I HAD ONE OF THOSE SPITFIRES IN DENVER IN THE 70S,IT WAS A GREAT BIKE,ALMOST TOO MUCH FUN TO RIDE

@bullpencycles

2 ай бұрын

Yes. British twins are so much fun!

A kid in high school one year ahead of me had one. I was so jealous.

@bullpencycles

2 ай бұрын

I was a Triumph guy, but these BSA's are a bargain!

I bought my 1967 BSA Spitfire Mark lll new in '67. It was my first motorcycle. After some engine blueprinting, ignition upgrading and carburetor modifications, it always started ... first kick, sitting on the seat. 😎

I bought one new in Lawton Oklahoma from Gentry Boggs, the local Yamaha dealer, in the Spring of 1966. It’s original carburetors we’re Amal GPs with ram stacks and no air cleaners. At 99 miles it busted a cam follower due to BSAs replacing the the Lightings cam and pistons with hi performance items with out checking the clearances. I loved the bike, much better looking then the Bonneville. I rode it home from Ft. Sill in October 1966 before shipping off to Germany. I quickly found out it’s 2 gallon fiberglass gas tank gave you about 60 miles before running dry. The Amals used a remote float bowl and someone never safety wired the float bowl pin- it fell out just outside of Memphis. I used a cotter pin and electrical tape to fix it. Luckily I found a BSA dealer who had one apart who told me to take whatever I needed. Got home to Wilmington Delaware in about 3 days, replaced the battery which had shaken itself apart and shipped out to Germany. I’d promised my brother the bike as he helped pay for it but my father made him sell it for fear of his crashing it. I still think it’s one of the best looking bikes from the 60s.

@bullpencycles

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. My father was in Fort Sill about a decade and 1/2 before you.

I had a poster of a BSA Spitfire on my wall as a kid. Love that motorcycle and thanks for sharing. Take care

I'm a 69 year old geezer who started riding at about 10. Long ago I bought a well used mid 60's BSA 500 twin. I can' t find the model. It had the same fiberglass tank as your bike here, and high scrambler pipes. But, mine had the older Amall Monobloc twin carbs it had a very nice mid and high range pull on it. It's possible someone replaced the tank and exhaust? I also bought a new Bultaco 125 Lobito. That one was stolen. My best friend back then had a 250 Matador, and I loved the engine in that bike. He was my best friend in junior high and high school, and we were both totally hooked on motorcycles. He passed away in 2011, but I am loaded with memories of our motorcycle adventures.

Had an H2 with that, it affected every tv it passed!.

I was 14 years old when I seen the first Spitfires two of them parked at the local Bowl bowling alley Handmade British first class art

The 66 hornet came with BSA capacitor discharge ignition, known as the "energy transfer system", not a magneto. the 66 Spitfire had the highest compression pistons, the compression ratio was dropped in 67, and again in 68, for the sake of reliability. I've just got hold of a '67 Spitfire Mk3 Cali Desert-sled, i do look forward to riding it.

@masonsteele1674

2 жыл бұрын

What was the stock compression ratio of the '66 Spitfire, Mark?

@samhunt9308

Жыл бұрын

​@@masonsteele1674 Around 12.5 to 1. also weight wwas less than a Honda 350 factory rated 67 hp,

Thats a fabulous Spitfire - an all-time motorcycling Icon with a wonderful sound 😊 . . .

@bullpencycles

Жыл бұрын

A lot of folks like that one. Its definitely underrated.

Great sound nothing like it.

The Mark 1 Spitfire was an A10 pre unit bike.

@bullpencycles

2 жыл бұрын

I didnt know that. Which model?

A friend of mine (back in the day) had one with a race fairings on on clip-on bars. In the UK

BSA's are reliable starters, especially from that era. Lovely bike, obviously well looked after, sounds beautiful. Great video!

@bullpencycles

9 ай бұрын

Yes they are! But not good with pressure car washes or poor care, so Im guessing thats what happened with the previous comment

There was an a 10 spitfire hence mk 2. Standard carbs in 66 were g p amals at leasrt in canada. Thes bikes had 10 to 1 compression pistons. They had a random spark problem causing detonation. Easy to fix with a grinder

Road a couple of these and Owned a Hornet and a Lightning Great Bikes.

@bullpencycles

Жыл бұрын

I never had a running Hornet yet. Owned a few - just not running. Thanks for watching

Primary chain to deal with, leaking carbs, kick start only, reminds me why the Japanese took over, I should have watched this before I bought that bsa a65 lightning last week 😬 One thing that is cool though, is the chain oiling direct from the primary case.

@bullpencycles

11 ай бұрын

I dont think one can fairly compare an English bike of the mid 60's to a Japanese bike in the 70s. The Japanese bikes of the 60's were largely small displacement homely two strokes, with the exception of some small Hondas. The English design dates much earlier. Things changed with the CB750, which came out in 69. Well, the primary drive? Heck the bike is 55+ years old. Consider the maintenance intervals on modern bikes, particularly valves which can also be a PITA. There's a butt for every seat. mostly

@bakeredwards

11 ай бұрын

@@bullpencycles obviously, it was tongue in cheek...

Think that's a U.S. spec bike, those bars will make the front end very light. Norton straights.

@bullpencycles

26 күн бұрын

probably

I owned the same bike

This bloke doesn’t know much about Spitfires, or A65’s either. I wouldn’t be buying anything off him if he can’t even get basic facts right. The motor on the Hornet never had a magneto. I think it was capacitor discharge. The Mk II was called a Mk II because BSA had already used the Spitfire name on an A10. Lastly, the Spitfire never came with a close-ratio box UNLESS a customer specifically ordered one from BSA or got it fitted by the dealer. They came with standard ratios, which I think were what was in the Lightning.

@bullpencycles

8 ай бұрын

I might resemble that remark. . . if you watched my trailer, you'd know that! But I didn't know about the A10 Spit Scrambler either. Thank you.

@user-cu2ul6cn2z

4 ай бұрын

Pet peeve guys who "tickle petcocks" you do it right so you all right in my book! So again give me a hornet with lighting kit and 68 brakes. You can keep the battery I"ll take the MC2 to go please.

Those bars are wrong.

@bullpencycles

24 күн бұрын

They might be for the USA, or someone changed them

They were never a success for good reason.

Nice bike but not very reliable at all.

@bullpencycles

9 ай бұрын

I think they were if taken care of

This was just like my first bike!

@bullpencycles

Жыл бұрын

That was an awesome first bike you had!