This bike is actually one of the last they made. It’s a 1972 B25 SS Gold Star with of course, 250 of your cubic centimeters to drive it along.
My bike in road trim – Jan 2022
Okay, this is spooky…I’ve just been looking for photos of this bike, as it was originally delivered from the factory; a catalogue shot if you like. I have just found a YouTube video of a first test ride of the actual bike I’ve just bought. The test ride is dated January 2022…click HERE to take a look. This is a picture from the video of the bike as it was in road trim. I actually have pretty much all of the road bits and bobs to reinstate it if I wish; there might be a few nuts and bolts missing.
Anyway, back to the story. The chap I bought it from had removed the lights, mudguards, seat and tank, to make the bike better suited for off road riding. He’d also removed the foot rests and replaced the front ones with folding ones. There was a new all aluminium tank, new aluminium mudguards and a single seat. His left hand suffered from some arthritis so he’d also fitted a hydraulic clutch lever. He’d done quite a nice job of the update, but there were some issues. Here’s what he told me:
- The wiring and cable routing needed tidying up as it just wasn’t all in the right place.
- The front brake wasn’t brilliant.
- There was a little clutch slip, especially when starting.
- He’d found it difficult to get a smooth tickover.
- The dust covers on the front forks were perished.
- He had replaced the front tyre.
The chap had only had one ride out on the bike, covering some 50 miles without issue. He was totally honest and I had a chance to ride the bike before buying it, and he agreed to bring it to me in his van. My assessment of the bike included the above but the front brake really was pathetic.