Being an SS owner since 1974, I have seen, heard, learned quite an amount of B50 tidbits over the years. I only deal with the b50s of the 71-72 years. (though I do have a 1974 tr5mx) At a glance, I would have indicated in your video that your bike has a larger european tank on it. That your front fender brackets are installed upside down causing the fender itself to hover higher over the wheel. Might be just a slip of the tongue when you say they were sold for the 71-73 years as only the B50MX was in the 73 lineup along with the rocket 3. (2 bikes only in 73) Right, yours leaks quite a bit. PIA, but the leak likely eminates from the countershaft sprocket. Mine does not leave a drop even with a month between rides. It weeps and you get blowback behind the engine itself, Having a B50 you end up realizing that the machine oozes a mist of oil from everywhere... generally. Take any other bike that needs to be wiped down with a rag periodicly and compare the ease of cleaning. Your bsa is a fine example of an unmolested unit. The B50 is an amazing athelete when it comes to handling twisty back roads and for me, has out run many a higher horsepower bike just due to cornering. I am no engineer or graduate of physics academy. But it has something to do with the offset hubs countering the engine placement in the frame. And they're so light at what...310lbs? I have low bars and have riden under a parked semi trailer. (dangerous!) I have run the gammit with b50's these last 50 years. Purchased in 74 as a one owner bike they were unknown of by the general population. Even then people would ask what is it. I read once that there was about 6,600 SS's produced. Most of which went to the us market. On the b50.org website you can punch in your vin number and see what port of entry your bike came from. They are a fun bike and a cursed lump too from time to time. In the later 70's and the early 80's the b50 was thought of as the ugly stepchild of the bsa line up. There was a time that no one wanted them. It is only because I bought 7 over the years and have cannablized those others in order to keep my 72 running (and an inventory of replacements) to this day. Last rebuild was finished up in 1999. And I have had to do little but enjoy since. Never a popular bike, they were disposed of early in ownership because the kickstand would bend. (trying to start it on the stand) The fenders would crack the tabs would crack on all the brackets. Tremendous vibration throughout the bike. Along with those lucas connectors and the pain of that box for all the components. Most SS's then were stripped for dirt riding and ruined for ever from being a beautiful classic road bike from a by-gone era such as yours. Here is an older production of "other people's b50's"... th-cam.com/video/VSnDAJtPaZo/w-d-xo.html Enjoy that thing. To the folks our age you can tell it is a b50, or at least a 441 coming around the corner from a block away due to the "unique above any other" big bore 4 stroke single
They did indeed do a 250 version & almost identical Triumph 250 called the Blazer. Yamaha based their XT500 heavily on this idea of a large trail bike .
Nice looking bike, mate. I agree they'd have had some fun with 'high violet' in Brum!! Hi Violet, Hi Ethel!!!
Thanks. I’m from Coventry originally so you could have some fun with that color.
Aye, I could tell you had a Midlands accent. I'm originally from Huddersfield.@@phillipdronetasticgarage2958
Being an SS owner since 1974, I have seen, heard, learned quite an amount of B50 tidbits over the years. I only deal with the b50s of the 71-72 years.
(though I do have a 1974 tr5mx)
At a glance, I would have indicated in your video that your bike has a larger european tank on it. That your front fender brackets are installed upside down causing the fender itself to hover higher over the wheel. Might be just a slip of the tongue when you say they were sold for the 71-73 years as only the B50MX was in the 73 lineup along with the rocket 3. (2 bikes only in 73)
Right, yours leaks quite a bit. PIA, but the leak likely eminates from the countershaft sprocket. Mine does not leave a drop even with a month between rides. It weeps and you get blowback behind the engine itself, Having a B50 you end up realizing that the machine oozes a mist of oil from everywhere... generally. Take any other bike that needs to be wiped down with a rag periodicly and compare the ease of cleaning.
Your bsa is a fine example of an unmolested unit. The B50 is an amazing athelete when it comes to handling twisty back roads and for me, has out run many a higher horsepower bike just due to cornering. I am no engineer or graduate of physics academy. But it has something to do with the offset hubs countering the engine placement in the frame. And they're so light at what...310lbs? I have low bars and have riden under a parked semi trailer. (dangerous!)
I have run the gammit with b50's these last 50 years. Purchased in 74 as a one owner bike they were unknown of by the general population. Even then people would ask what is it. I read once that there was about 6,600 SS's produced. Most of which went to the us market. On the b50.org website you can punch in your vin number and see what port of entry your bike came from.
They are a fun bike and a cursed lump too from time to time. In the later 70's and the early 80's the b50 was thought of as the ugly stepchild of the bsa line up. There was a time that no one wanted them. It is only because I bought 7 over the years and have cannablized those others in order to keep my 72 running (and an inventory of replacements) to this day. Last rebuild was finished up in 1999. And I have had to do little but enjoy since.
Never a popular bike, they were disposed of early in ownership because the kickstand would bend. (trying to start it on the stand) The fenders would crack the tabs would crack on all the brackets. Tremendous vibration throughout the bike. Along with those lucas connectors and the pain of that box for all the components. Most SS's then were stripped for dirt riding and ruined for ever from being a beautiful classic road bike from a by-gone era such as yours.
Here is an older production of "other people's b50's"...
th-cam.com/video/VSnDAJtPaZo/w-d-xo.html
Enjoy that thing. To the folks our age you can tell it is a b50, or at least a 441 coming around the corner from a block away due to the "unique above any other" big bore 4 stroke single
They did indeed do a 250 version & almost identical Triumph 250 called the Blazer.
Yamaha based their XT500 heavily on this idea of a large trail bike .
Hi thanks for that information. I did not know about the Yamaha.