Welcome to Club SAITO !
04-20-2018, 06:21 AM
Me too,and don't forget the DOT old english motorcycle brand,some wag suggested it meant don't order two.
Now,people who go back a long way on these pages will remember barry complaining about the neighbour HOOD street cats walking and scratching there way over his honda s2000 ragtop sports car,every now and then a homemade bottle rocket would save the ragtop from more misery at the claws of the local free ranging cat hoods.
Here's a pic of dear old katie the next door neighbours show winning ragdoll cat,her owner is a vet and she's gonna need one.Only reason i hav'nt shotgunned that thing with the streetsweeper yet is she's dynamite on snakes in the summer
Now,people who go back a long way on these pages will remember barry complaining about the neighbour HOOD street cats walking and scratching there way over his honda s2000 ragtop sports car,every now and then a homemade bottle rocket would save the ragtop from more misery at the claws of the local free ranging cat hoods.
Here's a pic of dear old katie the next door neighbours show winning ragdoll cat,her owner is a vet and she's gonna need one.Only reason i hav'nt shotgunned that thing with the streetsweeper yet is she's dynamite on snakes in the summer
Quite a few cycles from the golden age from GB .One bike I had a shot at and regret walking away from was a 1937 Rudge. Thing is I don't pick up garage queens, they all get ridden or they get gone.
Dave,
I would roll that cylinder over to the 7 or 8 O'Clock position. Tuck the exhaust under the belly. Puts the carb in a better spot too.
04-20-2018, 04:57 PM
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Dave, it was the same bike as the Trials bike in my link (note the Fuel Filler Cap), same frame, same glass tank, same forks, same brakes and rims, but the Enduro had a longer seat, longer exhaust pipe, knobby tiers, and of course a higher geared transmission,, google images is no help today finding a photo of it,, later models of both the Trials and Enduro had a rounder aluminum tank,
they had a 170cc Moto Mnarelli engines. they were smoother and more powerful that other 175's of the same area, sertenly more powerful that the 175 Pentons, the Moto Mnarelli 170 were 4 speeds, and would do 60 in 4th gear with 2 15y.o. boys on it's back, but their clutches were lacking..
Jim
they had a 170cc Moto Mnarelli engines. they were smoother and more powerful that other 175's of the same area, sertenly more powerful that the 175 Pentons, the Moto Mnarelli 170 were 4 speeds, and would do 60 in 4th gear with 2 15y.o. boys on it's back, but their clutches were lacking..
Jim
04-20-2018, 05:22 PM
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note that 5 years later I had 2 Bultalcos 
the 1978 42HP Frontera 370 Enduro, and the 79 350 Sherpa T Trials bike, the Frontera would do 55MPH up Rocky Pond road,
my eyes would water wile doing it (with my glasses on)
Jim
the 1978 42HP Frontera 370 Enduro, and the 79 350 Sherpa T Trials bike, the Frontera would do 55MPH up Rocky Pond road,
my eyes would water wile doing it (with my glasses on)Jim
04-21-2018, 03:10 AM
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Jim, those blue Cotton's appear to have Chromoly frames like my MAICO had. I can't find a 125 MAICO picture with the muffler like mine was. I did find a 250 with a similar muffler. It had two stingers inside a chrome cap, one was about twice as long as the other. According to Super Hunky at Dirt Bike magazine the short stinger tuned in at high rpm and the long one at mid rpm. It had 21.5 hp t 8,200 rpm.
I have tried about 3 combinations of mounts and positions for the Saito 30 or 40a on the Bush Hawk, I'm going with the FA 40a and a factory Saito mount. Other mounts almost put the top bolts at the very upper edge of the firewall. The black mount you see puts the engine too far forward.
Last edited by Hobbsy; 04-21-2018 at 11:15 AM. Reason: Spelling
04-21-2018, 09:04 AM
Dan, if we ever institute a "Post of the Year Award" on RCU this one of yours is a sure shot to win hands down.
04-21-2018, 09:14 AM
Now,people who go back a long way on these pages will remember barry complaining about the neighbour HOOD street cats walking and scratching there way over his honda s2000 ragtop sports car,every now and then a homemade bottle rocket would save the ragtop from more misery at the claws of the local free ranging cat hoods.
Here's a pic of dear old katie the next door neighbours show winning ragdoll cat,her owner is a vet and she's gonna need one.Only reason i hav'nt shotgunned that thing with the streetsweeper yet is she's dynamite on snakes in the summer
Here's a pic of dear old katie the next door neighbours show winning ragdoll cat,her owner is a vet and she's gonna need one.Only reason i hav'nt shotgunned that thing with the streetsweeper yet is she's dynamite on snakes in the summer
No, those are store bought bottle rockets. I can get them down the road for a couple of dollars a gross. My wife is about to shoot a scruffy cat of a neighbor who has discovered her hummingbird feeders. She catches it sitting on a nearby railing licking his chops as he waits for one. These bottle rockets are kinda cheap as they don't have enough motor propellent. I need some that will go a bit farther. It's a top down, tear up the back roads kind of day today so I may take out the S 2000 and blast up there to get some better ammo.
04-21-2018, 09:36 AM
1966 Matchless G85CS
Chromemoly?
This is the 1966 Matchless G85CS. I bought an ex-racer just like it in 1978. It had a stuck piston and the magneto was apart in a coffee can. Some kerosene un-stuck the piston and about an hour of frustration put the magneto back in working order. I had the timing a bit advanced for the first kick and darn near ate my knee cap. Re-thought the timing back to 3/4 of an inch BTDC from the 1 1/2 I had set it and she started on the first kick.
Quite a ride and actually rather light. It had a genuine Reynolds Chromemoly taper wall tube frame. Many magnesium parts along with a hand made TIG welded aluminum oil tank. They only made about 100 of them as most were for the factory racers. I was in the right place at the right time, Indian Wally's Shop and bought mine for $50 . A few years later my son Keith picked up a BSA B50MX that also had a Reynolds Chromemoly tube frame. Those old 500cc 4 strokes were a ball on the trails. Hard to beat on steep hills.
04-21-2018, 11:09 AM
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I saw those race at Hiedleberg Raceway in Pixburg, Pa. Back when Dick Mann and George Roeder were racing.
Yep, MAICO's had Chromoly frames. The 125 weighed 202 lbs.
Yep, MAICO's had Chromoly frames. The 125 weighed 202 lbs.
Last edited by Hobbsy; 04-21-2018 at 11:17 AM.
04-21-2018, 11:44 AM
The G85CS were the last of the big Matchless singles. They were all hand made.
Dick Mann was one of a kind. When I was real heavily in to BSA I actually called him on the phone. He was very friendly and we chatted about BSA at length. Ran up quite a phone bill but it was worth every penny. Dick Mann did it all.
Dick Mann was one of a kind. When I was real heavily in to BSA I actually called him on the phone. He was very friendly and we chatted about BSA at length. Ran up quite a phone bill but it was worth every penny. Dick Mann did it all.
04-21-2018, 04:05 PM
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I fixed up a Beezer 441 Victor for a friend, it would easily pull the front wheel on the 1 to 2 shift, it had sheared the Woodruff key in the clutch hub.I practically had to make one from a larger Woodruff key. Cut and try, cut and try until it fit without without forcing the clutch off center by being too tall. I could easily be a millionaire if I had one of every bike I worked on for other people. Even a 125 DKW.
04-21-2018, 04:15 PM
Don't know how things happened in the states but here and in new zealand the matchy and triumph big bore off roaders (which i had the chance to ride back then) got mown down seemingly overnight by the wave of big bore two stroke yamaha/suzuki/maico etc and they kicked back like mules too.I liked your almost ate my kneecap quote you never forget those times.In the 80's honda came along with the xr350/500/650 fourstroke enduro weapons which were a bit tamer re power delivery.
04-21-2018, 05:12 PM
The B50MX that my son had was the big brother of the 442.there were also 250 and 350 versions of that machine. I had one of each. Out of the 70 plus Britbikes that I have owned all came home as partial or total basket cases save for one. That one exception was a brand new 1975 Trident 750. I rode that one for two months and decided to go through the engine. Bigger valves and an 883cc Routt big bore kit and Megacycle cam. All that time I was taking in loads of outside Britbike work. I also invested in a Hall-Toledo valve seat grinder and a Souix valve refacer Started to specialize in cylinder head work. My brother in law wound up turning that start into a full blown machine shop. I stayed at the day jobs.
Had and loads of energy back then. Real lazy now by comparison. Still take in an old engine or trans now and then. Working on a 1949 International Harvester LB hopper cooled stationary engine at present Looking for another basket BSA A-10 if you happen to see one
Had and loads of energy back then. Real lazy now by comparison. Still take in an old engine or trans now and then. Working on a 1949 International Harvester LB hopper cooled stationary engine at present Looking for another basket BSA A-10 if you happen to see one
Last edited by Jesse Open; 04-21-2018 at 05:14 PM.
04-21-2018, 05:36 PM
Don't know how things happened in the states but here and in new zealand the matchy and triumph big bore off roaders (which i had the chance to ride back then) got mown down seemingly overnight by the wave of big bore two stroke yamaha/suzuki/maico etc and they kicked back like mules too.I liked your almost ate my kneecap quote you never forget those times.In the 80's honda came along with the xr350/500/650 fourstroke enduro weapons which were a bit tamer re power delivery.
Yep I think 1971 or 1972 was about the last hurrah when BSA B50s took the World MXChampionships. Can’t remember if it was John Banks or Jeff Smith.
After that BSA pulled out as they could not outspend the Japanese factories. Of course the buyers will buy whatever is winning. Still the old four stroke thumpers were very pleasant for knocking around the trails and clawing their way to a hilltop. The huge torque band and awesome sound made for great fun. Plus you can ride all day on a tank of gasoline and you didn’t smell like the inside of a muffler when you got off
04-21-2018, 06:31 PM
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Yep I think 1971 or 1972 was about the last hurrah when BSA
here is a 78 540,,
here is a 79, with 6ft of suspension,, it didn't say the size
Jim
Last edited by the Wasp; 04-21-2018 at 06:40 PM.
04-21-2018, 07:04 PM
Remember seeing those buggers, lustily. They did not show up much around here so I never landed one.
During those days the Japanese stuff was going strong. The only two strokes I owned were a AJS 370 Stormer. and a Husqvarna 410. My brother in law had a Maico followed by his favorite Bultaco Alpha. He always said Maico-Breako when he referred to. Maicos.
I never raced in competitions moto x so didn’t get deep in to two stroke stuff
During those days the Japanese stuff was going strong. The only two strokes I owned were a AJS 370 Stormer. and a Husqvarna 410. My brother in law had a Maico followed by his favorite Bultaco Alpha. He always said Maico-Breako when he referred to. Maicos.
I never raced in competitions moto x so didn’t get deep in to two stroke stuff
04-21-2018, 11:31 PM
Dangerous!
Jim they are relaunching ccm's in limited numbers now look them up
Jesse the japs over ran the brits at the same time on the street as you know.I remember bsa and trumpy having a last ditch throw of the dice in 72 with new left hand gear change bandit and fury models...to late they sat on their laurels far to long.I had two of the original h1 mach111 kwakas (wrote one off) that were oversprung with no damping,neutral at the bottom of a five up gearbox and marginal brakes and handling that frequently launched you in to the bushes with mixed results.Journalists at the time marvelled at it's explosive power delivery and wondered if kawasaki would make a 750 version,they did and it was much gruntier and easier to ride,not bad considering the tyres they came fitted with frequently outlasted the motorcycle.
ps barry that next door neighbour HOOD cat sounds like a job for the judge.
04-22-2018, 02:31 AM
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Maico Breako was not the truth, they were hard to break. I was a race starter in W. Va. and saw many Maico's and Husky's race. Bultaco's and Montessa's also. And I saw the occasional Rickman.