Superb job! I owned a '71 Thunderbolt a few years ago, which was basically a Triumph Tiger 650 rolling frame with the differences being the BSA engine, decals & paint job. Yours goes even further - the only BSA parts are the tank badges!
I grew up around these bikes when they came out, and everyone liked them, except they were always having rebuilds at low mileages. BSA, Triumph and Norton. All good handling except no reliability. It was said they got too much power from basically a 1930s 500 twin. I went to buy a BSA 500 trail in 1972 and the factory had closed down. So I only rode them as test rides after that. My dream bike in the late 60s was a BSA Lightning. The ad showed a young guy with his girlfriend at a fair in the UK. I could feel that machine transporting me.
This bike is better then new from the factory!Some people can give these lovely motorcycles a second life and I’m sure that you one of them!A Wheeler Dealer like Edd China,but this time for motorcycles!Deep respect and thank’s for uploading!Greetings from the Netherlands!
At first, as it is an anomaly, I was tempted to dress her as a true triumph, but I thought it would not be correct. What I did were changes in the fenders, the tail light and the exhaust system. At the end of the video you can see another totally original T65
A great video great bike I tried a rebuild like that 10 to one over bore 3 went like a jet till I reached 80mph then blew a piston when I pulled it down a big hole in the top of the piston you did a beautiful job
I never liked the oil in frame models, I was the owner of a 70 bonnie. Watching this video has made me fall in love with these bikes, post 70. I would love to own that model as its actually a triumph with BSA badging. I reckon this will eventually be a highly collectible bike, I mean more than it already is. Thank you Sir. Beautiful work!
I had one of these. After havin a 68, a 70 and a 71 the 1972 was the best of the lot. Still vibrated like crazy but it handled so much better than the other bikes. Next bike was a K1 Honda. Like going from an MG to a Maserati. Cheers.
I enjoyed seeing the work, had a 72 tiger 650 in 74, I remember triumph rebadged the trident to a lighting bsa, I didn't know these were rebadged, I had a 72 Norton 750 commando in the same era, Exellent work you did..
@@LoscarMotorcycles The South Australian Police had some in their fleet. They used bsa A65's. I would pass the police barracks on the way to school and drool over all the parked BSA bikes and then I noticed, hang on what are those? same Tank, different engine?
What a beautiful motorcycle. You have brought it back to life. Watching you is such a pleasure. I've read other reviews from other motorcycles you have brought back from the grave. You are a Master Craftsman. Thank You for sharing your passion. 6/14/22.
Had a BSA 441 Victor. A wonderful bike except I fought Lucas, the Prince of Darkness, every damn day. The Whitworth nuts and bolts weren't exactly a thrill either. But when it ran, it ran like a gem. Torque personified.
How handsome, I didn't know these existed. I worked at BSA dealers in Kansas and in N.Y. state in the '60s and '70s. You really had your hands full, such messy old bits and you did them up good..!!
I just finished putting a '72 bonnie engine in a '77 bonnie frame. Fired it up last week...first start in 30 years! It was in several boxes in a chicken house when I bought it 20 years ago.
As a life long BSA enthusiast and can remember them when they were new, this badge engineering horrified me. It’s a beautiful bike and the restoration is a credit to you, but it’s a Triumph TR6 and not a Thunderbolt. The only thing BSA is the tank badge.
wow, well done, like it had just come out of the factory! Took me back to 1974 when I bought my Triumph Tiger 650 (same bike really and the single carb made it much better to run).👍
This is a great story. Thanks for doing it. This is definitely one of those bikes that "fell through the cracks" as I don't even remember it from that time period; the real Last Call for BSA.
I've a BSA LIGHTNING with a THUNDERBOLT top end. Wrapped it up in storage 2 years ago. Health problems. Before then I,being a owner of Many Triumphs and BSA s rode it around HARLEYS for fun!
At 62 am I to old to become the sorcerers apprentice?, I would love to have a fraction of your skill set. Thank you for giving these beautiful bikes a new lease of life, love the lines and sound of those exhausts. Keep working your magic. 👍❤✌
I'm sorry but I'm not 62 years old !! 😄 Very soon I will be 70 years old and you will understand the meaning of my comment. Fortunately I am very well and I plan to spend a long time enjoying this passion. Thanks a lot for your note. Best regards, loscar.😊 ✌️
I found this a fabulous video. Well done Loscar ! My Triumph is a 71' 120, so apart from your example possibly having 5 gears , and your front drum looking a little different to the BSA designed conical on mine , I'm guessing it is the same design. Like a lot of riders, we like to think we could do a few basic jobs, and show mechanical sympathy, but by watching a project like this one can appreciate just what skill and dedication goes into a proper rebuild, whatever the model. I'll be subscribing !
Noting like a BSA twin, Triumph and Norton maybe come close, but I prefer a BSA. You have a beautiful bike one that anyone would love to own. Ride safe and enjoy every journey.
Fantastic. I keep watching over and over. I have on here in Australia where they were also sent for South Aust police. Same as yours with conical brake. How did you fit the new brake with out the anchor? that is my only problem so far.
I restored one that is now in the National Motorcycle Museum (UK). In 1972 BSA couldn't fulfil an international order for police motorcycles and Triumph supplied 265 TR6 oil in frame models rebadged as BSA Thunderbolts to cover the order. No Triumph badging or numbers appeared on the outside of the bike anywhere. Apparently the Australian importers went to court over the order saying that they received Triumphs not BSA. Note the 1969/70 front brake in the later oil in frame forks. Some of the bikes were shipped to the Saudi and Spanish police forces.
That a motorcycle repaired by you, is in the National Motorcycle Museum, is to congratulate you John.👏👏👏 Thank you very much, for your interesting comment and thank you for watching my videos 😊 Best wishes, Loscar 👍✌
@Loscar Motorcycles Merci pour la réponse. J’oubliais de mentionner que la trame sonore est excellente. On dirait presqu’elle été composée pour votre film. 😎
Was also told they had used Japanese main bearings and the vibes in the engine shot them to pieces plus at that time the factory was in revolt and some of the bikes were actually deliberately put together to fail as a revenge to the the management😥
It´s grea machine!!! I like it so much! Trabajo excellente,seňor Carlos!! It´s mixture of parts of different models,but looks good(Front brake and exhaust silencers are from older ,not oil -in-frame model...1968-1973, and why BSA tank ,but Triumph engine?),but never mind,I enjoyed your excellent work as usual!Thanks!
So as you can read in the video,Triumph built in augustus 1972 also their 650 Tr6 but relabeled 264 bikes with BSA badges and sell them as a T65 Thunderbolt.The drum front brake,the exhaust silencers and the exhaust pipes without balance pipe are different from original(the craftsman explains in the video),in mine opinion more authentic than the disc front brake.The last year they built BSA A65 and Triumph Tr6/T120 with separate oil tank was 1970 with(both!)different frames!From 1971 they had the same oil in frame!Greetings!
All this crap aside, I took a 1973 TRIUMPH TIGER 750 bored it to .060 over to clean up the top end. Ported and flowed the head, Thanks,JACKS Motorcycle Shop in TULSA. Replaced parts with lighter ones. Flattrack bars, OIF. Quick throttle. Bates solo seat,Bates teardrop headlight. Carlisle flattrack tire up front, big sticky Dunlop in back. LIVED ON IT FOR 2 YEARS! I now have a 71 BSA A65L with a THUNDERBOLT TOP END. Any buyers? $3k. OKC. OK. 400 3667.
Stunning bike, lovely job, but is that the correct front brake? I thought the Oil in frame bikes had conical hubs. That front brake looks like a '68 to '70 Bonneville. Did they build them like this from new?
@@SteveInskip He is correct its a genuine T65 , its a Triumph alright but badged at the factory as a BSA because a couple overseas customers only used BSA , Triumph and BSA had merged but the BSA side had folded up so the badge engineered T65 was a ploy by Triumph to get much needed sales, I've looked into it because i've restored 2 T65's that were rebadged as Triumphs again for the police force in Barbados, 4 ordered and 3 remain, i have the last one to do at a later time, the original batch of bikes was 264 bikes produced.
At 2:22 you point out the 3 oil drain back holes. At 4:58 you are filling the primary drive oil. Did you leave the drain back holes? Or did you plug them up and go with separate oil in the primary? Did you replace the conical front hub? Or did BSA stick with the 1968 -1970 front hub and brakes? Nice job fabricating the exhaust system!
Friend Charles: The function of these three holes is to relax the compression of gases in the crankcase, to the volume of the primary chain block, with exit to the outside through a hose. I only point them out for being a peculiarity of these engines and having to be clean. All T65s had these nice eight-inch front brakes. Thank you very much for watching my videos. Best regards. Loscar👍
Hi Charles, They were created at the factory 😊 In 1970 the old, insufficient and sometimes problematic crankcase venting system was discarded, through a kind of rotary valve installed on the left end of the intake camshaft. The replacement basically consisted of integrating the crankcase to the primary chain casing, as a second chamber adding "three little holes" under the bench, as a way to dilute the compression effect. I hope I have clarified the question. Thanks for asking and best regards. Loscar ✌️
@@LoscarMotorcycles Actually, they removed the oil seal on the left side of the crankshaft to allow common breathing between the engine and the primary. Those 3 little holes are there so that the primary does not "over fill" with oil. Those holes allow excess oil in the primary to drain back into the crankcase. That is why they are in a horizontal line. That is the correct oil level for the primary.
@@charleskuss8538 Hi Charles. I had not thought of it that way, but I must admit that what you say makes a lot of sense🙄 Thanks for your interesting comment friend. Best regards. Loscar 👍✌
Only thing, youve the wrong muffler barrels, Tail light housing isn't correct, chrome cover for the 8 inch tls is missing, and youve the wrong front fender and stays, I've restored 2 of the again rebadged variant that came to the Royal Barbados Police Force, theyre rebadged as Triumph T65 and have another in parts to one day restore so that will be 3 out of the 4 that were shipped here. P.S. , Thanks for saving another one, and great job.
In this video the said they made 264 T65.. Down here in South Australia our police force had these last British bikes in their fleet, I wouldn`t say they had the 264 ..but I would say maybe 100.. & was told some also went to Trinidad & possibly other smaller countries..? I have a photo of a T65 SA Police bike with Wind Screen & Panniers..
Hi Daryl, there is little information on these bikes. It is known that there were 264 and that the main batch was exported for the Australian police and it is true of some more motorcycles to other destinations but very few. Thanks for comment. Best wishes, Loscar
Had many British bikes over the years, never again. Went to Kawasaki never looked back. Thankfully the Japanese make reliable bikes and are not still experimenting with the square wheel.
