There appears to be a belief that British bikes are incontinent and unreliable, not to mention temperamental. Whilst there is an element of truth in these charges, particularly that of incontinence (Royal Enfield 250s, AMC tin chain cases, Triumph pushrod tubes etc), generally, most of these faults are curable, given really careful preparation and the use of modern jointing compounds.
However, regarding reliability, there are two British bikes which I've found to be exceptionally reliable by any standard. But first my credentials - I've been riding almost daily for the past 32 years, and so far have owned 93 bikes, including Ariel Square Fours, Scotts, Brough Superiors, and some modern (by my standards) bikes such as a Suzuki T500, GS425, Yamaha XS400, Honda RS250, CJ250, BMW R75 and my current affliction, an old MZ250.
Of all these machines, by far the most reliable have been my 600cc Panthers and 350cc Royal Enfields. I have covered high mileages on two Panthers. The first, a 1952 rigid frame Model 100 was bought for £10 in 1963. That winter was one of the worst in living memory. I rode the bike back to my digs in Wembley, from Brixton, with two bald sidecar section tyres, sidecar gearing and a sticking throttle cable, all of which added a touch of spice to life.
In Balham High Street, I paused to check the oil level, not daring to stop the engine of this unfamiliar beast for fear that it might not start. It was then that I learnt lesson one of Panther ownership - never, ever, remove a Panther filler cap when the engine is running. The gush of thick black liquid shot about ten feet into the air, together with the filler cap. My brand new, Harold Wilson type pimply Gannex coat was instantly waterproofed with black oil, as was my white shirt. I made a hasty retreat as soon as possible before anyone a get a lynching party together.
Over the next year and a half the Panther clocked up 18000 miles at the cost of two second hand rear and front tyres, three or four clutch cables, a set of brake linings, a magneto drive bush, points, plugs and numerous magneto coupling drive squares. Although the latter only cost a few coppers, I eventually made one from a piece of synthetic rubber picked up in the gutter, and this lasted until I sold the bike. I soon found that a nasty rattle from the big-end had been disguised by retarding the timing, but this disappeared at 75mph, so this became my natural cruising speed on my trips back home to Liverpool, on the then novel new motorway.
Despite the knackered big-end, it just carried on running and I closed my ears and waited, for the bang - which never came. Apart from the magneto drive bush, which was replaced because it was the source of the only oil leak, I replaced nothing in the engine. I did regular oil changes, using a straight 50SAE oil and Molyslip, which I can heartily recommend from past experience with ancient and clapped cheapos. I had little trouble from the magneto (although, these days, expect clapped capacitors and paper bearing washers), helped by the fact that, after servicing, I realigned it by tightening up the retaining strap with my fingers, getting the engine to tick over and then bolting down fully. Thus the magneto will line itself up (only with gear drives, please) and the bearings last almost indefinitely.
My current Panther is a similar model, rigid framed with Dowty forks - they use air springing and oil damping and work reasonably when new but can be evil when badly worn. They also deflate occasionally, which adversely affects the steering - some people have been known to go through hedges, but I've managed to control the beast when this has happened. The forks also deflate if they're not used for a while. Top them up with oil and pump them up again. They will probably deflate again, straight away, but don't despair, keep pumping them up until the oil seals swell again. This may take a couple a days! The forks on my Panther are quite badly worn now, as the bike has done 282000 miles, being on its third time round the clock!
I am the fourth owner. I acquired the bike in 1973 and have covered 80000 miles on it. The current big end was fitted in 1955 at 46000 miles after the first owner had allowed the oil (or sludge) level to fall too far. The second owner put most of the miles in, commuting between Liverpool and Barrow for 18 years. When I acquired it in exchange for £5 worth of BSA B33 bits it was in excellent mechanical condition but cosmetically poor.
I did give it a cosmetic rebuild, using the insurance money paid after it caught fire when I had owned it for about a month. I have still not yet had the cylinder head off, although now the engine does sound rather clattery, is down on power and has less compression than it should. However, it still starts well, ticks over and pulls like a big single should. Besides, I want my 100000 miles out of it before I strip it down.
On motorways and fast roads I used to cruise at maximum power, which was around the 80 to 85mph mark, the highest speed I've had on the clock is 92mph, which was probably a true 88mph. A road test in the fifties gave a maximum figure of 85mph, this being the only post war test for a Panther that Ive seen. Economy, checked over a three month period, which included some flat out motorway runs and some gentle pottering, town use, showed a figure of 78.3mpg.
From 1980 to 1982 I used the Panther fairly frequently for the trip between Liverpool and Oxford. I ceased using it as regular transport in 1982 because I was beginning to feel the need for something smoother and more comfortable as my age began to make itself felt, thus I bought a BMW R75. Under 45mph, the Panther was extremely smooth, but vibration built up with speed, until it reached a peak at about 70mph, easing off slightly after that. It was particularly unpleasant between 65 and 70mph. Mind you, I was using a 25 tooth sprocket and my previous Panther had a 26 tooth one which made it smoother, more economical but not as nifty.
Handling is the kind that discourages lurid cornering, as there is very little ground clearance, and a rather jelly-like feel on bends, mainly caused by sideways movement of the saddle. The silencers, rear stand and foot rests are well chamfered, results of some hooligan fashion riding in the Isle of Man and Ireland. Straight line stability is excellent, regardless of tyre pressures, type or luggage weight and distribution. Weaves and wobbles are totally unknown, which is more than I can say for the Honda RS250 or BMW, the latter lethal at 75mph - the Panther could actually cover distance quicker than the BMW!
I have only had two mechanical breakdowns, both caused by the clutch centre nut coming adrift. The problem, common to Panthers, can be solved by making sure the splines on both components are sound, cleaning carefully with a wire brush and removing all traces of oil. Assemble using Loctite and tighten new nuts and washers really hard - no more problems until you want to undo it! I've replaced the kickstart ratchet, relined the clutch and fitted the clutch basket from my Square Four, the splines were in better condition. A new gearbox mainshaft was fitted because of spline damage. Clutch cables don't last unless you buy a new one, remove the cable, Coppaslip the inner, resolder the nipple and sure the cable run is free from kinks. Two dynamo replacements were necessary, but I used refurbished second hand ones rather than new. Magnetos last anywhere between 5000 and 23000 miles, I usually cannibalize a couple of dead ones to make one good ‘un. Wheel bearings and head races last for 50000 miles.
The Panther is a big single, but it's easy to kick over as long as the decompressor is used with the bike on the centre stand. On very cold days, the oil thickens up and it’s a real bugger to kick over and start up - but it’s one way of warming up a heavily clad rider on a winters morning. One advantage of a rigid frame Panther is the roll-on rear stand - a pure wimp’s delight - whilst the centre-stand of the spring frame model is a double hernia job.
To sum up, although the Panther is not without its faults, and like all British bikes, it requires a degree of mechanical sympathy and correct setting up, it can be quite amazingly reliable and fuss free, practical and economical, with enough performance to wipe the smile off some faces. The SLS drum brakes are reasonable, acceleration is quite brisk if you can stand the vibes when revving through the gears, and the torque available from tickover to maximum is a revelation to riders of modern bikes who have sampled it.
For trundling around places like the Lake District there is nothing to beat it, although braking and handling deficiencies begin to show up in this kind of going. Still, the Panther felt better over the Hardknott Pass than my Honda RS250. Not only is the Panther fun to ride, but it also makes a lot of friends - people rush up to you to talk about the machine and people offer you parts - for instance, a stranger came up to me and offered a big-end for £2; been in my shed for 20 years, he said.
It's also a very safe bike to ride. I have had my first serious accident in 32 years when riding my GS425, which makes a noise that merges with the general traffic noise - the Panther, although not noisy, has an unusual and obtrusive sound, reminiscent of a low-flying dumper truck, thus people prick up their ears and take notice. Overall, then, the Panther is the best £5’s worth I have ever had!
Edward W. Hanley
[Edward's Panther is still around as of 2021!]