When I was a kid and used to ride down the farm tracks one lad had a bantam 175, I used to love having a go on that, when you're about 11 years old and only used to a honda 50 a 175 seems bloody quick!
Didn't know that about the Vale-On slow SOS bikes. Would a piece on the Villiers company and its designs generally be of interest I wonder. Your videos are a terrific archive of machines which I often enjoy looking back on. Thank you for all the research and efforts you put into making them. LE
No mention of the Ambassador with the 9E Villiers engine reliable and a great little bike,I bought mine for £4 restored it,uses it for 2 years till I passed my test,I saw it many years later,a loch keeper on the Thames owned it,still in the paint colour I restored it in and still running fine
Spot on about the Ariel Arrow. Smashing bike in it's day. I had one for several years in the early 70s. I loved it. The lads that I hung around with in those days had Suzuki Hustlers and Yamaha YDS7s and even the odd early RD250. It is true that on long straights they were faster than my Ariel but on the twistys the Ariel would easily out pace them. I have very fond memories of that bike. Oh, and yes, I am 70 and still riding regularly on my Royal Enfield Meteor 350. Grand videos, keep up the good work. 😎👍.
My first motorcycle aged 13 year old was a 1955 James Comet with a 98cc villiers engine and two speed hand change gears. I also passed my test on a 150cc James Cadet that had a pressed steel monoque rear section. These bikes offered cheap reliable transport and the freedom to travel further afield at the weekends. I have many fond memories, I can even remember the smell of the two stroke fuel, such nostalgic bliss ! 👍😎
Before me & my brother could ride on the road we needed a "field bike", so on pocket money budget we got a old Bantam but the engine was just about knackered. So we shoehorned a Villiers 2t motor in it & upswept the silencers, fitted the Avon "slipmaster" rear tyre on the front and MX knobbly on the rear. As the knobbly was too wide for the swingarm we cut down the outer knobs until it did. We had a lot of fun on the little mongrel bike.
That is pretty cool that you guys get to experience these gems! I have always been frustrated about the European bike companies falling down once the Japanese companies came into stride. It was a matter of timing I think. Only HD was left in the US and the people I have met that bought new Shovels in the 70s have real horror stories about new bikes from then. It would have been cool if many other countries and manufacturers had been able to go head to head with the Japanese companies of the 70s and 80s. Ducati and Triumph came back, and others in the 90s. I guess we should thank the Japanese companies for getting the industry through a dark time for many. In some ways they invented new tech that has become the standard for performance and reliability. I think other manufacturers still have a way to go based on YT video experiences of other people. My stable of 7 only includes 1 Italian Garelli moped and sadly no Britbikes. 1 Honda, 2 Suzukis, and 3 Kawasakis. All older bikes. Nice video, sir!
Back in the 1950s/1960s I owned lost of British 2strokes, including a Arrow and a Cotton (why was this make missed)? The best was Norman B4 a really great sports machine using the last Villiers twin the T4 version. The others were basic James's and FBs.
Had a c reg arrow,at first handled terrible until i found the bolt going through the swinging arm was broke in two.all was well after. Nudge my memory was the fuel cap also a measure for 2stroke oil per gallon..
I bought a brand new leader in 1962. I thought it was fantastic. Only drawback was the useless front brake. Also wasn't really accepted up the local coffee bar.. But I got over that on my shiny red and white stead.. thanks for great videos.
Although I've never liked two strokes, I enjoyed this video and learned something new. My dad had an old 125cc Bantam in the early sixties and it was a devil to start on a cold day. On the other hand, I rode pillion on a neighbour's 175cc Bantam a couple of times about 7 or 8 years later, which struck me as a very practical machine and surprisingly powerful for it's size.
Poor handling Ariels??? At the launch, when there was some doubt about a pressed steel frame and leading link forks. To allay these fears, factory riders rode the bikes up a standard kerb at 30 mph. Try that on a Japanese 2-stroke!
being of a certain age i have had multiple bantams, a James 197 with a 9e engine and a greaves with a 250 twin Villiers. i remember when i lived in leeds in the 70s loads of little red bantam's came from the post office, a good one was £5 some less quality ones went from £3 to £2
Some nice memories in that video! Back in 1958 my first ride was a 98cc James, second was a 125 Bantam, then an RM1 Raleigh 50cc moped, a Douglas-built Vespa 125, then a Jawa 250 and a Honda CB77, but by 1970 it was a Bantam D14/4 that got me to work; it was a good little bike and very reliable. A number of other bikes – both two and four stroke – followed. At 77 I'm still riding, currently on a Suzuki VL250, though about to add a Honda CTX 700N to the fairly extensive list; that'll be my third bike in 18 months!
I owned an Ariel Arrow Sports (1964). It was a glorious machine. Easy to ride and very smooth. I did 1000's of mile son it. It eventually died when the gearbox siezed and I couldn't get an economical replacement/ My first motorbike was a 1952 BSA Batnam D1. I had that in 1964. I loved it.
Oh look ! A picture of the very bike I was bought by my grandparents for my sixteenth birthday, what a piece of crap if you rode at night with the lights on you could not use the rear brake, if you did the illumination of the brake light would cause the bike to stop because of the totally inadequate electrics, the only good thing I can say about that bike was that the tank badge was shiny! Should have bought a honda a mate had one it was like it came from a different planet! ! 😮
I have said this many times, why BSA never used this 250cc twin Arial engine again in a traditional frame and folks is a mystery? Add a reed valve and another cog or two in the gearbox and they would have a bike in the 250 learner class up until the late 80s. You mention Len Vale Onslow and the SOS, I can remember reading, that it was he that wanted to buy the the tooling for the Bantam and put it back into production, but like you said BSA had already scrapped the tooling.
Passed my test in 1980 on a Bantam D14/4, had a Francis barnett villier s 2T ratbike too. Thrashed it everywhere & when you stopped at the traffic lights l used to get hidden by the smoke. Used to heat seize but after a quick cigarette 🚬 she was ready to go again. Still got 3 mobylette X7 mopeds & a TS185ER, Just for winding up Greta.
Lamentable what happened to the British motorcycle industry. The same as a lot of others with a lack of investment, quality control and poor management. I really enjoyed that content and had never heard of the S.O.S. How advanced was that along with the Scott?? I seem to remember the 200cc Ariel was called the Colt. Greeves Challenger now your talking👌👍👍
The SOS factory might have been bombed but not in 1939 as the first German bombs to fall non-military targets in England did not occur until 1940 – and that was in London. I suspect the manufacture of these specialist motorcycles was ended in 1939 because there would not have been a market for them.
Takes me back. In the '60s I owned a Francis-Barnett Falcon 4 speed with a Villiers 197cc engine, a DKW 197cc and an Arrow. I loved them all, but it has to be said that the Deek which only cost me 9 quid at auction was the best bike. Neglected at the back of the shed, it would be dragged out from time to time and always started and ran fine. When I went off to college, my young cousins grabbed it and started riding it round the fields at the back of their house.
Ariel Arrow 🤮l had the misfortune to own one what a mistake!! Nightmare to work on. Try talking the Dummy Tank off 🤮 to get the coils. I’d like to know how they fitted them!! The rectifier just about see it let alone change it taking the rear wheel out or the fuel tank. The engine German design Val Page copied the MB ADLA 250 54×54 front brake was next useless.
45 Comments
Would love to have seen Cotton included at least as an honourable mention. Their 250cc trials machines were outstanding in their day.
Best yet!!! I was ignorant to the ideas and engineering tech us Brits had back in the day.😎 All I can say is lost opportunity to our industry.😕
When I was a kid and used to ride down the farm tracks one lad had a bantam 175, I used to love having a go on that, when you're about 11 years old and only used to a honda 50 a 175 seems bloody quick!
Would the wonderful Silk 700cc qualify as a classic? I do think so.😊
The dear old Billy that took a man and his sandwiches back and forth to work for decades
Didn't know that about the Vale-On slow SOS bikes. Would a piece on the Villiers company and its designs generally be of interest I wonder. Your videos are a terrific archive of machines which I often enjoy looking back on. Thank you for all the research and efforts you put into making them. LE
No mention of the Ambassador with the 9E Villiers engine reliable and a great little bike,I bought mine for £4 restored it,uses it for 2 years till I passed my test,I saw it many years later,a loch keeper on the Thames owned it,still in the paint colour I restored it in and still running fine
Spot on about the Ariel Arrow. Smashing bike in it's day. I had one for several years in the early 70s. I loved it. The lads that I hung around with in those days had Suzuki Hustlers and Yamaha YDS7s and even the odd early RD250. It is true that on long straights they were faster than my Ariel but on the twistys the Ariel would easily out pace them. I have very fond memories of that bike. Oh, and yes, I am 70 and still riding regularly on my Royal Enfield Meteor 350. Grand videos, keep up the good work. 😎👍.
My first motorcycle aged 13 year old was a 1955 James Comet with a 98cc villiers engine and two speed hand change gears. I also passed my test on a 150cc James Cadet that had a pressed steel monoque rear section. These bikes offered cheap reliable transport and the freedom to travel further afield at the weekends. I have many fond memories, I can even remember the smell of the two stroke fuel, such nostalgic bliss ! 👍😎
remember vale onslow shop on the stratford road from college days, there were motorcycle breakers in the same row of shops, great days
Before me & my brother could ride on the road we needed a "field bike", so on pocket money budget we got a old Bantam but the engine was just about knackered. So we shoehorned a Villiers 2t motor in it & upswept the silencers, fitted the Avon "slipmaster" rear tyre on the front and MX knobbly on the rear. As the knobbly was too wide for the swingarm we cut down the outer knobs until it did. We had a lot of fun on the little mongrel bike.
That is pretty cool that you guys get to experience these gems! I have always been frustrated about the European bike companies falling down once the Japanese companies came into stride. It was a matter of timing I think. Only HD was left in the US and the people I have met that bought new Shovels in the 70s have real horror stories about new bikes from then. It would have been cool if many other countries and manufacturers had been able to go head to head with the Japanese companies of the 70s and 80s. Ducati and Triumph came back, and others in the 90s. I guess we should thank the Japanese companies for getting the industry through a dark time for many. In some ways they invented new tech that has become the standard for performance and reliability. I think other manufacturers still have a way to go based on YT video experiences of other people. My stable of 7 only includes 1 Italian Garelli moped and sadly no Britbikes. 1 Honda, 2 Suzukis, and 3 Kawasakis. All older bikes. Nice video, sir!
Back in the 1950s/1960s I owned lost of British 2strokes, including a Arrow and a Cotton (why was this make missed)? The best was Norman B4 a really great sports machine using the last Villiers twin the T4 version. The others were basic James's and FBs.
Had a c reg arrow,at first handled terrible until i found the bolt going through the swinging arm was broke in two.all was well after.
Nudge my memory was the fuel cap also a measure for 2stroke oil per gallon..
Definitely miss two strokes. Some of the footage is from the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham. A brilliant place to walk around
I bought a brand new leader in 1962. I thought it was fantastic. Only drawback was the useless front brake. Also wasn't really accepted up the local coffee bar.. But I got over that on my shiny red and white stead.. thanks for great videos.
Although I've never liked two strokes, I enjoyed this video and learned something new. My dad had an old 125cc Bantam in the early sixties and it was a devil to start on a cold day. On the other hand, I rode pillion on a neighbour's 175cc Bantam a couple of times about 7 or 8 years later, which struck me as a very practical machine and surprisingly powerful for it's size.
Father in law has a 67 Bantam 175. Down right dangerous to ride.
Poor handling Ariels??? At the launch, when there was some doubt about a pressed steel frame and leading link forks. To allay these fears, factory riders rode the bikes up a standard kerb at 30 mph. Try that on a Japanese 2-stroke!
I would like to see a video on British scooters, the rarer the better
being of a certain age i have had multiple bantams, a James 197 with a 9e engine and a greaves with a 250 twin Villiers. i remember when i lived in leeds in the 70s loads of little red bantam's came from the post office, a good one was £5 some less quality ones went from £3 to £2
Some nice memories in that video! Back in 1958 my first ride was a 98cc James, second was a 125 Bantam, then an RM1 Raleigh 50cc moped, a Douglas-built Vespa 125, then a Jawa 250 and a Honda CB77, but by 1970 it was a Bantam D14/4 that got me to work; it was a good little bike and very reliable. A number of other bikes – both two and four stroke – followed. At 77 I'm still riding, currently on a Suzuki VL250, though about to add a Honda CTX 700N to the fairly extensive list; that'll be my third bike in 18 months!
How many of us first wobbled down the road on a Billy?
I must admit I had to check what was in my drink when you mentioned automatic-oiling in the early nineteen thirties.
One of my Uncle's toured all over Europe and the UK with his wife on a Scott sidecar. Got scolded once when it overheated going up a steep hill. 👍
Thanks for your efforts bikerdood. Great video again. 👍
Could be an interesting video if you would only stop waving the camera around so much
I owned an Ariel Arrow Sports (1964). It was a glorious machine. Easy to ride and very smooth. I did 1000's of mile son it. It eventually died when the gearbox siezed and I couldn't get an economical replacement/
My first motorbike was a 1952 BSA Batnam D1. I had that in 1964. I loved it.
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Oh look ! A picture of the very bike I was bought by my grandparents for my sixteenth birthday, what a piece of crap if you rode at night with the lights on you could not use the rear brake, if you did the illumination of the brake light would cause the bike to stop because of the totally inadequate electrics, the only good thing I can say about that bike was that the tank badge was shiny! Should have bought a honda a mate had one it was like it came from a different planet! ! 😮
I have said this many times, why BSA never used this 250cc twin Arial engine again in a traditional frame and folks is a mystery? Add a reed valve and another cog or two in the gearbox and they would have a bike in the 250 learner class up until the late 80s. You mention Len Vale Onslow and the SOS, I can remember reading, that it was he that wanted to buy the the tooling for the Bantam and put it back into production, but like you said BSA had already scrapped the tooling.
A 4-stroke is 2 more strokes than an adult actually needs.
My first road bike was a 63 Royal Enfield 250 turbo twin using the Villiers 4T 250 twin engine. Smart, but sluggish
The GPO used to have a huge fleet of red Bantams for delivering telegrams etc.
I owned a couple of Suzuki 2 strokes l do miss them
Passed my test in 1980 on a Bantam D14/4, had a Francis barnett villier s 2T ratbike too. Thrashed it everywhere & when you stopped at the traffic lights l used to get hidden by the smoke. Used to heat seize but after a quick cigarette 🚬 she was ready to go again. Still got 3 mobylette X7 mopeds & a TS185ER, Just for winding up Greta.
The Arrow was a great machine
How about a series on British excelsior motorcycles.
How about the Norman Nippy two speed moped? My first motorbike back in 1972. Wish I still had it.
Lamentable what happened to the British motorcycle industry. The same as a lot of others with a lack of investment, quality control and poor management. I really enjoyed that content and had never heard of the S.O.S. How advanced was that along with the Scott?? I seem to remember the 200cc Ariel was called the Colt.
Greeves Challenger now your talking👌👍👍
The SOS factory might have been bombed but not in 1939 as the first German bombs to fall non-military targets in England did not occur until 1940 – and that was in London. I suspect the manufacture of these specialist motorcycles was ended in 1939 because there would not have been a market for them.
Takes me back. In the '60s I owned a Francis-Barnett Falcon 4 speed with a Villiers 197cc engine, a DKW 197cc and an Arrow. I loved them all, but it has to be said that the Deek which only cost me 9 quid at auction was the best bike. Neglected at the back of the shed, it would be dragged out from time to time and always started and ran fine. When I went off to college, my young cousins grabbed it and started riding it round the fields at the back of their house.
Ariel Arrow 🤮l had the misfortune to own one what a mistake!! Nightmare to work on. Try talking the Dummy Tank off 🤮 to get the coils. I’d like to know how they fitted them!! The rectifier just about see it let alone change it taking the rear wheel out or the fuel tank.
The engine German design Val Page copied the MB ADLA 250 54×54 front brake was next useless.
Bit tongue in cheek calling the bantam british ☺☺☺
I lived my Bantam not one of the greats but so simple so nice and so easy to ride 🇬🇧