This time we test ride and look at the history of the 500cc BSA A7 Could this be one of Britain's best ever parallel twins?
Пікірлер: 62
@brockett6 ай бұрын
A much undervalued motorcycle. Thanks for a fine video.
@bikerdood11006 ай бұрын
Thanks for the feedback
@bwedmore7 ай бұрын
Nice, my brother, who is gone now. When he was 16 in the 70's built a hardtail 13 over girder front end out if a BSA. I have very few pics of it but I do have the Dealers Sign from Markes BSA in Muncie, IN. Mr. Mark gave to my brother when he closed his shop.
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Nice 👍🏻
@Lanes-Explorer57337 ай бұрын
Another fine video, especially for me, as it concentrated on just the one machine this time, in rather more depth. Though I do like your broader coverages too. Yours is such a uniquely interesting channel and a personal favourite. Those 500 and 650 BSA twin A7/A10 engines are so attractive I think. I had the later A65 for many years but though it may have been updated and was certainly reliable, in some respects was rather bland looking to me. The shape of the timing cover on the earlier ones has a certain elegance I feel which the later ones lost. Thank you for showcasing this great example of BSA engineering. Peter
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Thanks We tend to agree, I personally do like the look of the A65 but it’s not as attractive as my A10
@jims5632-nb2gb6 ай бұрын
I had the a7 and toured all over Europe for 3 times for two weeks and had no problems. The Green One.
@bikerdood11006 ай бұрын
Lovely
@dezmondwhitney12087 ай бұрын
Thank you. What a fine biket this is. I was also impressed by the sturdy, full size mudguards on it which would stop so much crud being swept back and up to the engine casing etc.
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
I can say from my A10 the mudguards work very well indeed
@dog8nut7 ай бұрын
Early80's I had a A-7 '51 year iron head riged frame ,sweet bike. Same time had a '59 A-10 ,both were a real pleasure to ride. Thought both were very smooth compaired to the later unit construction bikes. A-10 was a daily to work rider ,reliable as a rock!
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
They ain’t as fast as some perhaps but they do keep rocking
@jamesweber49387 ай бұрын
I had a 1955 A7 that I bought in 1970 for 50 quid. I had it for about a year and sold it and bought a 55 Norton Dominator 600, also for 50 quid.
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
If only prices had stayed the same
@jamesweber49387 ай бұрын
Now it costs 50 quid to do an oil and filter change.@@bikerdood1100
@denniskeena59367 ай бұрын
Always loved Beezer twins . Thanks!
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Me too
@rogerbranton17527 ай бұрын
Yes - BSA gearboxes are delightully smooth! I'm now working on an Ariel Cyclone, which is, of course an A 10 with a Burman gearbox. I''m anticipating it'll have a clunkier shift than my BSA. I'm also anticipating that I won't give a crap and will be quite happy to be riding this beast!!
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
We rode a Cylone and the box was pretty good, Mrs Bikerdood wasn’t fond, but she’s wrong of course 😂
@WOLFIE-96B-UK6 ай бұрын
Great video, up to your usual high standard! 👍
@bikerdood11006 ай бұрын
Thank you
@chrisweeks69736 ай бұрын
Despite living in Oz for over 50 years, I've managed to get to the National Motorcycle Museum at Bickenhill on at least half a dozen occasions over the decades; it's always a pleasure. However, for me, the place does need more space to be able to properly display the very extensive collection. It's a minor niggle and doesn't really detract from the exhibits. The late-model (1960/2) A7 Shooting Star was, to my eye, always a very attractive machine, finished in that polychromatic green and (at last) full-width hubs.
@bikerdood11006 ай бұрын
They are lovely things
@dufushead7 ай бұрын
Thanks that was great viewing and went some way to restoring my faith in BSA. The A50 was a different matter ! Cheers as always for an informative, relaxing and entertaining video.
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Thanks
@Rugbyman2692 ай бұрын
My A50 was fine though unlike the A7 it did vibrate a bit though you did have to be doing 70 mph
@stevetaylor92657 ай бұрын
Beautiful motorcycle and review. Thanks
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it
@bsabiker-d7z7 ай бұрын
Nice video. I've had my 1960 A7SS since 1967 and still use it, not as much as I used to but then my 2017 triumph T120 gets used more now. With old age and senility it can be difficult to remember the 1 up and 3 down on the R/H foot and then 1 down and 5 up on the left foot for gear changing, however the BSA box is far smoother than the Triumph or the Kawasaki's I've owned in the past.
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
For gear change I think I respond to engine sound BSA right foot I think that’s what I do
@bsabiker-d7z6 ай бұрын
Yes that's okay for normal changes but when quickly pulling away at junctions etc, I quite often forget and dab the brake pedal on either bike. As I said "old age and senility". I never used to do this, but now that I live in Spain there is the additional problem of riding on the 'wrong' side of the road.@@bikerdood1100
@andrewhaley46237 ай бұрын
Happy memories going to a MAG meeting in the west country in a side car attached to a A7 in the 1970. On the return to Farnham the heavens opened up, and the side car filled up like a bath. I would love to have that bike again. Love your videos, and if you would like to test ride a 1978 XS 650 let me know. Kind Regards Andrew Haley
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Yes we definitely would like to check the yam out Thanks for the positive feedback also of course
@dufushead7 ай бұрын
It wasn't the Ox rally in Somerset in '77 by any chance ? I remember the most biblical deluge on the way back.
@andrewhaley46237 ай бұрын
@@bikerdood1100 The rally was at Cricket St Thomas
@andrewhaley46237 ай бұрын
@@bikerdood1100 You are more than welcome, let me know how to contact you. I also have a 1980 Special, as well as the 1978 Standard.
@oldbikedavey7 ай бұрын
Very fine machines, and deeply useable. Build the engine , gearbox, and clutch up correctly, carefully, and honestly, put an in line oil return cartridge filter in, and the things just will not let you down. Low vibration, high rider comfort, and excellent economy besides....
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Pretty much sums em up
@user-pu6sx2lt3j5 ай бұрын
It's definitely a twin I loved, I had two of them. One was a SS
@bikerdood11005 ай бұрын
Nice 👍🏻
@shingerz7 ай бұрын
Cracking video lovely bike 👍🇬🇧
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Thanks glad you enjoyed it
@limyrob13837 ай бұрын
Having done quite a bit of mileage on both a plunger and swinging arm A10s I would say the big problem with the plungers is once they wear. They slide and need to be kept greased, if not they wear and the wheel can move out of line so the bike drops into corners as the free play kicks in.
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Well that’s why everyone switched to swinging arm Plungers do work better than expected I must say
@alandavies556 ай бұрын
Plungers do last quite well if they get plenty of grease. I always liked the plunger 650s for sidecar use and ran one with a flight chair for 15 yrs. The advantages were that the fittings could be spaced much wider to give the outfit real solidarity, and the duplex primary lasted much longer. Along with a super rocket for solo use, I had a great time. Sadly I am now limited to electric start.
@xt2256 ай бұрын
Great video. Perhaps compare the post war British 500 twins.
@bikerdood11006 ай бұрын
Nice idea I’ve done 500s but not exclusively twins
@andrewpeacock46957 ай бұрын
Talking of museums...I recently visited Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Nothing British in sight, but still well worth a visit.
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Well nowhere is perfect 😂 I am aware of it of course
@marcwiart565715 күн бұрын
Handsome bikes in general those old BSAs. Later on they kind of lost that tasteful look. I love a classic motorcycle. I always think of the Goldstar if I close my eyes and think of just what a motorcycle looks like. I remember my first motorcycle. It was a 1982 Suzuki SP 125. I had saved up enough to get a brand spanking real motorcycle! I have to say it really was a good looking bike. Well made and really for it's size very competent. We had some great times together. Come to think of it probably the greatest times I ever had on a bike. My best friend's dad had a late 60s cb 175 at the time as well that I loved the sound and looks of the tank are what I was seduced by but it was not nearly as versatile.
@bikerdood110014 күн бұрын
My first bike was a Suzuki GS125 Made me realise that Japanese bikes do indeed break down 😂
@johnmartin11147 ай бұрын
I would like to see a documentary on phelon and Moore makers of panther motorcycles these are rare in America always wanted one other choice would be the parallel twins from Indian before 1953
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Well the little 400 Indian was an interesting idea let down by poor build quality Never good when the cash runs out As for Panther I’ve ridden only one which naturally enough had a sidecar attached. Lovely thing to ride, bugger to start however 😂
@CaptHollister7 ай бұрын
I would argue that the best version of this bike was the license-built Meguro K/Kawasaki W1 which managed to be oil tight and have reliable electrics. This is the bike that lives on in spirit as the Kawasaki W800 and Meguro K3.
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Nope The original is plenty oil tight and the magneto provides very reliable sparks A copy is copy at the end of the day The W800 is in spirit only, bevel drive cam seems somewhat unnecessary and the bike is not the smoothest
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
As for electrical systems I’ve pushed enough Japanese machines home to know that the reputation of their overly complex wiring looms is rather overblown, literally😂
@keithtanner28067 ай бұрын
My 1954 A10, Engine No BA10 8965 had a manual advance retard on the bars. Many years later at a Belle Vue Manchester bike show I spotted BA10 8966 on display, identical to mine except with the later Monoblock carb. Mine had the earlier Amal 276/ER/1DB.I preferred the A10, it had more torque, was faster and perfect as a combo machine outdone only by the much later Enfield Constellation
@bikerdood11007 ай бұрын
Mines a 54 swinging arm Goldern flash with auto advance retard After the mid 50s only the more sporting models had a manual lever Maybe some riders just preferred them
@nova2fly2092 ай бұрын
Always thought the gears on my A10 were smoother than any other Britts i had...
@bikerdood11002 ай бұрын
I would have to agree Brilliant gear box
@hullygully1135Ай бұрын
Back in the 60s I had a BSA Road Rocket and later a Super Rocket which I modified slightly with spitfire cams and 10;5 pistons at the time I borrowed a friend's standard A7 and to be honest it was a nice better ride regarding vibration and smoothness, a lesson learnt.