1968 BSA Thunderbolt 650cc - going home, MAYBE (part 3)

[@elmerfudd1086]

Great looking bike Mike. It's loud up close but as you rode away it just sounded good.

[@davidgiles5030]

My 67 Thunderbolt has Dunstall megaphones. It's a beautiful sound. Alas I sold it back in Ontario before moving west to Vancouver Island. There are 3 bikes in my shop,but the oldest is an 87 Honda 185S. Time to start looking for another vintage British bike.

[@TheMightyGarage]

Hehe, we know where there may be a BSA Lightning for sale David, just let me know if you want contact info!? And you're close enough to come and get it ;) Cheers, Mike

[@knockholt69]

Hi Mike, love your informative videos with good narration and clarity. Please keep making these videos. I notice that you are a Brit living in the US with some very understanding (or deaf!) neighbours.

[@TheMightyGarage]

Hi knockholt69, yes I still can't shake the accent ;) My wife and I emigrated here 20 years ago! Thanks a lot for your note. Best wishes, Mike.

[@54macdog]

Success! Well done! It looks like it's going to be a great bike. Those pipes though...

[@TheMightyGarage]

Thanks! Yes, those pipes are a wee bit loud aren't they ;)

[@CravingClassics]

Glad to see it up and running!

[@TheMightyGarage]

Thanks man, best wishes, Mike

[@hogtied12]

Folks in the street will either love it or hate it. i love it, reverse cone megga's or goldie silencers are the best.

[@TheMightyGarage]

Hehe, I loved the look of that bike. It had been messed with a bit too much, but it was a really cool bike. My friend still has it! Best wishes, Mike

[@fepowson]

Hopefully no one works a nightshift Mike, ha ha The more I watch your channel, the more worried my wife is, I'm getting the urge to buy a Classic now after some 50 odd years ha. Cheers.........Les

[@TheMightyGarage]

Haha.. not guilty ;) You came to that thought all by yourself ;) But I know what you mean.. they truly get you hooked! Cheers, Mike

[@rscaryrsc]

Yeah, it sounds like it's running well. Nice job Mike. With those pipes it's a headache in the making though. Tim needs some silencers. :^)

[@TheMightyGarage]

hehe, yes they are basically straight through pipes, with megaphones at the end! Cheers Scott.

[@stevekwall925]

Sounds Great love your show

[@TheMightyGarage]

Thank you Steve! Cheers, Mike

[@garykane7354]

I love those pipes.

[@TheMightyGarage]

They are so cool and they sounded great! Cheers, Mike

[@jimcollins2466]

Well Done!

[@TheMightyGarage]

Many thanks, Jim. That was a really cool bike. I enjoyed working on it very much. Best wishes, Mike.

[@tadpoles10]

It deserved a longer 'dam good thrashing' imo. .. Thanks for sharing. atb t ..

[@iqbalmankoo443]

Very nice 👍 video and very well explained I am from Mumbai INDIA I TO HAVE BSA A 10 super road rocket like ur video planning to buy thuderbolt 650cc thanks

[@TheMightyGarage]

Thank you Iqbal! The BSA A10 Super Rocket is a beautiful bike. I hope everything goes well with your bike. Best wishes, Mike

[@alexanderkasady6839]

Noise? WHAT 'noise'? I don't hear no steenkeeng 'noise'! What I hear is music! (chuckling) I put a pair of 'shorties' on the abbreviated pipes on my '67 Thunderbolt, and while I love the looks and the sound, excess exhaust noise can drown out some pretty important mechanical noises, noises that might be a warning of something coming adrift or crumbling into ruin. Noises that if heeded can keep the repair bill from climbing to stratospheric levels. But what the hell...

[@TheMightyGarage]

Haha, thanks a lot Alexander for your note. I agree. It was great fun riding it around the block. Cheers, Mike

[@notwocdivad]

Nice vids, sounds like an Englishman in forign lands to me? Anyway I was just wondering, did you remember to clean the pilot bushing hole in the carb? also, even if the main jet were blocked the bike should still start as it doesn't get to the main jet until about 3/4 throttle. Finally the front brake arm is a little to far around clockwise on it's splines, needs to be at or close to 90% to the cable when the brake is on, I'm sure you knew all of this before but it wasn't mentioned so I thought I would. None of these remarks are meant to be criticisms mearly observations. That looks like a Vincent in the back of your garage when are you going to do a vid on that? soon I hope!!

[@TheMightyGarage]

notwocdivad thanks a lot for your great comments. I really appreciate it. Yes, I have a whole playlist of movies about the Vincent Comet and more recently a Rapide project. Hope you find them okay. Cheers, Mike

[@davidcowton1070]

Mi Ty Just subscribed, Vincent Comet vids tonight!! Cheers Dave.

[@martincvitkovich724]

Thunderbolts rule

[@TheMightyGarage]

It was a pretty awesome bike!

[@BilgemasterBill]

Loud enough to disturb the space-time continuum and distort the visual spectrum of light!

[@TheMightyGarage]

Haha, it was certainly a loud bike with those after market "mufflers" Bill ;)

[@stevekwall925]

Hi Mike are they stock handle bars on this BSA ?and if so what do they call them ? Thanks Mike love your show

[@TheMightyGarage]

Hi Steve, yes, I think they are stock US specification handlebars. Sorry but I don't know what they are called but I think you could find some at most of the British bike dealers in the USA. Just let me know if you need a couple of names and I would be happy to send a couple of dealer's names. Cheers, Mike

[@comply-pro]

Nice, what exhausts did you use?

[@TheMightyGarage]

Comply Pro Hi, sorry but I’m not sure what brand they were. I remember that they were super-cheap shorty megaphone-type mufflers. We actually did a repair on one of them because it was rotten, but they sounded awesome! Cheers, Mike

[@garethlipyeart6520]

wont tickover,your carb air screw needs sorting sorting ,blocked jet maybe pilot jet,no 78 drill bit.

[@TheMightyGarage]

Thanks Gareth. Cheers, Mike

[@stephencroft6481]

Does it need rejecting to suit the open mufflers?

[@stephencroft6481]

Jetting!

[@ianaristotlethompson4186]

Whatever do the neighbours think.

[@TheMightyGarage]

They think it's great 😀. I have terrific neighbors.

[@bigred8438]

The sound of those mufflers reminds me a lot of the stock offering on the TX650 Yamaha. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2q4e5Snh5dmprM

[@garethlipyeart6520]

not idling right,should tick over like a swiss watch,that exhaust is not helping with running,had a t150 with a 3 into 1 ran like crap, put standered on ran lovely maybe it needs re jetting to suit hth.

[@stevekwall925]

I think the needle is set to low in the jet, need to move it up a couple notches ,raises it so it gets more gas to compensate for more air flow with that style exhaust.