I'd love to own this BSA...

[JJ]

(just sayin'...)

What say ye, Lannis?!?

[Lannis]

As a one-time owner of just that model (I have a '69 Firebird Scrambler now), I say that it looks correct from what I can see, that they are pretty desirable A65 models (along with Hornets and Firebirds) compared to the more common Lightnings and Thunderbolts, and that if you wanted one of those and started with a shagged out beater, you'd have $10 - $12,000 in it before you were done.

As always, it's cheaper to buy someone else's "I've had my fun with it" bike; I'd say it probably still has a couple thousand dollars to go before it gets into silly-territory. 

If I wanted to get into BSA riding or fooling-around-with, and you wanted to be able to get straight into it with something that would raise eyebrows at the local BritBike gathering, this would be one to have a go at ...

Lannis

[larrys]

To have as a display piece, sure. To own as a rider? Nope, nope, nope...
Larry

[Dave Swanson]

As a one-time owner of just that model (I have a '69 Firebird Scrambler now), I say that it looks correct from what I can see, that they are pretty desirable A65 models (along with Hornets and Firebirds) compared to the more common Lightnings and Thunderbolts, and that if you wanted one of those and started with a shagged out beater, you'd have $10 - $12,000 in it before you were done.

As always, it's cheaper to buy someone else's "I've had my fun with it" bike; I'd say it probably still has a couple thousand dollars to go before it gets into silly-territory. 

If I wanted to get into BSA riding or fooling-around-with, and you wanted to be able to get straight into it with something that would raise eyebrows at the local BritBike gathering, this would be one to have a go at ...

Lannis

I have a 65 Spitfire Hornet that has been sitting in the wings waiting.  Kind of a rare BSA, right Lannis?

I wonder how much of my retirement savings will be required before it looks like this?  It is packed away in bins for the most part now.  I do plan on adding lights so that it is road going.

[PeteS]

This belongs to a good friend and riding buddy. It sat in pieces in his barn for decades. Then he got around to the restoration. It now sits in the Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, NY. He has little interest in riding it anymore as it left him at the side of the road too many times, before the restoration.




option emojis


Pete

[JJ]

That's a BEAUTY!  It's sad that he does not have good reliability memories for that classic...

Better to be "restored" in a museum, than to be in parts in a barn, I guess...

[Lannis]

BSA A65 twins are really just like any other old bike, including a Guzzi from the same year.  If you make sure that the running gear is in good shape, there's no reason you can't ride them all over the country.   I've ridden mine on week-long 1500 mile trips, hitting various Britbike rallies along the way, a two-week long 2500 mile trip to the BSA International rally.

Don Danmeier and his wife rode their '72 Lightning from California to Massachusetts and back, two up, 6500 miles on their bike that had 60,000 miles on it when they started, and had no trouble on the trip.   Bill Gould has ridden his two BSA A65 twins on Iron Butt day rides (1000 miles +).

ALL the ones I've seen fail have either not been prepared, were shagged out when they started, or folks thought they were 750 Suzukis and treated them like that.   

But it's like a woman; once you have a "reputation", that's it; it's forever and no one's mind is going to be changed ... 

Lannis

[Huzo]

I had a Rob North replica A65 S for a time.
It was nice enough and the motor was pleasantly pulsey but not vibrationary. Offered it for sale and it sold in 5 minutes !
Must have been too cheap.

[Rough Edge racing]

 BSA?  I'm currently building a 61 A10 Super Rocket, (just love the name) the bike is in mock up in the photo..The frame is stock but the bike will be a minamilist style using a 2000 Honda CBR fork assembly...
   

[JJ]

BSA A65 twins are really just like any other old bike, including a Guzzi from the same year.  If you make sure that the running gear is in good shape, there's no reason you can't ride them all over the country.   I've ridden mine on week-long 1500 mile trips, hitting various Britbike rallies along the way, a two-week long 2500 mile trip to the BSA International rally.

Don Danmeier and his wife rode their '72 Lightning from California to Massachusetts and back, two up, 6500 miles on their bike that had 60,000 miles on it when they started, and had no trouble on the trip.   Bill Gould has ridden his two BSA A65 twins on Iron Butt day rides (1000 miles +).

ALL the ones I've seen fail have either not been prepared, were shagged out when they started, or folks thought they were 750 Suzukis and treated them like that.   

But it's like a woman; once you have a "reputation", that's it; it's forever and no one's mind is going to be changed ... 

Lannis

 

[tazio]

BSA?  I'm currently building a 61 A10 Super Rocket, (just love the name) the bike is in mock up in the photo..The frame is stock but the bike will be a minamilist style using a 2000 Honda CBR fork assembly...
   

What a beautiful looking engine! (coming from an owner of a W2TT.. )

[mobiker]

  Super Rocket, (just love the name)

I agree. "Super Rocket" is one of the best names ever 
"Super" and "Rocket" are both always cool and its got both 

[JJ]

I agree. "Super Rocket" is one of the best names ever 
"Super" and "Rocket" are both always cool and its got both 

Yes, indeed!!

[borderer]

Ive got one o they!! bought it with another in parts for £175. sold the parts for over the original purchace price. that was 47 years and around 120000 miles ago. Went to many BSA rallies till I got fed up with rivet counters. Even had someone go on a run with his bike on a trailer!! FFS.

[Lannis]

Ive got one o they!! bought it with another in parts for £175. sold the parts for over the original purchace price. that was 47 years and around 120000 miles ago. Went to many BSA rallies till I got fed up with rivet counters. Even had someone go on a run with his bike on a trailer!! FFS.

I've always ridden my BSA to rallies, never trailered one yet.   I've ridden it many times to Ohio, to Massachusetts, to Georgia, and even bought one in England, flew over there, picked up the bike, and rode it to a couple rallies in the UK and in the Isle of Man.

As far as rivet counters are concerned, sometimes they are actually experts commenting on your bike in a positive way.   Sometimes they are just loud-mouthed anoraks who like to sound like experts.   If someone has a comment about my BSA at a club rally, I have a simple, never-fail response.   When he's done, I'll say "Hey, what did YOU ride to the rally?   I'd like to have a look at it!"

If he DID ride his BSA to the rally, then we're on equal terms - I can comment on his or leave it alone.

But if he's been running off at the mouth about the correctness or equipage of my bike, and he DIDN'T ride one to the rally, I will make SURE that his feelings are hurt badly enough so that he will not only not do it to ME again, but will probably not do it to the NEXT guy until he recovers.

But it hasn't even come close to stopping my enjoyment of the BSA club rallies!!  Overall, they're the closest thing to Guzzi rallies I've been to ....

Lannis