1960 Panther shakedown ride (video) NGC

[nick949]

https://youtu.be/-o4cMohrfRw

Nick

[Kiwi_Roy]

Nice bike, I always fancied a Panther since my cousin had one, I think his may have been rigid rear with girder forks.

[JJ]

Sloper-MANIA!!  Originally designed to pull a side-car rig, if I am not mistaken...Cool bikes! :1:

[oldbike54]

 Very cool Nick 

 Dusty

[Green1000S]

My brother had a 350 Panther in our basement.
I always sat on it when he was not watching 

[Roebling3]

Thank you for posting the picture and video, Nick.
Your scenery looks a lot like ours, at the moment. Of course I'm missing the reality, but I'll send your link on to friend. He has 2 Panther's plus one in a basket. None are running, but he has plans.
Your Panther looks great and sounds great.  Good work throughout.  Good fortune,  R3~ 

[nick949]

Thank you for posting the picture and video, Nick.
Your scenery looks a lot like ours, at the moment. Of course I'm missing the reality, but I'll send your link on to friend. He has 2 Panther's plus one in a basket. None are running, but he has plans.
Your Panther looks great and sounds great.  Good work throughout.  Good fortune,  R3~

Encourage your friend R3. This one was built up from multiple pieces and there is very little rivet counters would like about it. Motorcycles are for riding IMHO - not for pretty!
As long as he doesn't think he's going on the interstate with it, he'll be charmed once he gets one going.

Nick

[chuck peterson]

Nick, come back, you're going backwards in time!...and getting slower...and leaky--er...and noisy-er...Leather helmet and googles next?

So cool

[nick949]

Nick, come back, you're going backwards in time!...and getting slower...and leaky--er...and noisy-er...Leather helmet and googles next?

So cool

The one I really want is a 1951 M100 hardtail with Oleomatic forks like I had when I was 16. I'd stop going back in time for that baby and even trade one of my Guzzis for it ( )

[twowings]

Looks like a very pleasant ride...thank you for posting!

[Lannis]

Very much the same idea as your Nuovo Falcone but earlier technology ...

How does it compare out on the road?

Lannis

[nick949]

Very much the same idea as your Nuovo Falcone but earlier technology ...

How does it compare out on the road?

Lannis

Much more grunt. An extra 150cc and a 4.2 inch stroke make a difference.  I hardly needed to change down at all for corners and it barely loses any speed on hills without changing the throttle setting. Not as smooth. Probably about the same overall speed but better pickup. Handling is surprisingly stable and neutral but not as agile as the NF.  Brakes are what one would expect - back good, front weak.

The NF is a Cadillac ride - the Panther more like a Model T.

Very occasionally I've briefly ventured on to major highways (for an intersection or two) with the NF and wound it up to....60 or so for a mile or two.  I'm not sure I'd want to do that to the Panther, although the engine internals are very new and they may loosen up as time goes by.

Nick

[Lannis]

Much more grunt. An extra 150cc and a 4.2 inch stroke make a difference.  I hardly needed to change down at all for corners and it barely loses any speed on hills without changing the throttle setting. Not as smooth. Probably about the same overall speed but better pickup. Handling is surprisingly stable and neutral but not as agile as the NF.  Brakes are what one would expect - back good, front weak.

The NF is a Cadillac ride - the Panther more like a Model T.

Very occasionally I've briefly ventured on to major highways (for an intersection or two) with the NF and wound it up to....60 or so for a mile or two.  I'm not sure I'd want to do that to the Panther, although the engine internals are very new and they may loosen up as time goes by.

Nick

Sounds like fun.   My 600cc M21 BSA sidevalve single will do 60 if you keep after it, usually to avoid being run over when a highway is the only option for a while, but it doesn't like it much.   Otherwise it's a VERY relaxed ride at 50 MPH.

IF you're much concerned about the front brake, Mike (Mercury) Morris at Vintage Brake will take your wheel, backplate, and drum and by turning, chamfering, and selection of shoe material make the brake work as well as it's going to work, which is usually better than it was when you got it!

Lannis

[Sasquatch Jim]

 One of those things back in the 60s tried to break my foot.  I kick started it and had not removed my foot from the lever when I began to advance the spark.  It kicked back nearly putting me over the bars.  My foot hurt like hell and when I pulled my boot off the pain stopped.  My foot had suffered no damage but the steel arch of my boot was punched upward about 2 inches in a hump.  I had to use a big hammer and a straight iron rod to pound it back down
to be able to put the boot back on.
 THUMP--------------------THUMP-------------------THUMP-----------------THUMP oops revs up to high need to up shift.
 Okay, now THUMP------------------------------------THUMP------------------------------------THUMP----------------------
---------THUMP---------------------------------------THUMP.
It travels a long way between thumps.  No tach needed, just count the thumps and multiply by 2.

[Roebling3]

:) When my friends CCM 580 comes off his lift lift a Panther will go on.  He enjoyed your video and its inspiration. 
Thanx again.  R3~ 

[smdl]

Congrats, Nick!  Truly a walk down memory lane!

Cheers,
Shaun

[leafman60]

I've always wanted a Panther.

One in Texas came up on Ebay recently and I was drawn closely to trying to buy it.  I didn't.  I got picky at the last moment because I wanted the bigger version.

Nick, that NF of yours must have dried grease in the bearings or something. I can run mine at 70 with an occasional jaunt up to 80.  Heck it'll even approach 90 in a hurry ------------(on a steep downhill grade). 

[nick949]

I've always wanted a Panther.

One in Texas came up on Ebay recently and I was drawn closely to trying to buy it.  I didn't.  I got picky at the last moment because I wanted the bigger version.

Nick, that NF of yours must have dried grease in the bearings or something. I can run mine at 70 with an occasional jaunt up to 80.  Heck it'll even approach 90 in a hurry ------------(on a steep downhill grade). 

But the speedo's in kilometres Leafman   

Nick

[leafman60]

But the speedo's in kilometres Leafman   

Nick

What's a kilometer??

.

[nick949]

What's a kilometer??.

You're not serious surely?  0.62 of a mile.

[Mr Pootle]

Panthers were made in Cleckheaton, a small Yorkshire town just a few miles from Leeds, and heading toward Last of the Summer Wine country.
Most of the vehicle manufacture in the UK was carried out in the West Midlands, but Yorkshire had the Panther, and an iconic motorcar which ceased production at about the same time, the Jowett.

[leafman60]

You're not serious surely?  0.62 of a mile.

 

[lucky]

Fantastic, Nick!

Watching your video brought it all back.  I had one of these in university.  Most reliable British bike ever, in my experience.  Took it all round Europe, with and without sidecar, never missed a beat.  I geared it up a bit and top speed was 75mph.  It would happily go 65mph all day long.

If you swap the fork legs around, as some folk did who chose to ride them solo (this was regarded as an eccentric choice in that day) it tightens up the handling a little.  With TT100 tyres I had no problem staying with friends on faster British twins through the twisties.

One of these days we'll run into each other again (it was years ago in Tim Horton's, Bancroft) and swap tales of simpler times.

Brent

[organfixsing]

Had (briefly) a 49 Panther 600. Bought it at lunchtime.
That night in the back yard at my parent's place, attempted to kick it over.
No half compression lever, no compressor relief on the handlebars to get over top dead centre, bare feet (this was the 60's), at about 9 stone wringing wet I could stand on the kickstarter all day and it wouldn't move.
Jumped on the kickstarter to get it over compression and it backfired when my foot was half off the kickstarter (without a rubber in the lever).
I lay on the ground for some time, not even able to swear as it was so painful.
Eventually got it started and went for a ride. Probably 1000 yards hence the motor stopped.
Didn't really know what I was doing and put it on the rear stand, flooded the carburettor massively.
Kickstarted the reluctant beast. Backfired through the carburettor (with no air cleaner), caught fire.
The fuel pipe was plastic which soon burnt and fed the flames with plenty of intensity.
Fire Brigade came and put the flames out. Bike totally stuffed. Bill from the Fire Brigade.
So ended my first experience of a motorcycle after a D model Lambretta with a front brake that didn't really work.

[nick949]

Had (briefly) a 49 Panther 600. Bought it at lunchtime.
That night in the back yard at my parent's place, attempted to kick it over.
No half compression lever, no compressor relief on the handlebars to get over top dead centre, bare feet (this was the 60's), at about 9 stone wringing wet I could stand on the kickstarter all day and it wouldn't move.
Jumped on the kickstarter to get it over compression and it backfired when my foot was half off the kickstarter (without a rubber in the lever).
I lay on the ground for some time, not even able to swear as it was so painful.
Eventually got it started and went for a ride. Probably 1000 yards hence the motor stopped.
Didn't really know what I was doing and put it on the rear stand, flooded the carburettor massively.
Kickstarted the reluctant beast. Backfired through the carburettor (with no air cleaner), caught fire.
The fuel pipe was plastic which soon burnt and fed the flames with plenty of intensity.
Fire Brigade came and put the flames out. Bike totally stuffed. Bill from the Fire Brigade.
So ended my first experience of a motorcycle after a D model Lambretta with a front brake that didn't really work.

That's a very sad tale. I'm guilty of having abused (Easy Ridering) a perfectly original 1950 M100 in my youth. It's amazing any have survived at all.

[Dukedesmo]

My Grandfather had a Panther with a sidecar, nearest thing he ever had to a car and needed for family transport duties when my Dad was a kid.

[oldbike54]

Panthers were made in Cleckheaton, a small Yorkshire town just a few miles from Leeds, and heading toward Last of the Summer Wine country.
Most of the vehicle manufacture in the UK was carried out in the West Midlands, but Yorkshire had the Panther, and an iconic motorcar which ceased production at about the same time, the Jowett.

 15.3 miles to be exact , which in Yorkshire can take an hour 

 LOTSW , greatest show ever 

 Dusty

[twowings]

The amazing Jowett Jupiter:

[Mr Pootle]

15.3 miles to be exact , which in Yorkshire can take an hour 

 LOTSW , greatest show ever 

 Dusty

Especially if you go via Huddersfield, which boasts the national collection of traffic lights.

[oldbike54]

Especially if you go via Huddersfield, which boasts the national collection of traffic lights.

 Or as they like to say in Yorkshire , "D'Oh"

 Dusty