BSA Bantam

[starider]

Hi, It's a long[ish] story, but a friend who is a biker mentioned about a year ago that he was thinking of buying a Bantam as a little runabout.I got me into thinking perhaps I should do the same, but find a winter project to restore. I have been a member of the DAF Owners Club for a number of years offering my advice as a DAF trained mechanic[you remember the DAF, they run on rubber drive belts]. I posted a request on the pro boards for a Bantam and sure enough someone in the club had one to sell which needed a lot of work.
To cut the story short I bought it, restored it,got it re-rgistered and put it on the road last week.
It's fun to ride and brings back fond memories of years ago when 2 strokes ruled the roads. starider

[Brian Catt]

As a DAF mechanic, maybe you should build something along the lines of a Hagglunds XM72, or perhaps the more conventional XM74. I saw the 72 at the Koln Motorcycle Show and asked a few pertinent questions and surprise, the points asked about were modified into the 74. Unfortunately????, the Swedish Army chose an automatic Husqvarna instead.

[starider]

Too old and still too many projects!!

Hi Brian,Definately an ex DAF mechanic, have taught 11-18 year olds for 20 years since then,and retired. Still have a Morris 1000 Van to finish restoring, the Griffon came along 4 weeks ago, I have a couple of Seagull O/Bs to fettle, a GRP rowing boat to restore and a trailer to build for it. My wife and I also teach and run a Community Steel Band, so any other work with "bands", is out of the question. Thanks for the reply. Tony[starider]

[Brian Catt]

I met the Van Doorne (?) brothers at the Start of the London to Sydney Marathon in 2000 and marveled at the acceleration of their little DAF car. I think it was this event they had to abandon when one of them fell at a service stop and was injured.

[starider]

Daf

Hi Brian,
For the size of engines in the various models, the accelleration was brilliant.My son still has my DAF 33 Pick-Up with a 750cc air cooled flat twin which will still out accellerate many modern cars.The engine produces max torque from stand still upto max speed. the gain over other cars is no gear changes.
The DAFs which did the original London to Sydney were the DAF 55 with the Renault 1100 water cooled engine.They completed the event[cannot remember the positions].Daf then produced a series of 55 and 66 models known as the Marathon.
If anyone is interested there are still quite a few DAFs on the road or under restoration. Check out the dafowners web site. Tony[starider]