My first time commenting on your channel, been lurking catching up on all the vids. This episode is so brilliant, I thought you had my British doppelganger with Lana towards the end! I have owned a Ural here in the States, 2wd and the dog rode in it for a while before I sold it. I now am starting the process of rebuilding my 68' T100R, have the engine out and stripped down to the pistons, just got my engine stand from a chap there in England, so I can now do a proper teardown. From my neighbor snapping a pic of me sneakily playing on my stepdads '82 Honda Nighthawk 450 when I was 11, to today at 49, I've always loved bikes, and have wrenched on all the ones I owned, even when bought new, aftermarket has been the Bane to my wallet, improvements can always be made! I totally enjoy your channel! Cheers!
Re. the fibreglass tank and ethanol, Dave… there are now companies (in India) producing steel replica tanks for classic bikes which had a GRP tank as standard… including the original Conti GT 250, and certain Norton Commandos… often available fully finished in stock colours and decals at very reasonable prices.
Watching the bmw n sidecar was comical good stuff .your so right about doing the maintenance I enjoy it gives you a sense of achievement and knowing your doing the bike good 👍
Absolutely right Dave, we need to get more young people into bikes of all ages and disciplines (preferably classics !.) - I dread to think what the average age of UK bikers is today but I'd be willing to bet it's well over 50 !.. I must admit I had a chuckle when I saw you hanging on for grim death with both hands as Lana took the Dnepr outfit off-roading !.. Great video as always by the way, really looking forward to seeing the Scott up and running..
Lovely idea but the harsh reality is that, certainly in the U.K., since I began road biking in '67 the weather has permanently fallen apart. Incredible as it's 'only' been 56 years not several thousand! Instead of long blistering hot summers followed by a few months of harsh winter it has become rain, rain, rain for the full year. Even as a biking fanatic I find weather conditions to be thoroughly dispiriting. Also, I'll give writing about the worst maintained roads in the country (Devon) a miss for fear of appearing to be a depressive! Last year I purchased a Honda Valkyrie Interstate (year 2000) as I can justify keeping it based on its beauty and price increase potential. That's rather sad. Actually, very sad.
You are correct about the small bikes. I am lucky to own a few classic bikes, from different ends of the globe. In my early 50’s I can still manage big bikes, though, especially in congested urban environments, it’s the lighter machines that bring the smiles per mile… Also in a scrambling environment. However it’s horses for courses, on a highway trip of long miles you can’t beat a more torque oriented machine.
Im only 45 and bought my first British bike two years ago a 1963 650 RGS with clip on's and rear sets not too comfortable but love riding it, and love the videos Dave!
Doing a 180mile run on a Classic British Bike today is Simply Brilliant. Was really Great listening to Dave's story and speaks volumes about his Workmanship. And also Proves That British Bikes can be Reliable if put right. 👌
Up to a point Alistair. My time spent riding British bikes was only during the late 60s but I vividly recall each bike's vibration causing constant loss of screws, nuts and bolts, and light bulbs constantly blowing! And with some of them starting sometimes became impossible without first removing plugs and drying them out after endless failed kick start attempts. Yes, some of you will cry "Likely because you were clueless." Maybe, but biking ought to be able to accommodate society's clueless, and my problems immediately ended once I entered the Japanese manufacturers' world. If one is not at the very least an amateur mechanic then running a British classic is at the very least inevitably constantly problematic. But many mechanic types love this - horses for courses. Biking welcomes everyone, but not all marques do.
180 miles on the Gold Star first time out. That's impressive. When I bought my 1964 Triumph TR6 last year I rode it home about 50 miles. (An hour and a half ride.) It was my first time on a vintage British bike. The bike performed great.
I absolutely am in love with my 66 Lightning. However, I would be lying if i said I wouldn't sell it in a heartbeat to buy an RGS. Being a motorcycle wrench at my own shop, I too, fear breaking down and the frustrations. The looks I get and the appreciation my old bird gets throws that right out the window. My dad and I ride when we can around some back roads here in the US and the story of the young lad with his dads Gold Star hit home. I binge watch all of your videos and appreciate your in depth summaries of your repairs, you have even taught me a thing or two being that I specialize more on the Japanese bikes. Thank you for your videos and being down to earth! Cheers from the States!
I do love these videos, thanks. I was the same when I was young it was only BSA or Triumph for me, AJS, Ariel, Matchless weren't even considered. A memory which will always stay with me (which your video reminded me of) was getting a lift in a wooden box (which passed as a sidecar) attached to an Ariel which was a bit "worrying" to say the least!
236 miles Plymouth to Wellingborough on a 98 Honds 250 rebel i bought that afternoon ,went across country avoiding the motorways not bad for a 24 year old bike and 64 yr old rider
Now what if they bought out a new model of this with a tuned up meteor 350? And Larna’s comment that if you don’t get involved it won’t go should be written on the receipt of every classic bike sold 😂 👍
I rode a 69 BSA 441 from Vancouver to San Francisco and back in 2 weeks, 2400 miles. Burnt 1 set of clutch plates chasing bigger bikes on trip. They can do the job but you need wrenches.
On the subject of younger and new riders, and classics: It would be interesting to see a video on classics that are affordable and accessible up to 125cc (CBT legal) Just a thought
Hi Dave, I had a 1965 250 Continental GT in my youth - and what a fantastic bike it was. The main fault though was the gearbox as it would jump out of gear when on full chat and send the revs soaring! After many strips and alterations/changes of the selector mechanism, it was found that the dogs on the gears themselves were to blame. The dogs had worn almost parallel to each other and were very rounded at the tips and would therefore force themselves out of mesh under power. In the end I had the dogs on gears 2, 3 and 4 re-ground back to the original taper and this cured the problem for the rest of the time i owned the bike. The easy and simple fix though, is to fit a four speed cluster from a Crusader or Crusader Sport as these gears are thicker and stronger.
25:25 I used to have an r80 myself and it was weird. The guy I sold it to would then go ride it along with me and even keep up with me when I went fas!. He liked that bike more than I ever did and Believe me, those Pistons going out and in to the left and right make the thing feel like it's got a balancing point inside of itself that held me back, where as a vertical twin likeTriumph gets me to go ahead & nail it all out around the corners and accelerate through towards blissful danger. :)
I have had bikes back as far as I can remember - we used to ride old beat up mopeds etc on waste ground (bomb sites) when I was a kid and I progressed from there……when I was in the army in the 70’s I rode motocross all over Hampshire and Wiltshire and Fluff Brown (of ajs fame) used to do all my repairs and tuning etc on my KX125/250’s. Two years ago I had major surgery that had a high percentage chance of me losing the use of my lower limbs, so I asked my wife to learn to ride so that if the worst came to the worst we could get a sidecar combo for her to drag me around in…….I bought her an AJS desert scrambler as a learner partly as a nostalgia thing and partly because I didn’t want to get her something that had been thrashed to death. It was a brilliant little bike. She passed her CBT the same day I went into surgery and last week passed her test so now has her Triumph street twin. As for me. Surgery was a success and I’m still riding (Thruxton 1200 and a Sunbeam S7 deluxe)
I bought my Continental GT in 1965 and managed to get it to the dizzy heights of 95mph....Sold it in 1974 for £50 with 15,000 miles on the clock. If only......
The Royal Enfield Continental GT on the lift was interesting to see. I still have my copy of "The Motor Cycle" magazine, dated 5th November 1964, which reports on five riders, including Bruce Main Smith, and Royal Enfields sales manager, running a GT from John O'Groats to Lands End, non stop, apart from refuelling. During the trip, John 'Mooneyes' Cooper also rattled off 8 laps of the Silverstone circuit at an average speed of over 70mph. The only problem was an ignition switch housing that had come adrift. Lands End was reached in 22 hours, 20 minutes. Of course Royal Enfield had gone through the bike completely, before the test, but that only serves to prove the point that British motorcycles will cover the distance when put together properly.
was in my referred bike shop and asked why they shut on saturday afternoon when everyone would be working on their bikes and need parts, 'because no one works on their own bikes anymore' came the blunt reply. Good for bike shops i guess.
Sold a Rickman CR750 to a chap who turned up in Southampton with pudding basin helmet, leathers and jeans and he set off for London on a rainy day. We had to bump start it and knock the overflowing carbs but he went with a smile on his face.
Did you take the RGS through crowborough when out for the test before he took it home, I ask because a pair went past my drive just as I was taking my classic 350 out and I was in awe
I don,t think you should worry about ethanol I live in California where you can only get E10 and I run my bikes without trouble 1962 Bonny Enfield Bullet and BSA Shooting Star Use the modern parts in the carbs and tigon fuel hose I had the BSA fiberglass tank professionally cleaned and lined Drain the fuel if you are not using the bike for a long time
The RE is a nice bike, I knew guys who had both the standard and the cafe-racer styled RE 250s back in the 1960s. But that front brake doesn’t have a single ‘acting’ shoe. It has two brake-shoes and they both act... it’s called a ‘single leading-shoe brake’. One shoe ‘leads’ the other is called the ‘trailing shoe’. Calling it anything different is very misleading. Les
My first time commenting on your channel, been lurking catching up on all the vids. This episode is so brilliant, I thought you had my British doppelganger with Lana towards the end! I have owned a Ural here in the States, 2wd and the dog rode in it for a while before I sold it. I now am starting the process of rebuilding my 68' T100R, have the engine out and stripped down to the pistons, just got my engine stand from a chap there in England, so I can now do a proper teardown. From my neighbor snapping a pic of me sneakily playing on my stepdads '82 Honda Nighthawk 450 when I was 11, to today at 49, I've always loved bikes, and have wrenched on all the ones I owned, even when bought new, aftermarket has been the Bane to my wallet, improvements can always be made! I totally enjoy your channel! Cheers!
Re. the fibreglass tank and ethanol, Dave… there are now companies (in India) producing steel replica tanks for classic bikes which had a GRP tank as standard… including the original Conti GT 250, and certain Norton Commandos… often available fully finished in stock colours and decals at very reasonable prices.
Watching the bmw n sidecar was comical good stuff .your so right about doing the maintenance I enjoy it gives you a sense of achievement and knowing your doing the bike good 👍
Absolutely right Dave, we need to get more young people into bikes of all ages and disciplines (preferably classics !.) - I dread to think what the average age of UK bikers is today but I'd be willing to bet it's well over 50 !.. I must admit I had a chuckle when I saw you hanging on for grim death with both hands as Lana took the Dnepr outfit off-roading !.. Great video as always by the way, really looking forward to seeing the Scott up and running..
Lovely idea but the harsh reality is that, certainly in the U.K., since I began road biking in '67 the weather has permanently fallen apart. Incredible as it's 'only' been 56 years not several thousand! Instead of long blistering hot summers followed by a few months of harsh winter it has become rain, rain, rain for the full year. Even as a biking fanatic I find weather conditions to be thoroughly dispiriting. Also, I'll give writing about the worst maintained roads in the country (Devon) a miss for fear of appearing to be a depressive! Last year I purchased a Honda Valkyrie Interstate (year 2000) as I can justify keeping it based on its beauty and price increase potential. That's rather sad. Actually, very sad.
You are correct about the small bikes. I am lucky to own a few classic bikes, from different ends of the globe. In my early 50’s I can still manage big bikes, though, especially in congested urban environments, it’s the lighter machines that bring the smiles per mile… Also in a scrambling environment. However it’s horses for courses, on a highway trip of long miles you can’t beat a more torque oriented machine.
Well said Adrian, thanks for taking the time to comment :)
Im only 45 and bought my first British bike two years ago a 1963 650 RGS with clip on's and rear sets not too comfortable but love riding it, and love the videos Dave!
Back in the day I rode my ES2 up and down from Edinburgh to London. That was in the days before modern motorways. Great old bike.
Doing a 180mile run on a Classic British Bike today is Simply Brilliant. Was really Great listening to Dave's story and speaks volumes about his Workmanship. And also Proves That British Bikes can be Reliable if put right. 👌
Up to a point Alistair. My time spent riding British bikes was only during the late 60s but I vividly recall each bike's vibration causing constant loss of screws, nuts and bolts, and light bulbs constantly blowing! And with some of them starting sometimes became impossible without first removing plugs and drying them out after endless failed kick start attempts. Yes, some of you will cry "Likely because you were clueless." Maybe, but biking ought to be able to accommodate society's clueless, and my problems immediately ended once I entered the Japanese manufacturers' world. If one is not at the very least an amateur mechanic then running a British classic is at the very least inevitably constantly problematic. But many mechanic types love this - horses for courses. Biking welcomes everyone, but not all marques do.
As usual and expected a really great video on really great bikes. Thanks awefully for sharing with us.
180 miles on the Gold Star first time out. That's impressive. When I bought my 1964 Triumph TR6 last year I rode it home about 50 miles. (An hour and a half ride.) It was my first time on a vintage British bike. The bike performed great.
I absolutely am in love with my 66 Lightning. However, I would be lying if i said I wouldn't sell it in a heartbeat to buy an RGS. Being a motorcycle wrench at my own shop, I too, fear breaking down and the frustrations. The looks I get and the appreciation my old bird gets throws that right out the window. My dad and I ride when we can around some back roads here in the US and the story of the young lad with his dads Gold Star hit home. I binge watch all of your videos and appreciate your in depth summaries of your repairs, you have even taught me a thing or two being that I specialize more on the Japanese bikes. Thank you for your videos and being down to earth! Cheers from the States!
I do love these videos, thanks.
I was the same when I was young it was only BSA or Triumph for me, AJS, Ariel, Matchless weren't even considered.
A memory which will always stay with me (which your video reminded me of) was getting a lift in a wooden box (which passed as a sidecar) attached to an Ariel which was a bit "worrying" to say the least!
Well done there and to you Dave on you’re brilliant work with the BSA
Great video again fantastic 😊😊😊
Enjoyed that. Half-hour gone in a few minutes!
Thank you, that’s a nice thing to say
236 miles Plymouth to Wellingborough on a 98 Honds 250 rebel i bought that afternoon ,went across country avoiding the motorways not bad for a 24 year old bike and 64 yr old rider
Now what if they bought out a new model of this with a tuned up meteor 350?
And Larna’s comment that if you don’t get involved it won’t go should be written on the receipt of every classic bike sold 😂
👍
what a great woman!
I rode a 69 BSA 441 from Vancouver to San Francisco and back in 2 weeks, 2400 miles. Burnt 1 set of clutch plates chasing bigger bikes on trip. They can do the job but you need wrenches.
On the subject of younger and new riders, and classics: It would be interesting to see a video on classics that are affordable and accessible up to 125cc (CBT legal)
Just a thought
Good shout Nick, thanks for the feedback :)
I do hope you have an apprentice/s as all that incredible knowledge should be retained for future.
Hi Dave, I had a 1965 250 Continental GT in my youth - and what a fantastic bike it was.
The main fault though was the gearbox as it would jump out of gear when on full chat and send the revs soaring! After many strips and alterations/changes of the selector mechanism, it was found that the dogs on the gears themselves were to blame. The dogs had worn almost parallel to each other and were very rounded at the tips and would therefore force themselves out of mesh under power. In the end I had the dogs on gears 2, 3 and 4 re-ground back to the original taper and this cured the problem for the rest of the time i owned the bike. The easy and simple fix though, is to fit a four speed cluster from a Crusader or Crusader Sport as these gears are thicker and stronger.
Thanks for the feedback Bob, Alex
25:25 I used to have an r80 myself and it was weird. The guy I sold it to would then go ride it along with me and even keep up with me when I went fas!. He liked that bike more than I ever did and Believe me, those Pistons going out and in to the left and right make the thing feel like it's got a balancing point inside of itself that held me back, where as a vertical twin likeTriumph gets me to go ahead & nail it all out around the corners and accelerate through towards blissful danger. :)
I have had bikes back as far as I can remember - we used to ride old beat up mopeds etc on waste ground (bomb sites) when I was a kid and I progressed from there……when I was in the army in the 70’s I rode motocross all over Hampshire and Wiltshire and Fluff Brown (of ajs fame) used to do all my repairs and tuning etc on my KX125/250’s. Two years ago I had major surgery that had a high percentage chance of me losing the use of my lower limbs, so I asked my wife to learn to ride so that if the worst came to the worst we could get a sidecar combo for her to drag me around in…….I bought her an AJS desert scrambler as a learner partly as a nostalgia thing and partly because I didn’t want to get her something that had been thrashed to death. It was a brilliant little bike. She passed her CBT the same day I went into surgery and last week passed her test so now has her Triumph street twin. As for me. Surgery was a success and I’m still riding (Thruxton 1200 and a Sunbeam S7 deluxe)
Right on Chip what a success story, thanks for sharing :)
Cost insurance would be very high thats for small motorcycle
Continental GT a great machine. I had one I enjoyed every minute on it. Stopped it for a Goldie?
I like the junk stacked up against the fire exit
Well spotted Steve, we thought no one would notice.
I bought my Continental GT in 1965 and managed to get it to the dizzy heights of 95mph....Sold it in 1974 for £50 with 15,000 miles on the clock. If only......
The bird is a fast learner. After the first kick I said oh no we are in trouble by the second kick looked like she had been doing it for years.
I remember these Continentals when they first came out I had a C15 at the time but I thought these Enfield Continentals were beautiful.
The Royal Enfield Continental GT on the lift was interesting to see. I still have my copy of "The Motor Cycle" magazine, dated 5th November 1964, which reports on five riders, including Bruce Main Smith, and Royal Enfields sales manager, running a GT from John O'Groats to Lands End, non stop, apart from refuelling. During the trip, John 'Mooneyes' Cooper also rattled off 8 laps of the Silverstone circuit at an average speed of over 70mph. The only problem was an ignition switch housing that had come adrift. Lands End was reached in 22 hours, 20 minutes. Of course Royal Enfield had gone through the bike completely, before the test, but that only serves to prove the point that British motorcycles will cover the distance when put together properly.
Nice story Peter, thanks for sharing.
was in my referred bike shop and asked why they shut on saturday afternoon when everyone would be working on their bikes and need parts, 'because no one works on their own bikes anymore' came the blunt reply. Good for bike shops i guess.
Sold a Rickman CR750 to a chap who turned up in Southampton with pudding basin helmet, leathers and jeans and he set off for London on a rainy day. We had to bump start it and knock the overflowing carbs but he went with a smile on his face.
Known in the day as a 'Royal Oilfield' !
Lana is great , we need more confident-women riding bikes . Dave NZ
Did you take the RGS through crowborough when out for the test before he took it home, I ask because a pair went past my drive just as I was taking my classic 350 out and I was in awe
Was potentially Dave and Marcus, I'll ask Dave when I see him next, Alex
I am mentoring a young friend from work on riding motorcycles
Love this
I don,t think you should worry about ethanol
I live in California where you can only get E10 and I run my bikes without trouble
1962 Bonny Enfield Bullet and BSA Shooting Star
Use the modern parts in the carbs and tigon fuel hose
I had the BSA fiberglass tank professionally cleaned and lined
Drain the fuel if you are not using the bike for a long time
Also I think most of those Enfields had 4 speed boxes the 5 speed was too unreliable
18:08 Welcome to my world ;)
As long as you keep it over 50mph I find my cafe racer the most comfortable bike for long distance. Around town its torture I'd rather walk.
The RE is a nice bike, I knew guys who had both the standard and the cafe-racer styled RE 250s back in the 1960s. But that front brake doesn’t have a single ‘acting’ shoe. It has two brake-shoes and they both act... it’s called a ‘single leading-shoe brake’. One shoe ‘leads’ the other is called the ‘trailing shoe’. Calling it anything different is very misleading. Les
Hello Dave , found you 👍#redneckbaz