Bsl500

[Dave]

I called BSL today regarding some 2 stroke cylinder head stuff,
shocked at the reply"i'm sorry we dont have anything to do with motorcycles anymore" and that was from the BSL500 project department.
What a dissapointing end to an unfinnished project,I didn't think Bill Buckley seemed like the type to give up on something that was too hard to achieve.
where are the bikes now?
can i hire one?
will it get a warrant,
can i ride down queen st with a porn star on one?
Why dont they build a four stroke?

[Coldkiwi]

well, I guess it has to be pretty disheartening to put all that money and work into a bike and just as you get to race testing, you find that it's already over the hill and out of date with the series... no one else races 500cc 2 strokes do they?

I suspect they put their heart and soul into the 2 stroke and simply don't have the wherewithall to go 4 stroking.

it is sad tho.

 

[Dave]

I don't know if the japan 500 series still runs or not, but the move to 4 strokes was well publisised,and besides, proton are still running a 2 stroke at most meetings.

[Marmoot]

just the same as Britten does not make any new motorcycle

[Dave]

I feel it is a different deal with the britten as they won numerous world championships and nz national championships before the founder died-so kind of understand the end of the bike production.

[Coldkiwi]

here's an idea.. make 'em road legal! I saw an article in the performance bikes mag I picked up yesterday about the Bimoto Vee due... a 500cc two stroke weapon that had a reasonable production run before Bimota succumbed to all sorts of financial woes. Some investor from the UK is going in to buy them and is putting 20 odd up for sale in the UK... not cheap of course but a piece of history and italian heritage that would go like a maggot on a hot chop!!

I'd go looking at a 500cc new zealand made bike for sure if it was road legal.

how about it BSL!? use all that R&D and make some money out of it eh?

[SPman]

All very well, but two strokes are not made today as road biles mainly due to emission standards. IF BSLdid make a road bike, it would be heinously expensive! The Brittens that were sold (I think they made 10) cost well over $100K!

Aprilia were meant to be working on a new 2 stroke 250 engine to replace the RGV motor with all sorts of wizmo gear, fuel injection, rotary valve, sarich orbital..blah blah and very low emissions, but nothing seems to have come of it.

Have you seen a V-due? Lovely looking bikes - there are at least 2 in NZ, however they had great trouble in getting them to run well..

 

Ahhhh.....two strokes..........( I still ride with fingers feathering the clutch after all these years.....)

[Marmoot]

I read an article about 5 years ago on Honda releasing road-version of NSR500V2, only about a handful of them, and it was about US$150k each.
Personally, though, I'd rather get an NR750

[Motu]

No,it's not the first time Bill Buckley has done an about face on something that wasn't going quite right for him,a leopard doesn't change his spots.I remember him from a lot further back than some of you guys - but he's still a legend to me.

[Coldkiwi]

I'm not pretending it wouldn't be really expensive.. but by cripes, would it get up and boogie!!! not to mention a chance to own a real piece of NZ history

[georgedubyabush]

Originally posted by SPman
The Brittens that were sold (I think they made 10) cost well over $100K!

Yeah, but could you even get one now for whatever price? I recently saw somethingarather on discovery channel about the worlds greatest bikes, of which they counted the Britten. An owner in the US putting his through it's paces said his was the only one still running, or maybe one other.