RIP Ralph Gatenby

[SixPackBack]

Died June 4th 1957

My Grandfathers untimely death under the wheels of a double decker bus stopped me from riding until 27 years old, at which point I ignored my mother and bought a SR500.
Fast forward 49 years and for whatever ghoulish reason I feel a need to obtain the same model bike he rode.
BSA owners, anyone? I am now looking for a 125 BSA Bantam circa 1950?
Anyone that can shed any light on this model would also help.

[Two Smoker]

I think my grandma used to ride one of those (im not kidding)...

Good luck on finding one :niceone:

[Colapop]

It's a form of cultural ownership - being in touch with your past. Very cool. Good luck with that. You may have to import one?

[T.W.R]

Got one just the same stashed in the shed, its a D1 bantam.
Got manuals, BSA factory hot-up docos ( yes they raced the wee sods)
plus got a few other bits n pieces as well.

[Edbear]

I learned to ride on my Mothers' Bantam. I loved it! She sold it to my eldest sister and asked that if she ever wanted to sell it that Mum be able to have first option. Unfortunately my sister sold it to another woman who has it stored under her house going to waste! She won't part with it though!:bye:

[Ixion]

Shed light on the wondeful Beeza Bantam ! Too right, I owned about 6 or 8 of them (lost count, and the all ended up with bits being swapped ); raced em, toured all through the North Island, trail rode 'm, hotted them up . Wonderful bikes. Between Mr Motu and I and some of the others on this site I doubt there'd be much that isn't known about Bantams. I keep my eyes out for one, trouble is anything decent is a stupid price. Damned if I know how you'd get a WoF for one nowadays , but. Nowadays they expect you to have brakes and shit like that

[Ixion]

Incidentally, the model you show is the very early one, abou (as you say, 1950). The mudguard is different, the silencer is funny, and they had a different barrel piston and head. The later model (post '54 I think) was much better. The D3 is better still.

[pritch]

Once upon a time there'd a been hundreds of the little buggers about. The Post Office Telegram boys rode them.
These days there ain't no Post Office, no telegrams, no telegram boys and probably not a lot of Bantams.

Did see a Velocette LE out and about a week or two back. Had to do a double take... Definitely long time no see.

[Ixion]

I had one of them too. Very strange it was .

[Rhino]

A few mates and I used to grass track one in his paddocks in my late-teens (1970-72.) We had lots of fun on it.

I can remember getting one of our none-motorcycling mates on it once.:Oops: He managed the first corner ok, but panicked in the second and pulled the clutch in at the apex (didn't bother with brakes) and sailed into the fence.:bash: We picked him up again and got him on his way. He lasted anothe couple of laps before flagging it. The BSA did about 3 years of weekend thrashings before it finally expired. They were great bikes.

Another mate had a James, fitted with a Villiers 197cc two stroke engine. The magneto was a taper fit on the crankshaft, but was not keyed. We used a flywheel puller and removed it, lined it up to fire the spark plug after TDC instead of before and pushed it back on. You could start it by pushing the bike backwards (being a two stroke the motor will run backwards) and had multiple reverse gears.:gob: It was almost impossible to ride in reverse though.

[Ixion]

.. lined it up to fire the spark plug after TDC instead of before and pushed it back on. You could start it by pushing the bike backwards (being a two stroke the motor will run backwards) and had multiple reverse gears.:gob: It was almost impossible to ride in reverse though.

Bantams you could do that too, if you moved the stator plate and the cam round and put the cam on backwards. We marked out a circle, about 100 yds round, and tried to ride it backwards. Best I got was a slow and wobbly circle and a half, one guy got really good though, trick was not to try to look behind you. I'll swear the Bantam was the funnest bike ever made, and absolutely indestructable.

[Motu]

I had a D3 Bantam Major,150cc,it was a swingarm model,so 1956 I think.Bantam's either hooked you onto bikes for life....or you never touched one again.

My wife had a D7,the 175 model.Um...ah...I remember breaking into the basement of her house one day,I climbed through the window onto the workbench - which was covered in a D7 motor completly stripped down.I stole her number plate and let myself out again.He best friend (who I haven't seen for 25 yrs,and she stayed with us last week) had a D14 - this was a 175,but 4 speed (all other Bantams were 3 speed) and had the Triumph Tiger Cub frame.A couple of hard case girls riding around on Bantams in the 70s.

I'd like a D3 swing arm like I had for my first bike,it was the first step up from the plunger 125.

[Ixion]

I had a D3 Bantam Major,150cc,...

Skite .

[Motu]

It fueled my thirst for power.....and revenge!

[SixPackBack]

Thanx for the comments so far folks sounds like grandad had a hard case bike.
Does anyone know if a pillion could ride on one, my mother assures me she rode from Middlesbrough to Great Ayton many times.

[Motu]

Of course they can carry a pillion,but it was a different world,and peoples expectations less.

The Bantam was 3 speed and had a top speed of 51mph - and that was it,no way could it go any faster...tail wind,downhill,it made no difference.The 3 speed required some skill to use - hills had to be pre planned,and it was a dedicated attack...it was a big drop to 2nd,and you had to get it right.

Ah,the memories - you brought up the subject,so you'll have to listen to some stories.The Bantam had a savage kickback,they damaged me far more than bigger bikes - ripped hunks of skin off my foot.So you got your foot out of the way - and that's when they ran backwards...off the kickback.No ign,no kill switch,the Bantam was ready to go anytime.A tickle on the carb to flood it,close the ''strangler'' on the air filter and give it a boot...a good Bantam would start on the first kick.But depending on moon phases and the transit of Mars,particualy with a quincunx to Venus - then you could have a bad Bantam...a bad Bantam wouldn't start until you broke down sobbing over the tank,exhausted,with no more sparkplugs to try....even your ''special'' plug that always got you home.Then your Bantam would start,and run like nothing had happened.No kill switch - you either stalled it with the strangler or set it up with no idle,so it would die on a closed throttle.So I would sit at the lights - brrrriiing...bang,bang,bang....brriiing....bang,ba ng,bang.I would count the bangs,like,you wouldn't want to stall in traffic.People in cars would look at me,and there was nowhere to hide apart from the clouds of smoke...no full face with visor,my nakid head covered in pimples confirming what an utter dork I was...

Filling with gas required mental calculations on the forecourt,you premixed your ''petroil'' at the pump - BP Zoom at the pumps was for wankers on Vespas.The filler cap had a metal graduated tube and you had to figure out how much SAE 30 you needed for the fuel you bought - gas in first,then the oil...and shake the bike to mix.Ritual,it was all about rituals...and if you didn't appease the Gods then the Bantam would break down,Bantam owners lived in fear of breaking some unknown code - you never knew what God was going to smote you down some lonely night....

[nudemetalz]

Got one just the same stashed in the shed, its a D1 bantam.
Got manuals, BSA factory hot-up docos ( yes they raced the wee sods)
plus got a few other bits n pieces as well.

Sheez, you got a completely assembled motorcycle at all ?:bleh: :moon:

[nudemetalz]

Of course they can carry a pillion,but it was a different world,and peoples expectations less.

The Bantam was 3 speed and had a top speed of 51mph - and that was it,no way could it go any faster...tail wind,downhill,it made no difference.The 3 speed required some skill to use - hills had to be pre planned,and it was a dedicated attack...it was a big drop to 2nd,and you had to get it right.

Ah,the memories - you brought up the subject,so you'll have to listen to some stories.The Bantam had a savage kickback,they damaged me far more than bigger bikes - ripped hunks of skin off my foot.So you got your foot out of the way - and that's when they ran backwards...off the kickback.No ign,no kill switch,the Bantam was ready to go anytime.A tickle on the carb to flood it,close the ''strangler'' on the air filter and give it a boot...a good Bantam would start on the first kick.But depending on moon phases and the transit of Mars,particualy with a quincunx to Venus - then you could have a bad Bantam...a bad Bantam wouldn't start until you broke down sobbing over the tank,exhausted,with no more sparkplugs to try....even your ''special'' plug that always got you home.Then your Bantam would start,and run like nothing had happened.No kill switch - you either stalled it with the strangler or set it up with no idle,so it would die on a closed throttle.So I would sit at the lights - brrrriiing...bang,bang,bang....brriiing....bang,ba ng,bang.I would count the bangs,like,you wouldn't want to stall in traffic.People in cars would look at me,and there was nowhere to hide apart from the clouds of smoke...no full face with visor,my nakid head covered in pimples confirming what an utter dork I was...

Filling with gas required mental calculations on the forecourt,you premixed your ''petroil'' at the pump - BP Zoom at the pumps was for wankers on Vespas.The filler cap had a metal graduated tube and you had to figure out how much SAE 30 you needed for the fuel you bought - gas in first,then the oil...and shake the bike to mix.Ritual,it was all about rituals...and if you didn't appease the Gods then the Bantam would break down,Bantam owners lived in fear of breaking some unknown code - you never knew what God was going to smote you down some lonely night....

That is such a neat story, Motu, thanks for sharing !!!

[limbimtimwim]

with no more sparkplugs to try....even your ''special'' plug that always got you home.Then your Bantam would start,and run like nothing had happened.:rofl: :rofl:

That sounds like fun!!

Gotta get me one. Seriously, I'm not being sarcastic. Be fun for riding to friends houses. Turn it into an adventure.

[T.W.R]

Sheez, you got a completely assembled motorcycle at all ?:bleh: :moon:

:whistle: haha cheeky bugger ! yeah its complete & it gets a blast around the property couple of times a year, and don't worry the other one is geting closer too:drinknsin and the two wheeled beasties that get into that shed come out alot better than when they went in ;)

[nudemetalz]

:whistle: haha cheeky bugger ! yeah its complete & it gets a blast around the property couple of times a year, and don't worry the other one is geting closer too:drinknsin and the two wheeled beasties that get into that shed come out alot better than when they went in ;)

Pleased to hear it. I'll have to take the Bantam for a blast when I come through at Easter. I've always wanted to ride one of those...

[HDTboy]

Hope you find one Six, would be cool to come and have a maz over

[Ixion]

Of course they can carry a pillion,but it was a different world,and peoples expectations less.

The Bantam was 3 speed and had a top speed of 51mph - and that was it,no way could it go any faster...tail wind,downhill,it made no difference...No kill switch - you either stalled it with the strangler or set it up with no idle,so it would die on a closed throttle....Ritual,it was all about rituals...and if you didn't appease the Gods then the Bantam would break down,Bantam owners lived in fear of breaking some unknown code - you never knew what God was going to smote you down some lonely night....

Pillion was OK - oddly, didn't seem to make that much difference to performance.

*MY* Bantam did 65mph + ! 70mph downhill, with a smaller rear sprocket. After I butchered it.

Anyone wants to hot one up, it's pretty simple. First, when you look at the cylinder head , the actual combustion chamber stands proud of the bottom fin. So, machine that off until it's level with the bottom fin. You can be wanky and use a milling cutter in the electric drill, or do as I did, hacksaw, file and sheet of sandpaper stretched across a E93A Prefect sidewindow. Then file (or Dremel if you're a rich plonker) the combustion chamber , bevel it so its about half way between what it ended up , and the bore. That gives a bit of squish. No idea what compression ratio that is , but it kicked back good.

Then take the silencer apart (they dismantled for cleaning - illegal now I think) and pull out a couple of baffle plates and hammer a few holes in the remainder - 'tis a matter of artistic interpretation how many and where.

Then drill the main jet out a bit , what size depends on what drill you can find. Drop the needle a bit or it won't start, you'll need to file a new groove in the needle.

Then get you liddle file and attack the ports! Make 'em bigger. Up to you and the Biker Gods how much and in what direction. Uh - record the changes ? hmm , we never thought of that.

It helps to have a few spare barrels, heads, carbs etc when you do this. Especially heads. 'Tis easy to go a bit far and have the bottom fin fall off.

Then you can start on stuffing the crankcases. Um, make sure whatever you use can't come loose. Don't ask me why I say this, okay.

Um, bear in mind, you still ain't got any brakes worth mentioning.

[T.W.R]

haha you'd only carry a pillion if you wanted to torture them ! especially on a D1 the parcel rack isn't the most friendly item.

here's a pic of one racing & a letter from the factory about tuning mods.

great fun little bikes. the D1 is a classic. my old man brought a D7 for me as a kid to learn on & we also had a D14 Bushman 175 for a while but it was an irritable pig of a thing

[Ixion]

Note particularly the bit in the letter about ensuring the crankcase packing screws do not come loose. Do not ask why I mention this.

[Motu]

You forgot cutting the piston inlet skirt too.I never got around to modifying a Bantam...I got a B31 to play around with instead.The Bantam goes very well as a trials engine,and at the Classic Festival I saw a racing Bantam,it sounded real crisp.

I lost my fishtail! Oh woe is me...and you couldn't get them either.I soon got tired of an open 2 stroke exhaust - like in about 30 seconds! I found a stainless cartridge oil filter,it was the right dia and length,and had nice perforations.I gutted the media and drilled some holes in the end plate,and it bolted up quite nicely....and looked like a filter tip smoking away back there.

I wonder how they would go these days on modern 2 stroke oils,a good 2 stroke carb that can be jetted,and a nice electronic ign system?

[Brian d marge]

I also had a D3 . D7 And one or 2 D14 . Despatch rode one for a while , Red D14 in the early 90 s

Great bike , in fact the one I last rode a red D14 is still going

They are great bike , Andy from T and G banam spare in South london , was a great place to pick up spares , cheap to .Mune ended up with a 185cc big bore kit , expoxied transfer ports and compression. dont ask me how much cos I was using a sheet of glass to.

But I did see 80mph on the speedo down Finsbury park rd The hird lane between the 2 lines of cars ) and that was 2 up so can be verified !!! on the high accurate smiths speedo
Yamaha are doing now what smith speedos have been doing since the dawn of time.

Once I broke down when the clutch centre nut came loose , so off plates tighten nut , find big Irish Navvie to stand on makeshift spring compressor ( a brick I think?) and then spend ages trying to get circlip in
round 2 remove a plain plate repeat the above , continue riding till either I remembered to put plate back in or got pissed at slipping clutch

I have an Enfield now , same philosophy !

Stephen

Who will have the Enfield Next year as well ....

[nudemetalz]

Have you seen this ?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Classic-vintage/auction-48585769.htm

[Skyryder]

Died June 4th 1957

My Grandfathers untimely death under the wheels of a double decker bus stopped me from riding until 27 years old, at which point I ignored my mother and bought a SR500.
Fast forward 49 years and for whatever ghoulish reason I feel a need to obtain the same model bike he rode.
BSA owners, anyone? I am now looking for a 125 BSA Bantam circa 1950?
Anyone that can shed any light on this model would also help.

Good luck in finding one. I know one other biker who is also interested in a Bantam. Odd we were just talking about that yesterday.

Skyryder

[nudemetalz]

One day I would like to purchase or restore a 1970 Mach-111 just like my Dad had (see my profile picture). Unfortunately (for me), their prices are escalating like mad.

[imdying]

Heh, I'm sure the old man will be looking down from heaven with a big smile :)

I've a friend with a BSA, it's old n red, two stroke I think. Not sure what model, it's only the lack of a new (cork) clutch plate keeping it off the road iirc.