Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Would you buy a British Classic ?

[TP]

I have an interest in classic bikes but being interested and owning one are two different things.

Too much to do and I would rather spend my time doing other things. As has been well documented, the one I've got doesn't even get cleaned that much let alone building one, fixing all the oil leaks etc.

How do I know this being a young whippersnapper (my first bike was a 91 model! and it was 3 years old when I bought it, and I was 18!) - well I owned a BSA C12 once ... had all the best intentions of doing it up etc, but with study, a yound family, a demanding job I had no time and sold it to the president of the BSA owners club in Queensland.

I even gave him my collection of drip trays .....

[KeefyB]

Originally posted by yeti
Don't talk b*****s Keefy, you know you would hate the bloody thing!

No way mate.Keeping one of those bikes going would be a fun challange,IMO.
Not bothered about how slow it is or that it may/will break down,etc.Ive got a couple of modern bikes to ride if I want to go fast or any distance.

[Monty]

As a matter of interest Yeti NONE of my bikes leak oil-the old Gilera is a unit construction engine which they described as an 'hermetic' engine. Basically if you take it apart the mating faces on the cases are about .75" which is about 3 times as wide as comparable British bikes-ergo it doesn't leak. Mind you it isn't very fast either, revs to about 5,000-which is what the TZ 'ticks over' at...........

John

[Edited on 4-10-2004 by Monty]

[Henners]

Couple of years ago I bought a mint 1978 Yamaha RD 400E in the yellow and black Kenny Roberts speedblock paint job - always wanted one as a kid. (If anyone is interested I'm looking to sell it - psychlist has first refusal.)

It was one of those things I had to do and I'm glad I did it but to be honest, the dream was better than the reality.

[skidlids]

I'm Not really interested in having a Brit Classic, but if I nice Triton came along at the right price I could be interested. Fit some modern forks, wheels etc to it and take it out in a Sound of Thunder race.

As for my mate Adrian after hairing around the TT course at stupidly fast speeds he likes nothing better than to plod around on his old Brit bikes. Just picked himself up a 1939 BSA M21 dispatch riders bike (I think thats what it is). Bit rough around the edges but improving on almost a daily basis.
So Eamonn when and where is this talk been given on Spark plugs, Adrian wants me to tell him how to get there and are you going to be there.

[888heaven]

Having started biking in the cross over generation where there was about half and half brit/jap in my circle of friends I was avidly encouraged to get a real bike(I had a GS 550E at the time) so i sourced a average condition Triumph 650 twin carb 69 i think.
spent the winter totaly overhalling everything etc come spring out came the bike to use for work.
drag it out tickle it (yes no fancy button) kick it to death no go shove it back ride the jap to work.
next morning it starts first kick?????
ride it 40 miles loose half the oil and 2 tappet covers (vibes you never new existed)
if it rained it stopped,fortunately it was written off 3 months latter as i would have killed it with a sledge in the end.
you find out latter that when you phoned brit owning mates for a ride out and they couldnt make it ,it was usually because their bikes where in bits.
I would never never never ever own one again they make ducs look the most relaible bikes on the planet.
the best thing you can do with brit bike is drain all the oil and put in a case or crush it.

[marko]

I've got an old brit bike in my shed ,a triumph tiger Cub, which I got from a very good mate of mine and his dad(KB) about ten years ago.Its given me so much fun and cost very little ,ok it doesn't run but wait i've only had it ten years.I class myself as a biker and love them all(like women)just some more than others.

[Road Runner]

I quite fancy geting hold of a rotary Norton F1...But thats about it ....

[Mark]

2 bikes, a Vincent Black Shadow or Brough Superior.

My Grandad had both, and he is why I'm into bikes. Simple really.

[rcgbob44]

I`d have a 1963 clubmans Gold Star, A Vincent Black Lightning, Manx Norton, 450 Ducati along with a 1975 750 Sport, 67 Bonnie and a rigid framed Bantam. and one of them new fangles yankeee Norton Camando`s