BSA Rocket 3 1969

The soundtrack was modified by copyright in some countries.
Sorry for the inconvenience. Thanks for watching.

[@johnedwards1685]

A gentleman in my home town in England where I grew up had one of these machines. It was the same deep ruby red and immaculate. It was around 1971. I would see him riding home from work on summer evenings. The glorious sound of that engine was unforgettable to a twelve year old. I can still see the paint and the glittering chrome. That machine is one of the reasons I’ve owned motorcycles all my adult life. You might say life-changing. They are so very, very rare. Thank you for sharing yours with us.

[@nicnak4475]

Yep I had a similar experience John , guy in our home town had one and my cousin and I used to race to see it when we heard that distinctive sound in town , had bikes since and so has my cousin .

[@buxvan]

Similar thing here. In the 70's I did a paper round & I remember a ring a chap on his XT500 do a big wheelie at the traffic lights near the sweet shop where I collected my papers from. Always remember that& I have now owned one for 25 years & absolutely love it. Also have a BSA Royal Star 1970 which I bought in 1982.

[@amalbabz]

@@nicnak4475 sweet memories are❤️❤️ unforgettable....i am from india

[@PAJG28]

My father still owns his ‘69 Rocket 3 going on about 40 years now. It needs a serious restoration to look like the one from this video, but it’s identical to this. Yours looks immaculate. The goal is to get his back on the road someday soon, I’m just hoping there will still be parts available somewhere out there!

[@garthlundquist8316]

A beautiful example from the last days of BSA. The 750 triple was smoother than the long running 650 twins, but a bit heavier. Unfortunately management had let the company fall behind in investing in quality and new engineering. The 1958 Honda Cub came with electric start. By 1969 Estart was common and reliable on Honda street bikes. BSA clung to leaky Amal carbs and unreliable electrics far too long while other brands were improving quality and durability. I owned several mid 1960’s 650cc twins. They handled very well but vibrated excessively and required engine overhaul at 6500-8000 miles. 110 mph was possible with the twin carb Lightning model. The new Honda 750 4 seemed like a space ship in comparison.

[@bignasty3274]

Very true,we had stuck to the "tried and tested " rather than invest in the future. We did have a great product at one time,but those times had gone and so had our bike industry. It started well before the arrival of the Honda CB750 in the form of an absolute mind altering machine called the Kawasaki Mk 3 500 triple. It turned the bike world on it's head and was instantly the fastest thing on the road. It was an evil handling noisy smelly 2 stroke and everyone wanted one back in 1968. The Honda CB750 came a year later and then Kawasaki unleashed the even more mad H2 750 triple capturing the top speed spot again. Then Kawasaki introduced the Z1900 which was a great bike to ride. The Z1 was great fun to ride and distance on plus it wasn't a gas guzzling monster like the MK3 or even worse the H2. We could have made a fight of it but the advantage was lost and it couldn't be clawed back.

[@mariodesmo]

Remember those fondly. They were incredibly beautiful, and still are! As a teen in 1969, I would ride my Honda 90 down to the BSA/Triumph dealer and drool over the European bikes, with my best friend and his 441 Victor. Loved those thumpers too!

[@kaboomer4297]

I had an old long-stroke, one-lung 441 Victor when I lived in AZ back in the 70's. A torque monster for sure. You could clearly see the engine's power strokes in the dirt as you accelerated...

[@davejohnston5158]

Lovely bike. I had the thrill of riding the T150 Trident in the 70's and found myself clinging on when it hit the power band coming out of a roundabout. Pulled the throttle back and nothing but when it hit the magic revs it kicked me right to the back of the seat.

[@rcnelson]

I owned a Triumph Trident. Those triples were an excellent engine, much underappreciated.

[@azul8811]

Terry Melvin Oh? The engines may have been configured to look a bit different on the outside, but I believe that mechanically were pretty much the same. One obvious difference was the head being canted forward, as well as the shape of the engine cases.

[@MrBeezumph]

@Terry Melvin BSA owned Triumph. The Trident prototype P1 first ran in 1964, could have been in production in1966 but management new better, BSA also wanted their own version which meant new crankcases and a different frame. All triple engine be it Rocket 3, Trident or Hurricane were built at BSAs Small Heath factory as were the T160s

[@MrBeezumph]

@Terry Melvin True different bikes but the internals apart from upgrades as the Rocket3 was only built for 2 years are the same, the T160 uses the the slopping cylinders

[@amalbabz]

it's have detuned version of street triple engine... iam from india it's bike launched here a couple of week ago...nice good bike

[@ThreenaddiesRexMegistus]

I love these things and had a bit to do with them in the 70’s. This one in the best colour and trim they made and probably a better machine than the T150. Hoping BSA/Mahindra sees fit to resurrect these when they finally get production going: I’d buy one . A mate had one and used to set the timing with an off-tune transistor radio that would click at the exact moment of spark. Please, wear gloves. One of the few things surgeons can not easily repair are hands and it’s easy to lose tissue , joints and whole digits by abrasion. These go for AU$20,000-24,000 here but if I ever win the lottery I’ll hunt one down. If not I’ll settle for a T160 to keep my Bonnevilles company. Great video! 👍

[@alanmathew9055]

Mahindra?

[@Coltnz1]

So very true about hands.Always wear gloves or you risk finishing up with claws.

[@karthik-manickavelu]

Superb! The design of the motorcycle and the exhaust note were way ahead of its time.

[@Cino777]

Now bsa is back, and i think they need to take time to introduce a brand new 3 cylinder model to compete against the Speed Triple. The 2022 Gold Star 650 looks fantastic.

[@shannonwittman950]

I've come to appreciate more and more the old British marques which, if cared for, can be wonderful machines to own and ride. I really think that if BSA had not used the wild mufflers and the swoopy key-colored front fender when this was new in showrooms (I remember well) then they might've sold many thousands more. But the refined triple engine and time-tested gearbox are magnificent. I know that in subsequent years, the mufflers and front fender were changed to more traditional megaphones and standard chrome units over the tires. Not to take anything away from this time-capsule beauty.

[@LoscarMotorcycles]

Hi Shannon. Yes, everything you say is totally true. Thanks for your note and for watching my videos. Best regards. Loscar

[@robertbruce1887]

Great video, makes the viewer feel he is actually on it, being pushed back in seat under acceleration! Yes , you can sense the power of this glorious sounding triple by watching this!

[@alleyoop1234]

I own the Triumph version of this 69. One of the best upgrades I made was installing a 5 speed which made gearing it up to the max possible & rideable even 2 up

[@stephaniekent8483]

rode one in 1972 loved it but bought a 750 honda 4 lol.... great video, superb bike! I would of bought one just for the looks and sound, what a sound!

[@eskertoo]

I seem to remember these bikes being used by travelling marshalls at the TT .Or it may have been the Triumph triples.Anyway,lovely looking machine.There's something about a 3 cylinder engine.....I know because I own a Street Triple and it's big brother the Speed Triple 1050.Both brilliant bikes,but need to keep an eye on their charging systems.

[@ironcast]

Beautiful. I have never owned a British bike but it sure is a nice one. It sounds gorgeous too.

[@KenMcKinnon-c4r]

What a beautiful bike. It has real character and is in stark contrast to the modern techno-bland bikes.

[@michaelt2987]

Beautiful bike and one of my teen hood dreams. Rather than buy a big Brit bike when I could finally afford to upgrade from my old 250 turbo twin Enfield i so very stupidly followed the bandwagon and bought a brand new high revving Japanese stroker that became worthless in a year. One of the biggest regrets of my life. My mate took the sensible route and bought a beautiful Norton Commando that he kept more than 20 years and I still covet it to this day nearly 50 years later. The British motorcycle industry should never have gone down the pan, had they reacted to the Japanese influx faster. The British bikes of the 60s & 70s are still the best ever in my opinion for style. If only they had been more reliable and oil tight a situation endemic to the times of bad build quality caused by a workforce encouraged to strike, go-slow and deliberately produce bad workmanship. A trend that ultimately cost them their livelihoods and the country one of the few remaining manufacturing industries left. It could have been so very different.

[@UPTHETOWN]

@Terry Melvin Sad but true Terry

[@factorylad5071]

Keep your opinions about the 70s British workforce to your self's. Automotive engineering dead in the UK? Aston Martin. Some people just don't like giving their machines enough tlc so whocares if you have to d get a de-coke or a new chip for you're plastic projectile.. Lucas probably only available to aerospace industry these days prince of darkness lol the gold plated ones used for British Leyland minis are nice to use and last a long long time.

[@amalbabz]

now enfield owned by indian brand...and bsa also owned by indian brand and going to launch new motorcycle in Uk👍👍🎉

[@shingerz]

What a lovely bike sounds great 👍

[@LoscarMotorcycles]

Totally true Mick 😊 Thank you for commenting and watching my videos. With the best wishes. Loscar✌

[@christidmas3995]

Your editing and music and content are great.

[@LoscarMotorcycles]

😊A pleasure Chris. Thank you very much for watching my videos. My best wishes. Loscar✌

[@larrys.3992]

Magnificent machine!

[@michaelt2987]

This builder is a credit to himself and is restoring some beautiful historical bikes to an incredible standard. I applaud you sir.

[@LoscarMotorcycles]

Thanks a lot Michael. Cheers, loscar.

[@peterrosendahl1019]

Thanks so much! Great bike! Awesome sound!

[@johnDukemaster]

Well done! And you ride this 50 year old vintage bike as if new. Makes me think that 20-30 years ago when someone had a 50 year old bike, it was more or less on display only. Todays vintage fair/exhibition have more interesting vehicles in the parking area!

[@Don-lw4cb]

Lovely looking bike.

[@SpiritintheSky.]

A fabulous example very worthy of you; and exceedingly rare in the US. I was in my mid-teens when the BSA/ Triumph was launched in 1968 and recall the colour pull-out in the British Motor Cycle magazine/paper. I was much impressed, of course, but thought it excessively heavy, in part due to the heavy exhaust system. Less weight would have given the bike even better handling that would have compensated for the greater sophistication of its poorer-handling Japanese rivals. (It would take them another ten years to catch up.) PS I've subscribed to your channel.

[@cfvgd]

👌 3cyl is the perfect motorcycle engine

[@yamonda900]

I love the sound of this bike 👍👍🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@LoscarMotorcycles]

I'm glad you like it !! 😊 Thanks for watching my videos. Greetings Loscar 👍✌

[@bobcohoon9615]

BSA did a stunt with them in 1969 and asked Yvon DuHamel to run one around Daytona track for one hour, I think , at full speed. he averaged a bit over 127 mph with it

[@elyass.k.n5994]

Perfect 👍👍👍you are a artist 👍💙

[@robertjeffery4664]

I bought one new in 1969 & the charging system was absolute shit so I traded it back on a Honda 4 which did 140,000 miles without a serious problem but the BSA was a joy to ride

[@robertjeffery4664]

Des M. Whether you believe me or not is not of least importance to me as you are a 500 miles a year wannabe

[@butakiss]

Nice work!! How long does an average restoration take?

[@threepot5874]

I'm sure Bert Hopwood stated in his book the the Trident could've been launched 6 yrs earlier?

[@Gerk8]

Wow! What a great sound!

[@frankmlchaelglasscock6539]

A fantastic bike well before it's time so sad that BSA stop making bikes that is for sure

[@sidajs]

Gorgeous sound great bike

[@mountainviewturning5319]

Great looking motor cycle

[@mickbrown8249]

Latest edition 73 & on uk with electric start NORTON commandos was the last of BEST produced UK bikes ..

[@harryviking6347]

I remember the first time someone in my area bought a BSA Rocket 3...We were amazed by the looks and the sound!!! This was 1970. Not many 750s can beat that BSA sound!! Sadly, the same old english problem showed up....OIL LEAKS!! lol! Like the Harleys in those days! .....and then came the HONDA 750 4 cyl.....bye bye BSA....

[@amalbabz]

bsa is now back bro ... going to lauch in uk... it's is currently owned by indian comapny mahindra

[@harryviking6347]

@@amalbabz I had no idea! Interesting!!

[@xvrays]

I used to have one. Although mine was the American version with the teardrop tank. I sold it 12 years ago to a Frenchman. Wish I hadn’t now. If only for the appreciation in value.

[@junglie]

My T140v went well with a set of cambell stainless raygun replica silencers on it i got free with the bike ,complimented the mid range tune from motorcycle mechanics it had really well, just not so good ground clearance on tight corners.

[@sirrick59]

Rocket 3 - - -much nicer in looks, and especially sound - than any honda 4

[@LoscarMotorcycles]

Haha!! 😊This is a bit exaggerated but it is also true that we must take into account the difficulties that occurred in the design and creation of this engine under bureaucratic business management, with fratricidal struggles between BSA and Triumph and continuous confrontations with the unions that ended with a deep crisis.Thanks for watching my videos. Best regards Loscar👍✌

[@SaiKumar-wd4hj]

wow fantastic

[@norbertpecheq3427]

I am not sure ,but this bike was firstly introduced in year 1968....But it´s great looking bike with specific sound like Wartburg car(East Germany twin stroke triple).

[@monfrig6959]

And parts are still available !!!

[@keithwhite5657]

Gorgeous bike 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@dam4274]

There’s a Triumph Trident triple for sale near me now. Cool bike.

[@GarySmythe]

That BSA is sweet!

[@factorylad5071]

I put this one over a Vincent black shadow , those Amal concentrics !

[@milojanis4901]

Very underrated bike in its day due to being overshadowed by the Honda Four

[@milojanis4901]

@Terry Melvin They were oil tight with electric start, too. As for top speed, the Trident and Rocket III were actually as fast, or faster, than the Honda, as period road tests in some magazines of the times found out in road tests. The Honda was quicker though, and if it did give up anything on top end, it wasn't enough to offset its quickness advantage. I'm talking about the 1969-1970 K0 and the 1971 K1 models only, because the K2, K3, K4, etc., were significantly de-tuned from the '69-'71 models, and did NOT have ANY ADVANTAGE, speed OR quickness, over the British Triples. I worked at a Honda shop in the early 70s, and we were very surprised Honda kept de-tuning the 750 just before, and especially after, the Kaw Z1 was released. The early Honda Fours were VERY quick AND fast. I bought a 1975 Kaw Z1B, and it was only 2/10-3/10 of a second quicker, and 2-3mph faster in the 1/4 mile than the '69 K0.

[@MrBeezumph]

@Terry Melvin At Daytona in 1968 out of the crate BSA Rocket 3's under AMA observers broke 9 speed endurance records, 5 miles at 131.732 mph, 15 miles at 131.04 mph, 20mlies at 130.759 mph mph mph , 25miles at 130.014, 100 miles at127.625 mph, 150 miles at 127.528 mph, 200 miles at 123.140 mph and 127.615 miles in 1 hour. The test where run early morning and the 131 mph were cut short as the rear tyres were spreading at that speed. They stood until the Z900 took them

[@MrBeezumph]

@Terry Melvin I've owned a T150V for 40 years only failed to make it home 3 times, puncture, broken chain and when i put diesel in by mistake. A 1969 T150 completed the 2012 Iron Butt Rally, 11000 miles in 11 days, the riders jokingly asked if there were any CB 750's taking part. They may have leaked oil but were far from unreliable

[@MrBeezumph]

@Terry Melvin Hi terry, you could try doing the 2021 Iron Butt Rally on your CB750, LOL. One of the organisers of the 2012 Iron Butt was heard to say," if that bike make it out of the county you can call me Susan", and his nickname became Susan. My first bike was a YDS7 which spent more time of the road than on it and turned me of Japanese bikes though both my sons have had them. I also have an ST 1050 , A 2006 model from new with 50,000 miles on clock and never missed a beat. Enjoy your CB 750 and i'll enjoy the howl of my T150v as it hit 8000 revs

[@ThomasDoubting5]

Beautiful beast

[@carlosgayoso9303]

Hello. I need a cluch endcover assembly #19-7801 or 57-3705 do you have this part, what is the price? or do you hnow who can sell it to me? Thank you very much. I live in Spain.

[@jiannis72]

The brits Lost the market cause of the high value of the Pound compared to Yen

[@rafaelpelizza7898]

Oscar un genio estimado hasta la música buena Rafa de mar del.plata Argentina

[@yoshik4416]

I like this background music. Who plays this jazz guitar?

[@JRondeauYUL]

I strongly agree with your comments.

[@Smith64000]

I love it!

[@LoscarMotorcycles]

Bedankt voor het kijken naar mijn video's ✌​

[@johnmfjw]

This bike built by BSA/Triumph Birmingham UK was the answer to the like's of the Honda CB 750 but sadly they could not compete with the ohc of the Honda 4 cylinder bike's. But now Triumph has risen from the ashes and make bike's that can hold there own against any motorcycle manufacture.

[@MrBeezumph]

The Trident P1 Prototype first ran in 1964 and looked like a Bonneville, long before the CB750, it could have been in production in 1966 but management at BSA which owned Triumph had different ideas. When they did find out about the CB 750, BSA wanted their own version which meant new crankcases and frame further delaying production until 1968.It was however the fastest production motorcycle reaching 131.8 mph at Daytona in speed endurance test, not just speed, where it ran at that speed for well over 100 miles. It stood for 4 years until he Z1. A 1969 Trident completed the 2012 American Iron Butt Rally, 11,000 miles in 11 days, the rider joked, he didn't see any CB 750s on the rally

[@michaeltaylor8835]

I nearly bought one in Zimbabwe but didnt becos spare parts

[@richardjohnson3463]

Beautiful

[@kureboy8782]

Nice

[@kaboomer4297]

Sweeeeeeet!!!

[@terrytopliss9506]

I have a Triumph T150t.

[@vtecpreludevtec]

In NZ Iv seen Tridents 🔱 only,never a Rocket.

[@Pete-z6e]

Mike Berg , we had them I’ve seen a few, bit prone to cooking the centre bore.

[@vtecpreludevtec]

peter olsen 🇳🇿

[@DennisBocock]

I bought one new in 70 I said to a buddy it had no class he said at 130 it's got a lot

[@jimclarke1108]

I think the Triumph/BSA triples are much more collectible than the Honda CB750, both great looking bikes

[@glengerdes2447]

I don't know about that Jim . I've seen Cb750's go for crazy money. I am so glad, I got to witness all the new bikes then. And got to ride most of them!!😄

[@yuk-erkmckirk9277]

@@glengerdes2447 way to many replica parts on restored cb750's these days so a bsa like this is a better bike by far imho. Every man and his dog has a cb750 laying around somewhere, even i have 2 of them,69 & 71, but i will always be a bsa lover.

[@glengerdes2447]

Yuk. The most money a Cb750, about 100k. Heck. I've even seen Bsa three's engine's taken out. And Cb750's put in. I was standing right next to Jay Leno, looking at one. His comment? If Bsa would have done that! They would still be in business..

[@Amselbahner]

👍👍

[@joelhenderson4450]

KZbin is not a place for slideshows of stills.

[@tennerear]

hermosa

[@Heer-Yarik]

654.

[@derekgourney]

Super the, best British did,1960,1999,, sounds will, not come, back ok 5:32

[@jawajawa1978]

Better buy new bsa norton next year

[@chadhaire1711]

One of the worst bikes ever made....fell apart after the first year of driving....sold for $1700 new then $700 after one year just to get rid of......horrible machine

[@andyroper1613]

Ugly - the export Trident was the pretty one. They were unreliable and too expensive. In 1971 the Z900 appeared and that was that. Really they should be compared with the contemporary Ducati Desmo V twin. They were also badly finished, unreliable and expensive and past their sell by date.

[@davidaston1644]

The Rocket three was such an ugly bike. The T 160 looked gorgeous, plus I think the remodeled vertical triumph triple was a better engine.

[@LoscarMotorcycles]

Yes, David is true. The particular aesthetic of it was entrusted to the company "Ogle design" commissioned by BSA. The commissioning of the design to an external company, plus the extra cost (which it could no longer afford), are the clear example of the ineptitude of the BSA management. But this gives it a strong personality and over the years, for collectors, it gives it a plus. Thanks for watching my videos. Loscar ✌

[@davidparsons4625]

Why in hell did you waste time restoring that pile of junk?

[@DennisBocock]

I bought a 69 left over rockett 3 in 70 very very fast but ugly ogle toster designer

[@claudefortin4654]

this bike lead bsa/triumph to the bankruptcy . the cb 750 was many light years ahead . the cb 1969 is a classic bike not this one

[@leneanderthalien]

nope, road holding from the CB750 was not so good, and engine sound far not so nice...

[@claudefortin4654]

​@@leneanderthalien and the CB have one thing the BSA don't have , this thing is reliability ,

[@caribman10]

So beautiful. So behind the 8-ball. Needed a 5-speed trans and left-hand shift, and a way to cold start without getting gas on your thumbs.

[@carlosgayoso9303]

Hello. I need a cluch endcover assembly #19-7801 or 57-3705 do you have this part, what is the price? or do you hnow who can sell it to me? Thank you very much. I live in Spain.

[@alanlake5220]

Triples sound very soulful, great job

[@junglie]

That sounds a good one ,love the candy paintwork on it too.

[@factorylad5071]

Amazing the way she picks up on the throttle. Best bike I have ever seen. Pity there are none left in the UK but I expect they have all be turned into street pizzas by now.

[@mickducati1947]

👍😜 class bike thank you for the vlog 👌

[@llewvirtue861]

That engine sounds immaculate

[@MrAndrew1953]

A good bike for it’s time if you knew how to maintain it which most riders didn’t appreciate. A four speed gearbox wasn’t revolutionary compared with a Honda four that required far less maintenance. You had to be an above average, well equipped, motivated home mechanic with a good secure shed to make it worthwhile owning one or you were wasting your time. Same with Ducati’s. I wasn’t so I just stuck to Japanese multis like most people.

[@LoscarMotorcycles]

Yes, everything you say is totally true but it is also true, that being well cared for, they give you great satisfaction and with a lot of nostalgia for those of an age 😄. Friend Andrew, I take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas.

[@MrAndrew1953]

@@LoscarMotorcycles Same for you and yours. Having owned a Triumph Tiger 750 it didn’t give me any satisfaction to see them close- very much the contrary. I thought they had the perfect engine/ bike for around town, interstate highway trips.

[@ericmowrey6872]

Senoré, gentimenté,...I see your compression readings as very good. My question is how many kicks for the needle to go up, or do you run the engine on two cylinders with the compression gauge in the test cylinder? Mille grazie.

[@LoscarMotorcycles]

Hello Eric. In the absence of electric start, I think it can be done perfectly. Personally, I always did it by removing the spark plugs so as not to have an engine brake and with the throttle wide open to kick energetically until I reached the maximum rise of the needle. Thank you very much for watching my videos.Best wishes Loscar👍

[@geoffhalsey2184]

Marvelous to see your knowledge and skills in reviving this bike. I was never a fan of the BSA Rocket 3 or Triumph T150 in terms of styling, but the engine and frame were really good for that era. The Triumph T160 was a vast improvement in the looks department. There was a 4 cylinder, 1000cc version under development and a prototype was made but sadly it never went into production.

[@MrBeezumph]

The 4 cylinder was never under development, it was 2 engine with 1 cylinder cut off each engine and joined together, the cases had the same treatment and the crank was pressed together, it did reach 125 mph . John Anderson built his own Rocket 4 and George Pooley built his Quadrant so there are 3. What was under development was the 900 triple

[@geoffhalsey2184]

@@MrBeezumph I knew about one of them, interesting that there were 2 more.

[@cyclebuster]

i remember the first time i fired up NC00346. Sounds exactly the same. i love mine. People have no idea how fast these were.

[@bozotro]

My mechanic had one these and allowed me to ride it once. He could tune British 3's by ear and maintained my T150.

[@amalbabz]

hey guys BSA is back.... going soon lauch ik uk..now that company owned by one of indian brand

[@DennisBocock]

7triumps 7bsa 7harlys mis my69 rockett3

[@vanveen8472]

I had a Trident back in the day but I don't remember it ever sounding as smooth as that BSA

[@factorylad5071]

I think this baby has a roller crank maybe that could be why? I have owned Triumphs and BSA s the engines do feel a lot different.

[@MrBarrytommy]

My late uncle Paddy had one, it was so exciting and space age to me then, thanks

[@amalbabz]

do you have that bike on your hand now a days...

[@MrBarrytommy]

Amal BaBbz Hi no that’s over 50 years ago 😌

[@amalbabz]

@@MrBarrytommy oh...😁...but....i like that bike...vitage super bike.....bsa wil re-enter soor ....now bsa and jawa brought by indian brand mahindra...jawa motorcycle relaunched in india..and bsa also soon....bro where you from...

[@MrBarrytommy]

@@amalbabz Wow that's great look forward to that 😎

[@davidparsons4625]

An antique at the time of introduction

[@bluedolphin5792]

I'm glad I owned a British bike in 1967 it makes me appreciate the utter reliability of the Japanese bikes I've owned since then .

[@smitajky]

Oil seals that do seal. Electrics that work. And creature comforts that are comfortable. There were too many details that the brits had not kept up with.

[@Pete-z6e]

Blue Dolphin a GREAT comment, fantasy and nostalgia are powerful emotions.

[@larrysimons3189]

I think BSA should have stayed with the twins in the late 1960s but upgraded to a 754cc engine (81mm X 74mm), changed to a sleeved alloy barrel & a single overhead cam head, along with a change to the timing side bearing / oil feed, that would have given them around 63 to 65 bhp, 5 to 7 bhp more than the A75 with a bike at least 100lbs lighter than the Rocket lll. Surely that conversion of the twin would have been far easier & cheaper to retool for. Unfortunately the CB750 had all the 'bells & whistles' that your 'average Joe motorcyclist' wants (without knowing just why), oil leaks weren't really a problem, by the end of the 1960s there were some very good sealants available, one of the BSA problems was the rear chain oiler, something that a lot of m/bike riders didn't even know about, my A65 didn't leak any oil but the Seeley Rocket lll that I raced in 1977 had some oil weeping in a few places.

[@randalmontgomery4595]

I have a 1975 Triumph Trident which is really a BSA but since BSA bit the dust in 1972 they called it a Triumph to continue with the T150 series. It handles superbly and better than any bike I have ridden but not having ridden a modern superbike at speed on a curvy road so cannot compare. But it has more low rpm torque and is much more rideable. Most, like mine, replaced the three CB points and condensers with electronic ignition. Modern Amal carbs with anodized slides are much better than the old ones., although I have fitted Japanese carbs to mine. Mine does leak oil, unlike Hondas of that era. Like most 1975 T160's mine burns oil even after an engine rebuild, The Hondas were a lot more reliable and vibrated less and had disk brakes and turn signals and electric starters before the British bikes did. Another dumb thing is the T160's lean way too far over on the sidestands. But the triple sound is wonderful and now they are collectibles. You gotta spend a lot of time maintaining them. BTW I am sure the restorer was Randy of Randy Cycle of Virginia in the USA, who is an ace, top notch Brit Bike restorer. He does not sell bikes or parts, just restores to a very high level.

[@leneanderthalien]

very nice motorcycle, a real pleasure to see and to hear, but NEVER drive a bike without gloves...

[@johnf3326]

I am a Honda man but that looks a smart machine! But surely should have had a 5 speed gearbox.

[@crackerjack8115]

Most people have never even seen one. Grew up around a 1969 bsa rocket 3. Fastest bike of its time and record setter for 1969. The amal carbs are somethin else man. Have to prime each carb by hand

[@carolrowley9868]

It was a speed endurance record set at Daytona where it reach 131.7 mph, the distances set at top speed were limited due to the rear tyres shreading , details can be found on the internet, they stood untill the Z900