Have just bought a 1967 BSA Bantam D14 for some modest tours in the UK and europe, which, as most people will know, is a wee two stroke bike with a 175 cc engine.

Any tips from people who ride strokers for touring? I'm used to riding 4 stroke Yamaha XT and Enfield Bullet, so the Bantam is going to be a new experience.

One thing I was wondering was how the two-stroke engine (especially one that is 44 years old) will cope with long days on the road. I believe the Bantam was quite a tough wee beast, but it is wee and I want to be sure not to ask too much of it.

I'd also like to hear of any neat solutions to carrying and measuring oil for your petroil mixture on the road. And how easy is it to get two stroke oil on the road in Europe? (West and East)

And more generally - riding small and underpowered bikes - top tips to ensure the experience remains enjoyable!

Cheers,

Matt

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*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Tough is a relative term Matt. When i bought my first 2 stroke in '72 (YL1) the Bantam was considered archaic then (and quite rightly so considering it was NSU 1940's vintage technology) and only suitable for commuting with.

The very first words I learnt in German were ' zwei tacht url' (or something similar). Having ridden an RD350 from Australia to Europe, then down south into Africa, in the mid '70s, I can tell you that proper 2 stroke oil is not always available.

Just use whatever oil you can find.

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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

Some of the petrol caps had a container on the underside that was a measure for the oil.You could find a small plastic bottle that holds the right amount for a "fill up ".

If you use synthetic two stroke oil ,you can reduce the mixture strength .In fact some chainsaws run on a mix as low as 100:1.
If you can't find 2 stroke oil at petrol stations ,then look for chainsaw and small engine dealers - oh- and motorcycle dealers of course .

If you don't use two stroke oil ,you'll probably foul the spark plug .Two stroke oil is designed to burn off in the combustion chamber .

Have fun blue smokin'.

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Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

This guy had an adventure getting from the UK to Egypt - on his second attempt.
Maybe you can pull a few tips of his website.

Overland To Egypt Blog: Archives

Just about all of my early "voyages" were two smoke tours. Mostly Japanese machinery (exceptions were a Lambretta scooter and an early 250 MZ) and ranging from a TS100 Suzuki trailie up to a T500 Suzuki. Many of them were two up and loaded down. 175cc is plenty for solo travel - I've been to eastern Europe on 100cc and seriously considered going two up to Greece on a 125cc Yamaha. Below are a few of the things that need to come further up your priority list if you're new to 2Ts -

Don't push it too hard - particularly if it's Brit tech. Full throttle up a hill loaded down on a hot day is a recipe for piston seizure, even with the right amount of oil, correct timing etc. They do give out warning signs that disaster is close but without 2T experience you may not pick up on them. Lightning reactions to pull the clutch in is normal two stroke practice. I still do this even on my 4T bikes when things don't feel right; old habits die hard !

2T oil used to be everywhere but not these days so, as others have said, you'll have to use car oil. Plug whiskering is said to be the downside but I hardly ever had it. When it did happen it was usually when the engine was idling, very rarely on the open road. Mostly it was on the bikes with the more marginal ignition systems (magneto rather than battery / coil)

Our Jap 2Ts were very prone to ignition timing problems (old skool points wear). Too advanced and you'd hole a piston (never had it happen on a road bike, only on the track), retarded and the engine lost power. I spent many a happy hour in campsites reading plugs and checking timing. Bantams may not be quite so critical but it's still not something to ignore.

The above makes 2Ts sound like a marginal technology not really suited to distance riding but it's not true mostly, it's just that they have a number of weak points (or the 60s / 70's ones do anyway) that you need to keep an eye on. On the up side they are great fun to ride (may not be applicable to a Bantam ) and all other things being equal put out more power than an equivalent 4T.

As an MZ rider I have a pump, so no measuring but you can buy containers on e-bay that include either a measure or a thing like a pub spirit measure.

Most supermarkets (Morrisons, ASDA, Wilkinsons, Sainsburies, B&Q to my experience) sell smoke oil. You won't get the synthetic/semi-synthetic/non-synthetic/pathetic/made from Leeds virgins blood choices you'll have on line but makes a weeks tour simple enough.

The trick is tip top condition, especially timing (can you fit electronic ignition?) and varying speed.

Enjoy

Andy
Living in a Blue haze as much as practical!

Thanks for the replies folks. I will certainly look into the timing etc. and have a search on ebay for measuring doodah. It's also good to know I can use regular car oil in extremis and I'll definately keep an eye out for those warning signs of nipping up. Slow roads and taking it easy are the order of the day, I reckon.

I'm well aware the bantam isn't the ideal touring moto, but that's kinda why I bought it. The cycle of my life now means I don't have the extended periods of time necessary for monster trips abroad over many months, so taking my XT to Africa or Asia just isn't on the cards (for a while at least!). I've now taken a reliable jap bike to europe enough times that to do it again would be a bit 'samey'. So to inject a bit of 'adventure' into a trip to Ireland, France or Germany (or possibly further east into europe) I decided to get a bike that would make the ride a bit more challenging. Perverse? Maybe so - but this site is full of perverts! And actually, back in the 60s Bantams were regularly used by folks who would now be known as 'overlanders' or 'adventure motorcyclists'. Quite a few Aussies rode them home from the UK and there was one quite famous case of a lady who rode hers in all sorts of places round the world, including one trip round Canada and the States carrying her dog in a box on her parcel shelf!

Oh, Backofbeyond, rest assured the Bantam is fun to ride! With skinny tyres, no indicators or mirrors and a tiny lightweight frame and tank, it's like someone strapped a 175cc motor to a bicycle!

Thanks again for the info folks. I'm in a position of total ignorance about strokers at the moment, so its all good!

Matt

__________________
http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!