The Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) is a British based airgun and shotgun manufacturer. BSA is a former manufacturer of military and sporting firearms, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, buses and bodies, steel, iron castings, hand, power, and machine tools, coal cleaning and handling plants, sintered metals, and hard chrome process.
In November 1919 BSA launched their first 50 degree vee-twin, Model E, 770cc side valve (6-7 hp) motorcycle for the 1920 season. The machine had interchangeable valves, total loss oil system with mechanical pump and an emergency hand one. Retail price was 130. Other features were Amac carburettor, chain drive, choice of magneto or Magdyno, 7-plate clutch, 3 speed gear box with kickstarter and new type of cantilever fork.
BSA motorcycles were sold as affordable motorcycles with reasonable performance for the average user. BSA stressed the reliability of their machines, the availability of spares and dealer support. The motorcycles were a mixture of sidevalve and OHV engines offering different performance for different roles, e.g. hauling a sidecar. The bulk of use would be for commuting. BSA motorcycles were also popular with ?fleet buyers? in Britain, who (for example) used the Bantams for telegram delivery for the Post Office or motorcycle/sidecar combinations for AA patrols The Automobile Association (AA) breakdown help services. This mass market appeal meant they could claim ?one in four is a BSA? on advertising.
At its peak, BSA was the largest motorcycle producer in the world. Loss of sales and poor investments in new products in the motorcycle division, which included Triumph Motorcycles, led to problems for the whole group.
The BSA company produced military motorcycles (with Rotax engines) and motorcycles for developing countries (with Yamaha engines) under the BSA name. In the latter case the old Bushman name was recalled to duty, it had previously been used on high ground clearance Bantams sold for the likes of Australian sheep farmers. A children?s off road scrambler was marketed under the BSA/McLaren name in the 1990s but very few were sold.
In 1991, the BSA (motorcycle) Company merged with Andover Norton International Ltd., to form a new BSA Group, largely producing spare parts for existing motorcycles. In December 1994, BSA Group was taken over by a newly formed BSA Regal Group, an engineering and company specialising in plumbing supplies. The new company, based in Southampton, planned to supply spares parts. However, this has not been viable and it now subcontracts this business. It attempted to produce a number of limited-edition, retro-styled motorcycles in the 90?s but, using a Yamaha engine, the motor cycles did not sell.
Tags: aa patrols, BSA, hand, manufacturer, mass market appeal, motorcycle sidecar, Motorcycles, ohv engines, triumph motorcycles
Source: http://www.nrccps.com/?p=322
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