BSA BANTAM
In the ’50s and ’60s this was the bike everyone learnt to ride on – and the one that everyone learnt to fix. In the 21st century it makes an ideal beginner’s course in classic bikes
RICK SAYS I didn’t learn on a Bantam; I was 21 when I found a seized ‘71 B175 for a tenner. On paper it’s the best Bantam, but for me it felt too bland and modern – like a Japanese 125. I definitely prefer the quirkiness of earlier models.
The Bantam is the biggest-selling British bike ever, and the reasons that made it a hit in the ’50s and ’60s are the same things that make it attractive to British bike virgins today. Bantams are slow, but also cheap, simple, good looking and easy to ride – an ideal introduction to Whitworth fasteners, Amal carburettors, ineffective brakes and the world of the autojumble.
A reputation for unreliability is mostly due to years of bodging – it is possible to make them virtually bulletproof. Bantams have been used for epic transcontinental journeys, and are regularly ridden by Sam Browne-belted, British Two-stroke Club members between Land’s End and John O’groats. Modern two-stroke oil and unleaded petrol have helped reliability, too, consigning the legendary ‘whiskered plug’ to history.
Riding one is almost entirely intuitive (albeit with a right-foot gearchange), feeling more like a bicycle than a modern motorcycle. For 21st-century bike riders looking for an alternative motorcycling experience and a way into the world of classics, a Bantam is
the cheapest, most practical choice.
Its heart is an air-cooled, single-cylinder two-stroke that lacks a separate oil tank and pump, so two-stroke oil has to be mixed with petrol – easy enough to do. Early 125cc models were painfully slow, but 150cc and 175cc models followed, and the gearbox went from three to four speeds. The first D1 models were rigid, plunger rear suspension was offered from 1950, and the first swingarm models appeared in 1956. A second swingarm frame was introduced in 1959. Early 125s will struggle to get past 40mph, but late 175s should cruise at 50-55, so are more practical for use on 21st century roads. BSA made 400,000 Bantams, so they’re not hard to find. The GPO bought thousands of bikes that were used to deliver telegrams. Obviously the Bantam was built as a cheap, ride-towork bike. Most were ridden hard and passed through several (increasingly careless) owners before being abandoned in a shed. Restoration projects are usually utterly worn out, and many restored bikes are made up of mismatched parts from various machines. Make the assumption that project bikes will need every bearing and bush replacing, and expect a restored bike to need remedial work. But don’t let either scenario put you off too much. Either keep looking for a better bike, or beat the price down.
LOOK FOR
CENTRESTANDS with worn feet and pivots.
EASY STARTING problems, especially from hot, can mean ignition problems or worn-out crankcase oil seals.
GOOD TINWARE – while there’s an abundance of bikes and spares, good original tinware is getting rarer.
ALSO LOOK AT
Triumph Tiger Cub, James Comet, Yamaha FS1-E, Ducati Cucciolo