Well done thank you. I own 1967 StarFire. Do not ride it too much but it always starts on the first kick and it is a pleasure to ride. I also have a 70 TRW in pieces. Yet another project started and not completed. As I am sure you know there really is something wonderful about the British bikes.
I had a Starfire in the mid-70s. Such a brilliant little machine. The secret to increasing its longevity was to fit a police model (fleetstar) piston, which reduced the load on the weak, big end bearing by lowering the compression ratio. Wish I still had it, reg. no. BUK 99H.
many years i owned what appeared to be a 250 Trophy with a 3T engine, the conversion was so good it looked like a factory job, i bought this bike from a dealer and it was listed as a 350 Trophy twin. over the years i have been told it could have been a factory bike but i have never seen another, this leads me to believe it was a very well done conversion
Well Triumph built quite a few prototypes using the 500 engine in the early 70s but I don’t believe they ever did anything with the 350, either way it would have made a good combination excellent frame with a more torquey motor
I bought a secondhand BSA Starfire when I was seventeen (1976) and I think I pushed it as many miles as I rode it. I stripped the second gear so I used to rev it hard in first then miss second ( just kept the clutch in during second gear) and then select third gear. It struggled but I didn't have the money to fix it then. I can't remember selling it but I obviously did. My next bike was a Kawasaki KH250 triple. Very reliable and so much more ahead of its time than the Starfire.
@@bikerdood1100 Yes but BSA, Triumph and Norton didn't invest in technology. Japanese manufacturers did. Even Italian bikes became more reliable and user-friendly.
@@johngunning2123 well it’s not that simple You assume the money was there to invest. Triumph & BSA were part of the same empire and it was spreading itself far to thinly by the end of the 60s and the management were far more interested in other parts of the business leaving little left which is why the Trident was stuck in limbo and a compromise when it appeared. Norton were owned by AMC. The parent company suddenly hit the buffers in 1960 and Norton profits were used to prop up the rest of the company that’s why the OHC Norton and the unit construction engine nether reached production. History is nether as straightforward as they simply couldn’t be bothered
Brought back a few memories....good and bad. Tangentially but picking up where you left off, I always thought the Triumph Trail Blazer was a great looking bike but suffered the same fate. Love your vids.
I worked for a BSA dealer in New York state and we sold several B-25s and they never offered any deep troubles, only tune-ups. I saw the factory competition models race at Unadilla, N.Y., Dave Nichol being a main rider for them and watched as they dominated the day with those very lightweight specials. They didn't rev high at all. lots of mid range grunt - no kickstarters were fitted as I recall. I had experience with Italian 250s in years before and they were in a class by themselves for mechanical quality.
Sixties BSA build quality was better than most people think, only very late bikes built by a work force who knew the end was coming suffered in this regard.
My brother had a Starfire that was gutless. This video's commentary shows what might have been part of the problem: too high a gearing. What a good-looking bike that was, though.
I always wanted a Starfire way back in 1970 but my apprentice pay packet of less than £20 a week could not stretch to make payments on the bike which listed at £250 in the showroom, 😭
I have a starfire and did the same to make it a little better around town , also the original Amal carburettor was not to flash hot . I put a better one of and it runs better , great video thanks
@@bikerdood1100 Can you let me know what final drive gear you put on it? I am in the process of resto-modding a 1970 B25 and would like to make it a bit more useful!!!
@@xa1a blimey that’s a couple of years ago now. I can’t remember what we fitted, think it was only one or two teeth below standard. On the engine sprocket one tooth makes a fare difference
I purchased ( on the tick) a new BSA 250 Gold Star ( the name alone raised a few hackles) it looked good with its off white frame and Blue paintwork,but the fun stopped there. In the 3500 miles I had it . The head gasket blew ,I fixed it myself,the gearbox was kaput, lights blew ( shop fitted zener diode) the frame cracked ,had to take it to be welded, and to add salt in the wound my mates old Enfield Crusader sports still blew it off. . Utterly disgusted I went for a used Honda cb250 which initially worried me because of its sophistication,” What if it goes wrong “. . Of course it was great although I did manage to lock the gearbox up by over revving it!
Can't help thinking that if BSA or Triumph had made a 250 twin based on the Tiger 90, it may have kept the Hondas at bay for at least a few more years.
Well I dropped the gearing because the space between 3and 4th was too big. Honestly can’t remember the rpm. I used to cruise at that speed quite comfortably however
The Starfire was too little, too late as ,even when it was introduced in 1967, it was already obsolete. By the time it was introduced, Honda already had their CB72 and, later in 1969, their CB250, Suzuki with their Super Six 250, Yamaha 250 models, all of them could run rings around the Starfire. The Starfire was typical of the late 1960s thinking from British bike manufacturing, which turned out to be a disaster after 1970, when the old industry went in to rapid decline, basically ending in 1982 with the closure of Triumph Meriden.
How many of the bikes listed do you ever see on the road today ? They either didn’t service or parts are unobtainable or extremely expensive. So are they at all relevant for a modern rider looking for an old bike to potter around on ?
The demise of the range was due to BSA Motorcycles becoming insolvent in October 1971, resulting in the loss of over 4,000 jobs, I wan an apprentice at the time and and redundant
@@SpacedOdyssey well yeh because as I said they went under in 73 not 71 and not all the factory was taken down Where do you think the T160 was being assembled until 75 And of course a small section remains where the rifles get built near the railway lines. It didn’t all come down in one go like Meridan did I couldn’t tell which section remained after the 1973 collapse but I suspect however It would take a bit of research and I’m not that bothered tbh
@@bikerdood1100 4,000 left people left Armoury Rd in October 71, I know I was one of them and many friend and family, Armoury Road. The factory was wound down and empty by early 72. Most left over stuff was shipped to Meriden for completion an either BSA or Triumph depending on what parts were left over. The apprentices from the Triumph factory were bused over every day from Meriden to the Armoury road Training centre so we were all mates. The BSA Gun factory remained. Then Norton bought the name and load of Old Stock and ran with it until they also went bust.
@@SpacedOdyssey that’s simply incorrect the T160 was built at Small Heath until late 75 some say as late as jan feb 76 If you won’t believe me LOOK It UP You will also see photos taken at the factory in March 73 on the R3 line GOOGLE IT And don’t comment again until you have
Well done thank you. I own 1967 StarFire. Do not ride it too much but it always starts on the first kick and it is a pleasure to ride. I also have a 70 TRW in pieces. Yet another project started and not completed.
As I am sure you know there really is something wonderful about the British bikes.
Yes I agree, they are much better than some people think
I had a Starfire in the mid-70s. Such a brilliant little machine. The secret to increasing its longevity was to fit a police model (fleetstar) piston, which reduced the load on the weak, big end bearing by lowering the compression ratio. Wish I still had it, reg. no. BUK 99H.
True anything to stop that compression was always good
many years i owned what appeared to be a 250 Trophy with a 3T engine, the conversion was so good it looked like a factory job, i bought this bike from a dealer and it was listed as a 350 Trophy twin. over the years i have been told it could have been a factory bike but i have never seen another, this leads me to believe it was a very well done conversion
Well Triumph built quite a few prototypes using the 500 engine in the early 70s but I don’t believe they ever did anything with the 350, either way it would have made a good combination excellent frame with a more torquey motor
I bought a secondhand BSA Starfire when I was seventeen (1976) and I think I pushed it as many miles as I rode it. I stripped the second gear so I used to rev it hard in first then miss second ( just kept the clutch in during second gear) and then select third gear. It struggled but I didn't have the money to fix it then. I can't remember selling it but I obviously did. My next bike was a Kawasaki KH250 triple. Very reliable and so much more ahead of its time than the Starfire.
Well the BSA was an older design that got pushed beyond its limits really
@@bikerdood1100 Yes but BSA, Triumph and Norton didn't invest in technology. Japanese manufacturers did. Even Italian bikes became more reliable and user-friendly.
@@johngunning2123 well it’s not that simple
You assume the money was there to invest. Triumph & BSA were part of the same empire and it was spreading itself far to thinly by the end of the 60s and the management were far more interested in other parts of the business leaving little left which is why the Trident was stuck in limbo and a compromise when it appeared.
Norton were owned by AMC. The parent company suddenly hit the buffers in 1960 and Norton profits were used to prop up the rest of the company that’s why the OHC Norton and the unit construction engine nether reached production.
History is nether as straightforward as they simply couldn’t be bothered
Beautifully explained.
Thanks, tried to do justice to these nice little bikes
Brought back a few memories....good and bad. Tangentially but picking up where you left off, I always thought the Triumph Trail Blazer was a great looking bike but suffered the same fate. Love your vids.
Thanks
I worked for a BSA dealer in New York state and we sold several B-25s and they never offered any deep troubles, only tune-ups. I saw the factory competition models race at Unadilla, N.Y., Dave Nichol being a main rider for them and watched as they dominated the day with those very lightweight specials. They didn't rev high at all. lots of mid range grunt - no kickstarters were fitted as I recall. I had experience with Italian 250s in years before and they were in a class by themselves for mechanical quality.
Sixties BSA build quality was better than most people think, only very late bikes built by a work force who knew the end was coming suffered in this regard.
😢 bastard stop the game
My brother had a Starfire that was gutless. This video's commentary shows what might have been part of the problem: too high a gearing. What a good-looking bike that was, though.
That’s why I dropped it on mine
Interesting the Triumph badged version does have lower gearing
It was Plymouth (Chrysler Corp.) that owned the Barracuda name,
Good to know
I’m English after all and we never got Plymouth’s. So quoting a British source
I always wanted a Starfire way back in 1970 but my apprentice pay packet of less than £20 a week could not stretch to make payments on the bike which listed at £250 in the showroom, 😭
Still a surprising number of survivors. See many more BSAs than Classic Japanese bikes on the road
I have a starfire and did the same to make it a little better around town , also the original Amal carburettor was not to flash hot . I put a better one of and it runs better , great video thanks
Yeh the gearing was too high. A lot of people have carb trouble on Classics, they do wear after all so replacement is always the best option
@@bikerdood1100 Can you let me know what final drive gear you put on it? I am in the process of resto-modding a 1970 B25 and would like to make it a bit more useful!!!
@@xa1a blimey that’s a couple of years ago now. I can’t remember what we fitted, think it was only one or two teeth below standard. On the engine sprocket one tooth makes a fare difference
I purchased ( on the tick) a new BSA 250 Gold Star ( the name alone raised a few hackles) it looked good with its off white frame and Blue paintwork,but the fun stopped there. In the 3500 miles I had it . The head gasket blew ,I fixed it myself,the gearbox was kaput, lights blew ( shop fitted zener diode) the frame cracked ,had to take it to be welded, and to add salt in the wound my mates old Enfield Crusader sports still blew it off. . Utterly disgusted I went for a used Honda cb250 which initially worried me because of its sophistication,” What if it goes wrong “. . Of course it was great although I did manage to lock the gearbox up by over revving it!
Don’t know why they re used the Goldstar name
Loved mine unfortunately swapped it for an XS250 for courier work because I thought it would be more practical I was wrong
XS was a bit of a chunkster no doubt
Can't help thinking that if BSA or Triumph had made a 250 twin based on the Tiger 90, it may have kept the Hondas at bay for at least a few more years.
Probably too much management in fighting to get that done
How many rpms are you pulling on yours say at 55mph?
Well I dropped the gearing because the space between 3and 4th was too big.
Honestly can’t remember the rpm. I used to cruise at that speed quite comfortably however
The Starfire was too little, too late as ,even when it was introduced in 1967, it was already obsolete. By the time it was introduced, Honda already had their CB72 and, later in 1969, their CB250, Suzuki with their Super Six 250, Yamaha 250 models, all of them could run rings around the Starfire. The Starfire was typical of the late 1960s thinking from British bike manufacturing, which turned out to be a disaster after 1970, when the old industry went in to rapid decline, basically ending in 1982 with the closure of Triumph Meriden.
How many of the bikes listed do you ever see on the road today ? They either didn’t service or parts are unobtainable or extremely expensive. So are they at all relevant for a modern rider looking for an old bike to potter around on ?
I have a 250 triumph trophy in a box , maybe I need to get it together🤔
Can’t right it in a box
@@bikerdood1100 I’ll get on it 😀
The demise of the range was due to BSA Motorcycles becoming insolvent in October 1971, resulting in the loss of over 4,000 jobs, I wan an apprentice at the time and and redundant
Of that we are of course all to well aware
Although BSA went under in 73
And lest not forget the T160 was produced at small heath through to 75
@@bikerdood1100 But not at Armoury Road, It was demolished in 73
@@SpacedOdyssey well yeh because as I said they went under in 73 not 71 and not all the factory was taken down
Where do you think the T160 was being assembled until 75
And of course a small section remains where the rifles get built near the railway lines. It didn’t all come down in one go like Meridan did
I couldn’t tell which section remained after the 1973 collapse but I suspect however
It would take a bit of research and I’m not that bothered tbh
@@bikerdood1100 4,000 left people left Armoury Rd in October 71, I know I was one of them and many friend and family, Armoury Road. The factory was wound down and empty by early 72. Most left over stuff was shipped to Meriden for completion an either BSA or Triumph depending on what parts were left over.
The apprentices from the Triumph factory were bused over every day from Meriden to the Armoury road Training centre so we were all mates. The BSA Gun factory remained. Then Norton bought the name and load of Old Stock and ran with it until they also went bust.
@@SpacedOdyssey that’s simply incorrect the T160 was built at Small Heath until late 75 some say as late as jan feb 76
If you won’t believe me
LOOK It UP
You will also see photos taken at the factory in March 73 on the R3 line
GOOGLE IT
And don’t comment again until you have