When looking for your copy of the UMG in Smiths you’ll have noticed that approximately one third of all the glossy publications contain the word 'classic' in their title. Most of the articles in these magazines deal with British motorcycle of the 50s and 60s, although, these days, some attention is occasionally paid to early Japs and most Italian machines.
Double page full colour photo spreads show pristine Vincents, Velos and, of course, Goldstars. All jolly nice to look at but of little relevance to the average motorcyclist who is more interested in reliable, day to day, transport and thrills per pound spent. However, these glossy pics may seduce you enough to buy the mag and read the contents.
Bantams, C15s, Tiger Cubs, etc. are reviewed with road tests ending in phrases like 'superb cooking single,’ ‘powerful sports twin’ and the worst I’ve ever seen, 'classically classic.’ Performance figures are never quoted (only estimated), reliability never mentioned and the example tested is usually freshly and expensively restored.
Reading such articles can easily lead to a once sane CB500 rider becoming a fanatical devotee of a past era in a fashion not dissimilar to Pol Pot’s idealogical return to basics. This is just fine if you have a grand plus to invest in purchasing any of the popular 650 twins of the period and then have a similar sum to spend on the modifications needed to turn it into a reliable device for use on todays toads. Unfortunately, most of us are limited to around £500.
It should be remembered that this amount will buy a good CX500, CB550, GT550, GT750 or even a year old MZ250. What type of Brit classic is available for this amount? Read on.
The cheapest on offer is that most common Brit, the Basket Case. A surprisingly large range of machines will be on offer in this category, from large twins at the top of the price limit down to small two strokes for as little as £30. One thing they will all have in common is that not only will they be in pieces but they will also be incomplete. To turn one of these from a large pile of scrap into a useful and working motorcycle will require mechanical expertise, lots of cash, several months, a workshop and the patience of a Soviet housewife. Most major components will need engineering work or replacing - cranks reground, new pistons, rebore, new valves and guides, etc., etc. Missing parts will have to be bought, bodged or specially made. Everything else will need a thorough cleaning and then painting. Basically, basket cases become basket cases because nearly every component has reached the end of its service life.
If all this sounds like your cup of tea then I suggest you opt for for one of the more popular makes like BSA or Triumph and buy the largest bike that you can afford because it costs as much to repair parts for a 250 as a 650. Singles are obviously cheaper to restore than twins as there are fewer parts involved. If I was looking for a Brit to restore and modernise I'd go for one of the later BSA B44s, as parts are readily available and many sensible modifications can be easily purchased. You’d need to pick one up for less than £100 in bits to make it under the £500 limit for a good runner. For me, that kind of time and effort just isn’t on.
The next cheapest option for the classically minded is the non-runner. This will cost more than the box of bits unless you get very lucky. The days of finding Bonnevilles in an old git’s garden shed are long over (but there are plenty of Superdreams and even RD250s). Most non-runners need lots of mechanical attention, not to mention painting, rewiring and MOT testing. After all, if a bike was going to be easy to repair most people would do it themselves and sell it at a much higher price. Only the most optimistic can hope to get away with a quick service - budget for a complete engine rebuild.
The final choice is to acquire something that is actually running. The cheapest bikes are the small two strokes, the most plentiful the ubiquitous BSA Bantam. The last ones are the most useful, although the earlier 125s will appeal to learners but they are very, very slow (wonder if the I75cc engine will fit in the 125 frame? - Ed). The B175 handles quite well but the brakes and lights are appalling. Performance looks good on paper with a top speed of 65 to 70mph but the ludicrously destructive vibes and lethal brakes will keep all but the brave and stupid to a maximum of 50mph.
Two up, the handling falls into the same category as the brakes. Reliability isn‘t too had provided the bike is used very gently and never thrashed. Electrics are absolutely abysmal (mine caught fire twice), the only answer is to modify the whole system and use Jap switches. A running Bantam can be picked up for as little as £70 but don’t pay more than £150. Various other small two strokes can be bought for the same price as a Bantam. They are usually Villiers powered and very unreliable with poor spares availability - best completely ignored.
For around £50 more than the Bantam a four stroke single, like the C15/B40, can be acquired. These bikes have only a marginal performance improvement over the BSA but vibes are worse, breaking most parts not welded to the frame. Reliability is pathetic as the vibes just wreck the engine and dismal electrical system. The best thing that can be said about these bikes is that they are very easy to work on and parts are at least cheap (if nasty). Like the B44, numerous mods can be made to the motor to increase reliability but because of low power output they end up being thrashed, any improvement gained by modification is thus lost. The 250cc version of the B44 should have its own government health warning.
Never buy one. Unfortunately, I did, inspired by a review in one of the classic rags where it was described as the RS250 of its day. An 85mph 250 that commanded classic status seemed too good to miss when I heard of one going for a mere £200. Riding the bike home it felt snatchy and rough below 50mph, smoothed out between 55 and 60mph and vibrated like a jack hammer up to seventy, becoming so fierce that my hands hurt enough to force me to back off down to sixty.
I figured that by altering the carburation I could sort out the low speed running, ending up with a useful 60mph cruiser. But that made no difference so I rebuilt the engine - no sign of wear, I changed. the rings and main bearings just to be on the safe side. Still no difference, not prepared to admit that I’d wasted my time and dosh I decided to run it in for 2000 miles. Not easy, as the clutch went after 280 miles and 50 miles later the exhaust valve burnt out. Dutifully, I replaced them but gave up the idea of running it in for 2000 miles, it was too expensive. Various other items failed or just fell off. Seriously doubting BSA’s claim of an 85mph top speed I decided to put the bike to the test. It failed due to the small matter of the conrod making a break for freedom through the crankcase. Like most small Brits, B25 ownership is really just a diary of misery, depression and train fares.
The final choice is to go the whole way by spending the entire £500 on a classic exotica, the choice widens to include things like AMC singles, Tiger Cubs, 3TAs, 5TAs and B44s. The AMC singles are better than similar BSAs but spare parts are more expensive and less easy to obtain. The Tiger Cub is a massively overpriced C15 and as such suffers the same problems. The B44 is, as already stated, not a particularly bad device as long as it’s had all the necessary mods (don’t mention con-rods to sensitive owners). This leaves the 3/5TA which can be a good but slow bike, especially in 350 form, but the lights, brakes and rear suspension will need to be uprated.
Other larger or rarer bikes may also be available, but for this kind of money the chances of imminent failure are high. Apart from all the individual problems concerning particular models, they will all be suffering from metal fatigue and general wear ’n’ tear from twenty years of abuse, not to mention twenty British winters and summers (remember them). It’ll probably have been rebuilt several times, with varying degrees of care - at least once by someone with little money, and even less engineering knowledge. Nuts and bolts will be chewed up, cross threaded or missing, modifications may or may not have been done...
Spending even more dosh by going to a dealer will not help at all, the bike will just be more highly polished - a lot of dealers seem to employ terms more usually found in the Financial Times (did you hear all the dealers moaning about the performance of their shares a the Classic Bike show? - Ed) that have little relevance to most motorcyclists - rising long term investment, minimum downside, et al.
When I enquired at one establishment about the condition of an immaculate Trials Tiger Cub I was told it wasn’t a machine for riding but for displaying and if it wasn’t used it would double its value in 5 years. Personally, I didn’t believe that any Tiger Cub will ever be worth £1800, but there you go.
Basically, the conclusion to this article is that if you have little money and need basic trans— port it’s best to stay well clear of old Brit bikes. If purchased cheaply enough (£25) they can be useful as a TV weaning device in the winter months whilst you rebuild it as a second bike or sell it to a yuppie poseur at a ridiculously massive profit. No, Jap or even East European bikes just offer so much more for so much less.
Andy Everett
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