Bsa's biggest selling model ran from 1951 until 1971 in various guises. Originally a german design based on the DKW RT 125 the engine grew into 175cc in 1958 until final production
The first motorcycle I had when I was 16 in the 60s was a 125cc BSA Bantam. I paid £5 for it and he also gave me a helmet and gauntlets. I loved that bike and we had many adventures together. My Bantam gave me the freedom to go where I wanted to, which was great. I paid about £2. 10 shillings for insurance and about £1 to tax it. petrol was £1 for four gallons including 2-stroke oil. Best days of my life.
Oh wow memories of my first bike a 1953 Bantam 125! It took me from Sutton to Cromer 160 miles. It broke down every 50 miles, but hey! All the bikers in the Sutton area were fortunate to have Guivers in Sutton. The owner was a Bantam racing enthusiast and other British singles. Great guy, Great shop.
my wife has a d1 bantam 1951 in our lounge . she also has a 1951 james captain the other end .she is 73 the same age as the bikes . i bought them at different times for her .we have rode together since 1969 .
My Cousin had one in the 60s, I used too borrow it to poodle around on some weekends, until I got my own , had a lot of different bikes including a B S A bantam think it was a 175cc , many people I knew when I worked on the Railway had them to get too and from work , they were a little workhorse, great video thanks 😊 👍
That water cooled Bantam racer is a bit like calling a TZ350 an FS1E racer. I cannot understand the love for the Bantam, I rode one for a while and it was a simplistic pile of shite. Just my opinion based on the rudimentary technology and poor design. How BSA thought this could compete with bikes like the Suzuki T200 is beyond me.
@@shaw99livecouk Sorry, that is not correct, as both bikes were sold new at the same time (1967-1971). The important aspect, and the main reason the British motorcycle industry died, was that the Bantam was produced for over 20 years without any meaningful development of the engine.
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The first motorcycle I had when I was 16 in the 60s was a 125cc BSA Bantam. I paid £5 for it and he also gave me a helmet and gauntlets. I loved that bike and we had many adventures together. My Bantam gave me the freedom to go where I wanted to, which was great. I paid about £2. 10 shillings for insurance and about £1 to tax it. petrol was £1 for four gallons including 2-stroke oil. Best days of my life.
Oh wow memories of my first bike a 1953 Bantam 125!
It took me from Sutton to Cromer 160 miles. It broke down every 50 miles, but hey!
All the bikers in the Sutton area were fortunate to have Guivers in Sutton.
The owner was a Bantam racing enthusiast and other British singles. Great guy, Great shop.
my wife has a d1 bantam 1951 in our lounge . she also has a 1951 james captain the other end .she is 73 the same age as the bikes . i bought them at different times for her .we have rode together since 1969 .
Must have been a top selling motorcycle for BSA with exports over many years.
My Cousin had one in the 60s, I used too borrow it to poodle around on some weekends, until I got my own , had a lot of different bikes including a B S A bantam think it was a 175cc , many people I knew when I worked on the Railway had them to get too and from work , they were a little workhorse, great video thanks 😊 👍
I think after the 2nd World War many countries did a version of DKW's engine
The Bantam first produced from mid 1948.
My First bike love it
The design come from Germany D K W company.
My Father bought me one in 1966 for £75........bless his heart, to go to work
Bonjour j’ai un baltam 125 ce 1950
Wish my D3 Major swingarm looked like that. Mines in bits hoping for a cash injection to get ot restored!. 🤣 Go away Covid!.
That water cooled Bantam racer is a bit like calling a TZ350 an FS1E racer. I cannot understand the love for the Bantam, I rode one for a while and it was a simplistic pile of shite. Just my opinion based on the rudimentary technology and poor design. How BSA thought this could compete with bikes like the Suzuki T200 is beyond me.
Was the Suzuki T200 around in 1948?
A couple of decades apart
@@chrispop99 No, but the Bantam was produced until 1971. The T200 was produced from 1967-1971.
@@shaw99livecouk Sorry, that is not correct, as both bikes were sold new at the same time (1967-1971). The important aspect, and the main reason the British motorcycle industry died, was that the Bantam was produced for over 20 years without any meaningful development of the engine.