The chocolate engined X7 with blamange handling ? I had one, but preferred the Suzi GT250M and later 250C I bought previously. But the whiff of two stroke ? Gorgeous.
At 17 I had a BSA B25 Starfire, great bike. I felt like the king of the road when I bought it. I'm 70 now and still got the original number plate on my garage wall.
I had the leader in blue and white without the screen, at the time I lived around high Wycombe area and most summers we went down to Devon and Cornwall . Being the good old girl she was she NEVER a let me down or missed a beat , light and nibble and easy to ride and she was in good nick
That BSA brings me back to my first bike, a Triumph Trophy 250. Fun one to get myself broken into the trials and tribulations endearing to us enthusiasts .
I passed my test on a Model 14 CSR AJS in 1970. Went out the next week and bought a Norton Atlas 750 for £159. Currently bimbling around on an AJS 350 Model 16.Happy days!
Nice video, which takes me back. Unfortunately, the BSA C15 was fragile, as was the Triumph Tiger Cub from which it was derived. The Ariel Leader was well-equiped and a decent commuter/domestic tourer but, at 209 Pounds, fairly expensive in the day; unsurprising, given all the panel-work. Villiers tended to lay their own smoke-screen and British bikes were generally somewhat expensive. I looked elswhere and in 1963 bought an utterly reliable 1963 Jawa 250 twin-port single for 120 Pounds brand-new. I had a 75-mile each way commute, so reliability was critical; it never once let me down.
Price was. Bike issue for the RE The Ci15 can be very reliable given regular oil changes ,often missed by novice riders of the day ditto most leaner bikes really.a lot of survivors out there which says something I suppose
@@bikerdood1100 Later production versions of the C15 ended up ok, but the earlier ones, particularly the ones with the externally-mounted contact-breaker on the back of the crankcase, were prone to a number of problems.
Takes me back. My brother had a James 250 and I had an Arrow. The Ariel would run rings round the James in the twisties. Mustn't forget my most reliable bike of that era, the '60s, a DKW 197. Neglected in the shed in favour of my latest acquisition, the Deek started and ran on demand for a decade, ending up in my uncle's garden as my young nephews pounded it round the trees. These days I get my kicks from a 1290 SAS. Bikes are better in every way now, but we had fun on those old machines.
I’m not sure they are necessarily They really have no dial at all A 2 wheel IPhone They simply aren’t engaging and are generally over sized and massively overpriced devices designed to appeal to middle aged men with too much cash The industry has ignored younger riders in favour of old farts for years Not sustainable I worry very much about the future I think there is reason the new REs have sold well Many People want the essentials of riding. Minus the completely unnecessary crap they bolt on today
Glad you included the Arrow, I had three in total, not at the same time, just kept buying another, loved em. I would say the best British 250. Its a shame it never got the development it deserved.
Yes , Ian it was OK but did need a bit of development . As an 'Arra' rider you will not have suffered the blue fog it left in its rear ; indeed if you were with a group the 'Arras' were always ordered : 'back a the bunch' 😅
@@johnwalters5131 Great to get your response. You must be my age? I am 73, still ride. I had all the Arras at the same time as I owned big bikes, I had my T110 engined Tribsa, but still loved to ride the Arrow. We didn't have the high technology lubes of today, probably not as much smoke with modern oils. Due to arthritis, I can cope with it, I wanted something fast but light, bought a Honda NSR250. 250 2 stroke twin, but oh my, what a bike, Modern 250's are all boring, nothing exciting.
Happy memories! My friend Philip had an Ariel Leader and myself an AJS CSR Sapphire. I could not drive downwind from him for fear of suffocating from the blue haze!! Both were excellent learner bikes. Moving on to present day I have been lucky enough to have enjoyed 60 more years of motor cycles, every bike being special in its own way.
A very good summary of British 250s. Your coverage of the AMC bikes was welcome, they are often overlooked but performed well and handle very nicely. I have an AJS Model 8, so, if you haven't already looked at them, I think the AMC lightweights would be worth a review.
@@bikerdood1100 There's an old press review (in The Motorcycle?) from the sixties which points to the AJS Sapphire 90 being anything but an old man's machine but its so hard to overturn perception.
I'm of the 250cc generation, I got mine in 1976. However, as all my mates were going from FS1E's or similar to Suzuki GT250's or Yamaha RD's, I bought a Royal Enfield from a guy a year above me at school. It looked like a Continental GT but actually only had a four speed engine. I was not the only Brit bike fan, my mate Colin had a Starfire and Pete had an ex Police Triumph TR25 (same bike as the Starfire), Pete also had a Cotton 250 trials bike and Danny had a Greeves Pathfinder as his weekend bike. Test passed my RE eventually moved on to a lad 10 miles away and I took on an ex Police T100P. I'm still riding, touring on a Suzuki VStrom 650, but there is a T140V slowly coming back to life in the garage.
I had a Golden Arrow in about 1969. One fault was the small capacitors on the low tension lead that fitted on to the distributor plate would burn out after about 3 months. Dirt cheap,no probs, and fitted in about 2 mins. I rode mine from Grimsby to Birkenhead no probs, The secret was if you heard it chinking, being a two stroke ,you just stopped and let it cool down. But then you had to move the distributor backplate fractionally to start it again. 5 minute job again. Brilliant runner. And I had a tool kit comprising of a stubby screwdriver, and a small adjustable spanner. Changed a puncture with them. Great bike and mine had a racing seat and tank and quick fit megaphones. Barani Ali rims, and rear sets.with my ace bars on I often changed it to a cafe racer in about 30 mins.Had a specially made long banana seat as well.And a wooden facier panel for the dials. Sitting in a high Pennines cafe and looking way down on the M62 being built was a great memory. Modern weekend warriors. Get off and feel country. That's what Britain was made for...ENJOY
I was a proud owner of 250 Starfire in 1968. It's the most beautiful bike I've ever owned. I was a college punk, and weigh only115 pounds at 5;7" I rode the bike from Angola, Indiana to Sudbury, Ontario. I did the return trip in just one day. It helped me to graduate to Hornet 650 in just one year. The 750 Rocket Three was too heavy for me. Today I ride Triumph 765 RS. British bikes is in my blood, yet I had to have a Ducati. So it's the 950S SuperSport for me. I yearned for a 450 single cylinder Ducati, but couldn't afford it then.
My memory of the Barracuda was a schoolmate who left to an apprenticeship came to school to show off his shiny new BSA250. While revving it somehat over enthusiastically the rod popped out of the front of the crankcase. The local shop did not belive it was a warranty claim and it was never seen again. Great pity as it was a good looking and sounding bike.
Nice video, I remember working in a local motorcyle shop in the 60's, and they were a BSA dealer. The boss also rode a C15 trials bike and a scrambler and went on to ride for the BSA works team with Sammy Miller in the Scottish 6 days trial.
I drove my 1962 C15 into London to college and back every day, not fast but very reliable, and 100 mpg, always started, the only issue was a tinkling small end, had it and the pin changed, but the noise was just the same. Should never have sold it, it was a little gem.
In 1965 after return from the far east in the RN I bought a Honda 250 Dream SS Within 6 months I had lost my licence. I was the first person to be caught doing over 100 mph on the A1 near Wetherby. This bike left British small bikes for dead. I was caught by an Austin Westminster clocked at 98 to 104 mph for over 1.5 miles. He only bought me when I slowed for a roundabout Yes we had them then on the A1.
A great bike. I had a crusader sports that I tried converting. Bucket seat, leather tank cover, 350 gold star exhaust. Looked the biz. Con rod came through casing outside Brighton. Looking at the Dream 250 I spoke to a motorcycle cop in the showroom. He said " one of these was stacked on the western avenue and the fuel tank split. Inside it said Australian peaches ". We all know better now.
@@bikerdood1100 I now have a Triumph Hurricane that has sat in my garage for nigh on 40 years. Why is it in the garage?...... because the wife wont allow me to put it in the living room!!!
Interesting video. How about doing one on AJS Stormer, I had a 250 version that came in kit form to avoid purchase tax and it had a Villiers engine that was very good. The Stormer was very competative and won British championships in the early 70's.
Fortunately I started my motorcycling way before the 250 learner limit, took my test on a MSS, 500cc, Velo. By the way the best T4 engined bike was the Norman B4. A really fantastic looking sports bike and rapid, I had one and an Arrow, boy did they smoke though, however it did stop them from seizing, something that the T4 was prone to doing. Mine was and so were others that friends had, this happened when you throttled back going downhill. An interesting video.
Had a B25 Starfire in the late 70s, I must have had the reliable one they made 😉 , being young and stupid I got a Z650 as soon as I passed my test, in terms of enjoyment it was a big step backwards.
I owned the Royal Enfield Crusader. Super low down torque. Joy to ride and hear. Problems with electrics were a reoccurring issue. I would certainly buy another.
Have just come across your excellent video. The Panther 250 was my first motorcycle age 16 in 1962. The thing I most remember was the turbine like smoothness of the Villiers 2T better in that respect than anything else I have ridden. A friend's Ariel Golden Arrow seemed very rough in comparison. Brakes were not great though. Also I quickly removed the centre stand as it grounded very easily when cornering. I replaced it with an after market prop stand. Eventually the silencers got clogged with burnt oil. I took out the baffles and cut the most clogged half off and then filed the ports in the remaining half out to try and stop them clogging up. This transformed the performance and the noise. It was only later that I realised I had inadvertantly created crude expansion boxes!
The model 65 I plan on featuring it in a video on 1950s 250s at a later date There’s a 350 model also, these were dropped and later replaced by the Villiers engined bike 2T is by reputation the smooth user friendly unit, the 4t not so much The Ariel Arrow I’d rougher but also a fair bit more rapid of course You can’t have both in the same motor it seems. Carries over to Japanese bikes. Been on an RD359lc which was very buzzy when you opened it up
I had a Ariel Golden Arrow for a fewYears. I purchased it new and enjoyed every moment of riding it. There was other250 bikes that where faster but being a 2 stroke it was quicker of the mark. Handling was good and reliability was second to none. The goden arrow was one of the bikes I should have kept, but parted with it for a 350cc Triumph twin.
My 1st ( legal) motorcycle was the Enfield Continental GT. Fabulous bike that had been professionally race tuned. ( valve sizes, polished ports and carburetor jetting. Racing profile piston and 3'point spark plug) & also fitted with an upswept Dunstall Megaphone exhaust ( which made it sound glorious). Yes, the 5 speed gearbox set-up was tricky. The way I got over it was to have the bike in second gear and then set the selection plates at neutral. This would ensure that ( weirdly) all the gears operated correctly with neutral in the right place. Yes, strange, but, it worked for me and for another mate who had a GT. They were quick ( for their day) and I could easily see off any other British 250 of the time especially on acceleration. Another mate had a BSA Barracuda 250. He could never catch me. Close, but, not nearly close enough ( lol). To my thinking, which is subjective, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 250 was probably the best looking, best performing British 250 of the 1960's. A real gem of a bike. A very pleasant memory indeed. I wish I still had it.
A friend of mine ran one He said the gearbox could be awkward, well 5th gear at least Very pretty thing a shame it was quite expensive back then. Enfield was not a large company then
I've got to agree with you. Most people who knock the Ariel Arrow are talking through their butts. In many days they were the motorcycle Mini of the day. Nice to ride (with some care for that front brake, easy to maintain and, as some of us found out, easy to tune and capable of a surprising turn of speed in its day!
That took me back a few years. Many of my mates had either a C15, AJS, Fanny Barnet (as we used call them) or a James. I seem to recall Norton had a 250 called the Jubilee?
They did Parallel twin engine in an a James frame Not necessarily their best work Bad reputation for reliability Improved over time but never great Better when enlarged to make the 350 navigator
This is a group of machines that have attracted a great deal of adverse comment for as long as I can remember. I mus admit to harbouring a soft spot for the AMC 250's and the Ariel's.
I used to drool over a friends Crusaders sports, couldn't afford one myself. I had BSA C12. Flat out, down hill with a gale force wind behind you I could get it up to 60 mph.. but I loved that bike, my first taste of freedom on the road.
You missed the best of the lot which was a DMW Dolomite 11 250 twin beautiful looking bike with Earles Front Forks great handling with lot's of inavation
The Ariel Leader Arrows were years ahead of their time and better than the opposition. Did you know that a lot of Arrow/Leader engines ended up being used in Hovercraft racing?
Yes, it was a very good engine when Adler first built it in 1954. Had a Golden Arrow. Was very pleased when I part exed it for a Suzuki Super Six. Now there's a 250!
Had a RE continental GT in 1966. RAB 63 D cost 275 pounds . March. Went to Iom with it. Later did a gander and gray conversation with 500 cc triumph eng in it . Wish I had kept it. Especially as a RE no problem with it great bike. Thank you for this nostalgic experience look back .v good.
@@hereandthere4763 Good British bikes . I like the old stuff. But then they were my days. Indian stuff don quite float my boat. But the it's good to see in part the heritage. In them . Got a 250 nr mint honda cbr, for sale spoke wheels original mega s 13 ooo miles from new w reg 1980. 43 yrs old. If you know any body interested. 2,500 pounds? Thank you for your reply comment. Nice.
Watched your post last night. Very interested as I had Royal Enfield 250 back in the early 70s. Mine was the 4 speed Clipper variant . Same engine and chassis but lower state of tune, sans the café racer bits. I noticed you identified the engine as wet sump; a common mistake. It was in fact dry sump but the oil tank was a separate moulding built into engine casing. It is interesting to note that Enfield Madras, who are now known as Royal Enfield make a Café Racer version of their 650 twin called the Continental GT. So not only has the GT grown in size the Interceptor has shrunk.
What I could never understand is when it became obvious that the the Arrow and leader were not selling well, is why BSA didn't put the engine into a traditional frame and folks and sell it as a Triumph and BSA. Little 2 stroke twin 250cc bikes were very popular. BSA/Triumph had the dealerships and back up to sell the bikes by tens of thousands.
In reality the sales were rather better than people think They did in fact build a prototype in a conventional frame but it was scrapped when the gearbox manufacturer withdrew from bike gearbox production, modifying to fit a BSA box would be too expensive ( apparently) and that was that
Great Video thanks, I noticed the RE Continental GT has the wrong speedo fitted, the original GT has a 100MPH Clock, but its still a great bike, well done with the video its brought back some great memories,
Keep up the good work, I looked for various RE C GT videos on you tube, found a few interesting ones, yours it number 1 and added to my favourites, Ive rebuilt one and done 100 miles on it, (plenty of neutrals to choose from@@bikerdood1100 🤣
I had an Ambassador 250 2T . Aged 14 on dirt roads on Kits Coty. Sadly, it only ran the once. Massive learning curve! I got an FS1-E and then a Honda CB250 k3. I'd be interested into why the Honda cams used to run short of oil and seize in their cam boxes regularly..You produced a great vid. Thanks. Love from Downunder.
@@bikerdood1100 Hi the one I got was one of the last built in 1966 which was fitted with alloy mudguards which nearly makes it trendy I think well maybe
I know nothing about motorbikes. For me, the 3rd one looks nice. Liked the design & handlebars & the fact it's good for 6ft+ folk. Loved the colour & badge too.
I started riding on a Matchless G2 CSR, this was competitive for the time. It would do 80 mph on the clock. Merchanically it was a bastard between pre unit and unit. The front end was OK, the back end was bad and flexy, luckily it did not have more power
The tank on the Enfield Continetal GT the bottom joint used to split very nice looking bike but the tanks were rubbish , my first bike was an Excelsia Talisman 250 cc then Norton Jubilee that lasted about two weeks and turned into a hand grenade , then a BSA C12 which wasnt too bad then an Ariel Arrow Racer which left Bonevills and Rocket Gold Stars standing from a standing start until it got to around 80 mph and ran out of steam down hill though it could touch just under a ton.
How about five three-wheelers that used motorcycle engines? You've already mentioned Bond; there was also Gordon, the AC Petite, Peel, and most famous the Morgan. Not sure if the Isetta and Messerschmitt had (converted) motorcycle engines, or engines designed specifically.
My very first bike back in the 60s was an AJS 250. Great fun but they had a weakness. Riding along at about 60 mph i heard a nasty knock. It still sort of went but i later found out that the crank pin had sheared. I was told that this was a weak point and there was a mod to put a bigger crank pin in.
I had a continental GT and would comment that yes the set up of the gearbox was critical but also, I examined the gears and dogs and would argue that the 5 speed gearbox was basically a failure because there simply wasnt sufficient room for 5 gears in the box and so compromises of space were made with the width of the individual gears and dogs. Wear was always a factor since the gearbox lubrication wasnt very good either. However the bike itself despite its somewhat rudimentary suspension would go very well and was a hoot on the bends so long as you stayed in the seat so as not to upset the suspension. I would best descibe the brakes as before their time as in you needed to pull the brakes on before you really needed them. I found the same period Triumph and BSA brakes to be much better.
Oh ,when we stopped to fill up, being a two stroke we would put a shot of oil in first about 20 to1 and then swish the petrol around to mix it. Happy days. And love to the pump girls at County Motors ,All long gone now. Cheers
I had a starfire for over 12 years. Unfortunately the engine wasn't so reliable. The rolling chassis with the twin leading front brake was fantastic. When the original engine finally shit itself i fitted a clapped out C15 engine instead. It only had three gears but non the less was reliable. But it was only a stopgap job until the tuned c15 engine was ready. The cefer was a stunner it was fast and reliable certainly quicker than the original one.
BSA Staffier was my first ever ... bought a 66 model in 68 and was my back and forth to work transport. Vibration was an issue ... always something falling off or coming lose LOL. Big gap between 1st and 2nd gear would catch you unaware during downshift. Torquey but ran out of breath at highway speed ... not really intended for US use. The big brother 441 was preferable but out of my reach back in the day. Later on ... well I did a redux in the mid '70s.... Kicking it over from the seat was an invitation to a nice bruise on your inner thigh from the oil tank cap.
im 72 and had most of the bikes mentioned, wish i still had them, my fav was the golden arrow but we had to change coils regular and helicoil swing arm ,nightmare, but would still love it.
Wanted an Enfield continental, but in the end, my Dad put me on a f%cking James captain 2 stroke, then got my rest on my mates vespa, the 2 stroke was gone and I bought a BSA c15, I've still got it, and a lot of other bikes have come and gone. Including an Indian, Bsa super rocket, vellocette viper (best bike by far), and a couple of others.
I always regretted not buying my mate's 250 Matchless in the early 70s, and that is what drove me on to do my test earlier this year. Very familiar with the junction in the last road clip. I wouldn't like to be riding an older bike on many of the roads in that area.
If you need the clip in Shropshire t the very end I seem to be fine Death road ? A lot of middle age men ride bikes that are too powerful for them at speeds that are too high Not necessarily the roads fault
@@bikerdood1100 No, not Shropshire. The location at 14:08 is Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire. The subsidence is horrendous in the fens. I grounded the suspension in my van at about 20 mph on one road. Very straight roads, but driving or riding anywhere near the speed limit is impossible on many roads.
I had both a Leader with all extras fitted and an Arrow both bought second hand in 1969, nice bikes and yes the brakes not the best but they were very reliable and easy to service and repair.
In the 70’s I got my first speeding ticket on my Greaves 250 Supersport with Villiers 2t engine Supposedly doing 60 in a 40 (dual carriageway) I got caught with vascar radar in 1975/76
I owned a 250 Crusader Sports late 61 to mid 62. This the days before the national speed limit. We used to hurry up between transport café stops. It could outrun even 500 singles. A chap called Jack appeared on a Norton 650 SS. My days of arrival first at the next cafe were over. That Crusader ended up tumbling down the road at 70mph plus. Bent more or less everything except the chrome tank. That came out without a scratch. An A2 exploded view of the engine adorns my bedroom wall.
@@bikerdood1100 I am definitely a Crusader Sport fan. Looking back I thrashed it unmercifully & through a show off overtaking move sent it to the Great Recycling Yard in the sky.
had a leader, but took shield & tinware off so more like an arrow- had set of hot up specs from sammy miller who of course raced em. shaved piston crowns at ports to extend overlap & i think lowered transfer ports, & bogged up crankcase with araldite to boost case compression- tho all gains from welding up expansion chambers. nice handling but i didnt have great rubber so front wld wash out in rain. were damn good well thought out bikes. 6v coils so starting a breeze.
My first bike in 1971 Ariel Arrow had a reputation for acceleration,but it wasn’t as quick or as fast as my mates Enfield 250 sport . I also had a panther continental villiers 250 2t electric start ,a lovely looking thing and indicated 80mph on a good road ,also smoother than even the Ariel. I didn’t have a starfire but did own the sadly named BSA Goldstar street scrambler which was also slower than my mates Enfield. Just about everything that could happen to a bike did happen to it in 3000mls ,head gaskets,gearbox disintegration,electric troubles , frame crack ,and an exhaust that blew directly onto the rear offside indicator. I’d had enough and bought a Honda CB 250 Bliss.
I got my provisional MC licence in 1965 & passed my MC test in 1966, and for a very short period (6 months), was restricted to riding 250cc machines. Fortunately most of my school mates had 250cc machines of various British manufacture and we often swapped bikes and exchanged views. My father had persuaded me to spend little on my 1st bike and landed up with a ubiquitous Bantam 175, & save up for a proper bike when I had passed my test. I roughly concur with your assessment of the 250cc bikes, however I'd disagree that the Villiers 2T, & particularly the 4T bikes, (except possibly the RE variant) should be included on this list. I'd include the Norton Jubilee instead, the only (?) British twin 250, 4 stroke machine. It suffered many of the defects of other AMC machines, but it was generally well built, handled excellent, although the FB front brake & forks somewhat let it down. The performance was on a par with the Arrow/Leader and was far more economical than either the Ariel or Villiers 2 stroke twins. Perhaps it wasn't surprising therefore, that my first "full size" bike was a Norton Navigator 350 (much improved front brake & Roadholder forks) delux, with questionable styling, which I purchased for half the price of the RE Continental 250, but with much the same performance, and rode regularly between my home in Bournemouth & Liverpool during my first year at university. John G
I had a Navigator too (naked, not the rear faired version); loved it but could only just keep up with a mate on an Arrow! Navigator …lot of noise but not much go! I changed it for a 650ss in 1963, great bike apart from never curing various oil leaks. 🇬🇧
I didn’t forget or miss it I didn’t included it Not Nortons finest work Poor reliability, especially early models and basically gutless. Of fact not at all a popular choice Sounds and looks great but a sales flop Expensive and underpowered Should have been much better
Another exceptionally well researched presentation and as I experienced riding many of these machines at the time it's a real plop back into the 60s. But is the Crusader a wet sump engine. From stripping mine a few times back then I seem to think it's dry? But it's hardly important 😊. Thanks for this.
@@bikerdood1100 It's certainly got an excellent lubrication system with proper filtration, though the workshop manual says "dry sump" but it's definitely integral with the crankcase and very much neater than other British 250s. The design of the engine was one of the best of the period I think but neutral was always tricky to find. Mine was a four speed which as you say was rather more reliable. A joy to strip and rebuild 😂😂 I'm still astonished at the vast amount of effort you put into these videos. You deserve far more subscribers!
Yes,brill bike was one i had, 1962 Golden Arrow s s with a Avon sports fairing, Quite fast for the time, never let me down, i paid £40 for it in 1967, Def a Marmite bike, i loved it,.
In the UK the police used the Velocette LE 200, they were called noddy bikes because the officers were told to nod to a superior officer as they could not salute while on the move. No LE in that particular video though
I like the sound of the 2 stroke twins.
Well when I do the Japanese bikes that should be perfect
@@bikerdood1100 Bring on the X7 !
The chocolate engined X7 with blamange handling ? I had one, but preferred the Suzi GT250M and later 250C I bought previously.
But the whiff of two stroke ? Gorgeous.
@@TheKRU251
I start my chainsaw just for the smell sometimes!
At 17 I had a BSA B25 Starfire, great bike. I felt like the king of the road when I bought it. I'm 70 now and still got the original number plate on my garage wall.
Brilliant
Royal Enfield was my favourite bike in my youth, could not afford one. Wonderful presentation, thank you.
Yes I had every model of crusader recently sold my super 5 ssy 316
They made some fascinating small bikes
I think the company was a little too small to avoid trouble
Deeprose bros ,Catford se6 , sold that Enfield 250 in 1964
I had the leader in blue and white without the screen, at the time I lived around high Wycombe area and most summers we went down to Devon and Cornwall . Being the good old girl she was she NEVER a let me down or missed a beat , light and nibble and easy to ride and she was in good nick
Brilliant and very underrated design
Thanks,...it"s a change to see a well informed feature of this kind,...well done.
Thanks for the feedback
I used to have an AJS 250 and loved it, I had good times on that bike in the early 60.
Very underrated bikes the amc machines
So did I
My first legal bike was a Starfire, loved that bike.
Ran on3 for decade and I must say it was enjoyable to ride
That BSA brings me back to my first bike, a Triumph Trophy 250. Fun one to get myself broken into the trials and tribulations endearing to us enthusiasts .
Mine was a Suzuki which had the advantage of keeping me fit because had to push it home from time to time 😂
I bought a new BSA Barracuda which I `customised’ with clip on handlebars, swept back exhaust and megaphone silencer. I loved it.
Expect it was pretty load
@@bikerdood1100Of course!
Mother in law wants it in her 70s
😮
I had an Ariel Arrow Supersport 1966 to 1968. I loved it.
Cool
I passed my test on a Model 14 CSR AJS in 1970. Went out the next week and bought a Norton Atlas 750 for £159. Currently bimbling around on an AJS 350 Model 16.Happy days!
Nice 👌
Nice video, which takes me back. Unfortunately, the BSA C15 was fragile, as was the Triumph Tiger Cub from which it was derived. The Ariel Leader was well-equiped and a decent commuter/domestic tourer but, at 209 Pounds, fairly expensive in the day; unsurprising, given all the panel-work. Villiers tended to lay their own smoke-screen and British bikes were generally somewhat expensive. I looked elswhere and in 1963 bought an utterly reliable 1963 Jawa 250 twin-port single for 120 Pounds brand-new. I had a 75-mile each way commute, so reliability was critical; it never once let me down.
Price was. Bike issue for the RE
The Ci15 can be very reliable given regular oil changes ,often missed by novice riders of the day ditto most leaner bikes really.a lot of survivors out there which says something I suppose
@@bikerdood1100 Later production versions of the C15 ended up ok, but the earlier ones, particularly the ones with the externally-mounted contact-breaker on the back of the crankcase, were prone to a number of problems.
Thanks that was fantastic a lot of memories thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Takes me back. My brother had a James 250 and I had an Arrow. The Ariel would run rings round the James in the twisties. Mustn't forget my most reliable bike of that era, the '60s, a DKW 197. Neglected in the shed in favour of my latest acquisition, the Deek started and ran on demand for a decade, ending up in my uncle's garden as my young nephews pounded it round the trees.
These days I get my kicks from a 1290 SAS. Bikes are better in every way now, but we had fun on those old machines.
I’m not sure they are necessarily
They really have no dial at all
A 2 wheel IPhone
They simply aren’t engaging and are generally over sized and massively overpriced devices designed to appeal to middle aged men with too much cash
The industry has ignored younger riders in favour of old farts for years
Not sustainable I worry very much about the future
I think there is reason the new REs have sold well
Many People want the essentials of riding.
Minus the completely unnecessary crap they bolt on today
Glad you included the Arrow, I had three in total, not at the same time, just kept buying another, loved em. I would say the best British 250.
Its a shame it never got the development it deserved.
Yes , Ian it was OK but did need a bit of development . As an 'Arra' rider you will not have suffered the blue fog it left in its rear ; indeed if you were with a group the 'Arras' were always ordered : 'back a the bunch' 😅
@@johnwalters5131 Great to get your response. You must be my age? I am 73, still ride. I had all the Arras at the same time as I owned big bikes, I had my T110 engined Tribsa, but still loved to ride the Arrow.
We didn't have the high technology lubes of today, probably not as much smoke with modern oils.
Due to arthritis, I can cope with it, I wanted something fast but light, bought a Honda NSR250. 250 2 stroke twin, but oh my, what a bike, Modern 250's are all boring, nothing exciting.
Best British two stroke
Probably
nicely balanced overview, took me back to my youth.
Thanks
Happy memories! My friend Philip had an Ariel Leader and myself an AJS CSR Sapphire. I could not drive downwind from him for fear of suffocating from the blue haze!! Both were excellent learner bikes. Moving on to present day I have been lucky enough to have enjoyed 60 more years of motor cycles, every bike being special in its own way.
Nonsense
Smells wonderful that two stroke perfume 😂😂
A very good summary of British 250s. Your coverage of the AMC bikes was welcome, they are often overlooked but performed well and handle very nicely. I have an AJS Model 8, so, if you haven't already looked at them, I think the AMC lightweights would be worth a review.
Very trendy yo just right them off as old man’s bikes it seems
@@bikerdood1100 There's an old press review (in The Motorcycle?) from the sixties which points to the AJS Sapphire 90 being anything but an old man's machine but its so hard to overturn perception.
Took me back to my youth. I had a Starfire and it got me to work and holidays at Skegness which was the nearest we got to the seaside.
Owned a Starfire for a number of years and really enjoyed it
I'm of the 250cc generation, I got mine in 1976. However, as all my mates were going from FS1E's or similar to Suzuki GT250's or Yamaha RD's, I bought a Royal Enfield from a guy a year above me at school. It looked like a Continental GT but actually only had a four speed engine. I was not the only Brit bike fan, my mate Colin had a Starfire and Pete had an ex Police Triumph TR25 (same bike as the Starfire), Pete also had a Cotton 250 trials bike and Danny had a Greeves Pathfinder as his weekend bike. Test passed my RE eventually moved on to a lad 10 miles away and I took on an ex Police T100P. I'm still riding, touring on a Suzuki VStrom 650, but there is a T140V slowly coming back to life in the garage.
Ah the T140 that most underrated of Brit twins
I had a Golden Arrow in about 1969. One fault was the small capacitors on the low tension lead that fitted on to the distributor plate would burn out after about 3 months. Dirt cheap,no probs, and fitted in about 2 mins. I rode mine from Grimsby to Birkenhead no probs, The secret was if you heard it chinking, being a two stroke ,you just stopped and let it cool down. But then you had to move the distributor backplate fractionally to start it again. 5 minute job again. Brilliant runner. And I had a tool kit comprising of a stubby screwdriver, and a small adjustable spanner. Changed a puncture with them. Great bike and mine had a racing seat and tank and quick fit megaphones. Barani Ali rims, and rear sets.with my ace bars on I often changed it to a cafe racer in about 30 mins.Had a specially made long banana seat as well.And a wooden facier panel for the dials. Sitting in a high Pennines cafe and looking way down on the M62 being built was a great memory. Modern weekend warriors. Get off and feel country. That's what Britain was made for...ENJOY
Brilliant 😂
I love the info, but you can see why the Japanese took over the market-Boringly reliable.
I had a Star fire in the early 70s and just loved it. It felt fast to me. So agile and willing, I had a lot of fun with it.
Owned one for several years
I can’t say I found it fast but the handling and breaks were very good
I was a proud owner of 250 Starfire in 1968. It's the most beautiful bike I've ever owned. I was a college punk, and weigh only115 pounds at 5;7" I rode the bike from Angola, Indiana to Sudbury, Ontario. I did the return trip in just one day. It helped me to graduate to Hornet 650 in just one year. The 750 Rocket Three was too heavy for me. Today I ride Triumph 765 RS. British bikes is in my blood, yet I had to have a Ducati. So it's the 950S SuperSport for me. I yearned for a 450 single cylinder Ducati, but couldn't afford it then.
My memory of the Barracuda was a schoolmate who left to an apprenticeship came to school to show off his shiny new BSA250. While revving it somehat over enthusiastically the rod popped out of the front of the crankcase. The local shop did not belive it was a warranty claim and it was never seen again. Great pity as it was a good looking and sounding bike.
Boys and their toys 😂
This is what happens when you flog something too hard
It snaps 😂😂😂😂
An important lesson for ant teen
The Arrow was my first true love! Wonderful to catch up again.
Amazing bit of design
Nice video, I remember working in a local motorcyle shop in the 60's, and they were a BSA dealer. The boss also rode a C15 trials bike and a scrambler and went on to ride for the BSA works team with Sammy Miller in the Scottish 6 days trial.
Fascinating, obviously a very accomplished rider
nice one, dad had a crusadef sports, always liked the look of the ariel arrow myself
Good taste you and your dad I’d say
I drove my 1962 C15 into London to college and back every day, not fast but very reliable, and 100 mpg, always started, the only issue was a tinkling small end, had it and the pin changed, but the noise was just the same. Should never have sold it, it was a little gem.
I think the C15 is a much underrated bike
Great sound for its size too
Thanks for another great video.hi from🇳🇿
Thanks
In 1965 after return from the far east in the RN I bought a Honda 250 Dream SS Within 6 months I had lost my licence. I was the first person to be caught doing over 100 mph on the A1 near Wetherby. This bike left British small bikes for dead. I was caught by an Austin Westminster clocked at 98 to 104 mph for over 1.5 miles. He only bought me when I slowed for a roundabout Yes we had them then on the A1.
A very steep down hill section I assume
A great bike. I had a crusader sports that I tried converting. Bucket seat, leather tank cover, 350 gold star exhaust. Looked the biz. Con rod came through casing outside Brighton. Looking at the Dream 250 I spoke to a motorcycle cop in the showroom. He said " one of these was stacked on the western avenue and the fuel tank split. Inside it said Australian peaches ". We all know better now.
I learned on a friends BSA Starfire and then passed my test on my 250 Triumph Trailblazer. Loved both bikes.
Nice
@@bikerdood1100 I now have a Triumph Hurricane that has sat in my garage for nigh on 40 years. Why is it in the garage?...... because the wife wont allow me to put it in the living room!!!
That was a great watch very interesting thanks for uploading
Glad you enjoyed it
Loved this video as my mate owns a BSA Starfire.
Me too for about a decade
Interesting video. How about doing one on AJS Stormer, I had a 250 version that came in kit form to avoid purchase tax and it had a Villiers engine that was very good. The Stormer was very competative and won British championships in the early 70's.
Think I put the stormer in a video on trail bikes I recall
Plan to cover British Scramblers so bound to come up again
And the norton jubalee twin
Fortunately I started my motorcycling way before the 250 learner limit, took my test on a MSS, 500cc, Velo. By the way the best T4 engined bike was the Norman B4. A really fantastic looking sports bike and rapid, I had one and an Arrow, boy did they smoke though, however it did stop them from seizing, something that the T4 was prone to doing. Mine was and so were others that friends had, this happened when you throttled back going downhill. An interesting video.
Norman
Bit to Southern for me 😂
I have a Royal Enfield Turbo Twin with the Villiers 4T engine, it’s a great wee bike. 👍
Wish I still had mine
One of the best looking Villiers powered bikes
Had a B25 Starfire in the late 70s, I must have had the reliable one they made 😉 , being young and stupid I got a Z650 as soon as I passed my test, in terms of enjoyment it was a big step backwards.
I think like most things reliability can often say more about the owner
Happy days I remember my RE Continental, C15 and Barracuda well.
Hopefully fond memories
@@bikerdood1100 Absolutely!
I had a 68 B25 but it had a C15 engine. Must have blown up before I got it!
Very likely
I owned the Royal Enfield Crusader. Super low down torque. Joy to ride and hear. Problems with electrics were a reoccurring issue. I would certainly buy another.
Oh Lucas
There's no letter O in the word recurring and only one C.
My 1st real motorcycle was a like new, used 68 Trophy 250. Pretty much the same bike as the Starfire.
Well yeah
Different tank
Only me difference was a different sprocket
Have just come across your excellent video. The Panther 250 was my first motorcycle age 16 in 1962. The thing I most remember was the turbine like smoothness of the Villiers 2T better in that respect than anything else I have ridden. A friend's Ariel Golden Arrow seemed very rough in comparison.
Brakes were not great though. Also I quickly removed the centre stand as it grounded very easily when cornering. I replaced it with an after market prop stand.
Eventually the silencers got clogged with burnt oil. I took out the baffles and cut the most clogged half off and then filed the ports in the remaining half out to try and stop them clogging up. This transformed the performance and the noise. It was only later that I realised I had inadvertantly created crude expansion boxes!
The model 65
I plan on featuring it in a video on 1950s 250s at a later date
There’s a 350 model also, these were dropped and later replaced by the Villiers engined bike
2T is by reputation the smooth user friendly unit, the 4t not so much
The Ariel Arrow I’d rougher but also a fair bit more rapid of course
You can’t have both in the same motor it seems.
Carries over to Japanese bikes. Been on an RD359lc which was very buzzy when you opened it up
I had a Ariel Golden Arrow for a fewYears. I purchased it new and enjoyed every moment of riding it. There was other250 bikes that where faster but being a 2 stroke it was quicker of the mark. Handling was good and reliability was second to none. The goden arrow was one of the bikes I should have kept, but parted with it for a 350cc Triumph twin.
We all have bikes like that
My 1st ( legal) motorcycle was the Enfield Continental GT. Fabulous bike that had been professionally race tuned. ( valve sizes, polished ports and carburetor jetting. Racing profile piston and 3'point spark plug) & also fitted with an upswept Dunstall Megaphone exhaust ( which made it sound glorious). Yes, the 5 speed gearbox set-up was tricky. The way I got over it was to have the bike in second gear and then set the selection plates at neutral. This would ensure that ( weirdly) all the gears operated correctly with neutral in the right place. Yes, strange, but, it worked for me and for another mate who had a GT.
They were quick ( for their day) and I could easily see off any other British 250 of the time especially on acceleration. Another mate had a BSA Barracuda 250. He could never catch me. Close, but, not nearly close enough ( lol). To my thinking, which is subjective, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 250 was probably the best looking, best performing British 250 of the 1960's. A real gem of a bike. A very pleasant memory indeed. I wish I still had it.
A friend of mine ran one
He said the gearbox could be awkward, well 5th gear at least
Very pretty thing a shame it was quite expensive back then. Enfield was not a large company then
I've got to agree with you. Most people who knock the Ariel Arrow are talking through their butts. In many days they were the motorcycle Mini of the day. Nice to ride (with some care for that front brake, easy to maintain and, as some of us found out, easy to tune and capable of a surprising turn of speed in its day!
Well they are pretty much as quick as anything else available at the time
That took me back a few years. Many of my mates had either a C15, AJS, Fanny Barnet (as we used call them) or a James. I seem to recall Norton had a 250 called the Jubilee?
They did
Parallel twin engine in an a James frame
Not necessarily their best work
Bad reputation for reliability
Improved over time but never great
Better when enlarged to make the 350 navigator
It didn’t
Typo: I mean it did
Had "Road holder" Forks as I recall.
Very good informed video, well done!
Thanks
This is a group of machines that have attracted a great deal of adverse comment for as long as I can remember. I mus admit to harbouring a soft spot for the AMC 250's and the Ariel's.
Nothing wrong with either
Common knowledge is commonly wrong
I like the Ariel and Villiers two strokes. Looks like an awesome bike shop at 9:03 in the video.
A few here in the Uk
Often known as the Ariel Bleeder…I had an Excelsior Talisman
Villiers still going strong
First bike was a Royal Enfield Crusader Sports, then a Goldie. Great times.😊
Up market choices
I used to drool over a friends Crusaders sports, couldn't afford one myself. I had BSA C12. Flat out, down hill with a gale force wind behind you I could get it up to 60 mph.. but I loved that bike, my first taste of freedom on the road.
Very educational, a fascinating insight 👏👌👍
We try
You missed the best of the lot which was a DMW Dolomite 11 250 twin beautiful looking bike with Earles Front Forks great handling with lot's of inavation
Well nice little bike but the Earles forks give a bike a heavy look for me
British!
The Ariel Leader Arrows were years ahead of their time and better than the opposition. Did you know that a lot of Arrow/Leader engines ended up being used in Hovercraft racing?
Seems a strange end
Yes, it was a very good engine when Adler first built it in 1954. Had a Golden Arrow. Was very pleased when I part exed it for a Suzuki Super Six. Now there's a 250!
Had a RE continental GT in 1966. RAB 63 D cost 275 pounds . March. Went to Iom with it. Later did a gander and gray conversation with 500 cc triumph eng in it . Wish I had kept it. Especially as a RE no problem with it great bike. Thank you for this nostalgic experience look back .v good.
@@kenh3344 Have a 1958 RE Constellation. Deceptively fast bike. Enfields always ubderated for some reason.
@@hereandthere4763 Good British bikes . I like the old stuff. But then they were my days. Indian stuff don quite float my boat. But the it's good to see in part the heritage. In them . Got a 250 nr mint honda cbr, for sale spoke wheels original mega s 13 ooo miles from new w reg 1980. 43 yrs old. If you know any body interested. 2,500 pounds? Thank you for your reply comment. Nice.
The 2T engine fitted to the James was a lovely unit, quite gutsy for a 250 .
That’s what I hear
Watched your post last night. Very interested as I had Royal Enfield 250 back in the early 70s. Mine was the 4 speed Clipper variant . Same engine and chassis but lower state of tune, sans the café racer bits. I noticed you identified the engine as wet sump; a common mistake. It was in fact dry sump but the oil tank was a separate moulding built into engine casing.
It is interesting to note that Enfield Madras, who are now known as Royal Enfield make a Café Racer version of their 650 twin called the Continental GT. So not only has the GT grown in size the Interceptor has shrunk.
The pre units used a cast in take
Bullet etc
Common mistake
Excellent, thank you! Thank goodness my old Norton Jubillee wasn't included!!!
Not their best work unfortunately
Great idea and concept
Didn’t come off
Let’s blame AMC interference
A bit like the Wulf? The Hooper/Favill modular V range? And so on.............
Loved the Jubilee. My sister had a Navigator in Singapore.
What I could never understand is when it became obvious that the the Arrow and leader were not selling well, is why BSA didn't put the engine into a traditional frame and folks and sell it as a Triumph and BSA. Little 2 stroke twin 250cc bikes were very popular. BSA/Triumph had the dealerships and back up to sell the bikes by tens of thousands.
In reality the sales were rather better than people think
They did in fact build a prototype in a conventional frame but it was scrapped when the gearbox manufacturer withdrew from bike gearbox production, modifying to fit a BSA box would be too expensive ( apparently) and that was that
Great Video thanks, I noticed the RE Continental GT has the wrong speedo fitted, the original GT has a 100MPH Clock, but its still a great bike, well done with the video its brought back some great memories,
Points there for geekery 😂
Keep up the good work, I looked for various RE C GT videos on you tube, found a few interesting ones, yours it number 1 and added to my favourites, Ive rebuilt one and done 100 miles on it, (plenty of neutrals to choose from@@bikerdood1100 🤣
I had an Ambassador 250 2T . Aged 14 on dirt roads on Kits Coty. Sadly, it only ran the once. Massive learning curve!
I got an FS1-E and then a Honda CB250 k3. I'd be interested into why the Honda cams used to run short of oil and seize in their cam boxes regularly..You produced a great vid. Thanks. Love from Downunder.
Ta 👍🏻
Thanks, a sheer Delight of Raves & Engines from the past - only ' Turkey' was the ' AD' break . Well Done Bikes . 👍
👍
Hi I have owned a little G2 CSR for 30yrs and love it
They are seen as old man bikes and over weight but just as quick as the opposition in reality
@@bikerdood1100 Hi the one I got was one of the last built in 1966 which was fitted with alloy mudguards which nearly makes it trendy I think well maybe
I know nothing about motorbikes. For me, the 3rd one looks nice. Liked the design & handlebars & the fact it's good for 6ft+ folk. Loved the colour & badge too.
Well that’s why the channel is here
Hopefully learned a bit of history as well as looked at some pretty bikes
I started riding on a Matchless G2 CSR, this was competitive for the time. It would do 80 mph on the clock. Merchanically it was a bastard between pre unit and unit. The front end was OK, the back end was bad and flexy, luckily it did not have more power
They were a curious design for sure
The tank on the Enfield Continetal GT the bottom joint used to split very nice looking bike but the tanks were rubbish , my first bike was an Excelsia Talisman 250 cc then Norton Jubilee that lasted about two weeks and turned into a hand grenade , then a BSA C12 which wasnt too bad then an Ariel Arrow Racer which left Bonevills and Rocket Gold Stars standing from a standing start until it got to around 80 mph and ran out of steam down hill though it could touch just under a ton.
Fibre glass
Bloody nightmare now
Had a C12 in '67. Reliable and economical, but not exciting. The only Jubilee I ever saw was in a cardboard box in pieces.
I had a 250 Starfire in the early 70’s and really liked it a lot except for its tendency to leak oil. It was a nice looking bike though.
They shouldn’t really leak
Problem is usually what the previous owners got up too
Remember all of these my first 250 was a Norton Jubilee 250 twin cafe racer, clip on's rear sets large tank etc
Glad your enjoying our videos 👍
With the Starfire it had a problem with the conrod breaking; I had two that broke.
Did we thrash it 🤔
How about five three-wheelers that used motorcycle engines? You've already mentioned Bond; there was also Gordon, the AC Petite, Peel, and most famous the Morgan. Not sure if the Isetta and Messerschmitt had (converted) motorcycle engines, or engines designed specifically.
Isseta cars built by BMW had R25bike motors
My very first bike back in the 60s was an AJS 250. Great fun but they had a weakness. Riding along at about 60 mph i heard a nasty knock. It still sort of went but i later found out that the crank pin had sheared. I was told that this was a weak point and there was a mod to put a bigger crank pin in.
Oh dear
I had a continental GT and would comment that yes the set up of the gearbox was critical but also, I examined the gears and dogs and would argue that the 5 speed gearbox was basically a failure because there simply wasnt sufficient room for 5 gears in the box and so compromises of space were made with the width of the individual gears and dogs. Wear was always a factor since the gearbox lubrication wasnt very good either. However the bike itself despite its somewhat rudimentary suspension would go very well and was a hoot on the bends so long as you stayed in the seat so as not to upset the suspension. I would best descibe the brakes as before their time as in you needed to pull the brakes on before you really needed them. I found the same period Triumph and BSA brakes to be much better.
No doubt about the gears
Great video 👍
Thanks
I had a BSA Starfire 250cc one longer. I loved that bike, should have never sold it.
Owned one for a decade
Found it very good although not rapid
Oh ,when we stopped to fill up, being a two stroke we would put a shot of oil in first about 20 to1 and then swish the petrol around to mix it. Happy days. And love to the pump girls at County Motors ,All long gone now. Cheers
I often wonder how reliable those bikes would have been with modern oils
Auto lube would have been nice
I had a starfire for over 12 years. Unfortunately the engine wasn't so reliable. The rolling chassis with the twin leading front brake was fantastic. When the original engine finally shit itself i fitted a clapped out C15 engine instead. It only had three gears but non the less was reliable. But it was only a stopgap job until the tuned c15 engine was ready. The cefer was a stunner it was fast and reliable certainly quicker than the original one.
Genuinely didn’t have any engine problems with mine
Chassis way out performed it though
BSA Staffier was my first ever ... bought a 66 model in 68 and was my back and forth to work transport. Vibration was an issue ... always something falling off or coming lose LOL. Big gap between 1st and 2nd gear would catch you unaware during downshift. Torquey but ran out of breath at highway speed ... not really intended for US use. The big brother 441 was preferable but out of my reach back in the day. Later on ... well I did a redux in the mid '70s.... Kicking it over from the seat was an invitation to a nice bruise on your inner thigh from the oil tank cap.
Surprisingly difficult to start for such a small engine I found
Barracuda engines were stamped C25, not B25. Basically the same bikes, but the C25 had a high compression piston and an exhaust valve lifter lever.
Well the Starfire was stamped B25 and did not have a valve lifter the 441 however did
Great video,
Thanks
im 72 and had most of the bikes mentioned, wish i still had them, my fav was the golden arrow but we had to change coils regular and helicoil swing arm ,nightmare, but would still love it.
Bet modern ignition and coils would work wonders with the Arrow
Wanted an Enfield continental, but in the end, my Dad put me on a f%cking James captain 2 stroke, then got my rest on my mates vespa, the 2 stroke was gone and I bought a BSA c15, I've still got it, and a lot of other bikes have come and gone. Including an Indian, Bsa super rocket, vellocette viper (best bike by far), and a couple of others.
AMC two stroke probably to boot
Always got my own bikes would trust my dad to choose the tyres 😂
I always regretted not buying my mate's 250 Matchless in the early 70s, and that is what drove me on to do my test earlier this year. Very familiar with the junction in the last road clip. I wouldn't like to be riding an older bike on many of the roads in that area.
If you need the clip in Shropshire t the very end I seem to be fine
Death road ?
A lot of middle age men ride bikes that are too powerful for them at speeds that are too high
Not necessarily the roads fault
@@bikerdood1100 No, not Shropshire. The location at 14:08 is Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire. The subsidence is horrendous in the fens. I grounded the suspension in my van at about 20 mph on one road. Very straight roads, but driving or riding anywhere near the speed limit is impossible on many roads.
I had both a Leader with all extras fitted and an Arrow both bought second hand in 1969, nice bikes and yes the brakes not the best but they were very reliable and easy to service and repair.
Well I don5 think poor brakes were unique to Ariel or indeed British bikes for that matter
Keep them coming! Great memories. How about 150s ? Mopeds? Raleigh Wisp? NSU Quickly?
You could keep going forever.
All in good time
Definitely will be doing both of those
Some moped videos already but 1970s stuff so far
I owned a 250 Matchless in the 60s brought it new and I can still remember the rego 623KPO
Fond memories ?
1966 I was riding a James Commodore. 250 AMC single, and after my elderly D1 Bantam it felt like riding a rocket!
Well after a D1 a bicycle wouldn’t feel slow
In the 70’s I got my first speeding ticket on my Greaves 250 Supersport with Villiers 2t engine
Supposedly doing 60 in a 40 (dual carriageway) I got caught with vascar radar in 1975/76
Tut tut 😂
Honestly don’t think those things gave accurate readings, especially on something as small as a motorbike
I owned a 250 Crusader Sports late 61 to mid 62. This the days before the national speed limit. We used to hurry up between transport café stops. It could outrun even 500 singles. A chap called Jack appeared on a Norton 650 SS. My days of arrival first at the next cafe were over.
That Crusader ended up tumbling down the road at 70mph plus. Bent more or less everything except the chrome tank. That came out without a scratch.
An A2 exploded view of the engine adorns my bedroom wall.
Bit of a crusader fan ?
@@bikerdood1100 I am definitely a Crusader Sport fan. Looking back I thrashed it unmercifully & through a show off overtaking move sent it to the Great Recycling Yard in the sky.
had a leader, but took shield & tinware off so more like an arrow- had set of hot up specs from sammy miller who of course raced em. shaved piston crowns at ports to extend overlap & i think lowered transfer ports, & bogged up crankcase with araldite to boost case compression- tho all gains from welding up expansion chambers. nice handling but i didnt have great rubber so front wld wash out in rain.
were damn good well thought out bikes. 6v coils so starting a breeze.
Thanks for commenting
Interesting 🤔
My first bike in 1971 Ariel Arrow had a reputation for acceleration,but it wasn’t as quick or as fast as my mates Enfield 250 sport . I also had a panther continental villiers 250 2t electric start ,a lovely looking thing and indicated 80mph on a good road ,also smoother than even the Ariel. I didn’t have a starfire but did own the sadly named BSA Goldstar street scrambler which was also slower than my mates Enfield. Just about everything that could happen to a bike did happen to it in 3000mls ,head gaskets,gearbox disintegration,electric troubles , frame crack ,and an exhaust that blew directly onto the rear offside indicator. I’d had enough and bought a Honda CB 250 Bliss.
Had a Starfire for a decade with few problems
Did have regular maintenance though
This was a nice video
Thanks
We try
I got my provisional MC licence in 1965 & passed my MC test in 1966, and for a very short period (6 months), was restricted to riding 250cc machines.
Fortunately most of my school mates had 250cc machines of various British manufacture and we often swapped bikes and exchanged views.
My father had persuaded me to spend little on my 1st bike and landed up with a ubiquitous Bantam 175, & save up for a proper bike when I had passed my test.
I roughly concur with your assessment of the 250cc bikes, however I'd disagree that the Villiers 2T, & particularly the 4T bikes, (except possibly the RE variant) should be included on this list.
I'd include the Norton Jubilee instead, the only (?) British twin 250, 4 stroke machine. It suffered many of the defects of other AMC machines, but it was generally well built, handled excellent, although the FB front brake & forks somewhat let it down. The performance was on a par with the Arrow/Leader and was far more economical than either the Ariel or Villiers 2 stroke twins.
Perhaps it wasn't surprising therefore, that my first "full size" bike was a Norton Navigator 350 (much improved front brake & Roadholder forks) delux, with questionable styling, which I purchased for half the price of the RE Continental 250, but with much the same performance, and rode regularly between my home in Bournemouth & Liverpool during my first year at university.
John G
I should draw you attention to the second video
My very first bike. Bought 1962, kept until 1965.
Cool
Looks like you missed the very popular Norton Jubbly (Jubilee), i had it's bigger brother the Norton Navigator, a nice smooth comfortable bike.
I had a Navigator too (naked, not the rear faired version); loved it but could only just keep up with a mate on an Arrow! Navigator …lot of noise but not much go! I changed it for a 650ss in 1963, great bike apart from never curing various oil leaks. 🇬🇧
I didn’t forget or miss it I didn’t included it
Not Nortons finest work
Poor reliability, especially early models and basically gutless.
Of fact not at all a popular choice
Sounds and looks great but a sales flop
Expensive and underpowered
Should have been much better
Royal Enfield are still sold here in Australia although now owned and manufactured in India. Still good looking bikes.
Still sold everywhere
And in bigger numbers than ever
Naturally I have a video on the subject
i for one had some great time on my Ariel 250 we had three in our village club
Nice
It’s a much maligned machine for some reason
Another exceptionally well researched presentation and as I experienced riding many of these machines at the time it's a real plop back into the 60s. But is the Crusader a wet sump engine. From stripping mine a few times back then I seem to think it's dry? But it's hardly important 😊. Thanks for this.
Surprisingly for a Brit bike the Crusader is wet sump according to the literature at least
@@bikerdood1100 It's certainly got an excellent lubrication system with proper filtration, though the workshop manual says "dry sump" but it's definitely integral with the crankcase and very much neater than other British 250s. The design of the engine was one of the best of the period I think but neutral was always tricky to find. Mine was a four speed which as you say was rather more reliable. A joy to strip and rebuild 😂😂
I'm still astonished at the vast amount of effort you put into these videos. You deserve far more subscribers!
In 1967 I nearly bought a cotton conquest (probably faster than any of these) but instead bought a Suzuki super six.
Probably not
Yes,brill bike was one i had, 1962 Golden Arrow s s with a Avon sports fairing, Quite fast for the time, never let me down, i paid £40 for it in 1967, Def a Marmite bike, i loved it,.
Some didn’t like the styling I suppose
Wow! A Noody Bike! Our local copper had one!
In the UK the police used the Velocette LE 200, they were called noddy bikes because the officers were told to nod to a superior officer as they could not salute while on the move.
No LE in that particular video though
My first motorbike was a G2 Matchless, bought VERY second hand as a 17 year old....when it was running properly, it really flew (or it seemed to)
That’s the thing really
Who had it before and how he treated it
I had a Norton Jubilee. Not too bad, very smooth, prone to siezing on long uphill pulls, once allowed to cool it would run normally.
I believe oil level was hypercritical
Superb video but i am suprised the James 250 Commodore was not in there
Can’t include everything at the end o& the day