Friday, October 30, 2009

1966 BSA Spitfire Mk II





Ultimate Speed & Power, IF you can keep those Amal GP's set up right. Plan on tinkering at every stop and don't open that throttle too fast! Not the most sensible street machine, but the cool factor of all the specialty equipment makes up for it, even if the more reliable and equal performing Lightning sounds like the better way to go. A factory correct restoration of one of these '66 models is probably going to live most its life in the museums, private collections and shows these days but that's all right.

1966 Cycle World

2 comments:

  1. where can i buy crash bars for a 1966 spitfire i have looked everywhere bantum@hotmail.co.uk

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  2. I bought a1966 spitfire mkII new from Mc Brides in Toronto Canada. I don't understand all the talk these days about things like "hard to start", I never had that problem ever......mine started first or second kick every time!!!!! And all the troubles attributed to the Amal GP is a lot of bull!!!! There where many short comings with the bike but the GP's where not one of them. I have much more to say about my spit, but I am a poor typist (and I don't text either)so I am not sure where to go with this.My spit was the only one I know of that did not burn holes in the pistons. I realized long before BSA did that there was an ignition problem!!!!!! Very earl on I put huge jets in the carbs to richen the mixture,this helped to not burn piston. I figured out that the problem was the points and I made up my own plate and used Ford 6 cylinder,"torsion arm" points,that worked very well at the time. the real problem was the point cam!!!!!some brilliant engineer thought that holding the points open longer was a great idea ,problem is all points "bounce" on closing. BSA figured that out 2 or 3 years later.Also, My front brake was never a problem.The clutch was very poor,the counter sunk screws on a hardened plate just did not do the job and I had to tighten them ALL the time.I drove my spit like I was demand possessed!!! Bonnies and Norton 750's where no match!! I wish I had never sold it,,,,but i bought a1966 Vette 425 hp 427 so...... anyway I get bugged by the things that get said about those spits!!!!

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