My first motorcycle

Calabash · Jan 29, 2007

I went through some old photos the other day and ran into some old pics of my first motorcycle when I was in the Navy. It was a 1968 BSA Lightning, I wanted to see if I could scan the photo and post it here:

I once rode it from Atlanta to Charleston SC and had to stop every two hours or so to make the numbness go out of my arms because of all the vibration...ahhh memories.

There were no baffles in it and you could hear it for blocks away. I broke the primary chain on it 20 miles outside of Charleston, one of my friends who was on the ship with me used to be a Hell's Angel came and repaired my bike for me, just can't make up stories like that.

exskibum · Jan 29, 2007

LMAO!!!!

My first "big" street bike was a '69 BSA Thunderbolt 650 -- bought it about this time of year in 1972. (Single carb instead of the Lightning's 2 carbs.) I have some pics after I ruined it by chopping it, but they're on 35 mm slides. I molded the frame, put a Sportster tank on it, chrome struts (gotta love a rigid hard ride with a custom, button infested, nearly unpadded seat), laced a 16" chrome rim from a Harley cop bike onto the rear hub (seems they were both 40 spokes, unlike a Triumph, but whatever it was, I know the Beezer hub and Harley rim worked together, even if the lace pattern might have been different) , installed a chrome wrap around oil tank for a Harley, polished the cases and valve covers, chrome sissy bar, etc. NOBODY knew what the hell it was I was riding with that polished valve cover and Sportster tank. 'Twas good for getting layed on Friday and Saturday nights by 18 and 19 year old girls at parties we'd ride to -- drunk and stupid, of course (us and them, that is).

I rode that Beezer to Pine Flats reservoir from L.A. with a couple friends on a '66 Sportster and a '47 Knucklehead, and *I* was the one BEGGING to trade off from the vibration. (8 hour ride or so, as I recall.) Man, you NAILED it -- you could NOT ride 2 hours and still feel your hands!!! BTW, how many Zenor Diodes did you go through, and how many nights did YOU have to ride relying on the headlights of friends' bikes because the damned Zenor Diode shorted out AGAIN?!?!?

Coming back from Pine Flats Reservoir on I-5 on a hot day, I blew a hole in the right piston from detonation as I climbed the Grapevine and had to rebuild the engine. Which leads me to the other fun memory: Whitworth tools!!!

The bikes were cool as a collector's piece, but anyone who tells me we aren't living in the golden age of motorcycle technology now impresses me as either being relatively new to motorcycles or someone with NO sense of gratitude.

Al of that having been said, that is a very cool pic of a classic bike. I think Radman is going to be along soon, because, as I recall it, he, too has been steeped in the Beezer experience.

madmike2 · Jan 29, 2007

exskibum said:
LMAO!!!!
I molded the frame, put a Sportster tank on it, chrome struts (gotta love a rigid hard ride with a custom, button infested, nearly unpadded seat).........

.......Which leads me to the other fun memory: Whitworth tools!!!

The bikes were cool as a collector's piece, but anyone who tells me we aren't living in the golden age of motorcycle technology now impresses me as either being relatively new to motorcycles or someone with NO sense of gratitude.

:yahoo: :clapping:

OMG....I had a Triumph 500 chopped the same way. Only I had a 6" over Sportster front end and a set of "TT" pipes, the kind that went under the engine and "Wyed" at the rear tire. That bike did "hum" (throb, shake, vibrate, etc.).

Thanks for stirring the memories.

Calabash · Jan 30, 2007

exskibum said:
BTW, how many Zenor Diodes did you go through, and how many nights did YOU have to ride relying on the headlights of friends' bikes because the damned Zenor Diode shorted out AGAIN?!?!?
The bikes were cool as a collector's piece, but anyone who tells me we aren't living in the golden age of motorcycle technology now impresses me as either being relatively new to motorcycles or someone with NO sense of gratitude.

Al of that having been said, that is a very cool pic of a classic bike. I think Radman is going to be along soon, because, as I recall it, he, too has been steeped in the Beezer experience.

Thanks exskibum, I'd love to see a picture of your bike.

I seem to remember changing the bulb a lot when I rode it. The light was not that good at night, my friend who replaced the primary chain worked until dusk and I rode back to town at night with the fog hanging low. He and our friends followed me in his Dodge Charger and he turned on his brights so I could see into the foggy night. Being 20 years old and very stupid, I was so happy I got the bike running again I ran back faster than I should have. My friend claimed I was going up to 100 on some of the straightaways at night. I just shake my head and think about how God watches out over drunks and children...