Classic trials bike like a BSA Victor Special B44?
Discussion
A VS is definitely more scrambler than trials bike.
The Victor was followed by the oil-in-frame B25/B50.
The early 70s Triumph Trophy had a T100 engine in the B50 chassis.
Before trials and MX bikes became specialized, every British manufacturer made road-going(ish) competition bikes - trials bikes, scramblers, and desert racers.
Off the top of my head:
Triumph TR5/6 Trophy
BSA B32/34
BSA Gold Star
Ariel HS/HT
Matchless G3LC(S) and the AJS equivalents
Matchless G80CS and G85CS
Matchless G15CS and Norton N15CS
Norton Nomad
Velocette Scrambler
Loads of Villiers-engined 2-strokes.
And that's without the street scramblers.
My personal favourites are the late '60s AMC bikes, like this G85CS
The Victor was followed by the oil-in-frame B25/B50.
The early 70s Triumph Trophy had a T100 engine in the B50 chassis.
Before trials and MX bikes became specialized, every British manufacturer made road-going(ish) competition bikes - trials bikes, scramblers, and desert racers.
Off the top of my head:
Triumph TR5/6 Trophy
BSA B32/34
BSA Gold Star
Ariel HS/HT
Matchless G3LC(S) and the AJS equivalents
Matchless G80CS and G85CS
Matchless G15CS and Norton N15CS
Norton Nomad
Velocette Scrambler
Loads of Villiers-engined 2-strokes.
And that's without the street scramblers.
My personal favourites are the late '60s AMC bikes, like this G85CS
Edited by gareth_r on Monday 15th July 03:02
Bit Tricky as a lot of them are rebuilt with modern parts. Go along to a few Classic Trials and see what's about and if it suits what you want to do with it. Somebody is always selling to fund another bike.
This One
Is for sale at the moment. It's at £1850 at the moment and it's not perfect. A perfect old Triumph or BSA is close to £5000.
This One
Is for sale at the moment. It's at £1850 at the moment and it's not perfect. A perfect old Triumph or BSA is close to £5000.
Edited by telecat on Monday 22 September 12:59
Anything with "classic" in the description will cost, and if it has "competition" in the description it will cost even more. 
Practically any British single will potter and do green lanes with the right tyres. If anything, a Victor would be a bit "sharp" for either because it has (comparatively) light flywheels and high compression. How about an Enfield Bullet, either Royal or Indian?
EDIT:
Assuming the advert is truthful, that AJS looks like a right bargain unless either the price shoots up in the next 4 hours, or the "no reserve" auction is nothing of the sort. The 1951 registration might be a bit dodgy, though, since it's a one-off frame.
Practically any British single will potter and do green lanes with the right tyres. If anything, a Victor would be a bit "sharp" for either because it has (comparatively) light flywheels and high compression. How about an Enfield Bullet, either Royal or Indian?
EDIT:
Assuming the advert is truthful, that AJS looks like a right bargain unless either the price shoots up in the next 4 hours, or the "no reserve" auction is nothing of the sort. The 1951 registration might be a bit dodgy, though, since it's a one-off frame.
Edited by gareth_r on Monday 22 September 16:19
This is what you need - but not on a tight budget
http://www.naddervalleyclassics.co.uk/index.asp?se...
http://www.naddervalleyclassics.co.uk/index.asp?se...
telecat said:
Bit Tricky as a lot of them are rebuilt with modern parts. Go along to a few Classic Trials and see what's about and if it suits what you want to do with it. Somebody is always selling to fund another bike.
This One
Is for sale at the moment. It's at £1850 at the moment and it's not perfect. A perfect old Triumph or BSA is close to £5000.
Ended at £5,500.This One
Is for sale at the moment. It's at £1850 at the moment and it's not perfect. A perfect old Triumph or BSA is close to £5000.
Nice helpful info there from Gareth....
The prices for classic British scramble and trials bikes are going through the roof at the moment, even nice trials cubs are fetching 3k.......I sold a nice one for £12 in 1970.
441 Victors, (both scramblers and Roadsters) are also desirable, although in truth they were nothing special, just a beefed uo Starfire engine with slightly heavy heavier duty internals.
BSA used to sell them on the back of Jeff Smith's scramble successes in the mid sixties.
I used to own a Victor roadster (previously Shooting Star) in the late sixties, (With a glass fibre tank).....nice bike, although I have a copy of Motorcycle Mechanics from the period, when they tested one,.... slated it and called it a "dinosaur"
The prices for classic British scramble and trials bikes are going through the roof at the moment, even nice trials cubs are fetching 3k.......I sold a nice one for £12 in 1970.
441 Victors, (both scramblers and Roadsters) are also desirable, although in truth they were nothing special, just a beefed uo Starfire engine with slightly heavy heavier duty internals.
BSA used to sell them on the back of Jeff Smith's scramble successes in the mid sixties.
I used to own a Victor roadster (previously Shooting Star) in the late sixties, (With a glass fibre tank).....nice bike, although I have a copy of Motorcycle Mechanics from the period, when they tested one,.... slated it and called it a "dinosaur"
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff