OzVMX Forum
Marque Remarks => British (BSA, Greeves, Triumph etc) => Topic started by: albrid-3 on March 20, 2009, 05:43:27 pm
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How any of you vintage scramblers would be interested in a BSA Bantam class, or how any person out their own Bantam that would like to have some fun with their Bantam. l am just checking, because they where a big part of our scramble history
regards
david
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Bantams; now, that is vintage. ;D
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It might be Vintage but it ain't cheap ;).........
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/BSA-Bantam_W0QQitemZ160321368901QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Motorcycle_Parts_Accessories?hash=item160321368901&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318
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Here's an interesting little jewell, spotted at the Nepean 50th Anniversary meeting on the weekend. It's an early version of Ray Doles string of Victa lawn mower powered machines. This one has a Victa top end grafted to a Bantam bottom end.
The later bike that Ray had at CD6 had a complete Victa engine and is the only Aussie made bike to win an Aussie title, the '62 125 motocross and dirt track titles.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1062154/nepean%2050th%20anniversary%20003.jpg)
Below:Here's Ray's other Victa, this one has twin pumper carbys and is a complete Victa engine. While the engine is far more advanced in this one, the chassis/suspension is more primitive so I'm not sure which bike came first.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1062154/victa%20dole.jpg)
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Wow that is a nice looking bike. Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is that pipe ending just under the bike very impressive thanks Michael.
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Your eyes aren't playing tricks Frosty, Its a dump pipe.
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of to the dump i go to try and find one ;D
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This one reminds me of the first lightweight track bike I raced, around 1965 after giving up with my Aerial 500 twin(shackle heel rear end, try that on a scramble track). It was a 197 James, with a motor which had seen service in a go cart, so was quite heavily ported. The megaphone exhaust made it incredibly load, but it could hang with the bigger bikes on a scrambles track, easier to ride. My first vision of the future!! It would make a very competitive pre60 bike today - might have to fit some sort of muffler though.
Mike
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Hows this one grab you? It's "Marulan" Ray Atkins great resto of the Bill Morris Bantam that terrorised the 125s back in the 50s/early 60s. Photographed in Kamp Kevlar at CD4. Ironically the Victa of Ray Dole and this bike were arch rivals in their day and it's refreshing to see them both survive.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1062154/bantam%20ray2.jpg)
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1062154/bantam%20ray.jpg)
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What a splendid idea.
The BSA Bantam was the mainstay in 125cc scramble (and road race) competition in the 1950's and early 1960's.
There would still be a fair number of machines available for rebuilding and competition.
Photos of my Bantam in the early 1960's, and of a current machine in my collection.
Lets have them out for Broadford.
(http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv145/rarpos7/ScrambleBantam.jpg)
(http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv145/rarpos7/DSCF0104.jpg)
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What a splendid idea
Dave, as much as old farts like you and I can fondly remember when Bantams were still buzzing around our tracks, it's a big ask to think that anybody outside of our age bracket would be interested in racing them. As we've seen with other classes you rarely get people interested in divisions of racing that they can't directly relate to. It's tough enough to get todays vintage racers to even look at anything older than 1980 let alone thinking they'd be remotely interested in building and racing something as primitive as a Beeza Bantam.
We floated the idea of a 100cc dunger class on this forum a while ago and after the cyber excitement died down, only a small few had actually committed themselves to actually building a bike. If something as simple as that, using cheap and easily procurable bikes falls on its arse through lack of committment, you'd be 'wrestling rhinos' thinking you'd get support for a Bantam only series. Sadly Dave, I fear that the bikes from our generation will soon be destined for the 'lunch time demo' class. :'(
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Or, you could get the class going and set up some juniors on them, sought of like a feeder class for our kids or grand kids, just get them on the track. Mix then in with the 100 dunger class if need be.
We need more blokes like Ron Ash from Dalby, he owns the EML we race and is far happier seening it out racing than sitting in his shed so where are all the oldies like him?
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there was nothing could compare to the sound of the first race of the day at bathurst when sitting up at Mcphillamy park this gaggle of screaming bantams appeared out of the mist like a bunch of angry hornets, raw methanol dripping off the lips of open ended megaphones.[no two exhaust systems were the same!] You had to be there. cheers wally.
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We need more blokes like Ron Ash from Dalby, he owns the EML we race and is far happier seening it out racing than sitting in his shed so where are all the oldies like him?
In theory EML you've offered up a good plan to get the young blokes out there on old bikes. To you and me it makes good sense BUT unfortunately, the majority of todays younger riders would rather roll in dog shit than ride something as primitive as a Bantam. I've been sponsoring riders on my bikes for years and know from trying that the juniors aren't a bit interested in our old bikes.
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I would be happy to race one. But I know I am one of few younger guys interested I rode in the Benalla vinduro I had to be the youngest guy there and it didnt matter what bike you were on everyone was having fun my little brother isn't interested though he has a 96 kx80.
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Ken Rumble Australia's Greatest allrounder and the Walsh Bantam.
(http://i38.tinypic.com/71mvf8.jpg)
A famous photo of Ken Rumble on the the Walsh Bantam, winning the Victorian all powers title at St Helena, in 1952. It was Rumbles first ride on the Bantam.
(http://i33.tinypic.com/f026c4.jpg)
A very cool shot
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Quote:What a splendid idea.
The BSA Bantam was the mainstay in 125cc scramble (and road race) competition in the 1950's and early 1960's.
There would still be a fair number of machines available for rebuilding and competition.
Photos of my Bantam in the early 1960's, and of a current machine in my collection.
Lets have them out for Broadford.
Bring it on ALLBRIT and bring some mates with ya to Broadford.The more in the 65 and under class the better we are 8) Trophy time ;D
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I'd build a trick Bantam at the drop of a hat if I thought there'd be a hope of this happening. I know where I can get a 175 Bushmaster that's got Honda SL175 forks and Greeves wheels. Someone had plans of making a racer out of it in the late 60's but abandoned it and sold it to a relative of a mate for a carton of piss about 15 years ago.
After the 100 dunger class fade away I won't get my hopes up.
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Not just the Bantam's,but all pre 65 and under class are welcome at Broadford 2010 Nats aren't they ???
more the merrier 8)
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Ken Rumble Australia's Greatest allrounder and the Walsh Bantam.
(http://i33.tinypic.com/f026c4.jpg)
A very cool shot
at ravenswood to if i remember correctly (no I'm not that old , just remember the pic)
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I have a vision of some 10 or 12 yr olds doing a demo on Batams/dungers at Broadford, can we make it happen.
The Flying Flea frame and tank etc... is currently at the painters, but the motor and forks will be cruncher as neither have moved a millimeter in 30 yrs!! and the wheel/rims/spokes are just about forked but- hey - who says it's a race.
Best we revist the 'terms and conditions' of Dungers. Are they 100 road bike based or semi trail bikes. ag bikes or bits of all of the above??
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i have only seen 2 bantams race
first one was raced and built by charlie edwards it was fast those new bultarcos didnt see which way it went.
the second was when i was classic road racing in 80s.it was built in newcastle and sounded like a yz125.whent like one as well.back the (and still now if it looks period in the outside its ok)
cheers
jim
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G'day viewers a few years ago I bought a DT1 that was owned by a bloke back in the 70s his name was Jimmy Smithurst he owned a enginering place in Taren point N.S.W The bloke selling the bike told me that Jimmy had built and raced a Bantam back in the 60s to 70s and it even had a recored on some race track ? it would be nice to see what happened to the Bantam as the DT1 that Jimmy built is fast.jimson
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This 10yr old would be rapt doing the demo laps at Broadford :) Only problem is he's now 52 :-\
(http://i35.tinypic.com/20qxo3t.jpg)
March 1968
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ok .so the 52 yr olds go first to warm up then their grand kids go out to race-sounds good to me
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I feel that there should be a class for the bantam, the class will be open, up to 175 cc l don`t think they made the bantam engines any larger, their are quite a few of them being built or have been built. Rob Watson, stewart Young they have nice ones in their flock, in this class l would allow up to 198cc villiers engine only. They are true classic bikes as well as you can see in the photo`s, l personlly cut my teeth at the age of 6 on a 125 bantam, and a norman 145cc scrambler, and then my brother made me a honda/villa, Honda press steel frame with a 198cc engine a great bike at the time. And sure they need to be moderfied to make them run better or go in bit harder, nothing wrong with that they did that back in the 50`s and 60`s, For example the walsh bantam. And their should not be any cut off dates for these bikes.
We need to get back to our grass roots, l think the vintage movement has lost it way. The whole vintage / classic thing needs some changes.
An even better idea and I have the perfect bike for the class.
A Bantam frame fitted with C11 BSA forks and front wheel, and a Villiers 197cc motor. Just needs a tidy up.
(http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv145/rarpos7/DSCF0028.jpg)
(http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv145/rarpos7/DSCF0027.jpg)
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Albrit, class or no class that bike deserves a tart up and to have a run. You got 9 months for CD7 ;) :D.
In fact I would even 'tart' it up I would detail it and keep it's patina. It looks fairly complete. (Although I would be tempted to modify that gear lever (what were they thinking ::) :))
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My first bike was a Bantam ;D i raced it in schoolboys in the UK in the early 70s will see if i can find some pics :) My Dad and i were always modifying it looking for a bit more power ;D they were great times . I now own a 1969 175 bushman model just for posterity :)
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Number 22?? So this is Chad's new ride for 2010! ;D
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What a great little piece of history Dave. I agree with Graeme, tidy it up but don't even consider restoring it. There are too many stories in those scratches and dings. But, you'd have to be on some heavy duty narcotics to even think you'd want to actually race motocross that bike Dave. I reckon it's spiritual home is on the dirt track at the next Broadford Bonanza.