My Daily Rider

[Magista]

This is my other bike, 1973 CL350 Scrambler.

It's a great bike even though it high-sided me last year...busted my leg in three places and spent 3 days in the hospital. Granted, I had picked up a nail in the rear tire...so I guess it's not really the bike's fault.

It's perfect for zipping around on.

[Magista]

I almost didn't post it because they were partially responsible for the death of the British moto industry. It's a fantastic little machine though.

My other bike is an '08 Ducati Sport Classic. Which, after 14 years of ownership, is up for sale in Seattle. I'll miss it. Damn thing is a beast.

[Greybeard]

I do not think any blame should be attributed to Japanese motorcycles for the demise of BSA.

In 1972 I worked at a Honda dealers workshop. I'd ride my A10 to work, (park it dripping oil) then start working on Honda motorbikes. Before I got my hands on Japanese bikes, like many Brits, I'd parrot "They are just copies of our bikes";  just so not true. Of course there were look-alikes; there was a certain look for bikes of the period, but the engineering was so much better. The castings were fine, not sand cast. The engines didn't leak oil. The bikes often had electric starting! Power output was superior to Brit bikes. A Honda CB175 felt like a good 350.

I do not really need to mention the Cub series do I?

That Honda of yours has drum brakes so it must be a classic by now and I bet it's a lot more reliable than a BSA of the same mileage.

I suppose I could make the case that Japanese motorcycles have kept motorcycling alive all this time.

[Roger (Doomtrainbarx)]

I do not think any blame should be attributed to Japanese motorcycle for the demise of BSA.


I agree GB - I have American and Japanese bikes as well, but which have I been out on again today ?
The S.R. - simply because it makes me smile in a way the others don't !

[Magista]

I do not think any blame should be attributed to Japanese motorcycle for the demise of BSA.

In 1972 I worked at a Honda dealers workshop. I'd ride my A10 to work, (park it dripping oil) then start working on Honda motorbikes. Before I got my hands on Japanese bikes, like many Brits, I'd parrot "They are just copies of our bikes";  just so not true. Of course there were look-alikes; there was a certain look for bikes of the period, but the engineering was so much better. The castings were fine, not sand cast. The engines didn't leak oil. The bikes often had electric starting! Power output was superior to Brit bikes. A Honda CB175 felt like a good 350.

I do not really need to mention the Cub series do I?

That Honda of yours has drum brakes so it must be a classic by now and I bet it's a lot more reliable than a BSA of the same mileage.

I suppose I could make the case that Japanese motorcycles have kept motorcycling alive all this time.

All very good points.

Yes, the CL has drums...that actually stop the bike . I bought the CL350 from a young man who had found it in a barn. It had 4,000 miles on it at the time. It now has 6,500 miles.

For me I love the individual personalities of each of my bikes from the sexy Italian approach of the Ducati, the bulletproof-ness and reliability of the Honda, to the absolutely gentleman like handling and smoothness of the BSA. I thoroughly enjoy riding each one.

[a10 gf]

I've always had a secret loveaffair to scramblers from the 70's, but never got around to get one.

Beautiful bike indeed.

[Magista]

I've always had a secret loveaffair to scramblers from the 70's, but never got around to get one.

Beautiful bike indeed.

There is something really cool about them.

I’m contemplating judiciously scramblerizing my A7. 

[KiwiGF]

I've always had a secret loveaffair to scramblers from the 70's, but never got around to get one.

Beautiful bike indeed.

60’s motocrossers are fun….and I reckon quicker than the likes of xl500, xt500 etc 😆

PS thats a mate on his commando not me

[fffcycles]

I have a few Hondas, C70 and CT90's (Love them), 3 of the  441's, and a Commando (or 5 or 6) but I love the ride on the older BSA's. Have a Ducati 450 Scrambler for some of the off road stuff but the Honda's are just easier.
The cold weather stories remind me of riding to work on my CB350 (great bike!), to and from Montreal, 50 miles each way and in November I stopped my bike at home and found I was frozen to the seat and grips. That was it, quit and moved to the west coast of Canada where I could ride almost all year long.
Frank

[scotty]

Every now and then I cheat on the Bimmer and ride a Beezer 😳

[Rex]

Fifty + years on and we're still crapping on about "what happened to the old British factories" and "my Honduki 70 ran for half a million miles without even an oil change and it could still out-drag my mate's Commando"? Talk about a well-worn discussion..
To most riders today BSA is probably no more than a long-lost marque that his dad spoke about having when he was a young man.
Then again, one could always point to the superb irony that all those technically-superior Japanese bikes have gone to land-fill decades ago, while all those 'orrible leaky unreliable p*ss-poor electrics BSA's etc are still being dragged from lock-ups and rebuilt from a rusty frame and a pair of wheels.
 

[Greybeard]

A cover of the Vintage MotorCycle Club magazine.

[KiwiGF]

Fifty + years on and we're still crapping on about "what happened to the old British factories" and "my Honduki 70 ran for half a million miles without even an oil change and it could still out-drag my mate's Commando"? Talk about a well-worn discussion..
To most riders today BSA is probably no more than a long-lost marque that his dad spoke about having when he was a young man.
Then again, one could always point to the superb irony that all those technically-superior Japanese bikes have gone to land-fill decades ago, while all those 'orrible leaky unreliable p*ss-poor electrics BSA's etc are still being dragged from lock-ups and rebuilt from a rusty frame and a pair of wheels.

I have spent a couple of hours tonight helping my brother get his SOHC CB750 dunstall cafe racer back on the road after a so far unexplained engine seize (he just bought another engine and we installed that).

He reckons they made 500,000 and virtually all parts are readily available down to tanks exhausts etc. and not too pricy.

He is only a year younger than me but into 70’s japanese cafe racers, I sort of get it, but can’t help taking the p-ss when it takes several hours to remove and refit the carbs  cos the rubbers have gone hard.

And everything that goes wrong seems to invokve taking 5he carbs off 

[Black Sheep]

I don't have a Japanese other bike. My daily riders are BSAs.

[Rex]

@ Rex

There is a huge and flourishing Classic japanese scene, restored bikes go for enormous sums of money.

Most went to scrap because there were so many produced in the first place and they were seen as a step towards car ownership.

I bet for every BSA being currently restored, there are 10 Hondas.

Given the extremely high costs of parts (if they're even available) I rather doubt that is true. Top-notch resto's may ask/fetch a lot of money but put the wrong pipes on/paint it an off-shade/fit the wrong clocks or seat and the value is down in the Bantam bracket.
if there was a big demand there'd be more parts dealers than David Silver or CSNL, but there isn't.