Showman’s engine? - concluded - page 3

I seem to be labouring this point (rather like a Bantam trying to get up a long hill) but what a difference it would have made if BSA had provided a four-speed gearbox in 1948, instead of waiting another 18 years! Interestingly, the 125cc Villiers 10D engine, which was introduced at the same time as the D1 Bantam, initially featured very similar gear ratios. After only two years, however, Villiers reduced the first and second gear ratios by over 20 per cent, making 10D-powered commuters from the likes of James and Francis-Barnett much less stressed, and easier to ride.

They didn’t look so good, though, and it’s ironic that BSA’s most successful model – 400 a week were produced at one time, with the total production exceeding a third of a million – wasn’t BSA’s design at all. As is well-known, the designs presented to BSA (and several other manufacturers) as war reparations, meant that the D1 was almost a mirror-image copy of the pre-WWII DKW RT125, And perhaps BSA was lucky that the urgent need to get a cheap and cheerful commuter onto the market prevented the temptation to make too many changes.

Telescopic forks replaced girders, of course, and as was common at the time that led to a deeply valanced mudguard mounted under the lower fork yoke. This seldom aids the appearance, but the Bantam’s springing is soft enough that the wheel sits neatly under its guard once the machine is off its rather flimsy centre stand. And the semi-fishtail silencer is a feature that’s attractive and instantly recognisable. Since it was presumably designed to avoid the rider’s heel when kick-starting, it could also be described as functional, but it was apparently prone to being clogged by the combustion products of contemporary oils, and was eventually changed to a tubular design that could be dismantled.

For a small machine, comfort isn’t at all bad. The saddle is low – which suited ladies and teenagers – and BSA compensated by lowering the footrests, so things aren’t too cramped. The low footrests are easily grounded on corners, of course, but that wasn’t a problem for most users, and was a distinct attraction for eager youths. I well remember enviously watching Post Office Telegraph Boys deliberately striking sparks off their footrests as they pursued their dreams of becoming another Geoff Duke. Even the plunger suspension seems more effective than usual, presumably because the machine is so light that the springs could be made soft enough to actually respond to the rider’s weight.

But would you be happy venturing onto the modern traffic maelstrom on a motorcycle that takes half a minute after leaving an urban 30mph limit to get to a cruising speed in the 40s? The two-legged Bantam is an appealing little bird that is more frequently exhibited at fowl-fanciers conventions than kept to produce eggs for sale. Similarly, while the Birmingham-made two-wheeled version is undeniably attractive, I’m afraid you’ll see an awful lot more of them at static shows than actually being used on the road.

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