Great video! You managed to show the BSA 441 experience exactly as I remember it, particularly the part where it quits and you are pushing it down a lonely country road. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for 441s and I think they are one of the best looking bikes ever made.
Bill you bring back memories. In 1974 I was finally tired of my 1970 BSA thunderbolt topping out on rough trails. I drained the oem front fork fluid and changed it for something that a friend who ran Norton's recommended. I'll be damned if I can remember the name of the product. It worked wonders for my bike. Your Victor acted just like mine did. It actually was making the same sounds. It was a easy fix. The rear shocks were adjustable and I think that I had them on the middle setting and the difference was very pleasant. Good luck!
Love your videos! You nailed the Victor's limiting factor, "old, heavy, steel suspension". I modified the neck bearing seats, made a new front axle, and swapped in a 1972 BSA B50 alloy front fork on my '69 Victor. Since the mod it takes on everything I throw at it!
I still have the BSA 441 I bought 50 years ago when I was 15. It had a Cheney frame, Italian front forks, girling gas rear shocks, billet clutch, energy transfer ignition and Rickman hubs. It was also 475cc. It now needs a total restore which will start when I retire. I think it was originally an ex-ISDT bike that I bought from a local farmer and MX GP track owner.
You know what’s amazing? Well, besides this channel and all the great bikes you bust out. Anyway, it’s amazing that I have the exact same T-shirt that you are wearing and I love it 😊 Thanks!
Absolutely right. I have spent the last few months resurrecting a '66 B44. Not yet road legal but I rode it on farm tracks last week. New stanchions, springs and bushes in the front and it was hard work. The gearing is for road use so I only used first and second gear, but what a lovely punchy engine. Light weight and lots of torque, I can see involuntary wheelies coming soon !
Suspension! Yup... although I'm still working through mine, in the front I've got progressive springs and currently 7.5 weight oil which REALLY helps; I think the manual called for 20 weight which worked OK on the road but really not for anything rough. The rear I'm running Ikon shocks and I will say they actually work so well you don't even worry about the rear end anymore, and unless you know you really can't tell that they aren't factory. Bummer about the fuel/electrical issue man! Boy I've been there and spent waaaay too much time trying to re fire the engine (only on exceptionally hot afternoons of course!).
Send off the fork to Race Tech. Put a pair of gas shocks on the rear, remount the rear fender, should be able to gain a little confidence with those mods.
@8:00, mine does that too! Stops for no reason whatsoever. I had thought it was a Concentric issue, but you're running a Monobloc and get the same thing.
Any chance of a 3xl Spitfire Summer Shirt?? Got the others in 3xl and they fit great. I just want to keep supporting your channel. Life's Good, Life's GREAT!
Bought my first VS new in 1970. Sadly cremated in a barn fire in -83. Now have 2 good running Victor Specials. 5 days ago got a 441 special with Scottish Six Days Trial history. At 230 pounds wet quite nimble. As it has a couple of battle scars, another dent in the tank don't matter. Will have fun with it. With now three 441s, you'll think I'm a BSA nut. Wrong, the Manx Norton is my favourite, but too long time between races so I need bikes that I can ride whenever I want.
230 lbs wet wow! The BSA factory built a titanium framed, titanium everything BSA single for John Banks to race and I doubt they ever got it that light. You got a good one, lighter than a 2024 450 4 stroke racer.
@@bradsanders6954 Has a modified Husqvarna motocross frame, tiny brakes from a 165 lbs Husqvarna 175cc road bike etc. The 27 hp engine did not need the sturdy chassis as modern high power bike. Compared to the then popular Bultaco Sherpa trial just 11 lbs heavier.
My 1968 Shooting Star 441 did the same thing downhill on a dirt road. The gas cap is not too tight so not a venting problem. Could it be the compression release not seating firmly and releasing compression on a bumpy road?
These were horrible bikes on dirt, they got street bike forks from olden days. Shocks that can really shock.. A clanker and a banger. But they look cool! I had a B-50 MX for a while, also an oddball thing to ride. Once it was sideways on smooth ground it was happy. Puked oil every where if ran hard.
No, there were MX and Enduro versions (and road bike) but the prefered trials engine was the Cub and the B40 (from which the B44 Victor was developed). The B40's were a good trials engine and cheaply available as military surplus.
Great video! You managed to show the BSA 441 experience exactly as I remember it, particularly the part where it quits and you are pushing it down a lonely country road. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for 441s and I think they are one of the best looking bikes ever made.
Bill you bring back memories. In 1974 I was finally tired of my 1970 BSA thunderbolt topping out on rough trails. I drained the oem front fork fluid and changed it for something that a friend who ran Norton's recommended. I'll be damned if I can remember the name of the product. It worked wonders for my bike. Your Victor acted just like mine did. It actually was making the same sounds. It was a easy fix. The rear shocks were adjustable and I think that I had them on the middle setting and the difference was very pleasant. Good luck!
Love your videos! You nailed the Victor's limiting factor, "old, heavy, steel suspension". I modified the neck bearing seats, made a new front axle, and swapped in a 1972 BSA B50 alloy front fork on my '69 Victor. Since the mod it takes on everything I throw at it!
I still have the BSA 441 I bought 50 years ago when I was 15. It had a Cheney frame, Italian front forks, girling gas rear shocks, billet clutch, energy transfer ignition and Rickman hubs. It was also 475cc. It now needs a total restore which will start when I retire. I think it was originally an ex-ISDT bike that I bought from a local farmer and MX GP track owner.
You know what’s amazing? Well, besides this channel and all the great bikes you bust out.
Anyway, it’s amazing that I have the exact same T-shirt that you are wearing and I love it 😊
Thanks!
"Teacher,.........Leave them chickens alone!"
There's NO school like OLD school! 😎
I could immediately tell the suspension was beating you up. Your conclusion is spot on, use it as a dual sport. Great video as always!
Absolutely right. I have spent the last few months resurrecting a '66 B44. Not yet road legal but I rode it on farm tracks last week. New stanchions, springs and bushes in the front and it was hard work. The gearing is for road use so I only used first and second gear, but what a lovely punchy engine. Light weight and lots of torque, I can see involuntary wheelies coming soon !
Suspension! Yup... although I'm still working through mine, in the front I've got progressive springs and currently 7.5 weight oil which REALLY helps; I think the manual called for 20 weight which worked OK on the road but really not for anything rough. The rear I'm running Ikon shocks and I will say they actually work so well you don't even worry about the rear end anymore, and unless you know you really can't tell that they aren't factory. Bummer about the fuel/electrical issue man! Boy I've been there and spent waaaay too much time trying to re fire the engine (only on exceptionally hot afternoons of course!).
We want more chicken in future videos please bill
Stunning! Made me cringe through with no arm protection???????
Send off the fork to Race Tech. Put a pair of gas shocks on the rear, remount the rear fender, should be able to gain a little confidence with those mods.
@8:00, mine does that too! Stops for no reason whatsoever.
I had thought it was a Concentric issue, but you're running a Monobloc and get the same thing.
eyeball eyeball, Hi Mark thought you might be here...
I wanted a Victor. Then I became aware of the CCM.! Clews Competition Machine. Too young,sadly to afford either.😢
I think Racetech make a fork modification for the 441
you might want to rubber mount that rear fender
Such a cool video, about such a cool bike! By the way, what action cameo you use?
Great video Bill! Fix that suspension 😊 Ride on…
Yay vintage! Last week had me worried...
Back to the Triumph 😊
Any chance of a 3xl Spitfire Summer Shirt?? Got the others in 3xl and they fit great. I just want to keep supporting your channel. Life's Good, Life's GREAT!
I owned a 441 in the 1970's, decent bike.
Bought my first VS new in 1970. Sadly cremated in a barn fire in -83. Now have 2 good running Victor Specials. 5 days ago got a 441 special with Scottish Six Days Trial history. At 230 pounds wet quite nimble. As it has a couple of battle scars, another dent in the tank don't matter. Will have fun with it. With now three 441s, you'll think I'm a BSA nut. Wrong, the Manx Norton is my favourite, but too long time between races so I need bikes that I can ride whenever I want.
230 lbs wet wow! The BSA factory built a titanium framed, titanium everything BSA single for John Banks to race and I doubt they ever got it that light. You got a good one, lighter than a 2024 450 4 stroke racer.
@@bradsanders6954 Has a modified Husqvarna motocross frame, tiny brakes from a 165 lbs Husqvarna 175cc road bike etc. The 27 hp engine did not need the sturdy chassis as modern high power bike. Compared to the then popular Bultaco Sherpa trial just 11 lbs heavier.
Got your set of Whitworth wrenches???
My 1968 Shooting Star 441 did the same thing downhill on a dirt road. The gas cap is not too tight so not a venting problem. Could it be the compression release not seating firmly and releasing compression on a bumpy road?
Lucas! Amal? LOL
👍👌
These were horrible bikes on dirt, they got street bike forks from olden days. Shocks that can really shock..
A clanker and a banger. But they look cool!
I had a B-50 MX for a while, also an oddball thing to ride. Once it was sideways on smooth ground it was happy.
Puked oil every where if ran hard.
Bill, back in the day werent 441's primarily used as ' trials ' bikes?
No, there were MX and Enduro versions (and road bike) but the prefered trials engine was the Cub and the B40 (from which the B44 Victor was developed). The B40's were a good trials engine and cheaply available as military surplus.
@@jimtitt3571 The army surplus B40 used the same frame as the B44. The civvy bike shared the C15 frame.
Why'd they paint the gas cap ?
How much pressure are you running in the tires. Drop it down to about 12 front and 10 rear.
Can You Flat Track Dirt Practice Sometime on one of Your Vintage Moto's
Very sexy. I'm really digging it. Thanks, bro for sharing.
3 minutes is a long time for an English anything to run!