BSA

[m143]

With all the talk of BSA's around here lately lets give them their own spot.

The centerfold of the AMA mag. this month.

[motogrady]

Here’s one that went at the local auction house last summer.
I think it’s called a Rocket 3. A few were gushing over it because it’s, I think, a greyframe.  Only BSA from the factory that came with a white frame.
But, I think it was Hacksaw that said it was more a denoting
of the year, which I believe was 1973.

Whatever, there were half a dozen Triumphs there, all went for 3 to 5 grand.

This bike, no title, rust in the tank, and missing a few parts,
Went for I think 11 grand.

[Allred]

Excellent idea.............I have always (well almost always, maybe not in the last death-knoll years of the oil-in-the-frame god-damned ugly models) been a BSA fan. I never owned one as my main ride, for that it was a Norton during that pre-Japanese large-capacity period, but I worked on, and rode many BSAs, and even owned a 1960 BSA Gold Flash as a "spare bike" for a while.....until it was stolen at Santa Pod Raceway!

Here's a nice 650 A10 pre-unit example of a Super Rocket with an upgraded TLS front brake.



I always liked that metal "chute" that bolted to the carburetor intake to prevent any over-spill of gasoline  from tickling the carb from dripping on the magneto pickups. I can only assume it was a patented thing, because I have never seen it on any other make, despite the fact that it is an excellent idea.

[motogrady]

The tickler thing, ha, I had an orange montesa for a bit, Amal carb maybe, had the tickler button.
Effin petrol would go everywhere!lol

[Allred]

Fast forward 10 years to a 1968 BSA 650 A65 Spitfire MK IV.

BSA introduced a brave, new, bulbous styling in 1962 with their 500cc A50 and 650cc A65 models. (This one sports a pair of aftermarket "Ace" handlebars).



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[motogrady]

That big tank, was that a European model only thing?
I've never seen one of those.

[Allred]

motogrady wrote

The tickler thing, ha, I had an orange montesa for a bit, Amal carb maybe, had the tickler button.Effin gas would go everywhere!lol

Not so much during the summer months of warm weather, but during the cold of winter "tickling" was usually a "necessary" part of starting from cold, even with the use of full choke. This was usually done with the thumb while sitting on the bike prior to starting, and in winter gloves were worn, and over time the gasoline would rot the leather of the gloves, so you could always recognize Brit-bike owners by the holes in the thumbs of their leather gloves, one thumb if they had a single carb machine, both if they had twin carbs!  

.

[motogrady]

^^^^^
😁

[Allred]

motogrady wrote

That big tank, was that a European model only thing?I've never seen one of those.

The Brits and Europeans liked the big tanks (on all makes of machines) whereas the US market liked the much smaller styling. So yes, the larger tank is a European style, but I do think that some were imported to the US, although most were the smaller, specific for the US market, gas tanks. The bulbous gas tank fitted to the Spitfire models were I think specific to the higher performance models, it was fiberglass and may have only been a UK/Europe model.

[m143]

This Lightning belonged to a good friend of mine.
He died unexpectedly, and a few years later I asked his widow about the bike.
Too late, she had moved it into a tent shed and it went very bad for the old BSA.

I knew that the frame was bent at the front down tubes, and other issues means it needs a frame.
I have found a good frame and would like to swap all the parts from the bent frame.
We got this bike running real well, wiped off the worst crud, and are waiting for a chance to swap it out to the good frame.

[Allred]

Looks like an amazing transformation, and, definitely a US gas tank.

Hey, of all the people here you should be able to post pics in the correct orientation?  

[motogrady]

Hey guys, the sideways pic thing, just figured out a way, putting that Rocket 3 up..

Try going to your pics thing.
Bring up the pic that keeps posting sideways.

Take a screenshot of it.

Put that up.

[m143]

Picture posting here has always been a pain from my phone.

I'll fix them from my pc tomorrow;)

[Allred]

The "bread bin" gas tank and "death ray" muffler styling of the BSA Rocket III didn't go down very well in the US market.





So BSA wisely reacted to the feedback with a restyled version for the US.



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[m143]

The death-knoll year models Allred was talking about.

They called it the glory of American styling.

[Allred]

m143 wrote

They called it the glory of American styling.

LOL, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.


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[m143]

[m143]

We got the pretty tanks.

[Allred]

m143 wrote

What's with those funky mufflers? !!!

[motogrady]

Lest we not mention, when one thinks about it, one of the first dual sport bikes.  
I remember seeing a few around here in the States, in the early 70s.

The 441 Victor Special.