Back in my mechanic days, I had a customer come in and unload his bike. I got a blank service ticket out and ask him when he needed. he said He needed a tune up, anything to get the bike running. Then he confided in me that he had bought the bike, had heard the bike run but was never able to get it started himself. The bike in question was a very nice square barreled 441 Victor. I walked around it and asked if I could give it a try? With the gas on I tickled the carb. I went through the well practiced drill turning the engine over and using the compression release just past TDC. With the ignition on I returned kickstart lever to the top of the stroke and gave it a solid but not over hard kick. It fired right up and even idled. I thought the guy would be pleased but he was pissed. He turned red. "It's TRICK! He blurted out." I had no idea how long he had been try to start it but I am sure it was pretty cruel. As many of you know, you think you are kicking the bike through but all you are doing is slipping through the clutch. I told him that yes, it was a trick but I could show him. I gave him a lesson and helped him put his bike back in the truck. He called me at the shop a few hours later completely overjoyed. He had managed the trick.
I rode BSAs for 50 years starting in 1954 with a 1946 C11 250 single. Then came a couple of A65s and a 1967 B44 Shooting Star which I retrofitted with a steel petrol tank from a 250 B25 because it held a half gallon more fuel and brought the bike into British domestic trim. Never, ever had a starting problem like yours. One kick usually, maybe two. No choke or compression release was fitted to my bike. Ignition timing and proper advance mechanism was a must. Carb needed to be "tickled" precisely for cold starting. Fuel tap is correct on your Victor (aka "Victim") older plunger type had a cork seal which never lasted long. I rode the mean streets of Los Angeles for the whole 50 years, and with the BSA Owners Club for a couple of decades. Along the way I got interested in Ducati cafe racer singles and had many adventures with them on the SoCal area canyon roads, Mulholland Highway, Rock Store, etc. My two wheelers are now Single Speed bicycles cobbled together with parts from the 1960s, 70s and 80s. It was, an still is, the Single life for me.
I bought a 66 441 in about 1979 in San Gabriel Ca from a guy that had a pile of vintage slot machines piled up like they were dumped out of a dump truck. Anyways road it down the 210 to Claremont with nuts and the rear break rod falling off. Took it to Bill’s BSA in SoCal he setup the points and timing mentioned the cam lobe situation and it ran and started beautifully. I don’t remember using the decomposition lever, just kept some pressure on the kicker till it was time to bring it up and give it a boot. I’m not kidding when I say it started first kick every time. Rode that bike all over Ca, along with my 78 Bonneville that Jack Hately built on Parthania in Northridge next to Trackmaser Frames, it ran great. The BSA went with me to Lynchburg Tennessee for the summer where I went deep into the country side riding dirt roads way back in there. I met Old Black Joe waving by his cabin leaning on a handmade rake with a tobacco patch almost as big as a football field. I’ll never forget that day or that bike. Later in life I met Jeff Smith at a Unidilla NY motocross race and told him I had one of his bikes. He was getting on in years and l felt real bad because he thought I had one of his old actual race bikes a got the jitters real bad. I mentioned it was the 66 Victor with the sticker on the tank that said world champion 64-65. He looked mad at me for giving him the jitters and turned around and walked away, I’m sure he thought I was awesome. It had the factory tire pump on the frame tube coming down from the top shock mount behind the oil tank, Bill said that was rare. Thanks for letting me ramble on everyone, great times. Hillclimbing my built Honda cr500 at Gunstock this year for the last time, getting to old. 94 🚬🐔🪓🇺🇸☕️🍪❤️
My dad bought one new. After years of driving on it as a passenger..I finally got to drive it one night. It was sitting for years and would not kick start. Simply , I put it in second gear and it started right up as soon as I rolled it down the slight hill. We sold that bike to guys who could not start it. I did not tell them I had ran it because I was only 14 year old..
My BSA 441 Victor is all stock with 6,000 miles on her.I much prefer the 250 versions as they are much easier to start. The 250 makes enough power for me both as a street bike and a dirt bike.
That back-fire was awesome lol. Each bike has it's own little starting riddle. That thing sounds sweet! You have me on the lookout for one of these...Might be able to slide it into my garage unnoticed...
Do what I do - take your new-to-you darling to a friend's house - not home. Then have your friend ride it to your house and "give it back to you". Wife says "How long have you had that?" and you say oh a couple years. It was broken an I told Joe if he got it to run he could keep it and ride it for a while!
The first thing I did when my enlistment ended in August 1966 was purchase a brand new BSA 441 Victor. I had a lot of fun with it for 2 years. I sold it to supplement the GI Bill while I was attending college. The friend I sold it to took it with him when he move to Australia. I remember one morning when it took 140 kicks to get it started! One of the stories I wrote In English 1A was about how I learned to master the starting sequence for this motorcycle. I still have a picture of me on this bike hanging on the wall near my bed.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. My first motorcycle was a 70 441 Victor special. I believe it was around $900 new, and I can't believe to this day that my Mom loaned me money to buy it. The first day I had it I stalled it, and in restarting it, it kicked back and my knee nearly broke my thumb on the throttle handle. Sad was the day I sold it. Well, I see it's after 4:00, I guess I'll join you in a beer Thanks again.
A friend of mine had a 441 Victor and he too Spent 10 minutes of kicking to ride it for 30 minutes than have to stop because his hands would numb up from the vibrations. My 650 thunderbolt I could ride for an hour before my hands had no feeling left. But, oh what fun we had. 😁
Super cool single, the 441 Victor. In the Woodstock film, you see the promoter riding one here and there as he’s dealing with this and that before the show. Glad you were able to fire that puppy up. Can’t miss the weekend bike and brew show!! Cheers 🍻
OMG that brings back so many childhood memories! My friend had one and that thing was always a total bitch to start! Once started, we rode it on the railroad tracks and open spaces, two up, all over Orange Co Ca where I grew up. I was just a little shit and had no chance, but my buddy Bill was a Sasquatch, and that thing would kick back and practically break his leg when starting it lol. Makes me wonder if a modern ign system would help the starting issues. The yellow one is soooo cool. BTW, the British absolutely had the best ads! Loved the Norton girl ads. Good luck doing that today with the softies.
I came into the motorcycle scene while a sophomore in high school and tooled around my city on my new '57 Zundapp Challenger, such a fine little two stroke. One of my favorite haunts was the Matchless/BMW/NSU dealer and the big Matchless singles were very popular. They were magneto sparked and there was a spark retard lever to help the user not lose a shin during the kickstart process. Pretty fool proof if one followed the drill of decompression and a healthy kick without much throttle. Later in life, I worked for a BSA/Suzuki dealer and we had many 441s out of our shop. They didn't have a manual retard but an auto advance built into the point cam unit. I don't recall having injurious difficulty starting them but I also was well aware of the drill to not get clobbered by the returning kickstarter lever. We had several users who rode the woods on 441s and the tricky part was if one stalled the engine during a challenging move, getting a hot 441 back to life was exasperating. The Monobloc carbs would easily flood the engine if tilted to the right. You got 'er running with pretty simple checks of the systems. The Mikuni might not be original but was way better as a functioning mixer. Actually a very happy running 441 but the smoke suggests it might need rings.
Subscribed!My second bike in my youth was a Triumph 250 Tiger. It was the baby brother to the 441 Victim. Now< I am going to drink a beer and gaze at my Classic bikes!
When that fired up, it brought back so much nostalgia from the 70s when I rode a C15 and a B50…. After that, I went onto an A65 thunderbolt before moving to BMWs…. I still have my BMW from 1980, but I’m craving another single and have considered buying a vintage pop pop… so easy to work on and so much joy when they vibrate to life… thank you for this post utterly lovely
I have had a 69 Victor special for quite a few years, it had a mild restoration before I picked it up. It has been parked in my bike shed for many years, this has sparked some energy to pull it out and install the new electronic ignition I purchased years back. One of the first things I had to do when I got it was to weld up the kick start stop on the knuckle which had the lever pointed out at an angle when trying to kick it over.
Having owned one; the first thing you checked was check to see if there was oil on the floor under the bike. If there was no oil, then the bike was out of oil.
so awesome! oh what a feeling would love to send you a story about my dad teaching a dozen customers at one time how to start a single back in the day and was recognized by the factory back in the day by the factory.
Man I love your channel you've got so much enthusiasm I had my fingers crossed the whole time you were starting that bike! Also you got to love the classic wheelhouse garage burnout on takeoff! My 69 Victor special was the best handling bike I've ever ridden on dirt roads!
Nice to see someone else who appreciates these! I've got a '67 that someone tried to turn into what looked like the GP. It's an Enduro model though and I've been working hard to bring it back to what it used to be. I just discovered your channel yesterday and want to say thank you as you are definitely bringing back my love for the motos that have been sitting, just waiting, due to lack of time. Cheers from another Northern Californian!
Love this channel, and I really enjoy the history that you tell with the bikes. And I think you’ve started a new routine with me because it’s now 12 noon on a Saturday when I’ve tuned in to your new video and I have to open up a beer every time you do. So I don’t know if you’re a bad influence or and inspiration LOL
I had the later derivative, Triumph TR5MX 500cc. Once you get the 441 sorted, You'll wonder what all the hoopla was about. They will start fine with no issue. My TR5MX had the Jim Hunter big bore kit, 570cc and was one of the easiest KS bikes I've owned. That was with the Amal concentric carb and factory points. Get the details right and you'll enjoy this bike.
My 1970 BSA Victor 441 was "battery and coil ignition. The earlier models had "energy transfer" ignition and were a little harder to start. I fabricated a straight pipe from ss at TWA where I was employed at the time (yes I am part of the reason they went belly up). No way I could kick it today--but I sure enjoyed the video.
Stationed at Letterman General Hospital SanFrancisco. Man what a ride every morning from Corbet Street to my Army assignments! Everything opposite shifter brakes clutch wow.
When I used to start my 441 I did it a bit differently. I would slowly kick it until I fell compression. Then with a little pressure applied to the kick starter I would pull in the compression release, but only for a quick second. Just enough to hear a little "psst" come out. Then kick it for real. Usually it would statrt on the first try. I could be mistaken, but I believe the owners manual describes the starting procedure the same as above. Or that's the way I interpreted it.
You're correct. Owned many Brit bikes. Singles and twins. Little tickle, kick thru couple times, do the just after compression thing, turn key on n kick. Usually first time! I'm 70. Owned em all.
@@bruceparker9353500 Velocette jockey here. Same game, except my exhaust valve lifter wasn't connected! Steel instep country. Just a tiny crack of the throttle.......
I purchased a 1967 441 Victor new in the spring of my senior year. There was no key or ignition switch, the compression release or stalling in gear was the shut off technique. No throttle at all when starting until it fired then just a very little to keep it running until it would idle. I have had probably 8 including B25 and B50 models, still have a round barrel 441. I have raced a Faber framed 441 and a round barrel 441 in AHRMA events over many years. Installing lightweight wheels and better forks/shocks etc. can bring the weight down to around 240 lbs. The broad torque spread and free revving engine and nice steering makes it an easy to ride bike. If the carb and ignition are set up correctly, I have started these bikes using my hand! A smooth push through will do it usually the first try, if not clear the cylinder as you did, compression release in with full throttle. A friend would easily start his B50MX smoothly pushing it over just "tapping" the compression release at the appropriate time, which I could never replicate. No throttle is the key.
These old singles, are just great, so pure, so philosophical, so characterful. The essence of motorcycling (BSA Victor, Ducati Scrambler) not huge, not small, not heavy, no superfluous style, or other gimmicks, just right, and lean. Lean, that’s nothing you can buy today, not even the new ducati supermono, cheap maybe, the 400s from india. I think the last lean and mean essential street-legal bike was the gilera 500 piuma/saturno. Aside from the 2-strokes: suzuki RG250gamma, RD250/350LC
Lovely unmolested original example.The Monobloc carb . you are proposing to fit , was the same size as on the ' 62 - '63 650cc Rocket Gold Star .An indentical 441 Victor in yellow featured in the 1966 British movie ' The Family Way ' !.
Back in the mid 70's once I had sorted my 441 Victor and made careful adjustments to the carb jetting and the points/ignition timing so that the engine ran sweet I then worked on the technique to kick start it which I perfected to the point where a kick back was fairly rare, indeed the engine usually started first or second kick. The main thing to understand is that you need decent leg power and body weight to spin the engine over good and fast and this meant starting from the right place in the cranks rotation then building enough rotational speed in the crank to really put enough inertia into the flywheels to ensure sufficient rotational speed to get it over TDC at a high speed. I had previously cut my teeth on a BSA Starfire 250 reg XKE 41J which is also a kick backer and mastered that so later when I got my Victor the experience helped and when I got my first Norton 750 Commando I found it to be an absolute doddle to kick start in comparison to the BSA's
I always wanted one of these bikes back in the 1970's but they are notoriously hard to start & care for. This video made me think I made the right decision in not buying one LOL. I still love them though. Great video.
These bikes had so many different things that could quit, for such a simple bike. Same with the Norton I had, too many things broke to even begin to guess what would break next. Tended to come home in a truck. I was not a british bike mechanic.
Yes, I hear you. I owned a 1971 BSA Firebird Scrambler & Triumph Bonneville. Vibration was the big issue that cause problems. I also ownwd 6 different old Harleys which also had many issues. I've been riding for 56 yrs. Currently I ride a 2020 Royal Enfield Trials 500. Great bike & lots of fun. They vibrate too LOL. @@bradsanders6954
@@bradsanders6954 BSA unit singles were reliable and dependable. Simple wiring, head light, tail lights and a horn. 1 carburetor and points. If it takes more than 2 kicks tune it up.
My cousin had one that he turned into a chopper ! Lol... I had the original Fuel tank for years and probably threw it out at some point ! Who knew everyone would have been looking for all those old parts.....
I bought one from Red's Cycles in Helena, Montana, brand new in the fall of 1969. About the third time I kick started it, the kick lever did come back and caused me some serious pain. It only did that the one time. I never used the compression release, just kicked it through real slow until I found TDC, then kicked it like I meant it. Always started just fine, even in the winter. You'll find your own starting ritual that works on your bike. PS I still have one.
Great to see you succeed starting your BSA.If you want a new single seat try RK Leighton here in England. I got on for my '66 B44 for about £200. Email them for a price shipped to your house. On the subject of the on/off ignition switch it was never fitted to this model, stop the engine by stalling in gear or pulling the decompression lever. I'm nearly there with my identical bike, just the primary drive and the new ElectrixWorld ignition to fit. It's been longer and more expensive than I thought but aren't they all? All the British best to you and your great collection of bikes, Phil.
I bought an ex ISDT 1967 Cheney Victor B44 (441) when I was 15, my brother converted it to full mx spec and I raced it until I was 23. I am now 66 and it is in my son's garage. When I retire it will be fully restored. It currently isn't on the 441 register. When we bougt it, it already had a 475 square barrel and later got a billet clutch. I removed the kick start as I wanted to be able to walk in later life.
Very nice. I have a pretty clean round barrel victor head no broken fins that has new guides and needs seats. You are more than welcome to it. I'm about an hour south of San Jose. I raced a 68 Victor in the Classic 500 class with no brakes. The old girl was a handful for sure.
That's amazing Joe! When you have a moment, would you mind shooting me an email so I have your contact info. bill@wheelhousegarage.co. Thank you so much!
Nice Job Son! I can’t believe you sold that 8 foot tall, Bitchen’ BSA factory poster to Greg! 😂Looking forward to riding this bike… After I “Let” you start it! :) Mucho 😎🌵
That 441 is in nice shape. I had one and the clutch went out but I was able to shift using the compression release. You can pop a wheelie going 60 on those.
Holy smokes… I just found this channel the other day and subscribed. I finished this video and looked you up online. You’re in Pleasanton, CA of all places. I’m originally from Detroit but graduated from California HS in San Ramon and graduated from USF. My daughter lives in Burlingame.
When starting these high comp singles you have to make a choice - bent knee or straight knee. You have to go for the "long swinging kick" off compression and build flywheel speed to get over the next compression stroke, but it you don't quite make it that 30+ deg advance with hit you hard. That's where the bent knee can end up with your knee in your teeth, been there and it hurts! The first surprise it that your knee can reach your teeth😀. If you jump up and get a straight leg you can pull all your weight on it and hold it if it kicks but at the risk of falling over, or even being launched halfway over the bars! Its decisions (and skills) like these that make old bikes fun. There's so many YT videos of people just "ticking" the kick-starters not really going for it like you have to.
i had a 67 victor, what a blast. with a little love ran great. just a side note the compression release was there for a reason. took it to a shop for new tires and a tuneup, mechanic broke his leg from the kick back.
I've got a B50 in the barn waiting for a little attention. It was a 500cc version of the Victor. "Ran when parked" but I haven't started it in probably 10 years. Your video reminded me that I should get it running, thanks.
This BSA motorcycle belonged to my mom's brother Jerry an my first motorcycle I ever rode. He had a Triumph that was my second ride. It wasn't my dad that got us interested in motorcycles but mom! Dad didn't like riding rides, so we got him a Honda Elsinore dirt bike making him look like Steve McQueen when he rode.
Makes you smile when you finally get em running. Have you rode a lot of bikes with the gears on the right foot? That's what stopped me buying so many amazing looking bikes in the past. At the mo I've got a 1976 T140V and 1971 H1A 500 that I haven't got started yet or even finished getting em ready to start, really must get the parts bought soon that they require to be finished. My favourite out of the classics I've had and ridden was the 1976 T160 Trident, I just loved the "tickling" of the carbs, starting procedure. At the time I had the T160 on the road, also had a 2015 Daytona R...so the first proper ride out on the Trident, I was giving it some pasty and a line of traffic was bunched up ahead of me, coming up to a right hand curve in the road, I was used to the insect like reactions of the modern bike and when I went to brake in time, I realised this was farctoo late applying the brakes and had to go down the middle of traffic on the bloody corner! Such a brown trousers moment, let me tell you guys! Ride safe everyone. Cheerio from Yorkshire.
I think it has a Mikuni carb on it because the Ammal's used to wear the slide bore, which made the bikes run weak and even more prone to kick back. Once you fit a new monoblock, and they are avaliable, or even a concentric you will find the bike starts and runs well.
I had a 1967 model,which I rode in enduros,in the 70's. Hit a rock on the seam of the engine and destroyed it.Sold it to my friend,for parts for his...really loved that cantankerous old bike,though.
My Uncle work and raced BSA’s he was the dirt and flat track champion of the world. Mr Ted Hubbard and he has a moment dedicated to him at the Daytona International Raceway
I've been in LOVE with the 441 Victor since it first was introduced. Always thought that if you could maintain traction and balance she would climb straight up an oak tree. BEAUTIFUL even without all the OEM set up.
Wow. 1st time viewer. Stumbled across you. 1980 XS650, 1965 BSA lightening experience. What an eloquent laid back visit with an old friend….the victor. The host was just as eloquent. 1st viewer/subscriber.
My first time watching A Bike and a Beer and I've subscribed. You got me with the Beezer 441! These bikes were around when I first got into riding, in the early 1970s, and I have always loved big singles - and BSAs just look so boss. Congratulations on the quality of your production - there's a lot of mediocre stuff out there - and I'll be tuning in again. Cheers!
I know they had a reputation for kickback and I had many a friend find it difficult but I never had much of a problem and I had to be up early to ride my Mom to work at the telephone company so I couldn’t be late. It was my daily rider and I have so many great stories and memories around that bike. It was either a late 67 or 68. I also bought an AJS Stormer motocross bike a year later and tried competing.
Awesome looking machine. Much maligned in magazines when l first got into the sport but l always loved the appearance. The desert was ruled by Husky two strokes by 1973 when l started racing. I only saw 1 or two Bsa 441 models in my time but a few more Rickman Triumphs that were my favorite dirt 4 strokes until the Aberg replicas Yamahas came along.
We had a bike shop when i was a kid, we sold Yamaha, BSA & Triumph, when my uncle was trying to sell the 441 the people complained they read in Cycle World that these would break your leg so I was 12 & could start those by hand, you tickle the carb pull the compression release kick it over a few times to prime stop it just past TDC compression stroke then using my hand on kicker give it a good positive whack, they always started right up & usually sold, being brand new they never kicked back. Later on when Yamaha came out with the SR500's they were the same procedure, my brother still has a couple 1979 SR500's.
Oh how I would love to get my hands on one of those yuzu radlers, would make an excellent summertime beer! 🍋🍺 I'm pretty sure you took out a squirrel with that backfire. 😂
Always one real nut in the crowd. So I bought a newly used 1970 BSA B50 SS from a fellow worker at Sperry Univac in 1971. There were no decent BSA 441s that hadn't been flogged to death on the Pennsylvania area's scrambles tracks. So I had to settle for what I could buy. It was the 441 on steroids. WOW! To add to the insanity after bit offtrack and street, she was bored just shy of 600cc, Los Angeles sleeved, Venolia piston, MX cam, bigger valves and guides with Sunoco 280 fuel for an over 12:1 compression ratio. Dismounted the compression release (useless) and learned to not break my instep by having a steel insert in my right boot sole. It would start that way but you better have it perfect with full commitment to the first kick. Standing up above the seat with a nearly straight leg was a scary process that launched my friend and once tore the teeth of the starter quadrant on a backfire blast. That brute is still in the garage with about 5,000 miles on the odometer awaiting a return to the street lovingly surrounded by 4 Buells. The BSA 441 is a true icon and the BSA 500 Victor is stupid torque/fast for the day. Thanks for the great review.
My uncle had a 68 I remember it a few years later he sold it to a guy I knews dad and it spent the rest of its life flat tracking. My uncle always had the coolest shit 54 corvette kind of cool 3 chev ss impalas in the 60s My favorite was a 69 impale custom 427 turbo 400 pure gangster cool
Hi , that was fun! I did not have compression release on my 250 bsa and 350 ajs so I would take to tdc too but if you kicked slightly against the compression you could get a better heft on the kick starter and it would spin harder etc . ( assuming it did not kick Back!). That monoblock carb might look nice but will not work as well. They had too many issues to be reliable especially off-road. So I would get for orriginal but if doing anything serious use maybe something more modern! Cheers Warren
Between my 441 and my iron head Sportster, it was a tie which one did the most damage to my knee. Both could kick back like a mule, nearly sending me over the bars.
I love the old bikes and a beer :) NOT RIDE BIKES AND BEER ! :) I'm a 60 year old biker ; well 55 got my first one just before my 5th birthday .I haven't been with out a cycle more then two years in that time. Got a thumbs up , sub . Cheers . Canada
For several years l owned the Roadster version the 441 Shooting Star and once you followed the owners manual it always started for me with one to three kicks. A big handicap was it didn't have the big flywheel to help that my AJS or Norton had but if you used the compression release to get it on TDC then let the compression release off with NO THROTTLE kick it like you meant it mine started easy, if cold after tickling the Amal carb no choke was ever needed even in the 20's.
The reason it started so easily and idled and ran so well right off the bat (once the sparkplug was replaced) is primarily due to that Mikuni. Be offended by the appearance, but most of my Brit big singles back in the day wore Mikuni conversions. Not only are they so much more precisely made, the rubber manifold mount isolating the engine heat helps the carb do its job right. Not to mention, a little vibration isolation assisting the floats staying in alignment. That electronic ignition is another big help, taking out the "leg-breaker" business by retarding the spark far better than the old Lucas points plate advancer. I had the Shooting Star version of the 441, given to me by a friend getting divorced back in the mid-eighties. It ran fairly well, but just a few days of my 13-mile commute took a lot of the charm out of the bike and I wound up parting with it. Jeez, it was slow. That stylin' fiberglass tank was so thick-walled that it hardly held any fuel, too. As a trail bike though, you've got a beauty there. One more tip from an old-timer: during the kickstart stroke, your butt should be well off the saddle at the beginning so that as you drop down, it adds speed to your leg motion. Going to be really jealous of the Spitfire.
The starting procedure is to kick it until you get it just past TDC on compression and then stop and allow the kickstarter to return. Then when you kick it you build up a turn and a half of momentum before it hits compression again and hopefully it will fire. You can do this without the compression release, but then you have to wait a bit more time for the pressure in the cylinder to leak away naturally. The compression release just saves you time once you know how much movement of the kickstarter is needed to get past compression.
I bought a 1967 BSA 441 cost me $465. It was my first vacation check and I ran to the store and bought it from Kenyon. I kept it for five years and raised it and all the Enduro from 1967 to actually 1971 when I sold it and had to go into the army when I got out of the army I bought another one and raced that one in Arma had went all my life and now I’m without a BSA, I don’t feel whole anymore. I miss my Bieser.
Just looked at this video a second time. Noticed blue smoke. Even though it has two spring loaded ball valves preventing wet sumping, they still leak when stored long time. Could be excess oil in crankcase resulting in blue smoke. I always empty sump on my bikes before starting after inactivity. If your bike has a skid plate, a bit more wrenching. Also didn't see you checking return flow in oil tank.
Called them stump jumprrs as hsd such torque and balance. Great bikes for the time but could bite you! Was worth the trouble, had mine about 3 yrs before trading it for a Triumph
One of the best looking BSA's. Simple, tough looking, no nonsense machine. Sounds like it looks.
Agreed! Thanks!
Back in my mechanic days, I had a customer come in and unload his bike. I got a blank service ticket out and ask him when he needed. he said He needed a tune up, anything to get the bike running. Then he confided in me that he had bought the bike, had heard the bike run but was never able to get it started himself. The bike in question was a very nice square barreled 441 Victor. I walked around it and asked if I could give it a try? With the gas on I tickled the carb. I went through the well practiced drill turning the engine over and using the compression release just past TDC. With the ignition on I returned kickstart lever to the top of the stroke and gave it a solid but not over hard kick. It fired right up and even idled. I thought the guy would be pleased but he was pissed. He turned red. "It's TRICK! He blurted out." I had no idea how long he had been try to start it but I am sure it was pretty cruel. As many of you know, you think you are kicking the bike through but all you are doing is slipping through the clutch. I told him that yes, it was a trick but I could show him. I gave him a lesson and helped him put his bike back in the truck. He called me at the shop a few hours later completely overjoyed. He had managed the trick.
Great story! Thanks for sharing
I rode BSAs for 50 years starting in 1954 with a 1946 C11 250 single. Then came a couple of A65s and a 1967 B44 Shooting Star which I retrofitted with a steel petrol tank from a 250 B25 because it held a half gallon more fuel and brought the bike into British domestic trim. Never, ever had a starting problem like yours. One kick usually, maybe two. No choke or compression release was fitted to my bike. Ignition timing and proper advance mechanism was a must. Carb needed to be "tickled" precisely for cold starting. Fuel tap is correct on your Victor (aka "Victim") older plunger type had a cork seal which never lasted long. I rode the mean streets of Los Angeles for the whole 50 years, and with the BSA Owners Club for a couple of decades. Along the way I got interested in Ducati cafe racer singles and had many adventures with them on the SoCal area canyon roads, Mulholland Highway, Rock Store, etc. My two wheelers are now Single Speed bicycles cobbled together with parts from the 1960s, 70s and 80s. It was, an still is, the Single life for me.
I bought a 66 441 in about 1979 in San Gabriel Ca from a guy that had a pile of vintage slot machines piled up like they were dumped out of a dump truck. Anyways road it down the 210 to Claremont with nuts and the rear break rod falling off. Took it to Bill’s BSA in SoCal he setup the points and timing mentioned the cam lobe situation and it ran and started beautifully. I don’t remember using the decomposition lever, just kept some pressure on the kicker till it was time to bring it up and give it a boot. I’m not kidding when I say it started first kick every time. Rode that bike all over Ca, along with my 78 Bonneville that Jack Hately built on Parthania in Northridge next to Trackmaser Frames, it ran great. The BSA went with me to Lynchburg Tennessee for the summer where I went deep into the country side riding dirt roads way back in there. I met Old Black Joe waving by his cabin leaning on a handmade rake with a tobacco patch almost as big as a football field. I’ll never forget that day or that bike. Later in life I met Jeff Smith at a Unidilla NY motocross race and told him I had one of his bikes. He was getting on in years and l felt real bad because he thought I had one of his old actual race bikes a got the jitters real bad. I mentioned it was the 66 Victor with the sticker on the tank that said world champion 64-65. He looked mad at me for giving him the jitters and turned around and walked away, I’m sure he thought I was awesome.
It had the factory tire pump on the frame tube coming down from the top shock mount behind the oil tank, Bill said that was rare. Thanks for letting me ramble on everyone, great times. Hillclimbing my built Honda cr500 at Gunstock this year for the last time, getting to old. 94 🚬🐔🪓🇺🇸☕️🍪❤️
My dad bought one new. After years of driving on it as a passenger..I finally got to drive it one night. It was sitting for years and would not kick start. Simply , I put it in second gear and it started right up as soon as I rolled it down the slight hill. We sold that bike to guys who could not start it. I did not tell them I had ran it because I was only 14 year old..
The BOSSEST motorcycle ever made. So beautifully elemental.
Such a great bike!
My BSA 441 Victor is all stock with 6,000 miles on her.I much prefer the 250 versions as they are much easier to start. The 250 makes enough power for me both as a street bike and a dirt bike.
Nice
@@wheelhousegarage There is a lawyer in Tampa who has a commercial for his law firm showing him riding his BSA 441 Victor.
Sweet!
A very clean original condition bike.
So nice that it started up.
An excellent start!
That back-fire was awesome lol. Each bike has it's own little starting riddle. That thing sounds sweet! You have me on the lookout for one of these...Might be able to slide it into my garage unnoticed...
Do what I do - take your new-to-you darling to a friend's house - not home. Then have your friend ride it to your house and "give it back to you". Wife says "How long have you had that?" and you say oh a couple years. It was broken an I told Joe if he got it to run he could keep it and ride it for a while!
Yes! @@patrickshaw8595
Genius ..!
@@patrickshaw8595 Own motorcycles rent women. It's cheaper that way. HA HA😊
I have a serious Kickstart contender, my main ride, a 1986 Honda XL600R.
Love to see these oldies come back to life!
Contender indeed!
I worked at a Yamaha, Honda dealership and we took one of these in on a trade. It was a lot of fun to ride.
Very cool!
The first thing I did when my enlistment ended in August 1966 was purchase a brand new BSA 441 Victor. I had a lot of fun with it for 2 years. I sold it to supplement the GI Bill while I was attending college. The friend I sold it to took it with him when he move to Australia. I remember one morning when it took 140 kicks to get it started! One of the stories I wrote In English 1A was about how I learned to master the starting sequence for this motorcycle. I still have a picture of me on this bike hanging on the wall near my bed.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. My first motorcycle was a 70 441 Victor special. I believe it was around $900 new, and I can't believe to this day that my Mom loaned me money to buy it. The first day I had it I stalled it, and in restarting it, it kicked back and my knee nearly broke my thumb on the throttle handle. Sad was the day I sold it. Well, I see it's after 4:00, I guess I'll join you in a beer
Thanks again.
Haha right on! Thanks for watching!
A friend of mine had a 441 Victor and he too Spent 10 minutes of kicking to ride it for 30 minutes than have to stop because his hands would numb up from the vibrations. My 650 thunderbolt I could ride for an hour before my hands had no feeling left. But, oh what fun we had. 😁
haha! good times
Super cool single, the 441 Victor. In the Woodstock film, you see the promoter riding one here and there as he’s dealing with this and that before the show.
Glad you were able to fire that puppy up.
Can’t miss the weekend bike and brew show!! Cheers 🍻
I’ve seen that photo!
OMG that brings back so many childhood memories! My friend had one and that thing was always a total bitch to start! Once started, we rode it on the railroad tracks and open spaces, two up, all over Orange Co Ca where I grew up. I was just a little shit and had no chance, but my buddy Bill was a Sasquatch, and that thing would kick back and practically break his leg when starting it lol. Makes me wonder if a modern ign system would help the starting issues. The yellow one is soooo cool.
BTW, the British absolutely had the best ads! Loved the Norton girl ads. Good luck doing that today with the softies.
I came into the motorcycle scene while a sophomore in high school and tooled around my city on my new '57 Zundapp Challenger, such a fine little two stroke. One of my favorite haunts was the Matchless/BMW/NSU dealer and the big Matchless singles were very popular. They were magneto sparked and there was a spark retard lever to help the user not lose a shin during the kickstart process. Pretty fool proof if one followed the drill of decompression and a healthy kick without much throttle.
Later in life, I worked for a BSA/Suzuki dealer and we had many 441s out of our shop. They didn't have a manual retard but an auto advance built into the point cam unit. I don't recall having injurious difficulty starting them but I also was well aware of the drill to not get clobbered by the returning kickstarter lever. We had several users who rode the woods on 441s and the tricky part was if one stalled the engine during a challenging move, getting a hot 441 back to life was exasperating. The Monobloc carbs would easily flood the engine if tilted to the right.
You got 'er running with pretty simple checks of the systems. The Mikuni might not be original but was way better as a functioning mixer. Actually a very happy running 441 but the smoke suggests it might need rings.
Subscribed!My second bike in my youth was a Triumph 250 Tiger. It was the baby brother to the 441 Victim. Now< I am going to drink a beer and gaze at my Classic bikes!
441 Victim 😂, awesome sense of humour, buddy!!
Thanks for subscribing!
When that fired up, it brought back so much nostalgia from the 70s when I rode a C15 and a B50…. After that, I went onto an A65 thunderbolt before moving to BMWs…. I still have my BMW from 1980, but I’m craving another single and have considered buying a vintage pop pop… so easy to work on and so much joy when they vibrate to life… thank you for this post utterly lovely
my pleasure! Thanks for watching!
I have had a 69 Victor special for quite a few years, it had a mild restoration before I picked it up. It has been parked in my bike shed for many years, this has sparked some energy to pull it out and install the new electronic ignition I purchased years back. One of the first things I had to do when I got it was to weld up the kick start stop on the knuckle which had the lever pointed out at an angle when trying to kick it over.
Glad this video “sparked” your project forward 👍👍 Thanks for watching
Having owned one; the first thing you checked was check to see if there was oil on the floor under the bike. If there was no oil, then the bike was out of oil.
lol!
so awesome! oh what a feeling would love to send you a story about my dad teaching a dozen customers at one time how to start a single back in the day and was recognized by the factory back in the day by the factory.
Haha that's awesome!
Man I love your channel you've got so much enthusiasm I had my fingers crossed the whole time you were starting that bike! Also you got to love the classic wheelhouse garage burnout on takeoff! My 69 Victor special was the best handling bike I've ever ridden on dirt roads!
Thanks for your kind words and support!
Nice to see someone else who appreciates these! I've got a '67 that someone tried to turn into what looked like the GP. It's an Enduro model though and I've been working hard to bring it back to what it used to be. I just discovered your channel yesterday and want to say thank you as you are definitely bringing back my love for the motos that have been sitting, just waiting, due to lack of time. Cheers from another Northern Californian!
Love this channel, and I really enjoy the history that you tell with the bikes. And I think you’ve started a new routine with me because it’s now 12 noon on a Saturday when I’ve tuned in to your new video and I have to open up a beer every time you do. So I don’t know if you’re a bad influence or and inspiration LOL
I had the later derivative, Triumph TR5MX 500cc. Once you get the 441 sorted, You'll wonder what all the hoopla was about. They will start fine with no issue. My TR5MX had the Jim Hunter big bore kit, 570cc and was one of the easiest KS bikes I've owned. That was with the Amal concentric carb and factory points. Get the details right and you'll enjoy this bike.
Right on!
My 1970 BSA Victor 441 was "battery and coil ignition. The earlier models had "energy transfer" ignition and were a little harder to start. I fabricated a straight pipe from ss at TWA where I was employed at the time (yes I am part of the reason they went belly up). No way I could kick it today--but I sure enjoyed the video.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Good to see you get it started.....what a great bike! Those were really the ticket when I was in high school. Also the Norton Commando and big BSA.
Just loved the Victor special I had and sure wish I still had it after seeing this. I bought mine new in the late 60's and also had a Shooting Star.
Good stuff Bill. Thought the Public Service Announcement and the end was classic. Bless you and the family!
lol thanks!
Stationed at Letterman General Hospital SanFrancisco. Man what a ride every morning from Corbet Street to my Army assignments! Everything opposite shifter brakes clutch wow.
Right on!
A friend used one as a daily driver. He always carried a spare set of points because they seemed to break apart about once a month !
I knew if I were patient, a Victor would emerge some day...worth the wait !
My Uncle raced BSA’s and he was the dirt track and flat track world champ. He has a momentum at Daytona Beach Speedway
More info would be nice
When I used to start my 441 I did it a bit differently.
I would slowly kick it until I fell compression. Then with a little pressure applied to the kick starter I would pull in the compression release, but only for a quick second. Just enough to hear a little "psst" come out. Then kick it for real. Usually it would statrt on the first try.
I could be mistaken, but I believe the owners manual describes the starting procedure the same as above. Or that's the way I interpreted it.
Sounds Similar👍
Little more from the Owner's handbook. "Open the twist grip a small amount only,"
You're correct. Owned many Brit bikes. Singles and twins. Little tickle, kick thru couple times, do the just after compression thing, turn key on n kick. Usually first time! I'm 70. Owned em all.
@@bruceparker9353500 Velocette jockey here. Same game, except my exhaust valve lifter wasn't connected! Steel instep country. Just a tiny crack of the throttle.......
@@bruceparker9353 The art of starting ....
I love the bike and a beer episodes!
Thanks Brian!
I purchased a 1967 441 Victor new in the spring of my senior year. There was no key or ignition switch, the compression release or stalling in gear was the shut off technique. No throttle at all when starting until it fired then just a very little to keep it running until it would idle. I have had probably 8 including B25 and B50 models, still have a round barrel 441. I have raced a Faber framed 441 and a round barrel 441 in AHRMA events over many years. Installing lightweight wheels and better forks/shocks etc. can bring the weight down to around 240 lbs. The broad torque spread and free revving engine and nice steering makes it an easy to ride bike. If the carb and ignition are set up correctly, I have started these bikes using my hand! A smooth push through will do it usually the first try, if not clear the cylinder as you did, compression release in with full throttle. A friend would easily start his B50MX smoothly pushing it over just "tapping" the compression release at the appropriate time, which I could never replicate. No throttle is the key.
Nice, reminds me of trying to get my B50 started.
These old singles, are just great, so pure, so philosophical, so characterful. The essence of motorcycling (BSA Victor, Ducati Scrambler) not huge, not small, not heavy, no superfluous style, or other gimmicks, just right, and lean. Lean, that’s nothing you can buy today, not even the new ducati supermono, cheap maybe, the 400s from india. I think the last lean and mean essential street-legal bike was the gilera 500 piuma/saturno. Aside from the 2-strokes: suzuki RG250gamma, RD250/350LC
Lovely unmolested original example.The Monobloc carb . you are proposing to fit , was the same size as on the ' 62 - '63 650cc Rocket Gold Star .An indentical 441 Victor in yellow featured in the 1966 British movie ' The Family Way ' !.
Back in the mid 70's once I had sorted my 441 Victor and made careful adjustments to the carb jetting and the points/ignition timing so that the engine ran sweet I then worked on the technique to kick start it which I perfected to the point where a kick back was fairly rare, indeed the engine usually started first or second kick. The main thing to understand is that you need decent leg power and body weight to spin the engine over good and fast and this meant starting from the right place in the cranks rotation then building enough rotational speed in the crank to really put enough inertia into the flywheels to ensure sufficient rotational speed to get it over TDC at a high speed. I had previously cut my teeth on a BSA Starfire 250 reg XKE 41J which is also a kick backer and mastered that so later when I got my Victor the experience helped and when I got my first Norton 750 Commando I found it to be an absolute doddle to kick start in comparison to the BSA's
Nice!
Nice job getting her going! I owned a Victor just like that one, though mine was a '69, thank you for sharing, it brought back fond memories!
I always wanted one of these bikes back in the 1970's but they are notoriously hard to start & care for. This video made me think I made the right decision in not buying one LOL. I still love them though. Great video.
These bikes had so many different things that could quit, for such a simple bike.
Same with the Norton I had, too many things broke to even begin to guess what would break next. Tended to come home in a truck. I was not a british bike mechanic.
Yes, I hear you. I owned a 1971 BSA Firebird Scrambler & Triumph Bonneville. Vibration was the big issue that cause problems. I also ownwd 6 different old Harleys which also had many issues. I've been riding for 56 yrs. Currently I ride a 2020 Royal Enfield Trials 500. Great bike & lots of fun. They vibrate too LOL. @@bradsanders6954
@@bradsanders6954 BSA unit singles were reliable and dependable. Simple wiring, head light, tail lights and a horn. 1 carburetor and points. If it takes more than 2 kicks tune it up.
My cousin had one that he turned into a chopper ! Lol... I had the original Fuel tank for years and probably threw it out at some point ! Who knew everyone would have been looking for all those old parts.....
I bought one from Red's Cycles in Helena, Montana, brand new in the fall of 1969. About the third time I kick started it, the kick lever did come back and caused me some serious pain. It only did that the one time. I never used the compression release, just kicked it through real slow until I found TDC, then kicked it like I meant it. Always started just fine, even in the winter.
You'll find your own starting ritual that works on your bike. PS I still have one.
Buying another BSA a 1962 a10 spitfire scrambler.
My first street bike was a 68 500 triumph. I had a 250 single cylinder BSA.
Love the 441 Victor.
Great to see you succeed starting your BSA.If you want a new single seat try RK Leighton here in England. I got on for my '66 B44 for about £200. Email them for a price shipped to your house.
On the subject of the on/off ignition switch it was never fitted to this model, stop the engine by stalling in gear or pulling the decompression lever.
I'm nearly there with my identical bike, just the primary drive and the new ElectrixWorld ignition to fit. It's been longer and more expensive than I thought but aren't they all? All the British best to you and your great collection of bikes, Phil.
Excellent stuff can’t wait for the test ride 🏁🇬🇧🍀👍
I bought an ex ISDT 1967 Cheney Victor B44 (441) when I was 15, my brother converted it to full mx spec and I raced it until I was 23. I am now 66 and it is in my son's garage. When I retire it will be fully restored. It currently isn't on the 441 register. When we bougt it, it already had a 475 square barrel and later got a billet clutch. I removed the kick start as I wanted to be able to walk in later life.
That's amazing!!
Very nice. I have a pretty clean round barrel victor head no broken fins that has new guides and needs seats. You are more than welcome to it. I'm about an hour south of San Jose. I raced a 68 Victor in the Classic 500 class with no brakes. The old girl was a handful for sure.
That's amazing Joe! When you have a moment, would you mind shooting me an email so I have your contact info. bill@wheelhousegarage.co. Thank you so much!
Continue on the journey with this bike. Your vision is true.
Thank you Gene!
Nice Job Son! I can’t believe you sold that 8 foot tall, Bitchen’ BSA factory poster to Greg! 😂Looking forward to riding this bike… After I “Let” you start it! :)
Mucho 😎🌵
That 441 is in nice shape. I had one and the clutch went out but I was able to shift using the compression release. You can pop a wheelie going 60 on those.
Braaap!
Holy smokes… I just found this channel the other day and subscribed. I finished this video and looked you up online. You’re in Pleasanton, CA of all places. I’m originally from Detroit but graduated from California HS in San Ramon and graduated from USF. My daughter lives in Burlingame.
When starting these high comp singles you have to make a choice - bent knee or straight knee. You have to go for the "long swinging kick" off compression and build flywheel speed to get over the next compression stroke, but it you don't quite make it that 30+ deg advance with hit you hard. That's where the bent knee can end up with your knee in your teeth, been there and it hurts! The first surprise it that your knee can reach your teeth😀. If you jump up and get a straight leg you can pull all your weight on it and hold it if it kicks but at the risk of falling over, or even being launched halfway over the bars! Its decisions (and skills) like these that make old bikes fun. There's so many YT videos of people just "ticking" the kick-starters not really going for it like you have to.
Well said👍
I've got the whole set of unit constructed single cyl BSA's.
Two B50's, two B44's, a B40 and a C15
Fun bikes
Nice!
i had a 67 victor, what a blast. with a little love ran great. just a side note the compression release was there for a reason. took it to a shop for new tires and a tuneup, mechanic broke his leg from the kick back.
I've got a B50 in the barn waiting for a little attention. It was a 500cc version of the Victor. "Ran when parked" but I haven't started it in probably 10 years. Your video reminded me that I should get it running, thanks.
Right on! Get after it 👍
This BSA motorcycle belonged to my mom's brother Jerry an my first motorcycle I ever rode. He had a Triumph that was my second ride. It wasn't my dad that got us interested in motorcycles but mom! Dad didn't like riding rides, so we got him a Honda Elsinore dirt bike making him look like Steve McQueen when he rode.
Excellent to see and hear. Thank you.
My pleasure!
Makes you smile when you finally get em running.
Have you rode a lot of bikes with the gears on the right foot? That's what stopped me buying so many amazing looking bikes in the past. At the mo I've got a 1976 T140V and 1971 H1A 500 that I haven't got started yet or even finished getting em ready to start, really must get the parts bought soon that they require to be finished. My favourite out of the classics I've had and ridden was the 1976 T160 Trident, I just loved the "tickling" of the carbs, starting procedure. At the time I had the T160 on the road, also had a 2015 Daytona R...so the first proper ride out on the Trident, I was giving it some pasty and a line of traffic was bunched up ahead of me, coming up to a right hand curve in the road, I was used to the insect like reactions of the modern bike and when I went to brake in time, I realised this was farctoo late applying the brakes and had to go down the middle of traffic on the bloody corner! Such a brown trousers moment, let me tell you guys!
Ride safe everyone.
Cheerio from Yorkshire.
I think it has a Mikuni carb on it because the Ammal's used to wear the slide bore, which made the bikes run weak and even more prone to kick back. Once you fit a new monoblock, and they are avaliable, or even a concentric you will find the bike starts and runs well.
I had a 1967 model,which I rode in enduros,in the 70's.
Hit a rock on the seam of the engine and destroyed it.Sold it to my friend,for parts for his...really loved that cantankerous old bike,though.
My Uncle work and raced BSA’s he was the dirt and flat track champion of the world. Mr Ted Hubbard and he has a moment dedicated to him at the Daytona International Raceway
I've been in LOVE with the 441 Victor since it first was introduced. Always thought that if you could maintain traction and balance she would climb straight up an oak tree. BEAUTIFUL even without all the OEM set up.
Wow. 1st time viewer. Stumbled across you. 1980 XS650, 1965 BSA lightening experience. What an eloquent laid back visit with an old friend….the victor. The host was just as eloquent.
1st viewer/subscriber.
My first time watching A Bike and a Beer and I've subscribed. You got me with the Beezer 441! These bikes were around when I first got into riding, in the early 1970s, and I have always loved big singles - and BSAs just look so boss. Congratulations on the quality of your production - there's a lot of mediocre stuff out there - and I'll be tuning in again. Cheers!
I had a friend with one of these in the mid to late '70s. A classic even then. However, I never remember him actually riding it. 😆
So funny!
I know they had a reputation for kickback and I had many a friend find it difficult but I never had much of a problem and I had to be up early to ride my Mom to work at the telephone company so I couldn’t be late. It was my daily rider and I have so many great stories and memories around that bike. It was either a late 67 or 68. I also bought an AJS Stormer motocross bike a year later and tried competing.
I learned to ride on a 441 Victor in 1970.
Awesome looking machine. Much maligned in magazines when l first got into the sport but l always loved the appearance. The desert was ruled by Husky two strokes by 1973 when l started racing. I only saw 1 or two Bsa 441 models in my time but a few more Rickman Triumphs that were my favorite dirt 4 strokes until the Aberg replicas Yamahas came along.
Good stuff!
Scared the chickens with that backfire!!
Haha!
We had a bike shop when i was a kid, we sold Yamaha, BSA & Triumph, when my uncle was trying to sell the 441 the people complained they read in Cycle World that these would break your leg so I was 12 & could start those by hand, you tickle the carb pull the compression release kick it over a few times to prime stop it just past TDC compression stroke then using my hand on kicker give it a good positive whack, they always started right up & usually sold, being brand new they never kicked back. Later on when Yamaha came out with the SR500's they were the same procedure, my brother still has a couple 1979 SR500's.
Oh how I would love to get my hands on one of those yuzu radlers, would make an excellent summertime beer! 🍋🍺 I'm pretty sure you took out a squirrel with that backfire. 😂
🤣🤣🤣
Always one real nut in the crowd. So I bought a newly used 1970 BSA B50 SS from a fellow worker at Sperry Univac in 1971. There were no decent BSA 441s that hadn't been flogged to death on the Pennsylvania area's scrambles tracks. So I had to settle for what I could buy. It was the 441 on steroids. WOW!
To add to the insanity after bit offtrack and street, she was bored just shy of 600cc, Los Angeles sleeved, Venolia piston, MX cam, bigger valves and guides with Sunoco 280 fuel for an over 12:1 compression ratio.
Dismounted the compression release (useless) and learned to not break my instep by having a steel insert in my right boot sole. It would start that way but you better have it perfect with full commitment to the first kick. Standing up above the seat with a nearly straight leg was a scary process that launched my friend and once tore the teeth of the starter quadrant on a backfire blast. That brute is still in the garage with about 5,000 miles on the odometer awaiting a return to the street lovingly surrounded by 4 Buells. The BSA 441 is a true icon and the BSA 500 Victor is stupid torque/fast for the day. Thanks for the great review.
My uncle had a 68 I remember it a few years later he sold it to a guy I knews dad and it spent the rest of its life flat tracking. My uncle always had the coolest shit 54 corvette kind of cool 3 chev ss impalas in the 60s My favorite was a 69 impale custom 427 turbo 400 pure gangster cool
My first bike was a Triumph 250, millions of years ago.
Sweet bike
Nobody ever talks about how the gas tanks were made on these old girls. Aluminum tanks from back in the day are pretty darn cool if you as me.
Hi , that was fun! I did not have compression release on my 250 bsa and 350 ajs so I would take to tdc too but if you kicked slightly against the compression you could get a better heft on the kick starter and it would spin harder etc . ( assuming it did not kick Back!).
That monoblock carb might look nice but will not work as well. They had too many issues to be reliable especially off-road. So I would get for orriginal but if doing anything serious use maybe something more modern!
Cheers Warren
Thanks Warren!
Between my 441 and my iron head Sportster, it was a tie which one did the most damage to my knee. Both could kick back like a mule, nearly sending me over the bars.
I had a 1959 650 lightning.Wish I still had it.
I love the old bikes and a beer :) NOT RIDE BIKES AND BEER ! :) I'm a 60 year old biker ; well 55 got my first one just before my 5th birthday .I haven't been with out a cycle more then two years in that time.
Got a thumbs up , sub .
Cheers . Canada
This is fun content, informative and a cool concept for the moto and beer enthusiast. Kudos!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for tuning in!
For several years l owned the Roadster version the 441 Shooting Star and once you followed the owners manual it always started for me with one to three kicks. A big handicap was it didn't have the big flywheel to help that my AJS or Norton had but if you used the compression release to get it on TDC then let the compression release off with NO THROTTLE kick it like you meant it mine started easy, if cold after tickling the Amal carb no choke was ever needed even in the 20's.
Had a 500 Gold Star? 1970 BSA. Set up from factory as an Enduro. Cam set up on rear axle to adjust chain. Big single.
Had a Victor Special. Don’t know what the difference is. Loved the bike! Never gave me any trouble.
It’s always a good idea to move one’s beer whilst spraying the carb cleaner
Haha indeed!
The reason it started so easily and idled and ran so well right off the bat (once the sparkplug was replaced) is primarily due to that Mikuni. Be offended by the appearance, but most of my Brit big singles back in the day wore Mikuni conversions. Not only are they so much more precisely made, the rubber manifold mount isolating the engine heat helps the carb do its job right. Not to mention, a little vibration isolation assisting the floats staying in alignment.
That electronic ignition is another big help, taking out the "leg-breaker" business by retarding the spark far better than the old Lucas points plate advancer.
I had the Shooting Star version of the 441, given to me by a friend getting divorced back in the mid-eighties. It ran fairly well, but just a few days of my 13-mile commute took a lot of the charm out of the bike and I wound up parting with it. Jeez, it was slow. That stylin' fiberglass tank was so thick-walled that it hardly held any fuel, too.
As a trail bike though, you've got a beauty there.
One more tip from an old-timer: during the kickstart stroke, your butt should be well off the saddle at the beginning so that as you drop down, it adds speed to your leg motion.
Going to be really jealous of the Spitfire.
👍
The starting procedure is to kick it until you get it just past TDC on compression and then stop and allow the kickstarter to return. Then when you kick it you build up a turn and a half of momentum before it hits compression again and hopefully it will fire. You can do this without the compression release, but then you have to wait a bit more time for the pressure in the cylinder to leak away naturally. The compression release just saves you time once you know how much movement of the kickstarter is needed to get past compression.
I’m working on a 66 now. Love it, better learn how to crank it.
I bought a 1967 BSA 441 cost me $465. It was my first vacation check and I ran to the store and bought it from Kenyon. I kept it for five years and raised it and all the Enduro from 1967 to actually 1971 when I sold it and had to go into the army when I got out of the army I bought another one and raced that one in Arma had went all my life and now I’m without a BSA, I don’t feel whole anymore. I miss my Bieser.
Great video pretty inspiring lots of food for thought
Thanks
Appreciate you saying so!
We used to use a Hill to start the things 😉
haha - good call
Just looked at this video a second time. Noticed blue smoke. Even though it has two spring loaded ball valves preventing wet sumping, they still leak when stored long time. Could be excess oil in crankcase resulting in blue smoke. I always empty sump on my bikes before starting after inactivity. If your bike has a skid plate, a bit more wrenching. Also didn't see you checking return flow in oil tank.
Called them stump jumprrs as hsd such torque and balance. Great bikes for the time but could bite you! Was worth the trouble, had mine about 3 yrs before trading it for a Triumph
yeah that was my second bike after a humble B33, easy to kickstart if you did it right if else they bite you. I also have the scar to prove it!
Traded a Ford wagon for one in the 70's . Lots of fun !
Had a 441. The low end torque was amazing.
Indeed!