I bought my DBD 34 in 63 and it was a year old, so one of the last of the production run . It had the extra close ratio gearbox so it meant slipping the clutch to get away especially with the girfriend on the back . That was a handicap in the traffic lights grand prix . Absolutely loved that bike and ran it for seven years. Went to work all week on it ,then off to the racing or the seaside at weekends . Thanks for the excellent video, it brought back so many happy memories for this eighty year old Brit .
RRT2 gearbox, Nearly 60 in first, 80 in 2nd, 100 in 3rd and lots in 4th. Mine had a 1 7/8 Amal carb and a 12:1 Hepolite piston. Went like shit off a shovel. But agree that 1st was a swine nearly 30mph until clutch fully released.
@@nigelradcliffe7613 Pete Taylor an engineer from Leeds built a Manx Goldie which was featured on the front cover of Motorcycle Mechanics in December 67. It was a beauty and he geared it to hit 90 in first. Not a lot more after that with the other 3 gears but what a work of art it was.
Rode a few belonging to mates and kick myself for not buying two minters over the years, so eventually set about building one but the ex had other ideas and flogged off most of my stuff. Karma has no sell by date and that extends to the scum that bought my stuff. I will be back :-)
I had a Rocket Gold Star way back in 1968. It really needed a lot of work on it, because it blew head gaskets regularly and drank fuel, because the carburetter was worn out. I couldn't afford to do it up on apprentice electricians wages though. I was ripped off basically by another apprentice who sold me it. It had the RRT2 gearbox, but not the clip ons or reset rests. But it had the siamese exhaust and the goldie silencer. It was more flexible than the single and you didn't have to slip the clutch to 30 mph. I sold it for £70 when I was 21 having previously bought a car. I remember reading in Motorcycle Mechanics the road test of a Taylor Dow Rocket Gold Star that was either leading at one time the Thruxton 500 mile race or won it. I can't remember exactly. However this RGS, was fitted with a lot of US custom goodies in the engine and had high compression pistons. It was clocked at 123 mph. Does anyone out there have a copy of that road test? Because I would love to read it again.
I owned a BB34. Full race trim. I never kick started it. Even with a valve lifter. Dangerous for your ankle. Clutch in, run. Jump on the bike, let the clutch out. Change up to 2nd gear at 80 mph. Wonderful.
When I was 16 ,, EVERYONE wanted a Gold star, most of the older boys had these, I was too young and too poor, I had a Triumph Speed twin. Iconic doesn't come close.
I had bikes in the sixties and early seventies in London. This narrative chimes very well with my experience. No drugs, very little alcohol and racing, often between two roundabouts on rather ropey roads against a record on a jukebox! More liberated times!
At 10:55, The tea hut near High Beach in Essex, UK. Been there many times to look at the bikes with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. My last bike was a Guzzi V50. I no longer ride due to injuries sustained in a car crash, I certainly wouldn't be able to kick start a Gold Star, but I can still admire them.
In the 1960's cafe racer scene the BSA to have was also the 650cc twin cylinder Rocket Gold Star. In full cafe racer style with clip-on dropped handlebars and dual clocks it was much nicer to look at than a Bonneville. Many British bikers bought 500cc & 650cc BSA's and these are now very collectable. Original Gold Stars & Rocket Gold Stars are rare & really expensive with all the serial numbers now recorded due to many replicas being built by enthusiasts in the UK. A very good replica will sell for £8,000 today. An original might make £25,000.
Ten years ago after hankering for a DBD34 to add to a collection of Brit iron finally settled on a '62 Rocket Gold Star which as you know is a tuned 650 cc Super Rocket twin cylinder engine slotted into the Gold Star rolling chassis , with just 1,584 models produced by BSA in '62 and '63. All else remains the same as the DBD34 Goldie with RRT2 close ratio g/box and two into one exhaust. Mine was a reimport from the US coming from a collector who'd hardly ridden it in the four decades it'd been over the pond. Kitted out in clubman trim with clip-ons and rearset foot rests , it's a great handling bike , surprisingly comfortable on longish rides and will cruise all day at 80 mph 5000 rpm , with brief excursions up to the ton if so desired. Great video that was.
The BSA Goldstar dominated the Ascot Park track in Southern Ca USA for the whole decade of the 60s. I rode one and loved riding it. Handled better than anything else in the dirt.
At 16 years old in 1963 I bought a used '59 BSA Gold Star 500cc one-lunger. (Worked hard to get the money.) Rode it hard and fast in Montana, with much of this being off-road by myself. Went into a gully one time and plowed headfirst into the opposite bank. Pretty much knew I broke something near my shoulder, but mounted up again and tried to ride back out to the highway. Discovered I could not manhandle the bike anymore, and wrecked again because I could not turn left to climb back out. Walked a couple miles over the hills back to the highway and hitchhiked to town and then walked to the hospital. Told the doctor I thought I broke my collarbone, but he didn't really think so. I was in the room next to where he read the x-ray and heard him say, "I'll be damed; it is broken." Sure wish I had known enough at the time to have kept that old beast. (As for starting it, as long as you used the compression release properly it would not kick back at you when starting. Well, usually not.)
This brings back old memories of my first Motorcycle, a 1961BSA ROCKET 3! Yes I bought it used in the 1980's and I taught myself how to ride this powerful Monster and what a thrill it was! I had several good years with this Bike but sadly, I had to sell it because parts were very hard to find and the person that bought it from me sold it for parts. I then purchased a Yamaha 650 Sport and then my last two bikes were Harley's but I just wish I could have bought that BSA when it was New but life goes on but my memories remain forever!
Steve, Hopefully a Typo? The first production year for the Rocket 3 was 1968, then up to 1975. The Bike that is in my Avatar is a 1966 BSA Hornet. The pic is from 1975, out in 'Nowhere Utah'. That is not a Helmet I have on, it's the Afro I had at the time!!!
Hello! New subscriber from sunny Yorkshire. We have been to Brooklands, and if anyone ever gets the chance to visit, it is a great day out no matter if you are into bikes, planes or cars!
Trying to ride any big single fast is like being on a pile-driver. I came across an old guy trying to start his DBD34. He was just about knackered & the day was scorching. The old pig was in full Clubmans state with the RRT2 gearbox. I think the kickstart ratio was not up to bumping the sod over Top Dead Centre with a really high compression ratio. I gave him a push to start it. With the loud exhaust I had no problem hearing him change up into 2nd gear about a mile outside the village........... By Christ they sounded good. Enough to give a dead biker a hard-on.
Clubman's Goldies are fine when you are 17 but NOT (really) for 70 plus year olds. My technique (when I was 17) was to bring it up to TDC on the compression stroke and then break compression with the decompression lever. Make very sure it was almost fully retarded and you had first flooded the float chamber, then balancing on the left foot, leap down on the kick starter with the right whilst at the same time opening the throttle slightly and it would burst into life. Blip the throttle while you folded in the kick starter and folded down the rear set foot rest. Hook into first gear, quick look back then open the throttle and slip the clutch A LOT (with the RRT and RRT2 gearboxes) to get away. 30 MPH in first, 65 MPH in second, 95 MPH in third and 112 to 115 MPH in top!
Nice Job Bart! It still is THE old bike to own, this and it's big brother the Rocket Gold Star 650 twin! Just look at current sale prices for the two of them! A friend of mine has one of each, which take turns at being pride of place in his lounge on a wooden plynth! He decorates the one in the house with lights at Xmas in lieu of a Xmas tree!!
When I left school and started work my boss had a 500 Goldstar DB34, along with various other British bikes from the early sixties. He raced the Goldy in club races and was quick enough to earn the nick name Flash, if you want one now you need very deep pockets.....
That's funny, my nickname was also Flash. I did own a Gold Star, DB32, amongst so many bikes. I was best known for my Tribsa and Norvin. My racing was as a sidecar passenger. I am 72 now, I was totally into the scene. Still have bikes and ride.
@@iankeith763 Just bought a V7 Moto Guzzi, I'm 68. You don't stop riding when you get old, you get old when you stop riding. Keep the rubber side down brother!
I took a 1973 Triumph 750 bored it 060 over and using the lessons from my dad stripped it down to 309 lbs. And lived on it for a year or so. Hill climbs, went to Daytona and back through Louisiana in Hwy 10 just loving life as a recently mustered out sailor! That 750 twin got me in and out of trouble as long as I took care of it! Oil in frame, Flattrack bars `1/4 turn quick throttle disc brake up front Bates head light and seat, leaving broken 💔 hearts behind. I'm 66 now and continue to build bikes like that.
I once owned a BSA C15ss80. Nice little bike. When I bought my first machine ( the old man would not let me have a proper bike), a 200cc Lambretta. The salesman saw me once down the little road then up it and waved me off. I had ridden my Dads in the tiny garden we had but that was it. I was a bit nervous but that's probably why I survived my initial first few days of riding in traffic.
I started riding in the mid 60's and remember BSA Gold Star's lined up on the showroom floor. At that time I was riding a friends Triumph Cub 200cc and it was a whole lot of fun. This is hard to relate this to today's rider's but most of us started out on a Honda 50 or 90 which were small somewhat crude in comparison to the larger and more refined British bikes. This is a visual feeling of sight, sound and touch. It's like attempting to describe your first kiss. All you can do is 😊
My start out bike a JDL autocycle 1 speed 98cc engine went onto a 98cc Sun motorcycle then A10 combination 3 seater sidecar tow bar to tow 13ft boat with outboard 2 kids & wife
A friend of mine had a BSA 441 Victor, dirt only and he could ride up the steepest inclines we had. One that everyone else had to go back down, he liked to show off. He rode a ways up it, stopped and then rode up and over the top. A few others made it but they had to get the best running start they could.
I used to race a Rickman with a B44 Victor upped to 490cc and a Weslake head back in the early 70's in America. I don't know how much power it had, but it would blow the doors off my brother's 501 Maico in a drag race, and that thing was a beast. That was before they made the B50 which was basically a BSA factory version of the same motor, but even better.
I recognise a couple of places in that film: at 10:30, is Min's Place, or The Green Hut at High Beech in Epping Forest. At 11:45 is The 59 Club, in Hackney.
The late model Gold Star ('57-'63) was the best large displacement production racing motorcycle in its era. You actually COULD ride it to the track, race it and ride it home. The only real competitor it had was the Velocette Thruxton, which was a somewhat more "complicated" motorcycle than the BSA. The late model Gold Star had features that lived on after it died, such as the front brake on the Spitfire MK II and Mark III's. Many Triumph racers in the early 60s adapted that same brake onto their bikes (I had one). But it was just the other side of being truly "streetable" - that Amal GP carb was at war with the vibration of the bike, since it didn't have a reliable idle circuit...
As a kid, my next door neighbor, Ron owned a BSA Gold Star. Off road only but there was a huge open behind both yards. today it's a Ralphs supermarket and shopping center. Anyway, Rod stopped riding just parked it in his hard. Fast forward 6 years... I'm in the Navy, stationed 25 miles away. a guy at work, Rick says he wants to find a Gold Star. Mentioned Ron. Said he may still have one and might even sell it. A friend, Jim, who lived a mile away says, "Ron started up his BSA!" Jim: "No. I was at home. I could hear it." Rick did by a Gold Star, but a different one. But that was Ron's that Jim heard from a full mile away. Open pipe and megaphone.
The Turner boys in the old days did not drink coffee they drink tea because this way you could warm up your hands around a nice big cup of tea. Any BSA 441 shooting star will give you all of the Thrills of writing a vintage bike without breaking your wallet. And they are rebuildable forever. In England you see a lot of vintage bikes being used for everyday riding because they enjoy special privileges over regular Vehicles including very much reduced insurance cover prices as well as being exempt from the Mot.
Never owned A Gold Star but DID run a 1971 Triumph Daytona 500 for a few years. Those were real motorcycles. Nice to see all the blokes here that DID have the pleasure of owning a Gold Star, and the Thruxton as well! ALL fine machines
Tom, I also had a Daytona 'Back in the Day', but mine was a 1970. Great bike! It would run with a Bonneville up to around 50+ MPH. After that, the name of the game is Cubic Inches (or cc's)!!!
Great documentary on a great bike. The retro bikes look older than the sleek originals and are at least 50 pounds overweight. For 1960's social context on the Gold Star racing on road, dirt, enduro and outlaws on Harleys read: Rough Scrambles by Roy Ald.
I had a 350 Star in the late 60s. I had lost my license,,again, and traded a Sprite for the BSA.I didn't run.I had a 90 day license suspension so had plenty of time to get it running. I got it running same day. Didn't have a clue how to ride it, but took off and hit a car (didn't know about the brakes) Bounced off, kicked the front wheel semi straight and rode on. A lot f fun. Carried a can of Castrol with me on longer drives.
The 1959 BSA 500cc DBD34 Clubman Gold Star was not the easiest to own, start, ride or maintain. It was cantankerous, unreliable, challenging and annoying but also exciting, rewarding and exhilarating. It was also immensely beautiful - the most gorgeous machine ever created. But merely starting it was fraught with difficulty and uncertainty. As a large capacity, high-compression, big single you had to ensure you set sufficient ignition retard with the lever, give the 1 ½ inch Amal GP carburettor a single long tickle, ease the piston just past top dead centre with the decompressor and give the beast a long heavy swing on the kickstart. Two or three attempts would normally suffice from cold. Occasionally, even though you did nothing differently, it would attempt to remind you who’s boss by giving your right ankle the most devilish and vicious kick-back. Otherwise though, if the beast awoke, you would be rewarded with THE most magnificent sound track ever produced from any engine in the history of mankind. Deep, thunderous, powerful and dripping with excitement, purpose, expectation and menace with the bass voice beautifully complemented by a little bird-like treble twitter from the valve overlap. It was definitely alive. No doubt. But it couldn’t breathe without assistance. That big needle-free carb wouldn’t allow a resting heartbeat and the throttle had to be regularly blipped to provide life support. As the creature warmed up you could advance the ignition and check its overall circulation via the oil tank filler. Then fully open the air lever. Still blipping you slide your right toe under the gear lever. It’s one up three down (as it should be) and your back brake is on the left (again correctly) nicely balanced by your right hand on the front brake. So you yank in the clutch and snick the RRT2 ultra close-ratio mill up into first. You both move off together gently and slowly at first since you’re having to slip the clutch and balance the throttle until way past 20mph. First is such a tall gear. But as you finally get under way and release the last bit of clutch that fistful of torque just catapults you towards the horizon like a slingshot. You can relax momentarily and leave it in first until nearly 70mph, so big a cog is it, but you better keep your wits about you as you explore the rest of the box. Clutchless changes into 3rd and 4th merely drop the engine note a fraction and as you slide back into the rearsets you’re already doing well over 100mph. Straining to keep your arms in their sockets you hang on, throw yourself at the countryside and try to enjoy the ride. Nobody else can hear your little shrieks of pleasure but witnesses will certainly experience the ear-splitting banshee wail of the Goldie as it arrives from nowhere, enters their life for half a second and then Dopplers past them into the far distance. To remind them that they were not hallucinating they will be left with a few dancing leaves and the evocative fragrance of Castrol ‘R’ racing, vegetable oil. That smell will instantly and magically transport them back to their childhood when their dad took them to the speedway track or to the fairground ‘wall of death’. Castol ‘R’ - a vastly superior perfume to Channel No 5.
Great historical video! When I was 14 I would go to a dealer that carried BSA, Triumph, Royal Enfield. I drooled considerably! Keep up all the fine videos, we need to know history...
I acquired my Gold Star in 1963. It was a 1953 BB34 touring model and was one of, in not the actually first Goldie with a pivoted rear fork. I used it as my normal means of transport and for limited competition - mostly long distance semi-sporting events both solo and, in winter, with a light weight Steib S350 sidecar. I sold it long ago but I still own all the special tools that came with it. Mine had a standard gearbox and a very worn Amal TT carb which meant a severe kickback if I tried to start it with even a whisper of too much throttle (I had an almost permanent limp!). Replacing the TT with a Monobloc helped a lot. To say the cylinder head is easily removable isn't really true. There are 8 bolts. Four of them are long through bolts from the crankcase to the head itself that can only be accessed with an open-ended spanner - I replaced them quite often because the flats inevitably got rounded off. The other four are extra to the Gold Star (as opposed to the 'cooking' engines B31/33). They can be accessed with ring spanners but to get at the rear one easily means removing the magneto (or magDyno if you have lights). I was always a club rider -we organised sporting trials, grass track racing etc and, I confess, used to look down on what we called county riders who never explored the quiet roads and far off places as we did :) Unfortunately my ex-works 1949 BSA trials sidecar outfit had a B33 engine rather than the ZB34 it had originally. Very exciting to ride(drive?) without a passenger as it was very narrow!
Around 1954 I bought (for £35) a 1937 Triumph Tiger 80 three fifty single.As a nosy keen teenager I had the head off to "de coke" etc but was very impressed with the "flowed "cylinder ports larger inlet valve ,not just polished but obviously shaped for extra power.The girder forks were well worn and the back end rigid.At that time I had the lunch time use of an aircraft perimiter track and me and my mates used to race each other,The only other bike that was close to mine was a 1947 ish 350 ohv Triumph twin ,that mine left for dead.I believe my T80 could do a genuine 80 mph and I wish I had it now!
1960's in Britain it was the Mods and the Rockers. The Mods rode vespas and dressed in suits and looked like the Beatles. The Rockers were the BSA and Triumph riders and wore the black leather jackets, had Elvis Presley hairstyle. They were the cafe racer crowd.
i have had two gold stars my first bike was a 1959 dbd 34 500 fantastic bike it would beat any triumph at the lights once the clutch was fully engaged my second gold star was a 1957 model db 34 i boght that in pieces in a box i done a 300 mile trip to buy cams for it 65 2442 and 65 2448 they were awesome bikes i regret selling them but thats how live is.
Competition Gold Stars fitted with the Amal GP carb did not idle because the carb had no throttle stop, when closed the slide went straight down to the bottom of it's housing so no air could be drawn into the engine, the idea being that on a race bike it was desirable to increase engine braking which on a big 4 stroke single happens when the throttle is closed fully which made rear wheel braking more progressive than just the drum brake
Back in the 60s in the UK they were rarely seen on the road and BSA stopped making them because people stopped buying them. The sought after bikes were the BSA 650 Rocket Goldstar, an A10 Engine in a Goldstar chassis and the Triumph 650 Bonneville.
One of my first bikes was a BSA Royal Star 500 1972, a very impressive bike. To be honest, sometimes wenn i have bad dreams, i dreamed about the trouble i had with that bike.
I bought an A50 when I was 17 from Scweiso Bros in Dartford Kent UK back in 1973, the thing vibrated so hard that if I used more than 5K rpm things started falling off and braking all over the place, it eventually broke a connecting rod and the engine was destroyed. I then purchased a 650 Spitfire engine that came with Amal GP carbs, I converted it to Concentrics and the engine ran well and a lot smoother than the original 500, I was young and inexperienced but I soon learned that BSA twins were inferior to Triumph twins and later found that either marque were not in the same ballpark as a Norton, a superb machine I went on to ride for many years along with 350 and 500 Royal Enfield Bullets which were both truly great bikes
I think I have stumbled onto a channel (video?) that can provide some info. At the approximate age of 15 or probably 1966, I was volunteered to help a man at our church clean up his closed due to retirement auto repair shop. His wife had recently passed and he wanted to sell the property. It was a fairly large shop and quite clean already, he just needed help sorting the things he wanted to keep. Behind the shop was an open area with a scrap pile, and on the pile was a motorcycle, layed down. Of course I was excited to check it out, he could not or would not provide details. It was a BSA, but I don't remember the tank being chrome, believe it was green. It was definitely a single cylinder and in my memory, at least, it was a 500cc. He said I could have it, but permission was denied at home. However unlikely, just in case I will tell you this was on Euclid Ave in Greensburg,Pa. Any help greatly appreciated.
Best bike I've ever owned was a 1968 BSA Shooting Star, the 441cc equivalent of the Victor Special but in lovely road trim. The performance was a totally pleasing experience: coming out of 2nd gear you felt you were riding the edge of a tsunami. I can't help but think my Shooting Star indeed had inherited some real Gold Star genes.
Rode mine 34 years with 4 barrels, 2 crank pins and over 600 000 miles till the frame cracked at lugs. Longest trip 322 ooo miles. Still have it. Most fixable Brit bike of the 60's with it's unit construction.
Great Video! I love my 1955 DBD34. I ride it as often as I can and its realy reliable. Unfortunately most goldstars are tucked away as trofeys these days. I`ve seen a few at rallies but they were taken in vans.
Had 2 different DBD34's in the 70s-80s ,both in Clubman trim save the clipon bars. Also had a Velo Venom in Clubman trim ,performance was close but the Velo just did not have the eye apeale of the Goldie.
Saying that the New Gold Star is no Gold Star from the '50's true but cannot that be said about many things, the new Mustang GT 500 is no Eleanor, the newer beetle vs the classic '62 bug, the list goes on. I appreciate both the history of the old and the day to day reliability of the new.
@Alfred Wedmore Alfred, come on, this is 2022. Engineering knowledge and manufacturing technology is transferable else China would still be a 3rd world country. The days of dedicated co-located design and engineering teams are long gone. The thing is China will build a better and less expensive new BSA than can be designed and built in the UK. England should have stuck with colonization. Now Brexit and soon, no Ireland. But coming is a better BSA to relive old glory.
Not to cross brands, but there was another bike in this era which was basically the same dominant bike/production racer: the Ducati 250cc Diana. It actually came with a "performance kit" included a megaphone, fly screen, etc.
At age 14, I had the 350 Sebring. Stripped it & it was my dirt bike & hillclimber. Even rode it thru the woods to high school & parked with the street legal kids. The neighbors must have hated me. I was the dummy riding around with the megaphone exhaust. I thought more noise = more HP. It sure sounded nice though!
Wow! Excellent research and fact packed presentation. Thanks for your efforts. Meanwhile, back in the day, across the pond, I was riding British bikes with absolutely no awareness that there was a whole culture attached. Ronn
I have something aweful to tell you . When I was a kid my father buried one of these under the concrete patio he was building just to stop me having it. It ran so nice. Ive had bikes since I was 8 now 61.Bikes were something you used for work back then no one seemed to love them like I did . I've had a B31 with a 500 top end in a nice scramble frame but a bit heavy for a kid of 12,
Ah...the Bantam. Not really a BSA. They got the blueprints as war reparations, it was really a pre-war DKW RT 125 which they bored out to 175 at some point.
@@gustavmeyrink_2.0 yes, true, but the side boxes had the Birmingham Small Arms three rifles logo. As a 12 year old boy it was a real BSA! Fun story - I used to pull my sled up a 500 yard hill and slide down on the snow. 10 minutes of hard work to get up, 1 minute of pure adrenaline to get down. The first time I rode the Bantam UP that hill, was like sex, before I knew what sex was!
@@kenh3344 Cool! My dream upgrade was the 1965 Trail Bronc. Never got one, but I saw an old guy (like me) riding one in a local observed trials last summer.
If you have never ridden a BSA then it's hard to see what made them popular because they were never the best looking bikes but they did have a very nice aesthetic about them as everything was subtly curvy ! Most people preferred the looks of Triumphs or Nortons but there was a very good reason for putting Triumph engines in BSA frames and it wasn't because BSA engines were bad, it was because BSA's handled so good ! For some reason most manufacturers didn't really bother too much about handling and concentrated on producing more power but BSA got the handling right first and that avoided the need for more power ! Of course if you put a more powerful engine in a BSA frame you get something incredible which is a great deal of fun to ride ! You found there was less need to slow down for bends so you could sit at 70 all day cruising along barely turning the throttle down for bends then up again after bends or overtaking, you hardly used the brakes at all !
The reason that the Amal GP carburettors would not idle (or tick over) was that the design had no stop for the slide. Close the throttle and the engine would stop. Essentially the Amal GP carburettors were designed for racing, so there was no need for an idling function. So after starting the engine the technique was to open the throttle periodically to keep the engine running. Which is why you see Gold Star riders and riders of Manx Nortons, Matchless G50's and AJS 7R's doing exactly that, warming up their engines before the start of a race. One could have course either have a tight throttle cable to achieve an idle or adjust the friction setting on the twist grip but these were risky practices and could lead to a jammed wide open throttle in the event of a spill. Best I saw out of my 1956 DB34 converted from Touring to Clubman's specification with later DBD34 head, 1 1/2" bore GP and close ratio RRT2 gearbox, clip on handle bars and rear set foot rests was 115 miles per hour. The reason leather jackets became common at least in the UK, was unlike the PVC or waxed cotton jackets, they kept the rider warmer at speed. Leather gloves worn over silk inner gloves for the same reason. Leather boots too. Compared with the typical family car of the day with its top speed of 60 to 75 miles per hour the performance motorcycles of the 1950's and 60's had vastly more performance. The downsides of owning a BSA Gold Star was that it required a lot of intelligent looking after, but for budding young Engineers like me who were neither Cafe Racers nor Ton Up boys and with a desire to ride very fast, they were ideal.
Jon, Both the BSA and the Triumph twins that I had, wore two Amals each. As I recall, from 50 years ago, you adjusted the idle speed up (not idle air mix) by backing out the threaded fitting on the throttle cable, and then locking it down with the 'Jam Nut'. Basically that just pulled the slides up, the same as rolling the throttle does. While it may have been meant for adjusting out cable slack, it worked as an idle adjuster as well. Of course, with Amals, your fingers always smelled of gasoline!!!
I cant say I'm surprised to see so many examples with either a modern Japanese, a Amal concentric or Monobloc carbs fitted... Because the original GP carb was notorious to get to tick over....but then it wasn't designed to..A couple of friends owned DBD34s back in the sixties, My enduring memory was they were constantly 'fettling' the engine...usually the carb', and the distinctive 'twittering' sound that the exhaust made when 'ticking' over...
By the way you were talking about Brooklyn’s we had the big sunbeam 350 hp land speed Car up there the other day it’s on RUclips the trackers is bumpies anything these days and they reckon it was pretty bad in this day very interesting Place if you’re ever in England you couldn’t race on it but it’s good we’ve only taken a few years to rebuild her we’re almost there see you Mike
This comment is out of place, but it’s one I have to make. I would love to see you feature the Sears, Allstate motorcycles of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. These were available from the Sears Catalog and arrived just on time to put the Boomer generation on two wheels. Made by Puch of Austria they included a 50cc Moped, as well as a 125, 175 and 250. An awful lot of current Bonneville T120 owners of today (like me) stated on a Sears Moped and graduated through a string of Hondas, Suzukis, and Yamahas along the way. 😎
Oh Yeah, The first motorcycle I ever got taken for a ride on, sitting on the tank in front of my dad, I was 5, was an Allstate 250 2 stroke, their weird "Twingle". 2 pistons and cylinders and a common combustion chamber. Aligned front to back with the back cylinder being the intake and the front one the exhaust. I was hooked on Motorcycles from then on. I've been riding since then, one of my bikes being a Suzuki 650 Vstrom that I put 87,000 miles on in less than 5 years, just riding back and forth to work. But I will never forget how much I loved that ride on the Allstate 250.
At 10:27 there's a guy attempting to start a Goldstar (or very similar bike). His foot is kicked upwards by the starter pedal because he's incompetent or forgetful. He makes two mistakes, but this is the gravest: he has not retarded the ignition advance enough to make a safe start (the ignition advance on these machines were manual, and was set by moving a little lever on the handlebars). The other mistake he makes, is not using the valve lifter properly. If he had done so, there also would have been no "kickback". These are really very simple and reliable machines, but you have to know how to operate them. It's not difficult at all, just a few things you must know about. I rode a very similar BSA, a 1952 500cc single, almost every day for seven years, and it never gave me a problem - as long as I remembered to turn back the ignition advance before starting. ;-)
The singles of the 40s and 50s were the fastest because multi cylinder engines were outlawed by the racing sanctioning bodies. edit: I had a chance to buy a 1957 BSA Goldstar 500cc for $50 in the late 60s. I had ridden my dad's 650 BSA quite a bit. It was a 1959, single carb version, I think a "Road Rocket". The Goldstar was in several boxes and at 18 I had just enlisted in the air force and decided I wouldn't be able to fix it up and so bought a smaller bike in 1971 when I was stationed in Okinawa, a Kawasaki 90cc. Probably best to not have a slightly cranky 500cc single over there. I have regretted not buying it and just storing it for when my life was more stable ever since. I did however ship a 1970 Honda 750 home when I rotated back to the states and that thing was a monster for it's time. Freeway flyer after I changed the countershaft sprocket to an 18 from the original 16. also put a 48 instead of 45 tooth on the rear wheel to ease the load on the chain. One time I did 103 miles in 59 minutes from gas pump to gas pump riding across interstate 8 going east. Even so, I still wish I'd bought the Gold Star. I never had a better chance to own a BSA and so I missed out. I did however get to ride my dad's 65 lightning quite a bit before going in the service.
But having the sprocket for the oily chain, outside on the brake drum, wasn't exactly the most brilliant idea the Brits have ever had! And when worn, all parts needed changing, instead of just a new sprocket and chain.
Hi, was wondering where the little clip of the bike pulling in off the road was sourced from 0:40 to 0:50 ? I think my mum is in it and would like to find more of the film clip and see if theres a better quality version available. Thanks
Great looking bikes. Not easy to live with according to Dave Mitchell at Classic Motorcycle Channel. I'll be curious to see what happens with the modern BSA's that are supposed to come out soon.
I used to see a guy riding a Rocket Gold star with a picture of an Indian on the faring around Orpington Kent in England I used to ride a B S A as well a. 125 Bantam not quite the same I always wondered if he noticed me
Hi there enjoyed that yes I’m from the land of the tikover There’s something about A Bsa I’ve got a twin on the road a 10 but I’ve also a single as well The Bsa Just always Just ready to ride I always adored Nortons but always ended up with me a size to this day my mates from school and me are still arguing which is best just turn 60 And we are still are you in which is best and still riding enjoy your program Michael from the good old GB
First big bike l got was a 1960 Golden flash 650cc twin. That was in '63. l wonder if B.S.A didn't carry over the 'Gold' name in tribute to the Gold Star. l was able to get the speed up to almost 110mph and from what l'm able to understand the suspension system on these early bikes were not made for high speed on bumpy roads. At any rate the gearing system were ideally set up for max acceleration from zero to 60mph bearing in mind you may have a passenger on back.
I appreciate and would love to ride one of these old wnglish bikes BUT would Only buy a new one because at the end of the day i want it to work! Also i cant deal with carburetors anymore even though am Old enough to know how they work.
The final comments in this vid - so very true. And i would also say that about every retro made today, from the Guzzi V7 via the Triumph twins to the Enfield Interceptors. Perhaps the closest to their originals would have been the defunct 1200 Evo Sporties and the last Enfield 500 Bullets. Everything else is just too tame, too smooth, with a complete lack of rawness and character. Beige n bland....
500 Bullets are called Royal Enfield Classic in India. It's singles engine has weathered many decades. Sitll carburated. You can check with your local Enfield dealer for one. That one will never die for us Indians here. The vibration and the thump thump throb! Riding was an experience not transport alone. They were heavy to handle and was not sporty at all. But cruising, Oh boy!
I bought my DBD 34 in 63 and it was a year old, so one of the last of the production run . It had the extra close ratio gearbox so it meant slipping the clutch to get away especially with the girfriend on the back . That was a handicap in the traffic lights grand prix . Absolutely loved that bike and ran it for seven years.
Went to work all week on it ,then off to the racing or the seaside at weekends .
Thanks for the excellent video, it brought back so many happy memories for this eighty year old Brit .
RRT2 gearbox, Nearly 60 in first, 80 in 2nd, 100 in 3rd and lots in 4th. Mine had a 1 7/8 Amal carb and a 12:1 Hepolite piston. Went like shit off a shovel. But agree that 1st was a swine nearly 30mph until clutch fully released.
@@nigelradcliffe7613 Pete Taylor an engineer from Leeds built a Manx Goldie which was featured on the front cover of Motorcycle Mechanics in December 67. It was a beauty and he geared it to hit 90 in first. Not a lot more after that with the other 3 gears but what a work of art it was.
Rode a few belonging to mates and kick myself for not buying two minters over the years, so eventually set about building one but the ex had other ideas and flogged off most of my stuff. Karma has no sell by date and that extends to the scum that bought my stuff. I will be back :-)
I had a Rocket Gold Star way back in 1968. It really needed a lot of work on it, because it blew head gaskets regularly and drank fuel, because the carburetter was worn out. I couldn't afford to do it up on apprentice electricians wages though. I was ripped off basically by another apprentice who sold me it.
It had the RRT2 gearbox, but not the clip ons or reset rests. But it had the siamese exhaust and the goldie silencer.
It was more flexible than the single and you didn't have to slip the clutch to 30 mph. I sold it for £70 when I was 21 having previously bought a car.
I remember reading in Motorcycle Mechanics the road test of a Taylor Dow Rocket Gold Star that was either leading at one time the Thruxton 500 mile race or won it. I can't remember exactly.
However this RGS, was fitted with a lot of US custom goodies in the engine and had high compression pistons. It was clocked at 123 mph.
Does anyone out there have a copy of that road test? Because I would love to read it again.
I owned a BB34. Full race trim. I never kick started it. Even with a valve lifter. Dangerous for your ankle. Clutch in, run. Jump on the bike, let the clutch out. Change up to 2nd gear at 80 mph. Wonderful.
Almost as dangerous as the oil filler lid on your kneecap?
Right on .. did the same ...threw away the decompression lever and kick start ... what a great bike !
When I was 16 ,, EVERYONE wanted a Gold star, most of the older boys had these, I was too young and too poor, I had a Triumph Speed twin. Iconic doesn't come close.
" ...whatever this new Goldstar is trying to be, it's no Goldstar." Exactly! I totally agree. Well said! 🙂
I had bikes in the sixties and early seventies in London. This narrative chimes very well with my experience. No drugs, very little alcohol and racing, often between two roundabouts on rather ropey roads against a record on a jukebox!
More liberated times!
At 10:55, The tea hut near High Beach in Essex, UK. Been there many times to look at the bikes with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. My last bike was a Guzzi V50. I no longer ride due to injuries sustained in a car crash, I certainly wouldn't be able to kick start a Gold Star, but I can still admire them.
You did not need to kickstart your V50 Guzzi; a far more sophisticated motorcycle!
In the 1960's cafe racer scene the BSA to have was also the 650cc twin cylinder Rocket Gold Star. In full cafe racer style with clip-on dropped handlebars and dual clocks it was much nicer to look at than a Bonneville. Many British bikers bought 500cc & 650cc BSA's and these are now very collectable. Original Gold Stars & Rocket Gold Stars are rare & really expensive with all the serial numbers now recorded due to many replicas being built by enthusiasts in the UK. A very good replica will sell for £8,000 today. An original might make £25,000.
Ten years ago after hankering for a DBD34 to add to a collection of Brit iron finally settled on a '62 Rocket Gold Star which as you know is a tuned 650 cc Super Rocket twin cylinder engine slotted into the Gold Star rolling chassis , with just 1,584 models produced by BSA in '62 and '63. All else remains the same as the DBD34 Goldie with RRT2 close ratio g/box and two into one exhaust. Mine was a reimport from the US coming from a collector who'd hardly ridden it in the four decades it'd been over the pond. Kitted out in clubman trim with clip-ons and rearset foot rests , it's a great handling bike , surprisingly comfortable on longish rides and will cruise all day at 80 mph 5000 rpm , with brief excursions up to the ton if so desired. Great video that was.
The BSA Gold Star was simply the right motorcycle at the right time - end of.
Thanks for the video. Just put 120kms on my w800 today. It is a lovely machine that is very enjoyable to ride and harkens back to a simpler era
GREAT video! I would love to see some coverage of the BSA M20. There’s not a lot of media about them.
My favorite bikes I owed were my 650 lightning and my first bike a Yamaha 175 Enduro. It may just be my youthful memories.
The BSA Goldstar dominated the Ascot Park track in Southern Ca USA for the whole decade of the 60s. I rode one and loved riding it. Handled better than anything else in the dirt.
At 16 years old in 1963 I bought a used '59 BSA Gold Star 500cc one-lunger. (Worked hard to get the money.) Rode it hard and fast in Montana, with much of this being off-road by myself. Went into a gully one time and plowed headfirst into the opposite bank. Pretty much knew I broke something near my shoulder, but mounted up again and tried to ride back out to the highway. Discovered I could not manhandle the bike anymore, and wrecked again because I could not turn left to climb back out. Walked a couple miles over the hills back to the highway and hitchhiked to town and then walked to the hospital. Told the doctor I thought I broke my collarbone, but he didn't really think so. I was in the room next to where he read the x-ray and heard him say, "I'll be damed; it is broken." Sure wish I had known enough at the time to have kept that old beast. (As for starting it, as long as you used the compression release properly it would not kick back at you when starting. Well, usually not.)
This brings back old memories of my first Motorcycle, a 1961BSA ROCKET 3! Yes I bought it used in the 1980's and I taught myself how to ride this powerful Monster and what a thrill it was! I had several good years with this Bike but sadly, I had to sell it because parts were very hard to find and the person that bought it from me sold it for parts. I then purchased a Yamaha 650 Sport and then my last two bikes were Harley's but I just wish I could have bought that BSA when it was New but life goes on but my memories remain forever!
Steve, Hopefully a Typo? The first production year for the Rocket 3 was 1968, then up to 1975. The Bike that is in my Avatar is a 1966 BSA Hornet. The pic is from 1975, out in 'Nowhere Utah'. That is not a Helmet I have on, it's the Afro I had at the time!!!
Hello! New subscriber from sunny Yorkshire. We have been to Brooklands, and if anyone ever gets the chance to visit, it is a great day out no matter if you are into bikes, planes or cars!
Trying to ride any big single fast is like being on a pile-driver. I came across an old guy trying to start his DBD34. He was just about knackered & the day was scorching.
The old pig was in full Clubmans state with the RRT2 gearbox. I think the kickstart ratio was not up to bumping the sod over Top Dead Centre with a really high compression ratio.
I gave him a push to start it.
With the loud exhaust I had no problem hearing him change up into 2nd gear about a mile outside the village...........
By Christ they sounded good. Enough to give a dead biker a hard-on.
Clubman's Goldies are fine when you are 17 but NOT (really) for 70 plus year olds. My technique (when I was 17) was to bring it up to TDC on the compression stroke and then break compression with the decompression lever. Make very sure it was almost fully retarded and you had first flooded the float chamber, then balancing on the left foot, leap down on the kick starter with the right whilst at the same time opening the throttle slightly and it would burst into life. Blip the throttle while you folded in the kick starter and folded down the rear set foot rest. Hook into first gear, quick look back then open the throttle and slip the clutch A LOT (with the RRT and RRT2 gearboxes) to get away. 30 MPH in first, 65 MPH in second, 95 MPH in third and 112 to 115 MPH in top!
Nice Job Bart! It still is THE old bike to own, this and it's big brother the Rocket Gold Star 650 twin! Just look at current sale prices for the two of them! A friend of mine has one of each, which take turns at being pride of place in his lounge on a wooden plynth! He decorates the one in the house with lights at Xmas in lieu of a Xmas tree!!
I purchased my Gold Star , for £100 , in 1964 , and had 8 Glorious Years having fun on it .
i sold mine for £105 about the same time
When I left school and started work my boss had a 500 Goldstar DB34, along with various other British bikes from the early sixties. He raced the Goldy in club races and was quick enough to earn the nick name Flash, if you want one now you need very deep pockets.....
That's funny, my nickname was also Flash. I did own a Gold Star, DB32, amongst so many bikes. I was best known for my Tribsa and Norvin. My racing was as a sidecar passenger. I am 72 now, I was totally into the scene. Still have bikes and ride.
@@iankeith763 Just bought a V7 Moto Guzzi, I'm 68.
You don't stop riding when you get old, you get old when you stop riding.
Keep the rubber side down brother!
BSA is back!
I took a 1973 Triumph 750 bored it 060 over and using the lessons from my dad stripped it down to 309 lbs. And lived on it for a year or so. Hill climbs, went to Daytona and back through Louisiana in Hwy 10 just loving life as a recently mustered out sailor! That 750 twin got me in and out of trouble as long as I took care of it! Oil in frame, Flattrack bars `1/4 turn quick throttle disc brake up front Bates head light and seat, leaving broken 💔 hearts behind. I'm 66 now and continue to build bikes like that.
17:02 17:02
I once owned a BSA C15ss80. Nice little bike.
When I bought my first machine ( the old man would not let me have a proper bike), a 200cc Lambretta. The salesman saw me once down the little road then up it and waved me off. I had ridden my Dads in the tiny garden we had but that was it. I was a bit nervous but that's probably why I survived my initial first few days of riding in traffic.
I started riding in the mid 60's and remember BSA Gold Star's lined up on the showroom floor. At that time I was riding a friends Triumph Cub 200cc and it was a whole lot of fun.
This is hard to relate this to today's rider's but most of us started out on a Honda 50 or 90 which were small somewhat crude in comparison to the larger and more refined British bikes. This is a visual feeling of sight, sound and touch. It's like attempting to describe your first kiss. All you can do is 😊
My start out bike a JDL autocycle 1 speed 98cc engine went onto a 98cc Sun motorcycle then A10 combination 3 seater sidecar tow bar to tow 13ft boat with outboard 2 kids & wife
Hi. First kiss? BSA Goldie? you must have got oil all over your face like when I smooched my B32. Cheers, P.R.
A friend of mine had a BSA 441 Victor, dirt only and he could ride up the steepest inclines we had. One that everyone else had to go back down, he liked to show off. He rode a ways up it, stopped and then rode up and over the top. A few others made it but they had to get the best running start they could.
I had a BSA 441 Victor Special. It was the worst motorcycle I ever owned, total crap!
I used to race a Rickman with a B44 Victor upped to 490cc and a Weslake head back in the early 70's in America. I don't know how much power it had, but it would blow the doors off my brother's 501 Maico in a drag race, and that thing was a beast. That was before they made the B50 which was basically a BSA factory version of the same motor, but even better.
I had a 1966 441 Victor Shooting Star street version . It was fun but the electrics weren’t the best.
I recognise a couple of places in that film: at 10:30, is Min's Place, or The Green Hut at High Beech in Epping Forest. At 11:45 is The 59 Club, in Hackney.
The late model Gold Star ('57-'63) was the best large displacement production racing motorcycle in its era. You actually COULD ride it to the track, race it and ride it home. The only real competitor it had was the Velocette Thruxton, which was a somewhat more "complicated" motorcycle than the BSA. The late model Gold Star had features that lived on after it died, such as the front brake on the Spitfire MK II and Mark III's. Many Triumph racers in the early 60s adapted that same brake onto their bikes (I had one). But it was just the other side of being truly "streetable" - that Amal GP carb was at war with the vibration of the bike, since it didn't have a reliable idle circuit...
I had a 1954 AJS single. Had a particular girlfriend that used to love 2nd gear at 30mph! Never could afford a Goldie.
As a kid, my next door neighbor, Ron owned a BSA Gold Star. Off road only but there was a huge open behind both yards. today it's a Ralphs supermarket and shopping center. Anyway, Rod stopped riding just parked it in his hard. Fast forward 6 years... I'm in the Navy, stationed 25 miles away. a guy at work, Rick says he wants to find a Gold Star. Mentioned Ron. Said he may still have one and might even sell it. A friend, Jim, who lived a mile away says, "Ron started up his BSA!" Jim: "No. I was at home. I could hear it." Rick did by a Gold Star, but a different one. But that was Ron's that Jim heard from a full mile away. Open pipe and megaphone.
The Turner boys in the old days did not drink coffee they drink tea because this way you could warm up your hands around a nice big cup of tea. Any BSA 441 shooting star will give you all of the Thrills of writing a vintage bike without breaking your wallet. And they are rebuildable forever. In England you see a lot of vintage bikes being used for everyday riding because they enjoy special privileges over regular Vehicles including very much reduced insurance cover prices as well as being exempt from the Mot.
Never owned A Gold Star but DID run a 1971 Triumph Daytona 500 for a few years. Those were real motorcycles. Nice to see all the blokes here that DID have the pleasure of owning a Gold Star, and the Thruxton as well! ALL fine machines
Tom, I also had a Daytona 'Back in the Day', but mine was a 1970. Great bike! It would run with a Bonneville up to around 50+ MPH. After that, the name of the game is Cubic Inches (or cc's)!!!
I have a 2020 Royal Enfield Classic 500. It is the original bike from the 50's, they just kept on making it 😁
With suitable upgrades but no major changes. I'd love to have one.
Great documentary on a great bike. The retro bikes look older than the sleek originals and are at least 50 pounds overweight. For 1960's social context on the Gold Star racing on road, dirt, enduro and outlaws on Harleys read: Rough Scrambles by Roy Ald.
The last motorcycle was a BSA 441. I always wanted a Goldie.
I had a 350 Star in the late 60s. I had lost my license,,again, and traded a Sprite for the BSA.I didn't run.I had a 90 day license suspension so had plenty of time to get it running. I got it running same day. Didn't have a clue how to ride it, but took off and hit a car (didn't know about the brakes) Bounced off, kicked the front wheel semi straight and rode on. A lot f fun. Carried a can of Castrol with me on longer drives.
Watching your videos I took it for granted you're a big creator. You won't be under-appreciated for long with such wonderful content.
The 1959 BSA 500cc DBD34 Clubman Gold Star was not the easiest to own, start, ride or maintain. It was cantankerous, unreliable, challenging and annoying but also exciting, rewarding and exhilarating. It was also immensely beautiful - the most gorgeous machine ever created.
But merely starting it was fraught with difficulty and uncertainty. As a large capacity, high-compression, big single you had to ensure you set sufficient ignition retard with the lever, give the 1 ½ inch Amal GP carburettor a single long tickle, ease the piston just past top dead centre with the decompressor and give the beast a long heavy swing on the kickstart. Two or three attempts would normally suffice from cold. Occasionally, even though you did nothing differently, it would attempt to remind you who’s boss by giving your right ankle the most devilish and vicious kick-back. Otherwise though, if the beast awoke, you would be rewarded with THE most magnificent sound track ever produced from any engine in the history of mankind. Deep, thunderous, powerful and dripping with excitement, purpose, expectation and menace with the bass voice beautifully complemented by a little bird-like treble twitter from the valve overlap. It was definitely alive. No doubt. But it couldn’t breathe without assistance. That big needle-free carb wouldn’t allow a resting heartbeat and the throttle had to be regularly blipped to provide life support. As the creature warmed up you could advance the ignition and check its overall circulation via the oil tank filler. Then fully open the air lever.
Still blipping you slide your right toe under the gear lever. It’s one up three down (as it should be) and your back brake is on the left (again correctly) nicely balanced by your right hand on the front brake. So you yank in the clutch and snick the RRT2 ultra close-ratio mill up into first. You both move off together gently and slowly at first since you’re having to slip the clutch and balance the throttle until way past 20mph. First is such a tall gear. But as you finally get under way and release the last bit of clutch that fistful of torque just catapults you towards the horizon like a slingshot. You can relax momentarily and leave it in first until nearly 70mph, so big a cog is it, but you better keep your wits about you as you explore the rest of the box. Clutchless changes into 3rd and 4th merely drop the engine note a fraction and as you slide back into the rearsets you’re already doing well over 100mph. Straining to keep your arms in their sockets you hang on, throw yourself at the countryside and try to enjoy the ride. Nobody else can hear your little shrieks of pleasure but witnesses will certainly experience the ear-splitting banshee wail of the Goldie as it arrives from nowhere, enters their life for half a second and then Dopplers past them into the far distance. To remind them that they were not hallucinating they will be left with a few dancing leaves and the evocative fragrance of Castrol ‘R’ racing, vegetable oil. That smell will instantly and magically transport them back to their childhood when their dad took them to the speedway track or to the fairground ‘wall of death’. Castol ‘R’ - a vastly superior perfume to Channel No 5.
Great historical video! When I was 14 I would go to a dealer that carried BSA, Triumph, Royal Enfield. I drooled considerably! Keep up all the fine videos, we need to know history...
Me too, and I collected every new motorcycle brochure I could grab. Still have them all in plastic sleeves in a fat notebook.
I acquired my Gold Star in 1963. It was a 1953 BB34 touring model and was one of, in not the actually first Goldie with a pivoted rear fork. I used it as my normal means of transport and for limited competition - mostly long distance semi-sporting events both solo and, in winter, with a light weight Steib S350 sidecar. I sold it long ago but I still own all the special tools that came with it. Mine had a standard gearbox and a very worn Amal TT carb which meant a severe kickback if I tried to start it with even a whisper of too much throttle (I had an almost permanent limp!). Replacing the TT with a Monobloc helped a lot.
To say the cylinder head is easily removable isn't really true. There are 8 bolts. Four of them are long through bolts from the crankcase to the head itself that can only be accessed with an open-ended spanner - I replaced them quite often because the flats inevitably got rounded off. The other four are extra to the Gold Star (as opposed to the 'cooking' engines B31/33). They can be accessed with ring spanners but to get at the rear one easily means removing the magneto (or magDyno if you have lights).
I was always a club rider -we organised sporting trials, grass track racing etc and, I confess, used to look down on what we called county riders who never explored the quiet roads and far off places as we did :) Unfortunately my ex-works 1949 BSA trials sidecar outfit had a B33 engine rather than the ZB34 it had originally. Very exciting to ride(drive?) without a passenger as it was very narrow!
You are one of the top 3 motorcycle channels in my opinion. I Can't wait till everyone realizes it.
I had a 350cc BSA that I bought new in1964 while station at Travis AFB, I loved it.
Around 1954 I bought (for £35) a 1937 Triumph Tiger 80 three fifty single.As a nosy keen teenager I had the head off to "de coke" etc but was very impressed with the "flowed "cylinder ports larger inlet valve ,not just polished but obviously shaped for extra power.The girder forks were well worn and the back end rigid.At that time I had the lunch time use of an aircraft perimiter track and me and my mates used to race each other,The only other bike that was close to mine was a 1947 ish 350 ohv Triumph twin ,that mine left for dead.I believe my T80 could do a genuine 80 mph and I wish I had it now!
1960's in Britain it was the Mods and the Rockers. The Mods rode vespas and dressed in suits and looked like the Beatles. The Rockers were the BSA and Triumph riders and wore the black leather jackets, had Elvis Presley hairstyle. They were the cafe racer crowd.
i have had two gold stars my first bike was a 1959 dbd 34 500 fantastic bike it would beat any triumph at the lights once the clutch was fully engaged my second gold star was a 1957 model db 34 i boght that in pieces in a box i done a 300 mile trip to buy cams for it 65 2442 and 65 2448 they were awesome bikes i regret selling them but thats how live is.
Your content is darn good! I'd love to see you do a break down of Matchless / AJS bikes.
A video on Matchless / AJS would be awesome to see.
Matchless/AJS/ don't forget velocette & Ariel as well.... All awesome stylish bikes!....🇭🇲
Competition Gold Stars fitted with the Amal GP carb did not idle because the carb had no throttle stop, when closed the slide went straight down to the bottom of it's housing so no air could be drawn into the engine, the idea being that on a race bike it was desirable to increase engine braking which on a big 4 stroke single happens when the throttle is closed fully which made rear wheel braking more progressive than just the drum brake
Back in the 60s in the UK they were rarely seen on the road and BSA stopped making them because people stopped buying them. The sought after bikes were the BSA 650 Rocket Goldstar, an A10 Engine in a Goldstar chassis and the Triumph 650 Bonneville.
One of my first bikes was a BSA Royal Star 500 1972, a very impressive bike. To be honest, sometimes wenn i have bad dreams, i dreamed about the trouble i had with that bike.
I bought an A50 when I was 17 from Scweiso Bros in Dartford Kent UK back in 1973, the thing vibrated so hard that if I used more than 5K rpm things started falling off and braking all over the place, it eventually broke a connecting rod and the engine was destroyed. I then purchased a 650 Spitfire engine that came with Amal GP carbs, I converted it to Concentrics and the engine ran well and a lot smoother than the original 500, I was young and inexperienced but I soon learned that BSA twins were inferior to Triumph twins and later found that either marque were not in the same ballpark as a Norton, a superb machine I went on to ride for many years along with 350 and 500 Royal Enfield Bullets which were both truly great bikes
This video, like all bart's videos does not disappoint.
I think I have stumbled onto a channel (video?) that can provide some info. At the approximate age of 15 or probably 1966, I was volunteered to help a man at our church clean up his closed due to retirement auto repair shop. His wife had recently passed and he wanted to sell the property. It was a fairly large shop and quite clean already, he just needed help sorting the things he wanted to keep. Behind the shop was an open area with a scrap pile, and on the pile was a motorcycle, layed down. Of course I was excited to check it out, he could not or would not provide details. It was a BSA, but I don't remember the tank being chrome, believe it was green. It was definitely a single cylinder and in my memory, at least, it was a 500cc. He said I could have it, but permission was denied at home. However unlikely, just in case I will tell you this was on Euclid Ave in Greensburg,Pa. Any help greatly appreciated.
Best bike I've ever owned was a 1968 BSA Shooting Star, the 441cc equivalent of the Victor Special but in lovely road trim. The performance was a totally pleasing experience: coming out of 2nd gear you felt you were riding the edge of a tsunami. I can't help but think my Shooting Star indeed had inherited some real Gold Star genes.
I owned a BSA 441 Victor Special, bar none the worst motorcycle of all time!
Rode mine 34 years with 4 barrels, 2 crank pins and over 600 000 miles till the frame cracked at lugs. Longest trip 322 ooo miles. Still have it. Most fixable Brit bike of the 60's with it's unit construction.
I had a new 1968 BSA Victor, that bike beat the crap out of my body . Made me wish I had a twin Honda , which I finally did .
Great Video! I love my 1955 DBD34. I ride it as often as I can and its realy reliable. Unfortunately most goldstars are tucked away as trofeys these days. I`ve seen a few at rallies but they were taken in vans.
Had 2 different DBD34's in the 70s-80s ,both in Clubman trim save the clipon bars. Also had a Velo Venom in Clubman trim ,performance was close but the Velo just did not have the eye apeale of the Goldie.
Great video, Mate
I have seen one on the road and it was magnificent
Great engineering that BSA forgot after that
Never had the 500 but did have a 350 gold star . Spent a lot of time fixing it. Solo not to bad but two up it was a pain. Kept it for about a year.
Saying that the New Gold Star is no Gold Star from the '50's true but cannot that be said about many things, the new Mustang GT 500 is no Eleanor, the newer beetle vs the classic '62 bug, the list goes on. I appreciate both the history of the old and the day to day reliability of the new.
Agree. Each machine has its own unique experience and I'm looking forward to the "new" Goldstar built with a higher quality and ABS.
@Alfred Wedmore Alfred, come on, this is 2022. Engineering knowledge and manufacturing technology is transferable else China would still be a 3rd world country. The days of dedicated co-located design and engineering teams are long gone. The thing is China will build a better and less expensive new BSA than can be designed and built in the UK. England should have stuck with colonization. Now Brexit and soon, no Ireland. But coming is a better BSA to relive old glory.
The Connie 700cc was another quick machine. Royal Enfield.
A 1960 A-10 , 650 BSA was the first motorcycle I owned .
Between the AMAL carbs and LUCAS electrics , I spent more time working on it than riding it.
Great history lesson. Wonderful footage
Not to cross brands, but there was another bike in this era which was basically the same dominant bike/production racer: the Ducati 250cc Diana. It actually came with a "performance kit" included a megaphone, fly screen, etc.
At age 14, I had the 350 Sebring. Stripped it & it was my dirt bike & hillclimber. Even rode it thru the woods to high school & parked with the street legal kids.
The neighbors must have hated me. I was the dummy riding around with the megaphone exhaust. I thought more noise = more HP. It sure sounded nice though!
I’m 72 years old, I had BSA 350 it was my first real motorcycle. I was 15 at the time.
Wow! Excellent research and fact packed presentation. Thanks for your efforts.
Meanwhile, back in the day, across the pond, I was riding British bikes with absolutely no awareness that there was a whole culture attached. Ronn
I have something aweful to tell you . When I was a kid my father buried one of these under the concrete patio he was building just to stop me having it. It ran so nice. Ive had bikes since I was 8 now 61.Bikes were something you used for work back then no one seemed to love them like I did . I've had a B31 with a 500 top end in a nice scramble frame but a bit heavy for a kid of 12,
Wow! Some really great archival footage. Thanks for putting this together!
(PS, my first bike was a Beezer, 1958 D7, 175cc two stroke)
Ah...the Bantam. Not really a BSA. They got the blueprints as war reparations, it was really a pre-war DKW RT 125 which they bored out to 175 at some point.
@@gustavmeyrink_2.0 yes, true, but the side boxes had the Birmingham Small Arms three rifles logo. As a 12 year old boy it was a real BSA!
Fun story - I used to pull my sled up a 500 yard hill and slide down on the snow. 10 minutes of hard work to get up, 1 minute of pure adrenaline to get down.
The first time I rode the Bantam UP that hill, was like sex, before I knew what sex was!
Yes me too my 1st motorcycle. In 1964. In maroon. D7 175 cc. Best looks of the bantams.
@@kenh3344 Cool! My dream upgrade was the 1965 Trail Bronc. Never got one, but I saw an old guy (like me) riding one in a local observed trials last summer.
If you have never ridden a BSA then it's hard to see what made them popular because they were never the best looking bikes but they did have a very nice aesthetic about them as everything was subtly curvy !
Most people preferred the looks of Triumphs or Nortons but there was a very good reason for putting Triumph engines in BSA frames and it wasn't because BSA engines were bad, it was because BSA's handled so good !
For some reason most manufacturers didn't really bother too much about handling and concentrated on producing more power but BSA got the handling right first and that avoided the need for more power ! Of course if you put a more powerful engine in a BSA frame you get something incredible which is a great deal of fun to ride ! You found there was less need to slow down for bends so you could sit at 70 all day cruising along barely turning the throttle down for bends then up again after bends or overtaking, you hardly used the brakes at all !
The reason that the Amal GP carburettors would not idle (or tick over) was that the design had no stop for the slide. Close the throttle and the engine would stop. Essentially the Amal GP carburettors were designed for racing, so there was no need for an idling function. So after starting the engine the technique was to open the throttle periodically to keep the engine running. Which is why you see Gold Star riders and riders of Manx Nortons, Matchless G50's and AJS 7R's doing exactly that, warming up their engines before the start of a race. One could have course either have a tight throttle cable to achieve an idle or adjust the friction setting on the twist grip but these were risky practices and could lead to a jammed wide open throttle in the event of a spill.
Best I saw out of my 1956 DB34 converted from Touring to Clubman's specification with later DBD34 head, 1 1/2" bore GP and close ratio RRT2 gearbox, clip on handle bars and rear set foot rests was 115 miles per hour.
The reason leather jackets became common at least in the UK, was unlike the PVC or waxed cotton jackets, they kept the rider warmer at speed. Leather gloves worn over silk inner gloves for the same reason. Leather boots too.
Compared with the typical family car of the day with its top speed of 60 to 75 miles per hour the performance motorcycles of the 1950's and 60's had vastly more performance.
The downsides of owning a BSA Gold Star was that it required a lot of intelligent looking after, but for budding young Engineers like me who were neither Cafe Racers nor Ton Up boys and with a desire to ride very fast, they were ideal.
Jon,
Both the BSA and the Triumph twins that I had, wore two Amals each. As I recall, from 50 years ago, you adjusted the idle speed up (not idle air mix) by backing out the threaded fitting on the throttle cable, and then locking it down with the 'Jam Nut'.
Basically that just pulled the slides up, the same as rolling the throttle does. While it may have been meant for adjusting out cable slack, it worked as an idle adjuster as well.
Of course, with Amals, your fingers always smelled of gasoline!!!
I cant say I'm surprised to see so many examples with either a modern Japanese, a Amal concentric or Monobloc carbs fitted... Because the original GP carb was notorious to get to tick over....but then it wasn't designed to..A couple of friends owned DBD34s back in the sixties, My enduring memory was they were constantly 'fettling' the engine...usually the carb', and the distinctive 'twittering' sound that the exhaust made when 'ticking' over...
By the way you were talking about Brooklyn’s we had the big sunbeam 350 hp land speed Car up there the other day it’s on RUclips the trackers is bumpies anything these days and they reckon it was pretty bad in this day very interesting Place if you’re ever in England you couldn’t race on it but it’s good we’ve only taken a few years to rebuild her we’re almost there see you Mike
You should do a video on Malcolm Smith one of the best American desert racers and supporter of the west coast scene..
This comment is out of place, but it’s one I have to make. I would love to see you feature the Sears, Allstate motorcycles of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. These were available from the Sears Catalog and arrived just on time to put the Boomer generation on two wheels. Made by Puch of Austria they included a 50cc Moped, as well as a 125, 175 and 250.
An awful lot of current Bonneville T120 owners of today (like me) stated on a Sears Moped and graduated through a string of Hondas, Suzukis, and Yamahas along the way. 😎
Oh Yeah, The first motorcycle I ever got taken for a ride on, sitting on the tank in front of my dad, I was 5, was an Allstate 250 2 stroke, their weird "Twingle". 2 pistons and cylinders and a common combustion chamber. Aligned front to back with the back cylinder being the intake and the front one the exhaust. I was hooked on Motorcycles from then on. I've been riding since then, one of my bikes being a Suzuki 650 Vstrom that I put 87,000 miles on in less than 5 years, just riding back and forth to work. But I will never forget how much I loved that ride on the Allstate 250.
That car at 2.36, 4 wheels in the air on banking!
Have not seen a video regarding 'Tritons' a norton frame fitted with a triumph engine, a small but interesting part of british motorcycle folklore.
At 10:27 there's a guy attempting to start a Goldstar (or very similar bike). His foot is kicked upwards by the starter pedal because he's incompetent or forgetful. He makes two mistakes, but this is the gravest: he has not retarded the ignition advance enough to make a safe start (the ignition advance on these machines were manual, and was set by moving a little lever on the handlebars). The other mistake he makes, is not using the valve lifter properly. If he had done so, there also would have been no "kickback".
These are really very simple and reliable machines, but you have to know how to operate them. It's not difficult at all, just a few things you must know about. I rode a very similar BSA, a 1952 500cc single, almost every day for seven years, and it never gave me a problem - as long as I remembered to turn back the ignition advance before starting. ;-)
The singles of the 40s and 50s were the fastest because multi cylinder engines were outlawed by the racing sanctioning bodies.
edit: I had a chance to buy a 1957 BSA Goldstar 500cc for $50 in the late 60s. I had ridden my dad's 650 BSA quite a bit. It was a 1959, single carb version, I think a "Road Rocket". The Goldstar was in several boxes and at 18 I had just enlisted in the air force and decided I wouldn't be able to fix it up and so bought a smaller bike in 1971 when I was stationed in Okinawa, a Kawasaki 90cc. Probably best to not have a slightly cranky 500cc single over there. I have regretted not buying it and just storing it for when my life was more stable ever since. I did however ship a 1970 Honda 750 home when I rotated back to the states and that thing was a monster for it's time. Freeway flyer after I changed the countershaft sprocket to an 18 from the original 16. also put a 48 instead of 45 tooth on the rear wheel to ease the load on the chain. One time I did 103 miles in 59 minutes from gas pump to gas pump riding across interstate 8 going east. Even so, I still wish I'd bought the Gold Star. I never had a better chance to own a BSA and so I missed out. I did however get to ride my dad's 65 lightning quite a bit before going in the service.
That was a very interesting and informative video, thanks :)
But having the sprocket for the oily chain, outside on the brake drum, wasn't exactly the most brilliant idea the Brits have ever had! And when worn, all parts needed changing, instead of just a new sprocket and chain.
Hi, was wondering where the little clip of the bike pulling in off the road was sourced from 0:40 to 0:50 ?
I think my mum is in it and would like to find more of the film clip and see if theres a better quality version available.
Thanks
bsa was at one time the largest manufacturer of motorcycle just saying
They also made a 4 wheel car.
He mentions it in the video…
Coolest bike ever made rode bsa in 50 & 60s
and it is better looking than the new models, much much better looking
Curious to know how the new BSA will perform. I don't want to dismiss it before then. I would consider getting one
When, or if, it is launched. They appear to have some communication problems ....
Great looking bikes. Not easy to live with according to Dave Mitchell at Classic Motorcycle Channel. I'll be curious to see what happens with the modern BSA's that are supposed to come out soon.
Dave, As long as they don't have Lucas Electrics they should be fine!!! 🤣🤣
The new Gold Star is here and it's the Guerrilla 450
IT WAS A CLUB RACER. KTT VELOCETTE 500 was also popular. Manx Norton was more a raceing machine.
Bold Simplicity at stillness to motion.
I used to see a guy riding a Rocket Gold star with a picture of an Indian on the faring around Orpington Kent in England I used to ride a B S A as well a. 125 Bantam not quite the same I always wondered if he noticed me
Hi there enjoyed that yes I’m from the land of the tikover There’s something about A Bsa I’ve got a twin on the road a 10 but I’ve also a single as well The Bsa Just always Just ready to ride I always adored Nortons but always ended up with me a size to this day my mates from school and me are still arguing which is best just turn 60 And we are still are you in which is best and still riding enjoy your program Michael from the good old GB
First big bike l got was a 1960 Golden flash 650cc twin. That was in '63. l wonder if B.S.A didn't carry over the 'Gold' name in tribute to the Gold Star. l was able to get the speed up to almost 110mph and from what l'm able to understand the suspension system on these early bikes were not made for high speed on bumpy roads. At any rate the gearing system were ideally set up for max acceleration from zero to 60mph bearing in mind you may have a passenger on back.
I always wanted a Goldstar scrambler but never could afford one.
The 650 Lightning was my favourite
SUCH A "LOVELY" LOOKING MOTORCYCLE,,,.
I don't think anyone really knows what the new goldies will be like since none have been produced to date. One can only hope.
2:35 That is ballsy for a car driver: On the banking with all 4 wheels in the air!
I believe yamaha tt' xt and sr500's were based on the gold star. Great bikes.
I appreciate and would love to ride one of these old wnglish bikes BUT would
Only buy a new one because at the end of the day i want it to work! Also i cant deal with carburetors anymore even though am
Old enough to know how they work.
Brilliant video, thanks
So how did they keep the engine cool at high speed ?., What type of crank bearings etc did it have? What was the volume capacity of the oil pump ?
The final comments in this vid - so very true.
And i would also say that about every retro made today, from the Guzzi V7 via the Triumph twins to the Enfield Interceptors.
Perhaps the closest to their originals would have been the defunct 1200 Evo Sporties and the last Enfield 500 Bullets.
Everything else is just too tame, too smooth, with a complete lack of rawness and character.
Beige n bland....
500 Bullets are called Royal Enfield Classic in India. It's singles engine has weathered many decades. Sitll carburated. You can check with your local Enfield dealer for one. That one will never die for us Indians here. The vibration and the thump thump throb! Riding was an experience not transport alone. They were heavy to handle and was not sporty at all. But cruising, Oh boy!
My first motorcycle was a little known INDIAN WOODSMAN.
500cc Single. 1955 model I bought in 1959.
Would have made an excellent Boat Anchor.
Wonderful. Glad I subscribed