very nice i bet these were quite rare over in the USA in the late 70's early 80's

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

I have a 52 Terrier I have been hauling around forever. Still looking for a part before I do the restoration. Was a board tracker and a prototype. Officially they did not start til 53. Will get pics.

 

[Slap Stick]

The buffalo was the first Japanese production water cooled bike.
The English produced water cooled bikes in the early years of the last century.

 

[Bladecutter]

very nice i bet these were quite rare over in the USA in the late 70's early 80's

They're still about, I check occasionally & can still find completes for under 5 grand though most need a good going through. I remember that they have a problem with cylinders becoming frozen to case, but that is a mostly user oriented problem due to using mineral water instead of distilled water blended with glycol coolant.

 

[Bladecutter]

The buffalo was the first Japanese production water cooled bike.
The English produced water cooled bikes in the early years of the last century.

I stand corrected. The 'Zuk was the first MASS production liquid cooled MC introduced to American market, was it not?

 

[Bladecutter]

early Suzuki factory werx TR-750 GP bike.
I want one Sooo Baadd!

 

[Slap Stick]

I stand corrected. The 'Zuk was the first MASS production liquid cooled MC introduced to American market, was it not?

It was the first Japanese water cooled production bike sold in the US.
Production means it wasn't a one off or a prototype.
Many people think Yamaha was next. They didn't make a water bike until the 80s. Kaw didn't have one until the 79 kz 1300.
It was Honda with the 75 GL1000. I had one and it was a great bike.
Most people don't realize it but there was only one bike that was quicker than the Wing in 75. It was the KZ900. Faster by 2/10 of a second. I surprised many a rider with that one.

 

[Bladecutter]

It was the first Japanese water cooled production bike sold in the US.
Production means it wasn't a one off or a prototype.
Many people think Yamaha was next. They didn't make a water bike until the 80s. Kaw didn't have one until the 79 kz 1300.
It was Honda with the 75 GL1000. I had one and it was a great bike.
Most people don't realize it but there was only one bike that was quicker than the Wing in 75. It was the KZ900. Faster by 2/10 of a second. I surprised many a rider with that one.

Yes, my Brother had a new in 75 1000cc Gold Wing...de-bagged it, put short bars on it, stripped the stickers, de-trimmed, put a 1/4 fairing on it & left it pure black, aluminum & chrome. I rode it a few times and it was very fast. It was a very handsome bike without all the touring crap on it.

 

[Slap Stick]

All the touring crap was aftermarket back then. There was only one way to buy a Wing back then-bare.

 

[Hey-O]