These nice bikes were very popular in the 1950´s and 60´s in my hometown, Mérida, México, nowadays there are one or two still running ocasionally but they either are not for sale or want too much for them. Russia copied them too, I think they called it Moskva, many other countries copied the german DKW (not necesarily Nazis) since the factory was founded around 1920. The reason to reproduce it was a patent DKW had on how the burnt fuel was swept out, giving this little engine an advantage over other makes. BSA was my favorite English brand, at a time I owned a 1957 500cc single. It´s a pity they don´t exist anymore.
Very nice video. I think the bike, however, is a 52 or 53. I had a 54 model and the finning on the barrel was fatter. I paid 12 pounds for it and, still on L plates in 1962, I was booked for speeding and was fined 6 pounds. Is that some kind of record?
Nice vid! My dear old BSA D10 did 60+mph flat out – but ate up chains and front sprockets. Nice handling on Avon tyres, but brakes were so-so. Chrome and paint? Pretty good. Decoke? Easy with a Melco box spanner. The 6v battery was puny, sulphating up and shorting internally. Blown front bulbs were common. Wipac light switches were dreadful as a big knob turned a skinny nylon centre rod that twisted indecisively before it clicked, and switch internals got rusty too. The gear lever centering spring would fail inside the gearbox, so you'd pull the pedal right up with your toe – a sod to fix. Improvements for these known weaknesses never arrived, a pity for a popular bike that had such a long run, but the industry was so complacent it just left the market to the Japs in the seventies.
it was " made in Imperial " because all was Witworth thread ( cycle thread as in push-cycle as that is all an old M/c is a bike with a lump )..after the Witworth chappie who wanted everything a standard fitting,…hhmm sounds metric that,…nice chap in video ..bit short on on his facts, War Reparitions was how it was taken ( same with Asprin in first war ..ect )……..Ruskies did same with the Zundapp…yup yer cossack….most were named after the river the factory was on, ( Hydro power )..Dniepre,…Minsk,..Vokshod ect,,,,
thats strange, I rode a kick start 500cc single matchbox at 16, legally, my Bro was on a 70cc Yammie kickstart in 1970 as law was changed to 250cc..not any with plates,…this mpoed law is new,..he forgot to say that?…or it he explaining to a load of " ped " riders,?…
hello the BD1, i am sorry i left this out, i woukld not recomend this bike for hill climb and sprinting, not if your wanting to win, as these are two strokes with little power hills are not somthing the bantam is good at, for example mine will mainly travel at 40 to 50mph along the flat, but up steep hills around 20mph is normal, it would be nice to hear how it goes
Great movie. You forgot to mention that the DKW 125 was also copied by the Soviets to produce the Minsk 125. Still in production today in Belarus, it is the most highly developed variant with electronic ignition and 10 bhp from the same 61 x 58, 123 motor.
Great vid mate. I had my test arranged and on the day I was due to take the test on an old James Cavalier. Half an hour before the test I sat on the James, and the clutch cable broke as I pulled it in. The Bantam was in bits, so I put it all back together and rushed to the test centre. I minute into the journey I remembered the carb was choked with crap from the tank and the only way to take the test was to use the 'tickler' on the carb to flood it.. I passed, but it was tough going.
Nice presentation on the humble Beeza Bantam. Dont forget the B175 and its sporting history too. There are 4 Bantams in my family collection, from my 1950 D1 factory Competition model to my B175 one day trials machine. Excellent fun for all and a brilliant way to start a collection of good old Brit iron. Am sure we will be hearing more of Alex in the future. Well done, a true Bantamite, (thats what Bantam owners were known as in the old days when the world was black and white).
good stuff alex apart from you missed an e of camera and mine name has to t's on the end. Favorite line "so going back in time" haha gives it away. nice job lad
These nice bikes were very popular in the 1950´s and 60´s in my hometown, Mérida, México, nowadays there are one or two still running ocasionally but they either are not for sale or want too much for them. Russia copied them too, I think they called it Moskva, many other countries copied the german DKW (not necesarily Nazis) since the factory was founded around 1920. The reason to reproduce it was a patent DKW had on how the burnt fuel was swept out, giving this little engine an advantage over other makes. BSA was my favorite English brand, at a time I owned a 1957 500cc single. It´s a pity they don´t exist anymore.
u forgot the best 1 the b 175 197o -72 or whatever they stood for unsold
Very nice video. I think the bike, however, is a 52 or 53. I had a 54 model and the finning on the barrel was fatter. I paid 12 pounds for it and, still on L plates in 1962, I was booked for speeding and was fined 6 pounds. Is that some kind of record?
Nice video, and very informative for those of us who are interested in motor vehicles. What series do you have?
Nice vid! My dear old BSA D10 did 60+mph flat out – but ate up chains and front sprockets. Nice handling on Avon tyres, but brakes were so-so. Chrome and paint? Pretty good. Decoke? Easy with a Melco box spanner. The 6v battery was puny, sulphating up and shorting internally. Blown front bulbs were common. Wipac light switches were dreadful as a big knob turned a skinny nylon centre rod that twisted indecisively before it clicked, and switch internals got rusty too. The gear lever centering spring would fail inside the gearbox, so you'd pull the pedal right up with your toe – a sod to fix. Improvements for these known weaknesses never arrived, a pity for a popular bike that had such a long run, but the industry was so complacent it just left the market to the Japs in the seventies.
it was " made in Imperial " because all was Witworth thread ( cycle thread as in push-cycle as that is all an old M/c is a bike with a lump )..after the Witworth chappie who wanted everything a standard fitting,…hhmm sounds metric that,…nice chap in video ..bit short on on his facts, War Reparitions was how it was taken ( same with Asprin in first war ..ect )……..Ruskies did same with the Zundapp…yup yer cossack….most were named after the river the factory was on, ( Hydro power )..Dniepre,…Minsk,..Vokshod ect,,,,
thats strange, I rode a kick start 500cc single matchbox at 16, legally, my Bro was on a 70cc Yammie kickstart in 1970 as law was changed to 250cc..not any with plates,…this mpoed law is new,..he forgot to say that?…or it he explaining to a load of " ped " riders,?…
I past my test on a 175cc D7 1966 model and it still had 3 gears :D
Modified versions of these bikes wear clocked at over 130 mph down conrod straight at Bathurst Australia.
Great brings back memories of my first bike
Great doco on the BSA. Couldnt get better music either! Cool.
Pretty cool bike, to bad that most likely I would not be able to get one of those down here in Canada.
brings a tear to me eye , happy memories of being 16 freedom of the road innit
Well done, lovely work, great subject, great filming
hello the BD1, i am sorry i left this out, i woukld not recomend this bike for hill climb and sprinting, not if your wanting to win, as these are two strokes with little power hills are not somthing the bantam is good at, for example mine will mainly travel at 40 to 50mph along the flat, but up steep hills around 20mph is normal, it would be nice to hear how it goes
what about the BD1?, would you reccomend a bantam for classic hill climb and sprinting?
thanks mate that means a lot
Mind equals blown… This shouldn't be on youtube, this should be on the television! Great video!
I did not know about that, very intresting thanks man!
Great movie. You forgot to mention that the DKW 125 was also copied by the Soviets to produce the Minsk 125. Still in production today in Belarus, it is the most highly developed variant with electronic ignition and 10 bhp from the same 61 x 58, 123 motor.
D5 only came in black ! 2 yr production from '58 ! one in video at 3:38 is red LOL !!!
classet as a 125cc but its a 123cc
how much cc is it?
A brilliant video! i myself own 4 bantams, a 1949 Rigid D1, a 1956 D3 Swing arm, a1968 D14/4 Bantam and am soon aquiring a D7 bantam.
Did you show that laughton spring fayre ?
Great vid mate. I had my test arranged and on the day I was due to take the test on an old James Cavalier. Half an hour before the test I sat on the James, and the clutch cable broke as I pulled it in. The Bantam was in bits, so I put it all back together and rushed to the test centre. I minute into the journey I remembered the carb was choked with crap from the tank and the only way to take the test was to use the 'tickler' on the carb to flood it.. I passed, but it was tough going.
yep still going strong, and it is used as a evryday bike, almost all year round!
Nice video.
Still got the Bantam?
video not working..locks up
@A1BSA is it still not working?
video gone pear shaped…can you upload it again
Nice presentation on the humble Beeza Bantam. Dont forget the B175 and its sporting history too. There are 4 Bantams in my family collection, from my 1950 D1 factory Competition model to my B175 one day trials machine. Excellent fun for all and a brilliant way to start a collection of good old Brit iron. Am sure we will be hearing more of Alex in the future. Well done, a true Bantamite, (thats what Bantam owners were known as in the old days when the world was black and white).
good stuff alex apart from you missed an e of camera and mine name has to t's on the end. Favorite line "so going back in time" haha gives it away. nice job lad
wicked alex
i can see u as a host of a classical car and bike version of top gear yay
best line 'also depends on how much food you have eaten' love it
Good job alex,
(BSA Bantam D1 by calvin kline- becouse your worth it!)