Where are all the old Brit bikes?

[guest7]

Here in South Wales we don't have that much of a biking scene (especially compared to the Midlands or even a nearby city like Bristol). However, we did used to see the odd old brit bike still being used as transport.

In recent years I haven't seen much in the way of British bikes being used 'properly'. One hero rides past my house most days on an early Le Mans (wearing natty 70s leathers) and there are any number of nice old Harleys, but no C15s, no 650 twins and not even the one mad old sod who rode a sidevalve BSA single with chair, (badly) handpainted bright red.

What about where you are? Have all the Brit bikes been bought by those dopey bastards who think that painting over the marks of 40 year's use 'improves' the look of a bike?

GC
 
p.s. I have just realised, this has opened the door to a broadside from the king of running unrestored old tat, Mr Pollard himself 

p.p.s. I mixed some metaphors there then! 

[andy230]

I know a few guys in london running brit twins (bonnie, a7, 750 triton).  Not practical, but oily and fun!  I have always resisted bringing any brit iron down here as london is "too hard" on bikes- theft, offs, vandals, and city wear n tear.  Tho maybe the finest name in motorcycling could grace the solar shed in 09...

I think they are considered "a bit precious" now, not least due to the ridiculous prices that even tat appears to be fetching.  Grrrr!

a

[guest40]

What?? There are still some around that havent fallen or vibrated apart???
BSA=  "Bastard Stopped Again" !
or " Bloody Sore Arse"

Personally I would like to get my hands on a Venom.

That reminds me, back in the days of British decline and Jap sales rising, a freind in a local club was selling a mint Velo Thruxton and could barely get  $AUS 350, at a time when a T20 Suzuki 250 was selling new for $AUS600.  You could even pick up squaffers for peanuts.
Beezers and Trumpies etc were everywhere here back in the 60's and dirt cheap as only the nicest people rode Cub 50/90 Hondas. Only British bike I can say Ive ridden was an AJS twin back in about '69 tho a mate had a late model 440 Victa thump thump thum thu th t shhtfzzz POP for a while.

[Bill Rutter]

Back in the "there'll never be a motorbike in our house" days I lusted after: a) a Starfire to learn on, followed by b) a Spitfire or Rocket3/Trident. I can still remember getting a brochure from our local BSA dealer. It was a couple of years though, before I took the plunge/got up the courage and bought a  spanking-new KH250 from Boyer of Bromley (£649). To my shame, I have never since got round to riding a British bike except as pillion but I still have a fondness for them for kick-starting my interest in bikes. You don't see too many around  my neck of the woods nowadays although the BSA Owners Clubs seems to be thriving judging by their website. Saturday afternoon ITV regularly had "Scrambling" in their schedule with riders duch as Vic Eastwood and Dave Bickers. I loved it, even in black and white!
                                I do also wish I could track down either of my dear old Dad's Golden Flash combos.

[Jez F]

Up here in sunny? Wolves, I know of one mate who has a few BSA 250's and an AJS350, another has an Enfield Interceptor (still in bits!) and 350 G, another mate with 650 Beeza, another one with various Nortons, and a couple of perverse souls with Panthers, but most are in various stages of rebuild and are only dragged out when it gets warm (not too often!) and there are one or two 70's Triumphs blatting around as well.
Jez

[martinc]

Dear me, a mention of Golden Flash combos... I had an A10 in the mid-60s, the sprung-hub sort. I had it for about a week before it ran the main bearing on the timing side and became my first serious project. The chair was a double adult with a canvas sunshine roof, so my dog Henry could stand with his back legs on the seat and front legs along the roof, bringing much joy into peoples' lives as we puttered by.

For years afterwards I had a 'comb' made from alloy sheet in my toolbox - it was required to line up the pushrods when reassembling the engine. I also recall having to grind down a socket to get at the magneto bolts. It was hilarious to ride in the snow (we had proper winters then). Happy days...

Martin

[bullet350]

 the problem now is they're all too expensive. i had a lovely 650ss norton about a year ago, but i sold it because it was too nice to use regularly.

 they're mostly owned by people who tell you how great they are and never actually ride them. a reasonable A10 is £2800 now (i've been looking for a s*%t one for £1000-1500 and can't get one) and thats too much money to run into the ground.

if you can afford one then get another £500 together and buy an everyday jap that needs little maintenance and has brakes that can cope with traffic.

the one regular user i know is my mate who commutes daily on a Norton ES2 that he assembled out of parts in 1973. it leaks like the exxon valdez and has a coating of oil and grime, but it looks absolutely fantastic! its great to see a brit being used as intended.

he did sum up ownership last week when he said:

"i must go through my box of engines and see if i can find a better one"


bullet350

[Richard]

Oi.  Don't knock old tat.

Still using my old Beemer near daily and thats a 70's bike.  You can tell by the brakes.

To be fair being a Beemer its just old, not tat.

And don't they all turn up at the Dragon ?  Rest of the year yuo can't see them for the brightly painted befaired stuff.

Richard

[trophydave]

My only experience of Brit iron is the Triumph Tiger 100 basket case that I was given-that should give you an idea of how bad it was.The engine had been totally stripped to it's last nut and bolt,then the whole lot had been left in a greenhouse for about ten years.During this time quite a lot of it went missing.After I had spent about £800/900 on it I gave up.I was still nowhere near with it and had no hope of getting anywhere with it.I swapped it for a Transalp and I think I did O.K. out of the deal.My mate who now has the bike recently bought another Tiger 100,nice condition but non-runner,it cost him £2500 .They are just too much money nowadays.

[guest288]

  unfortunately the price of most brits has risen to more than what I can afford to pay.

I'd love to own one, maybe one day, but I still see a few out and about mainly on the weekends.

[Andy M]

When the prices go as daft as they are riders will pick whatever works while the polishers are prepared to pay. Why would I pay £2800 for an A10 when I could get a half decent 70's/80's BM or something like a 2005 ER-5? The ER-5 is going to be easier to keep up to and certainly has similar/superior performance to the A10. This only leaves a few people who got their Brit bikes when they were "old" rather than "classic".

I think even barn finds are now likely to be Japanese or Italian rather than British.

Andy

[guest146]

With me its the pleasure of riding something that I rode when I was a kid. Also these will be a thing of the past soon and that will be a shame. It will never loose money and the number will only go up in value. BMWs and the like are 10 a penny and you get more looks and interest is one of these.

Hope the picture works i still haven't got the hang of posting them

Ken

[martinc]

The 'Real Classics' website has a feed from Ebay that shows the 'most watched' bikes, which are mostly British. See http://www.realclassic.co.uk/bikes.html (But I definitely don't want the Ariel Arrow described as an ideal Xmas present.)

Of course the figures for Ebay watchers might be affected by old chaps taking nostalgic trips into their youth. Like me.

I reckon it's a good site, Real Classics, especially their classifieds. Basket case Guzzi V50 II for £100? That would be a reliable workhorse, I reckon. Or another Guzzi, ex-Italian police with blue lights and sirens, if you're the exhibitionist sort.

Martin