I recall back in 1972 when a bunch of us had enduro bikes made in Japan were hanging out at our regular patch of dirt when a friend rode up on a Victor. We were all about being lightweight and two stroke power and seeing that shinny Victor was an amazing moment of my youth I will never forget. Thanks for posting!
I owned one of these in 1972--BSA 500 Victor. It was fun to drive, handled well, but would eat up bulbs due to the vibration. At 70 years of age and SEVERAL other Italian, Japanese, British, and German bikes, I love my current two Guzzis.--Mike Battle
WoW !! What an outstanding machine this is ! I had a 69 Victor 441cc. I didn’t know they made a 500cc. What a vibrating machine it was! The clutch was very hard to adjust.
I had a 500 Goldstar. It, indeed, could smell fear! It got me so badly on one kick that I swear that my toe touched my knee. It's been years and I can still feel it!
@@TheMightyGarageI loved the sound! Just like my old one. I had a standard B50SS in 1976 (first bike when I got my license when I was 15), it actually had a 3 Imp. gal. steel tank.
Great video of a lovely bike, I have the same bike, same conical hub brakes, same exhaust in much the same condition except it has a CCM engine fitted. It isn't going and think its an ignition problem. I inherited the bike along with many other desirable bikes to add to my own small collection. This was the last bike my brother rode before passing away, he was disabled, eccentric but determined and could only ride it to places where there was someone he knew could start it for him.
I remember tuning and testing my B50mx at midnight trying to get it sorted out for riding the next morning in the Tillamook Burn. That was back in the 70's, (now it is the Tillamook Forest). Back then traffic was non-existant on Hwy 212 at that hour, but tearing up and down the road on a bike without lighting, wasn't my biggest concern, it was the roar emanating from the super trap exhaust, waking up my neighbors. I apologize now, but it had to be done. lol...... I loved riding that bike more than any other. Oh the memories!
Love your videos only just found them, she can smell fear LOL when she attempted to kick you back on first kick Looked really nice bike sounded great , can see why they fetch good prices here in UK (not very many here most are US imports) . Had its little brother when i was 17 the B25
Can throw you over the handle bars when they kick back,I have a 72 trail model,l added a can to catch the oil over flow then I just put it back in the frame, love the bike took it out of the crate in 72 sounds great, torque in every gear
Kidney Killers. If you were lucky enough to not break an ankle kicking one over you’d likely snap a molar and spit out a few filings riding one of these . . . ahhh, the good ol’ days! Thanks for resurrecting the memories . . .
Heh. Much exaggerated view of kickstarting this bike. I owned one B50 as well as two Yamaha 500 thumpers and a 441. Worst kickstart injury I ever got was from my old Honda CB450.
I had one with the original high level exhaust, which was black with a chrome cover with big round holes . Yes, they have a vicious kick back, at times.
The auxiliary horn is great! I've always liked the paint scheme on these tanks. There is also a yellow with red lettering BSA tank that I think is aluminum.
My Victor Special only awaiting the arrival this week of new Amal Premiere carb ( bike only has 7000 miles on it !) Really looking forward to Sunday rides to coffee shop 😁
Great looking bikes for sure, but oh so hard to start when hot. (mine was anyway, never did figure that out.) Had a 1971 B50T I restored from crank up, then sold at Vintage Motorcycle days Auction at Mid Ohio back in 2004. For $1300 ... I think I made like 5 cents an hour for all the work I put in it. Pretty to look at though! I think the right and left hand controls on Geoff's are switched though, can't see how the thumb can reach the dipper switches. All good other wise, even looks like it was charging good, from view of the digital voltmeter on the handlebars. Thanks for sharing, I LOVE the show and tell Brit Bike videos !!!
Thanks a lot Paul! Hopefully there will be more fun and interesting bikes to come! There are a couple more videos in the works and more visits are being planned ;) Best wishes, Mike
Thanks a lot! I'm glad you liked it. There's another BSA coming up in the next couple of weeks, as soon as I finish editing the video ;) Best wishes, Mike
I worked at a BSA dealership as these came out in the early '70s and I liked them more than the 441cc ones prior. We only sold a few and one that I did get to service was brought over from Holland - I was in the suburbs of N.Y.C., Westchester Co. One bike pulled up lame with a stripped cylinder stud at the base which was corrected under warranty - IIRC, it was a quality control issue on just the stud itself. Anyhow, the stock muffler was a larger and better silencing affair as was the 250 which was nearly identical. I also don't recall the front brake as the one here shows, that looks to be off a twin of the period.
@M Bacon By "those bikes", did you mean this line of BSA products? I worked for dealerships including BSA, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, OSSA, and Bultaco. I put plenty of inspection stickers on new bikes as they met New York State Inspection Standards. The eye on brake performance was always how it lived up to the intent of the machine's purpose. I don't recall in detail the braking effort of the BSA dual purpose machines, perhaps they were lacking but I always considered the rider was faced with knowing a machine's capabilities and riding with diligence of that. My opinion is that most all machines had adequate brakes. As time went on and braking performance increased, it has invited a lot of revisiting of how well or how poor they functioned. Of the accidents I can recall involving customers or friends of mine, mechanical braking fault was never an issue, it was always some other circumstances that brought on calamity.
@M Bacon I kept my comment to bikes I tended to as a professional mechanic. I was exposed to more brands over time. Had considerable interest in Velocette in the late '60s, Thruxton was top on the list but we weren't dealers for them. I wanted a Ducati Mach I so bad. I saw only one and it had Oldani brakes, sexy "motorsickle"..!
How ironic to see this after just discussing John Bonham's bike tonight, I thought it a Triumph, but two others say BSA. Seeing this I lean towards it being a BSA also now.
Had visions of you flying over the bars, when you were kicking it over 😀 Nice to see a single in the cul-de-sac, makes a pleasant change 👍 Have good day Mike 😎
Haha, yes I must say I was a little nervous and definitely wanted to wear boots when kicking that one ;) Jeff made it looks easy at the end! Best wishes, Mike
I never had issues with that front brake, mind you, I have 4XL hands. Thank you for the post on the Vincent forum. I gained some information. The name Neville Higgins rang bells. I also found out that they are running the Barbon Hill Climb again, so I'll contact the organizers and see if they can help. If you could post a thank you on the forum for me that would be great.
Hi Bernie, thanks very much for your note and I will definitely pass along your thanks to the Vincent guys. Good luck with your search for more information. Best wishes, Mike
My father has one of these it’s his old race bike , but it’s a Alf Hagon 475 grass track sand racer 12-1 compression ratio yes they will kick back on you ,runs on menthol
That Jeff seems a thoroughly OK sort, and it was very gracious of him to let you have a go. I'd want to screw on a slightly more "neighborhood-friendly" exhaust, but then I've got infants and toddlers napping on either side of me here in Virginia. I had a Victor 441 Special as my daily driver around Austin, Texas back in the early '90s. It was superb for just toodling around town, but absolutely useless as a tourer. I believe a previous owner may have geared it down quite a bit for better off-road tractability, but over 50 mph it would commence rattling the fillings out of your teeth. Pretty little flickable bike though. After this whole Wuhan Flu business lifts, I hope you'll still continue these little Cul de Sac showcases.
Hi Bill, I sure hope that we will still get visitors! There are a couple more in the works at the moment and hoping for more visitors as the weather improves! Hope all is well. Best wishes, Mike
that looks really good in Road trim, odd really that BSA didn't offer a road option but presumably the off road dominance at that time determined the production themes. Model designations are a bit of a mare for those 1971/72, petrol Tank looks MX rest looks fairly stock B50 SS 'Gold Star' (?) except the exhaust, I think the trim inbetween with lights and the smaller brake was the B50T Victor so the model makes it a conversion but another model fits 95%.
Hi Andy Really enjoy the old British bikes with all their oddities I had a 1973 Commando and a I think it was a 1969 lightning I miss. I think I am selling my Harley and start looking around for a British project bile.or rwo. Motoguzi6
Good luck in your search for a Brit bike Dale. I think you will enjoy a video in a couple of weeks of a very nice BSA Lightning in the cul-de-sac! Best wishes, Mike
I had the 250 version in 1979 when I was 17 and kicking it over was always a mission. I sold it for £180.00 to buy a charm bracelet for my new girlfriend who I ended up marrying. We are still together so I suppose it was a good investment . But I still miss that bike and remind her of it every time she puts jewellery on when we go out 😉
I think I recognize this "neighborhood" from some movies I've seen, fake house fascades with no rears, plastic grass and bushes, etc. The "motorcyclists" who supposedly stop by to chat do a good job, probably professional actors...it does seem that they actually do know how to ride a motorcycle. LOL
Well hate to lie. It's neat, but that's where it ends. Of course somebody probably thinks it's priceless. I remember guys would make flat trakers out of them and race at county fairs. Just because they couldn't afford a XL/XR. I like it, but I like motorcycles.
@@duggdog9102 against other Victor's. 15 Victor's in a race a Victor is gonna win. Been racing/spectating since 1979, never seen one win a race of any kind. Just my experience.
![1968 BSA A65 Lightning and 1972 Triumph Bonneville T120V [visit 10 of 31]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5fbEHj7tsSM/mqdefault.jpg)
![1968 BSA A65 Lightning and 1972 Triumph Bonneville T120V [visit 10 of 31]](/img/tr.png)
![Vintage Rebuilds 1972 Norton Commando [visit 27 of 31]](/img/n.gif)
I recall back in 1972 when a bunch of us had enduro bikes made in Japan were hanging out at our regular patch of dirt when a friend rode up on a Victor. We were all about being lightweight and two stroke power and seeing that shinny Victor was an amazing moment of my youth I will never forget. Thanks for posting!
Woke up the chainsaw owning local, well carpenters will enjoy this because a B50 hits the nail on the head every time.
The front brake "inconveniences forward motion!" That is the most funny description I've ever heard of a brake system!
Haha, that was funny!! Thank you Paulo. Best wishes, Mike
I’ll bet the neighbors love you!
I owned one of these in 1972--BSA 500 Victor. It was fun to drive, handled well, but would eat up bulbs due to the vibration. At 70 years of age and SEVERAL other Italian, Japanese, British, and German bikes, I love my current two Guzzis.--Mike Battle
I could sense the passion for motorcycles through the screen I love that. When the bike bug bites, some of us are bitten quite hard.
Hehe, so true Phill! Thanks a lot for your great comment. Best wishes, Mike
WoW !! What an outstanding machine this is !
I had a 69 Victor 441cc. I didn’t know they made a 500cc. What a vibrating machine it was!
The clutch was very hard to adjust.
Thank you Jean-François! I hope all is well. Cheers, Mike
It can smell fear! I really enjoyed hearing it run, on the move. Been decades, very nice indeed.
Thanks John, Jeff has some great one-liners 😉
I had a 500 Goldstar. It, indeed, could smell fear! It got me so badly on one kick that I swear that my toe touched my knee. It's been years and I can still feel it!
Ouch! Thanks Mark. I love BSA Goldstars! They are such an iconic bike. Best wishes, Mike
@@TheMightyGarageI loved the sound! Just like my old one. I had a standard B50SS in 1976 (first bike when I got my license when I was 15), it actually had a 3 Imp. gal. steel tank.
Great video of a lovely bike, I have the same bike, same conical hub brakes, same exhaust in much the same condition except it has a CCM engine fitted. It isn't going and think its an ignition problem. I inherited the bike along with many other desirable bikes to add to my own small collection.
This was the last bike my brother rode before passing away, he was disabled, eccentric but determined and could only ride it to places where there was someone he knew could start it for him.
Thank you Nightster for your nice note. It is much appreciated. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Best wishes, Mike
I remember tuning and testing my B50mx at midnight trying to get it sorted out for riding the next morning in the Tillamook Burn. That was back in the 70's, (now it is the Tillamook Forest). Back then traffic was non-existant on Hwy 212 at that hour, but tearing up and down the road on a bike without lighting, wasn't my biggest concern, it was the roar emanating from the super trap exhaust, waking up my neighbors. I apologize now, but it had to be done. lol...... I loved riding that bike more than any other. Oh the memories!
Wow. Somebody said C15. I used to ride to school on one aged 16. 50 years ago.And yes I was the envy of the school.
That's the sound of a bike that I like!
Hehe, wasn't that fun! Thanks for your note. Best wishes, Mike
I remember these being sold new and we all derided them. I quite fancy one now.
I rode unit singles for 30 years as primary transpo. Very reliable once modified for millage. Dunstall fibreglass tanks fit. -441rider
Great bike (but then i love beezas of any time/type)
Funky paint job and 'Dan dare'🚀 switch gear. Brilliant!
Hehe! Thanks Mr A! Cheers, Mike
Love your videos only just found them, she can smell fear LOL when she attempted to kick you back on first kick
Looked really nice bike sounded great , can see why they fetch good prices here in UK (not very many here most are US imports) . Had its little brother when i was 17 the B25
IT CAN SMELL FEAR 🤣 great to see these bikes on the road Mike
Hehe!! Thanks a lot Stephen! Best wishes, Mike
Can throw you over the handle bars when they kick back,I have a 72 trail
model,l added a can to catch the oil over flow then I just put it back in the frame, love the bike took it out of the crate in 72 sounds great, torque in every gear
Kidney Killers. If you were lucky enough to not break an ankle kicking one over you’d likely snap a molar and spit out a few filings riding one of these . . . ahhh, the good ol’ days! Thanks for resurrecting the memories . . .
😂😂Thank you Walter! That was very funny! Thanks for a really fun comment. Best wishes, Mike
Heh. Much exaggerated view of kickstarting this bike. I owned one B50 as well as two Yamaha 500 thumpers and a 441. Worst kickstart injury I ever got was from my old Honda CB450.
Love bsa singles ive had a few full of character. Thank you for another great video.
Thanks a lot Simon! I really appreciate it. Yes, isn't that a fun bike! I just wanted to keep riding ;) Best wishes, Mike
I had one with the original high level exhaust, which was black with a chrome cover with big round holes . Yes, they have a vicious kick back, at times.
hehe, thanks Geoff. I was a little nervous but Jeff made it look easy! I guess he has learned the technique! Cheers, Mike
The auxiliary horn is great! I've always liked the paint scheme on these tanks. There is also a yellow with red lettering BSA tank that I think is aluminum.
The 441 Victor!
Oh that sound!!! I so want to get started on my 441 Victor project. I think after listening to that 500 it is going to move up on the priorities list.
Hehe, glad it provided a little motivation ;) We all need it at the moment! Best wishes, Mike
My Victor Special only awaiting the arrival this week of new Amal Premiere carb ( bike only has 7000 miles on it !) Really looking forward to Sunday rides to coffee shop 😁
Nice to see you all ride each other bike every one should have a chance to play love your vids I am now addicted stay safe
Thank you Ian! Best wishes, Mike
Great looking bikes for sure, but oh so hard to start when hot. (mine was anyway, never did figure that out.) Had a 1971 B50T I restored from crank up, then sold at Vintage Motorcycle days Auction at Mid Ohio back in 2004. For $1300 ... I think I made like 5 cents an hour for all the work I put in it. Pretty to look at though! I think the right and left hand controls on Geoff's are switched though, can't see how the thumb can reach the dipper switches. All good other wise, even looks like it was charging good, from view of the digital voltmeter on the handlebars. Thanks for sharing, I LOVE the show and tell Brit Bike videos !!!
Hi Patrick, thanks a lot for your great note. Really appreciate it! Best wishes, Mike
Great video, love the bike. Takes me back to my Matchless 500 scrambler and Victor 441. Keep the videos coming.
Thanks a lot Paul! Hopefully there will be more fun and interesting bikes to come! There are a couple more videos in the works and more visits are being planned ;) Best wishes, Mike
My favorite culdesac bike so far. I'm a big bsa fan so I might be biased.
Thanks a lot! I'm glad you liked it. There's another BSA coming up in the next couple of weeks, as soon as I finish editing the video ;) Best wishes, Mike
A slight inconvenience to forward motion..Love it!
Hehe, the great British understatement 😀
@@TheMightyGarage Kinda like Bright headlight. And room temp beer because Lucas wired the refrigerator.
I hope all the neighbours were awake before Geoff arrived!
Hehe, if they weren't before... they certainly were as he arrived! I was chuckling when he arrived because it was so loud ;) Best wishes, Mike
I worked at a BSA dealership as these came out in the early '70s and I liked them more than the 441cc ones prior. We only sold a few and one that I did get to service was brought over from Holland - I was in the suburbs of N.Y.C., Westchester Co. One bike pulled up lame with a stripped cylinder stud at the base which was corrected under warranty - IIRC, it was a quality control issue on just the stud itself. Anyhow, the stock muffler was a larger and better silencing affair as was the 250 which was nearly identical. I also don't recall the front brake as the one here shows, that looks to be off a twin of the period.
@M Bacon By "those bikes", did you mean this line of BSA products? I worked for dealerships including BSA, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, OSSA, and Bultaco. I put plenty of inspection stickers on new bikes as they met New York State Inspection Standards. The eye on brake performance was always how it lived up to the intent of the machine's purpose. I don't recall in detail the braking effort of the BSA dual purpose machines, perhaps they were lacking but I always considered the rider was faced with knowing a machine's capabilities and riding with diligence of that. My opinion is that most all machines had adequate brakes. As time went on and braking performance increased, it has invited a lot of revisiting of how well or how poor they functioned. Of the accidents I can recall involving customers or friends of mine, mechanical braking fault was never an issue, it was always some other circumstances that brought on calamity.
@M Bacon I kept my comment to bikes I tended to as a professional mechanic. I was exposed to more brands over time. Had considerable interest in Velocette in the late '60s, Thruxton was top on the list but we weren't dealers for them. I wanted a Ducati Mach I so bad. I saw only one and it had Oldani brakes, sexy "motorsickle"..!
the push rod cover on the rocker box looks identical to my old c15 happy memories
Thanks a lot Richard. Glad you liked the video. Jeff did mention that his bike was descended from the C15! Best wishes, Mike
Nice bike Geoff 👍
Love the Beezas Mike , I'm restoring my 1961 c15 .oldies are goldies!
Cheers Mike love the Vids Greg.
Thanks a lot Greg! Hope all is well. The C15's are such a cool bike. Good luck with the restoration. Best wishes, Mike
Thanks for the video 👍🇬🇧
Thank you George! Hope all is well. Best wishes, Mike
sound nice love the sound
Glad you liked the vid! Thanks a lot for your comment. Best wishes, Mike
How ironic to see this after just discussing John Bonham's bike tonight, I thought it a Triumph, but two others say BSA. Seeing this I lean towards it being a BSA also now.
Had visions of you flying over the bars, when you were kicking it over 😀
Nice to see a single in the cul-de-sac, makes a pleasant change 👍
Have good day Mike 😎
Haha, yes I must say I was a little nervous and definitely wanted to wear boots when kicking that one ;) Jeff made it looks easy at the end! Best wishes, Mike
The original exhaust was a monstrosity!
I never had issues with that front brake, mind you, I have 4XL hands. Thank you for the post on the Vincent forum. I gained some information. The name Neville Higgins rang bells. I also found out that they are running the Barbon Hill Climb again, so I'll contact the organizers and see if they can help. If you could post a thank you on the forum for me that would be great.
Hi Bernie, thanks very much for your note and I will definitely pass along your thanks to the Vincent guys. Good luck with your search for more information. Best wishes, Mike
Great video lovely bike stay safe 🇬🇧👍🏻
Thanks Richard, you too! Best wishes, Mike
My father has one of these it’s his old race bike , but it’s a Alf Hagon 475 grass track sand racer 12-1 compression ratio yes they will kick back on you ,runs on menthol
Ouch! I bet you have to be careful kicking that one just right! Thanks a lot for sharing. Cheers, Mike
Nice!
That Jeff seems a thoroughly OK sort, and it was very gracious of him to let you have a go. I'd want to screw on a slightly more "neighborhood-friendly" exhaust, but then I've got infants and toddlers napping on either side of me here in Virginia. I had a Victor 441 Special as my daily driver around Austin, Texas back in the early '90s. It was superb for just toodling around town, but absolutely useless as a tourer. I believe a previous owner may have geared it down quite a bit for better off-road tractability, but over 50 mph it would commence rattling the fillings out of your teeth. Pretty little flickable bike though. After this whole Wuhan Flu business lifts, I hope you'll still continue these little Cul de Sac showcases.
Hi Bill, I sure hope that we will still get visitors! There are a couple more in the works at the moment and hoping for more visitors as the weather improves! Hope all is well. Best wishes, Mike
Jeff is thoroughly ok. 😁
My dad bought me a new one in 1972
well done.
Thank you Neil! Best wishes, Mike
I stripped it down and moto crossed it had q 570 kit and to a
Sifton cam
I want one!
Hehe! It was a ton of fun! Best wishes, Mike
that looks really good in Road trim, odd really that BSA didn't offer a road option but presumably the off road dominance at that time determined the production themes. Model designations are a bit of a mare for those 1971/72, petrol Tank looks MX rest looks fairly stock B50 SS 'Gold Star' (?) except the exhaust, I think the trim inbetween with lights and the smaller brake was the B50T Victor so the model makes it a conversion but another model fits 95%.
Hi Andy
Really enjoy the old British bikes with all their oddities I had a 1973 Commando and a I think it was a 1969 lightning I miss.
I think I am selling my Harley and start looking around for a British project bile.or rwo.
Motoguzi6
Good luck in your search for a Brit bike Dale. I think you will enjoy a video in a couple of weeks of a very nice BSA Lightning in the cul-de-sac! Best wishes, Mike
I had a kickback that literally snapped the mainshaft in half. No not clutch, not return spring then found gearbox came out without nut off clutch!.
the 'comical' front brake can be improved with longer actuating arms.
" they can smell fear", yuk, yuk, gotta use that one.
I put a 570 kit on mine with mx cam and made it hard to start.
I had the 250 version in 1979 when I was 17 and kicking it over was always a mission. I sold it for £180.00 to buy a charm bracelet for my new girlfriend who I ended up marrying. We are still together so I suppose it was a good investment . But I still miss that bike and remind her of it every time she puts jewellery on when we go out 😉
That sounds like a real Motocycle.
Like my MOTO GUZZI CALIFORNIA III.
is this a filmset or something, as you never see anybody else around, love the bsa.
Ha ha, it's a pretty quiet neighborhood for the most part, except for those noisy old British motorcycles :-) best wishes, Mike
I think I recognize this "neighborhood" from some movies I've seen, fake house fascades with no rears, plastic grass and bushes, etc. The "motorcyclists" who supposedly stop by to chat do a good job, probably professional actors...it does seem that they actually do know how to ride a motorcycle. LOL
The Mighty Garage You forgot your mention the kids. Especially when there’s a drone around.
Is this Heaven?......no, it's a cul-de-sac.
BSA?
What a beautiful bike but please put the standard pipe back on...
Seems a lot of your visitors are UK chaps
Yes, there are a few Brit friends in the club 😉🇬🇧
my 72 honda 350 I never used front brake
Hadmine sine 75, needs a minor refurb
It would sound better with the original muffler. 👍
Thumper ... I always kicked my 250 BSA from astride the bike ... the dry sump oil cap left a bruise on the inside of my thigh.
Thumper!
😜👍
Thanks Mick! Best wishes, Mike
Cool bike. Doesn't really do anything well.
Thanks, I think?
Well hate to lie. It's neat, but that's where it ends. Of course somebody probably thinks it's priceless. I remember guys would make flat trakers out of them and race at county fairs. Just because they couldn't afford a XL/XR. I like it, but I like motorcycles.
@@toddgittins5692 yeah thats why theve won loads of races
@@duggdog9102 against other Victor's. 15 Victor's in a race a Victor is gonna win. Been racing/spectating since 1979, never seen one win a race of any kind. Just my experience.
Not loud enough. Take off the gutted muffler and head pipe.
Ha ha, it might've been quieter with the muffler and the header pipe off :-)
Needs a muffler.
Front brake on my B50 SS works very well. They are very fun- but not so fun on the hiway.