Starting the 1954 BSA B31. 

Well done Dad for raising a fantastic daughter!

Lovely film. It really is. Thank you. More please!

A very fitting tribute to your dad. Speaking as a dad, who has a life-long association with motorcycles, I can only imagine how I would feel, if one of my children paid me such a tribute, in the future. Well done.

Thanks for the info. My B31 is still in parts.

Chapeau. Determination. Running again.

Excellent video, I’m sure dear old dads tickled to bits and there’s no mosquitoes likely to be in the garage any time soon, it may be just starting a bike, but not just any bike, it’s dads. Thanks Charlie for sharing this with us

I love the way you describe your videos! The chat about oil draining into the crankcase is lovely! Having built a lot of British bikes from bits in boxes I know what it takes to getting a motorcycle to look as good as your dad's B31. Marvellous achievement. LE.

My '55 BSA 500 single had the dry sump, but the crankcase had an overfill open drain. While the engine ran, oil returned to the oil tank. When the engine was shut down, oil in the engine would drain down, and out the overflow.

This an awsome video from start til finish, the way you told the story about your Dad and the BSA (my Dad had a 650 Thinderbolt when i was a young kid and i fell in love with it & still do today although it is long gone, my Dad is still here ) with your great description of the sump/Tea was brilliant and i learded from it as i never knew about it : ) Brilliant to see the old girl running and causing havok the way that BSA's always have.

It's funny. There are those who kick start a bike from the side and those who get aboard - admittedly easier with a decent centre stand, but not essential. I always found getting aboard and starting a bike 10x easier than standing by the side. And, if the engine kicks back you're in a better position to cushion it at the knee. But, each to their own.

Great explanation, with demonstration, of the difference between a wet sump and a dry sump system. I have the 1953 year of this very model, with the same plunger frame, up on the lift. Currently trying to get the pushrod cover gland nut off to begin an engine rebuild. Once I have it done, I'll certainly watch for the accidental wet sump situation!

Brilliant video brought back a lot of my memories, and made me laugh 😂

One of my 1st bikes was bsa bantam 125,it had the oddest lil fishtail(factory) pipes,but was still cool,even back in 1984ish👍,nice ulogy to the farther also

I love your vid so much. Been through the same situation this Spring. Got the Bitsa going in the end. Dad´s probably still laughing at me from Valhalla.

I've never watched a video with such an awesome combination of brilliant technical info and heartfelt testimonial. Bravo from this new subscriber!

What a splendid video, best explanation I've seen of dry & wet sumps - your Dad would be very proud. So glad you got the B31 started.

I really loved your wet sump/dry sump lesson! Fantastic!

God bless you girl, well done, your Dad will be looking on with pride.

Lovely video, proud dads everywhere!!!

Great video's Charlie been hooked since start, keep them coming ,👍🏍🏍x

What a brilliant video, cracking sump demo and if I were your dad I would have a good laugh yes but by the 'eck I'd be bloody proud of you and my family.

👍 I'm sure your auld da would be so chuffed!😀🏍

In the 1960s I saw a BSA B31 in someones garden obviously not being used as it had flat tyres and ivy growing through the spokes. After a bit of haggling it was mine for a few £s. Luckily there was a petrol station just over the road, so I pushed it there, pumped up the tyres and put some petrol in the tank. Before I tried to start it I cleaned the points and the spark plug and squirted some RedEx into the carb and it was soon running. Though smoking heavily due to the RedEx, I had that bike for ages and it never let me down, it was indestructible. Happy days 👍😎

I admire you and the 350 . Wish I was there to help you start the beast. I've liked BSA from childhood. Thank you for a lovely Vid.

No gym needed that day.😉😂 What a work out that was. Nice old motorcycle, nicely refurbished in memory of your father.

Best demonstration of a dry sump, ever! Great little video all together and a refreshing change from all the moto vloggers who act like they’re God’s gift to spanners. I bet your dad’s well proud of you.

I was built in 1954 too . Some days I take a bit of starting!

Knock out video, thanks for sharing.....I suffered an oil dilemma years back on a BSA twin which sent me through the rear wall of my shed. We are never to old to learn....!!!

Interesting that the dry sump oil filter on a 70 year old bike is reasily available on eBay, with a choice from several suppliers, for around £25. Yet a commonplace part for my 15 y.o. Ford Transit Connect van is no longer available.

Brilliant !!well done ,iv got one as well start it with just a tiny bit of throttle x give it a try x

Awesome work getting this going! That's a beautiful bike and it runs beautifully. I always used to struggle with starting Brit singles, and in the end I found a slight change in thinking made a difference. Originally my focus was on the top part of the kick, trying to get it fire up at the first push down, and I would have similar struggles to what you had in the video. Then (after some advice and experimentation) I focused more on the follow through, as it were. As you get to the bottom of the kick, you want the engine to have good momentum on it's next revolution, so you're really trying to shove it beyond the bottom of the stroke, so it picks up on the next go-around. It used to be call the "swinging kick", and a lot of it is down to timing and weight transfer, rather than leg strength. Just sharing what worked for me, in the hope that it helps a little. Wishing you all the best for the future with that lovely bike!

Thank you for a classic video and all the interesting information, well done to you and your family.

What a legend! 50s long stroke thumpers were never the easiest bikes to coax into life at the best of times. Just hope your dear old dad was watching down on you shouting 'go for it Gal'. Bloody brilliant!!🙂👍

Absolutely brilliant and funny, and your "tech expertise" is also bloody brilliant 😄

Thanks for the video, love the wet sumping description. Subscribed.

I have to say your dad looked like he really loved building bikes and tinkering with stuff, loved the pic of him you shared .

The joys of brit singles well done Respect

good for you lass

Very impressive! I'm glad you didn't give up!

Fabulous vid. What a great way to explain wet sumping. One quick tip from an old guy who grew up on British bikes. I find it's less effort to kick them over when you are astride the bike rather than standing at the side. Look forward to more of these.

Very good video. I can imagine your dad is laughing with a pride filled heart watching you start that BSA. Watching you struggle with that reminded me of of trying to start a Triumph Tiger I had.

I had a 1951 B31. No rear suspension. Was set up as a ‘trials bike/scrambler’. Removed a quantity of skin and hair when I went under a pear tree! Didn’t see the low lying branch! Bike kept going while I lay on the ground, semi conscious,less a quantity of said skin and hair. Eye watering!

Those way back when, if there was no oil on the ground the oil tank was empty. Have to be a little careful, may have leaked into the crankcase.

Loved this - subscribed!

Fantastic, really love the explanation of the wet and dry sump.

my dry sump Norton used to slowly drain back from the oil tank down to the engine sump. I never bothered trying to fix it. I simply would kick start the bike even if the sump was full of oil and let the engine pump it back into the oil tank. of course smoke would billow and roar out of the exhaust when doing this

thinking and looking chair, class

Used to love riding my B31 plunger, brightened my day up on the way to work and would take a 5min detour on the way home, cheered me up no end just riding that bike but sadly let it go in the end because the timing kept slipping.

Awww that was a lovely wee video about your dad and your family rebuilding the bike. Well done getting it started as well. 👍

Great explanation of a dry / wet sump. Brilliant demo with the Tea! 10/10 on efforts for starting it!

Love it Well done

Great video, thank you so much 👍

I love the oil sump example

Just came across your video, I am sure your Dad was looking down feeling very proud. Thank you for the illustration of dry wet sump, better than any diagram I have ever seen. I have accepted I am getting older and am am R.E. Interceptor rider. Take care.

Well done! I remember those days of kick starting my old bikes. So good to now have electric starter! :-)

In your dads memory.. Well done on you for keeping the bikes going .enjoy them

Very interesting watch. Your effort and explanations of the oil wet/dry sump and getting the old girl started. Well done.😊👍

What a workshop!!! Great effort starting a beautiful bike.

Love this video great explanation of a Dry & Wet sump! Lol!

Brilliant memories tickling, kick, sweat, rest and repeat over n over n over till knackered lol. Glad to see you had your boots on for kicking. Enjoy your well deserved cuppa now. Tony

What a beautiful machine. I loved the whole story. Your doing dad proud.

I did laugh when the caption came up "This is when the penny should have dropped" :) . Many people have made this same mistake on my more modern Honda single dry sump engine ! Luckily I had someone to tell me, otherwise I would probably have also overfilled it.

Well done, that looked like alot of fun & yes iv‘e had my fair share of kicking over old British bikes.

Well done! My first bike was a BSA.

That Brings back memories of my dad, he used to have a BSA about the same age as that one, thank you for the great memories, my dad would have loved seeing this video!

Cracking video Charlie well done , not easy was it but again well done ride safe

Bless you, your family and your dad. What a lovely video. A brilliant tribute. Thank heavens for today's wet dumps eh 💙

Well done... You got there! I've stopped shouting helpful hints at the screen now..... What a lovely wee B 31.... They're a really nice bike and should give you many hours of fun...

Hi Charlie Your Dad would be very proud of you and your family for restoring that lovely old bike of his, well done 👍. Great explanation of the wet and dry sump, had no idea how they worked before your demonstration. Unfortunately I got a right rollicking from my wife for spilling tea all over the dinning room table when I tried to explain it to her 😂 🤣😊. Thanks for sharing 👍

I'm looking forward to seeing you ride it! Please keep me posted. Thank you.

Absolutely excellent, thank you. Yes, I laughed. Feeling rather smug now. My C15 rotted away in a garage for 18 years. After one year working on this barnfind I fired her up (not the first kick) and minimal smoke. Anyway, a great bike - enjoy.

Hilarious! Great video.

What a delightful video Charlie, and oh the joys of wet sumping! My 73 year old Norton, 'Nora', is proficient at it, bless her! Your dad will be much amused looking down at your antics, and touched deeply no doubt.

My Dad had a b31 1957 when I was a Young boy. The sound of the kickstarting and the engine brought back special memories 😀😍

A wonderful tribute to your dad.

Thanks for a look into the past

nice - enjoy your rest days ! :-)

Only just discovered your channel because of my interest in RE 350s. Split between the 2 and now they are about to launch the Hunter. That was a outstanding explanation of wet sump engines. Looking forward to more of your excellent down to earth content. Thank you. PS. Had a handful of British singles back in the day. Love them.

Well done!

I had an identical B31 40 odd years ago as everyday transport. usually B31s don't wet sump as quickly as other singles, but the explanation you gave was simple indeed perfect! I wish I'd had that when younger! This is the first of your videos I've seen, and I'll be looking out for more. Thank you.

That garage is amazing

Great work! A kick start bike does make something as simple as start up seem like magic sometimes😁

Hello, this was a great video and a beautiful bike. As a 73 year old who had a B31 at 16, I felt so sorry for you trying to start yours. You could use this as an educational video, as it plainly show one of the biggest mistakes people make when starting any engine. If you watch closely, your bike tried to start on a number of occasions before you got it started. at first, everytime it tried to start, you oppened the trottle wide, and you let too much air into the engine to allow it to keep running. Most petrol engines that use carbs, need to be choked to star them when turned over slow when cold. Since you also let some of the compression out along with some of the fuel/air mixture, there would not be enough energy in the cylinder, to keep thing going because the fuel/air mixture is far too week to allow combustion. Later when it did start and ran, you will notice that you did not open the throttle. This allowed for a rich mixture to be sucked into the cylinder, and the engine will keep running. I never used to decompress mine prior to kicking it over, i just cranked it round untill it came up on compression and the kickstart was at the top, make shure it is retarded a bit, and give it a kick. It will start firt time every time. Once slightly warm, if the carb is set right and it is slightly retarded, it will tick over slow and keep running, until you pull the decompression lever. The only time I ever used the tickler, was if I thought the float had stuck, which sometimes happens with Amal carbs. Kind regards, Tony Marsh.

Well done to you for not giving up at starting the ol' B S A. It will be nice to see you enjoying a ride out on it sometime. Next time I meet you at our club events I may be able to give you some hints at tips on old bikes. You will have seen my 1960 Norton Dominator 600 on the Marlborough jubilee run. And my vintage Royal Enfield model 200 2 1/4 hp two stroke at the Bike treads open day event. Well done for sharing your experiences your family will be proud of you.

Well done 👍 keep the vids coming ride safe

I had a 1954 model B31 and it was a Swing Arm frame. I got a 500 (B33) Head, Barrel and flywheels and turned it into a 500 and slung a sidecar on the side. With the original gearing and then with the hubs laced to 16 inch rims the gearing was very low and just right for lugging a chair around in the 1960's. Your dad sounds like a great bloke and I am so sorry for your loss.

Best explanation of a “wet” dry sump I have ever seen. Been around bikes for 50 years and you did it best. Should be obligatory watching for anyone with a dry sump bike. Superb!

Great to see the old bikes i bet your glad you got an electric start on your bike, I'm glad to see you didn't fall off your stool in the workshop, like i did in the R.E rally last weekend😂 your dad would be proud of you great channel take care and ride safe 👍

You have some beautiful bikes there , your Dad was a man of taste .I owned an sr500 single, with a long-stroke high-compression modified engine .It was so hard to start I told people they could have it if they could start it and no-one could . Sometimes I thought I'd have a heart-attack trying, until I watched a couple of videos on how to start Manx-Norton race-bikes and BSA-single race-bikes . It was one kick after that, I recommend it, nothing to lose. Dave NZ

I found it easier to sit on the bike when starting it. You get the balance after a while. And you can have it on the centre stand if needed. Great sound. The old cork clutch plates and the secondary chain... ahhhh

Back in the day I was a keen triathlete. Went to a physio. He asked if I'd had polio as one calf was much bigger. "No 15 years of single cylinder motorbikes""...

That was a great video. From the looks of your dads shop he was a man that could do anything . Not many people have full machine shops. I’m sorry I had to laugh when you were sitting there after kicking a million times. I’ve been there before . I know your dad was smiling.

The sweat and tears (blood was missing) the puffing and sitting with a towel was priceless, those who own British bikes have all experienced this and those who say they haven't are either in their 20s or fibbing. A little tip, there is no need to press the tickler up and down, show the experts how it's done by holding it down until fuel emerges. Well done.

I was 16 when I came across a plunger B31, and the guy selling it said he would start it for me. I was totally besotted with the whole process - tickling, freeing the clutch, setting choke and ign levers, easing over compression, the big kick, the big kickbacks, the smells, the smoke...I was gone...I had to have this magical beast ! I weighed 7 1/2 stone, and I struggled for weeks with this monster, but in the end had it sussed. I had BSA singles for many years after that, and even with high comp pistons and Goldstar cams, could start them with my hand. You did better then me !

You are a great daughter MLR

What a great video and well done for persevering. I miss my old A10. The only kickstart bike I have now is a 125 Honda and that’s a lot easier to kick over than that B31. You have a new subscriber.

I restored one of these from a crate. Built to last, hard to start, not a comfortable ride over 45. My Meteor shows how a single cylinder is done.Well done. Loved the video.

My dad had one many years ago ❤

Feels good when it starts, don't it. Good job.

Absolutely brilliant explanation I too have inherited a maroon b31 of 53 vintage it is disassembled but my father rebuilt the engine and the gearbox with the aid of altzhimers so neither turn, not a big problem for me but I still think he did a good job under adverse conditions Great vid keep it up