Not familiar with this one, any ideas.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1959-RARE-BANTAM-TRI...%3A1|240%3A1318

No Idea, but looks fairly "developed"!

smoke and mirrors comes to mind.

what is the seller actually saying this bike is. he links it to famous riders but offers no direct link or provenance. much is intimated yet nothing is promised. could say '' lashed together in a shed in 1970'' or ''actual bike ridden by X in 1967'' but says niether in which case i refer you to my little knowledge of Latin 'caveat emptor''

having had a mo to do a little research, i found some photos of olga riding a bantam in 1959 whilst it does have the c11 type forks the rest of the bike bears little/ no resemblance to that on sale at the moment. exhaust/ tank/seat/ guards all noticably very different to olgas...

Interesting, I competed on a '59 Bantam for a couple of years. I finally gave up as they really don't make a very good Trials bike - even after much altering.

Someone has taken quite a bit of time working on this one. It seems to suggest that the Factory had something to do with it .... I really doubt it. I would say that it's a "one-off" that someone built to try riding Trials. Would be fun to try it out.... but sure not worth very much.

Here is mine:

Interesting, I competed on a '59 Bantam for a couple of years. I finally gave up as they really don't make a very good Trials bike - even after much altering.

Someone has taken quite a bit of time working on this one. It seems to suggest that the Factory had something to do with it .... I really doubt it. I would say that it's a "one-off" that someone built to try riding Trials. Would be fun to try it out.... but sure not worth very much.

Here is mine:

Now thats what I call a sprocket !

Hi Guy's .

I think the write up for this bike is total fiction. I will try and contact Pat Slinn has he is the only man that will Know about the last of the factory bikes. We have a Bantam that was used around the BSA Factory, so is that a works bike, we also have a Bantam that was built by one of the Road Testers at BSA , so is that a factory bike, NO.

Regard's Charlie.

I wonder if anyone has seen the magazine quoted "British Bike Mechanics" Not sure but I think that was a very short lived mag. That might shed some light on it.

update: Result of a quick Google session

BRITISH BIKE MECHANICS MAY 1988 No8

BSA ROCKET 3 TEST – PROJECT NORTON COMMANDO – HOW TO BUILD A TRAILS BANTAM

Wayne...

Edited February 17, 200917 yr by wayne_weedon

Hi

I've got a classic bike mag with an article on the renovation of one of the works bantams from about 1966/67 it states that the works engines had the number red 1 ,2,3 ...three engines the red is apparently short for reditch and these where the developement bike for the replacement for the C15 if i can find the article I'll try and post it here

cheers helm

Hi Guy's

Yes I have those articles about Red T,1,2,and3. And the R did stand for Redditch. Just looking at the bike on e-Bay and then the one in the articles proves this bike was never one of the R T bikes. And I expect that it only left the factory on its way to the Post Office.

Regard's Charlie.

Will be interesting to see what it makes anyway.

I'd actually find it interesting even if not productive to build a Bantam based trials bike oneday, I probably have enough parts to almost complete one.

Also like to see the above mentioned articles.

Wayne...

i sent him a email and asked if he was selling it as a works bike , or was he tying to mislead with hi wording. he told me not to waste his time and dont bid. !

Group,

Along with several "errors" I noted that he lists it as having a 4 speed transmission. He states that the serial number of the engine makes it a 1960 - I know of no 1960 Bantams that had 4 speed transmissions, and it's my understanding that a 4 speed will not fit in the 1960 cases.

Unless the transmission gearing has be altered drastically that rear sprocket is not going to work for Trials (note the one on my bike). He states that it is 'street legal'. Well my experience is that if you make a Bantam ,Trials ready ,you are not going to be riding it on the street. Mine has a top speed of between 25 and 30 mph.

I just hope that whoever buys it understands what he is getting.

Alan

What carb is that on there? Looks like a newish type Amal. Doesn't look like a 1959 motor either as I believe that points cover setup is off a later bike if I remember back 30 odd years!

The frame also looks a lot later poss mid to late 60s D7 ish

It seems to have found it's own value, but who knows what will happen towards the end!

510 after 5 bids can't really be worth much more surely?

Wayne...