In the years that have elapsed since this thread was started, and my reply to it, I'm still riding the British bikes I mentioned and both are still running beautifully.
Time, effort and money was put into them to make sure they would run that way; modern bearings, rings, oils, tires, etc., and a reasonable throttle hand makes for riding pleasure and longevity.
They attract a lot of attention everywhere I go - something like the CB that most think is a restored 750 - until I tell them otherwise or they finally look closer
I rarely hear "what year is that?" or "I had a CB750 just like yours!" Folks around here show little curiousity towards my CB, which is fine by me. Here, if you're not on a Harley or BMW GS, your choice of motorcycle is largely irrelevant.
Agreed with ferret on "One Week." It's an aspirational movie. But my favorite, without peer, is "On Any Sunday." I was awakening to motorcycles in the early '70's and can quickly relate to the bikes, characters, and locations in that movie.
(01-18-2019, 02:30 AM)Nortoon_imp Wrote: [ -> ]I owned two BSA Lightnings. Bought a used 1996 model in 1967 for $700. Rode it for a year and then took it all apart to convert it into a Paul Dunstall style café racer. Had fun leaving the Bonneville and Commando riders behind in traffic light drag races. Sold it in 1972 to buy a the Kawasaki H2 Mach 4.
Bought a 1971 BSA Lightning in the late 70s for $700. It had been made into a quasi chopper. Took it all apart and restored it with genuine BSA parts. The factory paint scheme for that year was really UGLY, so I painted mine black.
One Sunday morning I ran into a touring club group at a local donut shop. None of them knew what it was. Went for an all day ride with them. They were surprized that I had no trouble keeping up. Joined the touring club the following year and sold the BSA for $1000 so I could buy a 1980 Yamaha XS1100G.
Learned a lot about motorcycle mechanics overhauling those two BSAs. Still have fond memories of riding them and listening to the exhaust note of those beautiful sounding twins.
Another movie you might like is [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpyy8EIU8hg]ONE WEEK. It is about a young man in Toronto diagnosed with cancer that buys a Norton Commando and has heads out on the road west.
"One Week" is a humbling movie. Seen it a few times.
Wonderful flashback photo. Thank you for sharing.
I also remember the Ford Granada. They seemed to be everywhere once upon a time. I see Robert Plant looked away during the photo shoot.
Yeah, maybe right Ferret. Sorry Nortoon! But there was a time it was hard to tell apart.
lol yea we all looked like that around 1973. I have pictures of me you wouldn't believe. Skinny, bell bottoms, shoulder length hair. Looking at me now it's like, what the heck happened? lol
Fortunately, two days ago I updated my eye wear prescription.
Of course, a bit stronger lens than last time. Should have new specs by next week.
So yeah, body, eyes, hair - or lack thereof. While not everything is aged to perfection, we are all wiser, no?
I hope the CB1100 is a measure of proof.
Who said I look Robert Plant?
(yea, you tell her that)
It reminds me of when the CB 1100 is reviewed as boring. I love boring. I don't miss the excitement of having my shifter vibrate off the bike so often I carry a vice grip in my pocket. Or the simple joy of running the bike and it's dead battery down the gravel road at 7 in the morning trying to drag that bike tire enough to start, not to mention the ongoing thrill of wondering just where that oil puddle came from. Yeah I like boring...a lot.