Classic Bike Guide: Singles club – Honda GB500TT, Venom Clubman Mk.1, Gold Star DBD34
Three-bike cafe racer group test. Classic Bike Guide editor Nigel Clark talks us through the history and appeal of the three contenders, a 1957 BSA Gold Star, 1958 Velocette Venom Clubman Mk.1 and a Honda GB500TT, which is CBC’s competition prize. Which is best?
The video starts with Nigel explaining the backgrounds of the three bikes, then moves through to the kickstart challenge, where you’ll see whippersnapper Bruce Wilson take on the experienced foot of Steve Rose, then features a group test on the road. Footage is rounded up with some outtakes.
Below are timing pointers if you want to home-in on certain sections of footage:
00:10 mins – BSA chat
04:35 mins – Velocette chat
08:45 mins – Honda GB500TT chat & competition prize!
13:05 mins – Bruce Wilson and Steve Rose kickstart challenge
20:45 mins – Road test
21:45 mins – Video outtakes!
Read this exclusive article only in Classic Bike Guide magazine, June 2012!
See more: http://www.classicbikeguide.com/
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It amuses me how folks are always impressed by old bikes being on original big ends etc after 35,000 miles. That is of course the difference between Japanese and Brit. I have a CB250, still on std bore and everything after 50,000 plus miles I just had to re-place a countershaft seal, and two cam chains in those miles.
GB400TT for Japan, GB500TT for USA maybe Canada and I think Germany. Would love one myself but all I have is an owners manual.
how about checking out the bsa b44 shooting stars and victors
The GB's are also very popular in New Zealand. In most of the rest of the world they were sold as XBR's which looked more noticably Japanese.
Looks like GB500 is Legendary
eeeh by gum , i,v a old BSA that has dun 18 miles from tut brand new wen I baught it in 1948, It still has original Big end and spark plug. all tut best , our kid, Yorkshire. ps … do I win a prize?
or push the starter button on an old Jap bike and go
I had one for 15 years an 45000 mls – loved it. Only had the US/Germany – versions a 289mm Front Disc brake, not 275 mm as this one and the carburetor was a 42 mm (!) Keihin wich put both, max torque (39 Nm) as well as max power (38 hp on paper, yet about 42 in real life) to quite exactly 6000rpm. The fuel consumption was about 3l/100 Km (about 95mpg) in total. I coul easily reach 110mph top speed, once it hit the limit of the display at 120mph. Try to get one – it's worth every penny.
Maybe one day, right now lack of money and space ( we had to move to a new place a few weeks ago where all I have is a small yard and tiny shed) and now an operation to remove my bladder which is at least a third cancerous is getting in the way of everything. I'm hoping our luck will turn soon. I'll be hanging on to that owners manual though, just in case.
Good luck then and keepgoing :)
Oh yes, i will keep going and I will keep my old bikes running even if I can never add to the fleet. Before the operation I have to fix the exhaust of my VT500 because after I will not feel for a long time like doing it and also have to be more careful about how I strain myself with things. Happy riding!
haha my friend has a 500, in british racing green with an old gsx fairing. its a nice ride, good for the nice country roads here
In the 60s I read a Motorcycling magazine and a man owned a Velo Venom and he said if he didn't live on hill he wouldn't keep it as it was a pig to start.
i love the honda – it does the looks and its rideable on a daily basis if you like. obviously its not the real deal, but i'd be happy to own one and even more so if i had won it and it came for free :)
What do you mean by "so it won't tick over" ?
The Honda GB500 TT Clubman is by far the better bike, sure the Goldstar and Venom may be worth a little more money.
In all my bike owning years, selling my 500 DBD Gold Star is the only regret..
I mostly had single cylinder bikes; a Mk3 Ducati, two Bultaco Metrallas, a Honda CB 250 RS and an XBR 500 Honda and I vaguely entertained the notion of buying a Velo Clubman once, but the XBR was a worthy (and civilised) substitute.
I don't want to be rude, but what is all this about?
It's half cocked in every way, to sad.
Neither the Velo is well introduced, nor the BSA. Nobody needs to see the Honda.
By the way, a Velo normaly starts much better!!!
If they tried the proper velo starting technique it would start. What an idiot the guy in the white shirt is. Why could the clip not use a knowledgeable bike person that was not so condescending. A fool!
Dual Torringtons in the DB34 just like my 441. Sux changing them,