Starting for first time in many years a BSA B50MX & 441 Victor Special vintage motorcycle. as of June 2021 they are both for sale at Ikes Motorcycles in Richmond Indiana (765)962-3683
I was a motorcycle mechanic at a Triumph, Norton, BSA dealership. I had a customer come by with a BSA 441 Victor in the back of his truck. We unloaded it and I got a ticket out to write up the service. I asked "what does it need?" He said "everything! Do what you need to do. I can't get it started. I just bought it. I heard it run so I know it runs but I just can't start it." I looked it over and said "let me try." I went through the drill gas on, carb tickled till gas ran out, kicked it through a couple of times to get a charge of gas in the cylinder, kicked it slowly until I found the compression stroke and then kept kicking to get the piston just over top dead center. I turned the key on and gave it a good kick and it fired right up. I thought the customer would be pleased but he was pissed. It's a trick! "He sputtered." "yes it's a trick but I can teach you how to do it." I went through the drill with him, told him the principle and had him practice. He never got it to start but he loaded the bike and took it home. An hour later I got a call at the shop. He was so excited. He had learned to start it and was so happy.
There was a boy in our neighborhood back in Ohio, whose grandfather owned an old automotive/truck garage, the wooden dirt floor type, and had a BSA 441 Victor. We could hear him coming a mile away and when he rode it in the neighborhood he NEVER had the front wheel on the ground. He'd ride the length on the roads in wheelie mode.....he didn't need a front wheel.....LOL! Good Stuff...thanks for the memories.
Around 1974/1975 in the UK there was BSA B50MX American specification bike in my local motorcycle shop . It had a yellow tank , one into 2 exhaust and sat unsold for about 2 years , it cost £360 then .
I had a Victor way back when, kitted to 500cc and fitted with a down pipe and reverse-cone megaphone. Bit tricky to start when cold, but it made great sounds! Alas, it didn't handle very well, had average (for the time, meaning mediocre) suspension and LOUSY brakes. But it sounded and looked great, and it was 1969, so my standards weren't very cultivated yet. I sold it and bought a new CB450, the second generation one with the pretty tank and disc brake. Kept it for a long time, upgraded the suspension, exhaust and tires/wheels and put over 80,000 miles on it. I'll bet it's still running someplace...not very likely so with the Beezer. Still, it did look and sound good...
I liked my B50mx a lot, it had the Krisman California 1-2 forestry exhaust. Was factory ported to a 32mm Amal a lot of fake MX that are B50 will have a 30mm.
I have a 73 b50mx that makes the same popping on deceleration. Not sure what the root cause is or even if I should care. I read that it could be air coming in at the carb manifold, but that's sealed decent on mine. Any insight?
10 bucks says it's where the exhaust pipe goes into the engine just take the pipe out coat it with silicone just lightly around the edge and stuff it back in it's just sucking air right there that's what the popping is
It's running a little rich. When you close the throttle it puts sunburned gas into the hot exhaust It's probably exacerbated by the head pipe leak that @JARRETT7121 mentioned. It's nothing to worry about.
