[Karl Childers]

Thanks, Andrian. After a while they all start looking alike. 

Turn them upside down and they all.........oh...never mind.

[zimmemr]

Look what I found in my computer files.   

Thanks for sharing those. I wanted one of those 350's so bad I could taste it. 

[Richard230]

Thanks for sharing those. I wanted one of those 350's so bad I could taste it. 

I wanted one, too. In fact I placed a $500 deposit with my local BSA dealer to buy one. However, after a year with no indication that it was ever going to show up, I gave up and bought a 1971 Triumph T-120 Bonneville from a Triumph dealer in Daly City, which was about $400 lower than its MSRP - which should have told me something about that model year.    Attached is a photo of my local shop after they dropped BSA due to supply chain problems. 

[zimmemr]

I wanted one, too. In fact I placed a $500 deposit with my local BSA dealer to buy one. However, after a year with no indication that it was ever going to show up, I gave up and bought a 1971 Triumph T-120 Bonneville from a Triumph dealer in Daly City, which was about $400 lower than its MSRP - which should have told me something about that model year.    Attached is a photo of my local shop after they dropped BSA due to supply chain problems. 

I was working for a Triumph/BSA dealer back in those days. The boss returned from the Triumph dealer meeting where the 71 OIF models were introduced on a Sunday night. The following Monday morning he called Honda and we became a Honda dealership. 

[Richard230]

This reminds me of another funny story. My younger brother worked for that shop in my photo. His job was to unpack new bikes and set them up before they were placed in the showroom. In 1977 I bought one of the first 1978 Yamaha SR500 models to hit the U.S. shores ($1,498). When my brother found out that I would be buying the bike, he decided to do me a favor and added an extra quart of oil to the remote oil tank (fortunately the engine had a dry sump instead of oil stored in the crankcase under the crankshaft). So I picked up the bike and rode it the three miles home and then parked it in my driveway, while I went into my home to take off my riding gear. When I returned to the bike it had dumped that extra quart of fresh oil all over my driveway.    Needless to say I was not very happy and it took a bag of oil absorbent and a lot of washing with degreaser to get my new bike and driveway clean again.  That was when I decided that I didn't want to have my brother work on any of my bikes ever again.   

Attached are two photos of the SR500 when new and two more photos of the engine getting its cam chain and rings replaced due to excessive wear after 15K miles. 

[zimmemr]

This reminds me of another funny story. My younger brother worked for that shop in my photo. His job was to unpack new bikes and set them up before they were placed in the showroom. In 1977 I bought one of the first 1978 Yamaha SR500 models to hit the U.S. shores ($1,498). When my brother found out that I would be buying the bike, he decided to do me a favor and added an extra quart of oil to the remote oil tank (fortunately the engine had a dry sump instead of oil stored in the crankcase under the crankshaft). So I picked up the bike and rode it the three miles home and then parked it in my driveway, while I went into my home to take off my riding gear. When I returned to the bike it had dumped that extra quart of fresh oil all over my driveway.    Needless to say I was not very happy and it took a bag of oil absorbent and a lot of washing with degreaser to get my new bike and driveway clean again.  That was when I decided that I didn't want to have my brother work on any of my bikes ever again.   

Attached are two photos of the SR500 when new and two more photos of the engine getting its cam chain and rings replaced due to excessive wear after 15K miles. 

I had a black '78 Sr as well, and like yours, mine ate it's cam chain at around 15K. Unfortunately it took out the most of the motor when it let go.  On the bright side the rebuild worked out really well.

[Carl Fenn]

Yea that b441 had a wicked kick back leg breaking material especially so if the timing was out like a bloody land mine.

[cyrusb]

Yea that b441 had a wicked kick back leg breaking material especially so if the timing was out like a bloody land mine.

And no compression release ...ouch 

[zimmemr]

And no compression release ...ouch 

Victors came with a release, though most of them weren't adjusted properly. But even with a properly adjusted release they could still bite you if you got careless.

[GlennF]

Here's my favorite picture of a 441, It's promoter Michael Lang at the Woodstock festival in Aug. of 69. Sadly Michael passed away this past January.

Here ya go ...


https://youtu.be/G3Lc1wQYuMM?t=215

[Karl Childers]

Here ya go ...


https://youtu.be/G3Lc1wQYuMM?t=215

Great film footage put to great music, thanks Glenn! That concert happened less than 100 miles from my home at the time but I was only 14 and my parents said "NO WAY!" I wish I was a little older and could have gone.

[Carl Fenn]

But let’s not forget they were a powerful bike for the time despite the painful leg.

[zimmemr]

But let’s not forget they were a powerful bike for the time despite the painful leg.

You bet they were. Even the 250's could be competitive given the right mods. 

[Carl Fenn]

I tuned one of my 250s it would hit nearly 90 on a good day when the wind was right, l still got the oils stains on my drive from the Brit bikes from the 70s, some times l look at them and get flash backs.