That's a beautiful 650 BSA. A delight to look at and appreciate.

In 1970 I bought my first motorcycle... a 1969 BSA Lightning. One of the best bikes I’ve ever owned.. 👍👍

One of the prettiest motorcycles ever made

@frankmlchaelglasscock6539

2 жыл бұрын

Spot on

@duanearcher7576

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! I am also fond of the Triumph Bonneville of that era - but nothing tops the Lightning.

@Farweasel

2 жыл бұрын

@@duanearcher7576 I'm torn. I don't think I could chose between a BSA Lightning, a Triumph Hurricane, an original Norton Commando and the original Kawasaki Mach IV H2 ........ Oh god! or, or, or or, ............And than there's a Vincent Black Shadow, a Brough Superior (any really) and I'd rather like something with girder forks and ......... *BUT* What a dilemma to have *that* bike and try and decide do you put it in the living room or ride it.

@williamgregory6684

2 жыл бұрын

There's no deliemma in my mind. Straddle it and ride the hell out of it like it was made to be ridden. It's a throbread!!!

@ccrider00

11 ай бұрын

Don't forget the Norton n-15 c.s. " completion special " street version with lights for the street, and the Norton P-11 750 desert racer ( ruled the desert races with Mike Patrick and Steve Hurd riding them; and the P-11 street verson with down exhaust pipes called the Ranger, [ the n-15 cs, and the P 11 had the coolest gas tanks ever put on a big British twin, except for maybe the ROYAL ENDFIELD 750 INTERCEPTOR'S series 1 and series 2) oh by the way the Royal Endfield Interceptor " series 1 " was the quickest thru the 1/4 mile at the drag strip stock "13.66" in 1966. Later to be eclipsed by the Norton Commando " combat " 750 cc verson which had a reputation for blowing up, too much compression was the main culprit apparently. The Norton commando went on to be head and shoulders above all others in 1/4 mile drags taking a full second [in 69] quicker than the Royal Endfield's record in 66 cycle world road test. 13.66 !! The Triumph Bonneville was a beautiful bike also, " nice gas tank also" Hot Rod magazine use to have a few pages in it every month called " UP ON TWO WHEELS " Written by a guy named Bob Green; They tested a 64 or 65 B.S.A. LIGHTING, changed the Gearing around a little bit, " gearing it higher, bigger trans sprocket and smaller rear tire sprocket" and got it going over 130 mph at El Mirage dry lake in the Mojave Desert somewhere, in 65!!! I'm surprised this nice person in this video says the 650 B.S.A. LIGHTING was the quickest thru the 1/4 mile, that's not correct ! That title goes to the B.S.A. 650 " SPITFIRE " 🥳🤩👾🐙🤔🛸👽😱🎯

Museum quality - one of the most beautiful motor cycles ever built ... it was fast for its time .. sounded like no other.

"One of the prettiest motorcycles"......What an understatement.....

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Jim, yes I agree. It is a fantastic looking bike.

I love that he buys them back if the customer isn't riding it enough.

@billysolhurok5542

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah,there is a place for 'static display',and this is magnificent. They were made to be ridden,and enjoyed as such. One day we will all be a static display,so ride 'em while you can

I've long thought the BSA 650 is a contender for best-looking motorcycle of all time. I saw one as a kid and was smitten. Still am.

My brother had friend had one best thing watching him take off for home getting it down the road 😊I can still hear it 😊 !

I had a 1965 BSA Lightning. This machine is a thing of beauty!

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks. Yes, I agree. It's an amazing bike. Best wishes, Mike

Wow! what a super honey! Just love it!

I was privileged to have a 1970 Thunderbolt back in 1972, bought from Ejay, a coworker at C&NW RR in Mankato, MN. Sold it several years later to buy an engagement ring for my wife of 46 years. Some days I really miss that motorcycle ! People would walk across the street just to get a closer look.

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot for sharing. The thunderbolt is a very cool bike. Best wishes,

As a teenager back in the sixties i lusted after a lightning but couldn't afford one , this one is gorgeous.

Absolutely stunning restoration! Imagine row upon row of these bikes,back in the day,with all the candy paint and chrome glistening in the dealer showroom. Simply magical times!

@Richard-pe4cx

3 жыл бұрын

there is a film that came out in the late 60's called" IF " with Malcom mcdonald i think anyway there is a scene where they steal a BSA a65 from a dealers showroom full of new brit bikes if only ! to the best of my knowledge that is the only footage of a bike showroom around ; unless you know different

@babboon5764

2 жыл бұрын

@@Richard-pe4cx That was *a hell of a weird film* . It must have been for me to have forgotten that bit.

@Roger.Coleman1949

2 жыл бұрын

If you seek out the strange 1968 film ' If ' starring Malcolm McDowell , David Hemmings and you'll see just that !

The Most beautiful bike ever made

WOW! My 68 BSA Lightning------ One of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made.

Had to watch again! She sure is a beauty! Mine was a 500CC BSA Shooting star Black. Loved it to!

Fastest BSA you could buy in 1969 and *without question, one of the prettiest* . Mate, you got that dead right. I shall now indulge in a spot of heresy ......... In 1967 one of the lads I knew had a 250 Ducati. Watching this reminded me of that. There are 'some styling similarities'.

@chrisbaker2903

2 жыл бұрын

Maybe in the first part of 1969, but not after Honda introduced the 750/4. They came out in 1969 and what a shock those were to the various motorcycle riders and companies alike.

@babboon5764

2 жыл бұрын

@@chrisbaker2903 As we lay in the road after a tree stepped out in front of us on a damp Scottish road on our way to the Thistle Rally, my then fiance said 'Can we get a Honda Four next?'

What a beauty!!!!

Such beautiful motorcycles were made in the past, I am immediately back in the 60s when I see this.

It looks like it has just been rolled off the production line. Wonderful. Thanks for presenting it Dave, and thank you for taking us along Mike.

Would be great if BSA were still around and be as successful as triumph has been making retro models with the beautiful lines of these 60s machines

That bike was a stunner

BSA's are absolutely Gorgeous, candy paint and stunning chrome, like a fine piece of jewelry.

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more! Thanks a lot

What a beautiful bike!

I dreamed of this machine in 1965.

A bike like this needs to be ridden to be appreciated.

What a fantastic bike, it’s a shame it’s going to a collector, if that was mine it would be new tires a tank full of gas, gear on and out for a run in the English countryside, classic motorcycles should be ridden not locked away as a investment, thanks Mike for Sharing that with us. Ride safe cheers Martin.🇬🇧👍

@Kevin-mx1vi

2 жыл бұрын

Totally agree. A bike that isn't ridden is a dead bike. It exists to move, not just to be looked at.

The most beautiful bike EVER made...it is a work of art, just sitting and resting...

Too find NOS parts for a bike this age, is so rare and that toolkit must of been like finding the holy grail! A credit to Dave and his enthusiasm, what a bike 😃 Have a good one Mike ☕️🫖

It was my dream bike.

My Favorite BSA model!

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Tom, yes I know what you mean. They have got to be one of the nicest looking vintage motorcycles. Best wishes, Mike

@PLINKER

Жыл бұрын

@@TheMightyGarage Thanks Mike!

Wow! essentially a brand new bike 👌

I had extactly this bike in the early 70ies, it was my first bike.

@millinutz

3 жыл бұрын

This was my 2nd bike. I learned to ride on a 350 flat twin Douglas, but took my test on an Orange/Creme BSA C25 250cc Barracuda thumper (single cylinder). Bet there are not many of either of them still alive 'n kickin' !! Oh, the good old days.

Absolutely lovely ! The Spitfire was faster of course but I think was discontinued by 1969 as the Rocket 3 came out 🇬🇧🏍

I just love those USA spec bars, they just look cooler than anything we had in the UK at the time

@millinutz

3 жыл бұрын

@PhilB ... Back in the day, I bought one of these new, with those bars, in London, think it was in Tooting. It was part of a cancelled US order. At the time not many seemed to be aware of what I had.., most just thought I had changed the bars. The side chromed tank was also a hint as to it's original destination. Bugger, wish I still had it !!!

@peterbalac1915

2 жыл бұрын

Great story, I lived on a council estate as a kid one where everyone worked. No one would nick your pushbikes because we never had any !! I don't remember how old I was but a guy six doors down had a lightning, Sunday morning he would wash it I always walked past drooling over it especially the purple blue headers. Same colour as this beautiful example, I was smitten his mates had Norton commandos, Aireal arrows, Bonneville's ect. There began my obsession with the motorcycle, just like to say thank you to Paul carpenter a guy that had time to speak to a young dreamer, and Richard golker. RIP Trevor loft one of the lads that never made it taken way to young ❤🇬🇧

that is the most beautifulist resto i have ever seen in my life time.

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks Rod! It really is a beautiful bike. Dave is an incredibly talented Vintage Motorcycle restorer. He did an amazing job with this bike. Best wishes, Mike

I had a 69 Firebird. Superb motorcycle.

Handmade the new motorcycles cannot hold a candle against these old classics

You must be so proud of your BSA.

Compared to the new bikes, the old ones were works of art!🤗

Thanks for posting. I bought a 69 Lightning from a friend who purchased it new from Andy Pelc in Southgate , MI. Was the same color, but had a Firebird Scrambler tank as the original was damaged in transit. Ended up selling it after a few years. My 71 Lightning came from Cycle Hub when it was sold. It is a true Bitsa. Thunderbolt lower, Lightning head. This one I am keeping. I have the article from Cycle World.

Great bike. Back in 1971 I bought a 1970 Lightening but it was blue.

I restored a basket case 1971 lightning. Such a nice sounding motorcycle. Fun to work on and fun to ride.

What a work of art. This guy is so cool..."if you don't ride it enough , I'm buying it back" LOVE IT!

Had a friend as a young teenager who had his model. Just plain beautiful!

Its very clear that you know your business . that is my favorite B S A and color . Red and crome gos so good together ! You done a great job .

What a beauty. The only bike I ever got the tool kit with, was my 175 Honda, that I bought brand new in 1971.

@peterbalac1915

2 жыл бұрын

I remember the ist CD 175 I saw, a school prefect rode it school regularly, I would have been 13 or 14 at the time. Was so quite like a sewing machine compaired to the British stuff, about three years later a Honda 350 turned up at our youth club with a yoshi system on it jezus it howled like a banshee the rest is history!!

My word Mike, looking at that bike is like stepping out of a time machine onto the lot of the little shop at the corner of Lawrence and Bimbrock in Scarborough when I was 14. They had BSA and Triumph and I was always drawn a bit more to the Lightning than the Bonneville. Oh, and that was after we moved to Canada. Not the Scarborough you're probably thinking of LOL!

Wow ! Beautiful !😎👍

I had this wonderful bike for nearly 10 years but finaly sold it. You can only sit alone on it and for my wife wasn't the place enough. We like the style and the full sound. But at last I had to ride alone or take another bike for us. I'm so sorry, because I had invest a lot of money for many technical updates. Now a photo remember me for that time. We change to a retro-classik Triumph Bonneville. This seat is long enough and more comfortable for my wife.

Beautiful bike... That red , chrome and gold just look stunning

As I was about to finish my tour in the U.S. Army being based in Germany in April 1970 I went to London and purchased a BSA Lightening. Had it shipped to the U.S. and all together the price was still about half of the cost in the U.S. The bike had a lot of vibration. Sold it after 2 years.

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks for sharing your story. The Lightnings are really cool bikes. Best wishes, Mike.

Ein sehr schönes Motorrad. So müssen Motorräder aussehen......und klingen!!! Super

This is my favorite British bike.

That is an amazing BSA. Thank you both for sharing!

Stunning

What a beauty

Just beautiful! Thank you for sharing this bike with us!

Yeah nothing like candy apple red and chrome to melt your heart.

Cliff the owner of Cycle Hub still holds Portland Oregon to Dayton bike week time record. He was on an old Triumph. Posted in his memory.

@TheMightyGarage

8 ай бұрын

Many thanks. Cliff is still a legendary figure in this area. Best wishes, Mike

Thank you Mike for this wonderful reportage. It brings me back to the mid ´70s when I was 17 and that I owned a BSA Lightning 650. GREAT RESTAURATION !! 👍👌

@sesquashtwo

2 жыл бұрын

I always want to own one...but instead could only get a Triumph 650 at the time. Enjoyed that bike...but really wanted what you see here!

God, that is beautiful 😍 '75 T160 and '72 T100R owner

What a beautiful restoration job. Thanks for the video Mike. Cheers, Dan🏍👍🇨🇦

Absolutely stunning! Took my beath away. I remember, as a little boy, staring through a dealer's (I think Fowlers in Bristol, UK) showroom window at brand new BSAs and dreaming of things to come. Sadly they went broke before I was old enough.

This is beautiful. The A65 is in my view the aesthetic peak point of the classic British Twin. I own and have partly restored a 1970 Thunderbolt myself. That was the last year of the old classic chrome styling. Obviously it isn't as immaculate as this one. But then I ride it on the road. To me, it is a very sad thing to think that this gorgeous Lightning will be preserved like a fly in amber and never ridden. If you started it up and heard the wonderful sound of the engine you would understand at once.

If I had it...I would definitely be riding it.......god its a beauty.

Wow just look at that beauty. This was the last BSA model I owned, which I think I bought in Tooting, London. It was part of a cancelled order that was bound for the US. It had higher bars on it and the chrome sided tank which was the BSA way of distinguishing their bikes destined for the foreign market. Wish I still had it, it would be surely priced at well over twice the price I payed back then. Thanks for this post.

Thanks Mike, I enjoyed that. I wish I had friends like Dave who knew how to restore Classic British Motorcycles.

Hated mine back in 1975, it kept shearing the Woodruff key, I could never trust it to get me there or home, sold it and got a Bonnie!

Nice of your friend to share his bike and information Mike. Beautiful restoration.

Never owned 1 of these but did own a '73 Norton. These had problems with spark plugs in those days. They were cammed fairly radical & ran rich for street use. I remember reading this in Cycle.

I remember thinking this was just so desirable when I saw my first one in a friend's garage. I wanted one so much. He had two because he stated one often times required work and he always wanted one available to ride. This is such a gorgeous restoration. Well done pal.

@TheMightyGarage

8 ай бұрын

Hi Jonny, thanks very much for your note. Best wishes, Mike.

I owned a new 1965 Lightning ... beautiful example !!

Just rubs salt into the wound of my own Spitfire problems.

Wow what a beautiful beautiful piece of machinery.

Gorgeous is that BSA. Thanks for the post.

That is sweet.

I had one of these, really loved it

I once owned a BSA Lightning 650.the number plate WAS FLY 650J.Great bike.

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Michael, that was a perfect number plate! I agree. They are stunning looking bikes and they sound fantastic. Best wishes, Mike

Following on to previous comments...I believe this is the most beautiful machine I've seen on your channel.

Looks great, must have been fantastic looking through all those original old parts from Cycle Hub

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Kevin. Apparently it was an amazing sight. Folks came from all over the world to see the parts!

I Re built my 64 Bonneville using only NOS parts . All engine and gearbox internals NOS ,Forks , Tank, Front and Rear mudguard, complete headlamp assembly gauges loom all fasteners etc. Built up a tool kit from the correct genuine tools , even found a pump . Bought a lot of parts from Sharon and Cliff at cycle hub it cost me a bomb to get it shipped back to England. Hitchcocks motorcycles in Folkestone Kent was also great for NOS parts . Nothing beats the genuine parts , especially when you find that elusive rare part . Sadly all I have left of my bike now after all of that hard work is photographs of the finished bike, I had to sell it to buy my house . The late Don Hitchcock told me during the 60s he and his dad ,would get American customers come into his shop ,buy a Triumph to do a road trip around England , he said occasionally his dad and himself would let some them sleep in the shop overnight .

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Michael for sharing that great note. I really enjoyed reading it. Best wishes, Mike

Superb job of restoration. Probably better than new.

Absolutely Stunning 👍

I ain’t seen one that nice *since* 1969! lol. That was the the bike Hunter S Thompson managed to spectacularly wreck: gaining him *some* credit with the Oakland Chapter. That didn’t last, though

Now, thats what you call a motorbike.

Lovely

I love it. And I happen to be wearing my BSA shirt today as I watch this! Thanks.

I enjoy this series so much, so I'd like to thank you very much 👍×10

@TheMightyGarage

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much Phil

Absolutely stunning bike! A very informative narration and a credit to the restorers.

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks David! I appreciate your note. Best wishes, Mike

One of my favorite bikes I owned, I still have parts of (long story not a crash) it including the frame it’s always been my intention to put it back together but it’s low in the project line.

The classic cosmetic design is amazing in adding the american handle bar and riding such twin is the the best experience you might have...I owned the spitfire 69 when I was 20....

Gosh, that is one beautiful bike!

WOW just think mike one of my relatives could have put that bike together .....your best Brummie fan 😜👍

My version of the meaning BSA = Beautiful / Stunning / Amazing. Ray🇬🇧

Best looking bike ever

Beautiful machine it looks better than it would have done when it left Small Heath in Birmingham. My dad had lots of tools from British bikes and cars of the past then after he passed away mom gave them all to a scrap man as she didn’t think anyone wanted them.

That's a magnificent bike. Great restoration. You have also got to give it to the British they had style. Cheers from Oz.

I'd agree with that.Remember a friend having a new one in ' 67, a UK ' E ' registration HEB 6E , although my favourite is the pre-unit Bonnie , cannot be denied that it is drop-dead gorgeous !.

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Roger. I’m glad you enjoyed the video. That is a cracking lightning, isn’t it! Glad you enjoyed the video. Best wishes, Mike

Long live the power eggs! 1970 Lightning was my first motorcycle and I will never sell it. Glad I had my dad to show me all the ins and outs of the prince of darkness.

@ccrider00

11 ай бұрын

Yeah one of the big " outs " with the 650 power egg was the crank bushing on the timing side that would wear out prematurely and would cause the motor to get low oil pressure and cause the motor to destroy itself under hard riding. Cant understand why B.S.A. didn't make it right at the factory in the first place???? Like Triumph, Norton + Royal Endfield ,who used a big ball bearing on the timing side, and a big roller bearing on the clutch side??? It's like to try to save a few " quid " BSA took the cheap rout and " slit their own neck [ B.S.A.'s company's neck ] The question is " WHY " ??????

@ccrider00

11 ай бұрын

Oh,the "prince of darkness is not the B.S.A lighting----- that TITLE belongs to the VINCENT " BLACK PRINCE " 😱🎯🥳🤩🙊 🤔

@bwma

11 ай бұрын

@@ccrider00 that applies to all British cycles using Lucas electronics 🤣🤣