there are some really nice and interesting bikes on this thread,. These are my old girls. All intact, all running, all need a little spit and polish.
Had the AJS version of the Matchless single. This one was pretty rare, 600cc, called the Typhoon. Sitting a friend's living room now. Rode it a few times, nice bike but it wouldn't start hot, needed magneto rebuild and my friend needed it more than I did.
Bones, I can relate to your only riding your Twin Cam. I had an Ironhead, and my Shovel, and after I got an Evo powered FLTC, I hardly ever rode the old ones anymore. As much as I loved them and worked on them, they required more wrenching than riding. My Evo just goes and goes with little more than maintenance work in the spring. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I don't recall anything inherently wrong with 441s, nor any hard to find or expensive bits. Fun little bikes. The gear boxes and kick start mechanisms can be a little weak if beat on excessively as they are outgrowths of the 250s. The back half of the alloy fuel tanks were originally polished, many have been painted over due to dents. Then there is the 'Bastard Seized Again' moniker, primarily due to tightly fitted or low quality pistons. Modern 'low expansion' pistons are available which allow quieter operations and longer ring life without seizing. They are prone to detonation if the compression is too high, ignition too advanced or poor quality fuel. I've had quite a few B50s, the follow on to the 441. Here is one I took out to 600cc with disc brakes etc..
Yeah, I rode my 1979 FXS for ever,has 100,000 mileson it. When went to Sturgis several years ago, one of the wives of one of the EVO riders asked if” that old bike can keep up with us?” My friend told her to not worry about it. During the next week she continuously ask me to “ slow down” I rode like I stold it. In 2007 my son asked if he could leave his 2006 Nighttrain in my shop for the Summer? I said sure just leave the keys. It had 3000 mikes on it and I loved it, cornered like it was on rails! When he came back for his bike it had 8000 miles on it! ( and new tires). After that I had to get me a twin cam. Been riding my Dyna Wide Glide ever since. Bones
Here's some photos from my misspent youth (back in the early '90s). They show my first motorcycle, a 1964 Royal Enfield Continental 250GT that I rebuilt from a pile of bits. I was slightly confused by the first as I was sure my bike had checkered tape around the forks (classy) but I realised that my self (on the left) and the other chap (who's name I can't remember) were trying each other's bikes. This was taken at a '69 Club Classic Section meeting in London. The others were at a Rock and Roll Weekender in Hemsby, Norfolk (England, not VA). I am not sure who the girl was but she seemed to like the 'bike......… I also had a BSA A10 but can't find any decent photographs of it.
Great photos. Had a couple friends with Continental GTs, sporty little bikes. Here's a good short movie featuring a Norton cafe racer.
I've had a couple of these Guzzi El Dorados. Quirky but really nice cruisers, simple and reliable. The 90 degree V twin is ultra smooth and they loaf down the highway. This was a nice one.
Guess what - I just found a picture of my BSA in it's final form before I sold it . Taken in front of the Vulcan Bomber at East Fortune Aircraft Museum in Scotland.
My '52 BSA A10 Plunger after I sold it. Photo by current owner. Still sad about it but I just had too many vehicles at that time.
These are from the KKOA in Maggie Valley North Carolina. There are more pics on the thread that is linked in my signature.
Here is a Harley sprint 'Aermacchi' this is not a street engine these are the factory race motors from the late 60's 250 crtt in a rare Drixton Frame they were used in European circuits real road race corse's such as imola monza and Isle of man type races.
The Jalopy Journal
