FORWARD THINKER

The British industry is often accused of its lack of innovation, especially after the Second World War. But there were exceptions, and some advanced designs.

The history of the British motorcycle industry is littered with innovative and radically exciting designs that promised much, but failed to deliver, an example being this month’s test bike. It’s a 500cc twin with the name of Sunbeam on the petrol tank and now owned by West Country enthusiast Steve Morris.

In 1945, with the Second World War coming to its end, there came rumours that BSA were developing a new overhead camshaft inline twin which was set to be a class leader, a model which Small Heath hoped would be snapped up by the bikestarved population.

Sadly this was not the case and subsequent sales were disappointing.

This S7 De Luxe, finished like all of its ilk in Sunbeam’s mist green, and carrying the registration number 315 GRP, was supplied by Aldershot, Hampshire, agents Phillips Brothers and first registered on January 5, 1952, at the on-the-road price of £190.

From its release in 1949 until its demise in 1956 there was little in the way of substantial alterations to the overall layout and design of the Sunbeam and with no serious attempt from BSA to market them, only 5554 examples of the shaftdriven 500cc inline twin would roll off the production lines. In many ways the Sunbeam could have made for an ideal sidecar machine, but in reality it was rather asthmatic and, as was soon discovered, was not the best for dragging double adults up steep hills. The factory’s experimental department was aware of this and went about manufacturing a 600cc prototype, but due to the fat loss the parent company were making, none ever reached the production stage.

The S7 De Luxe was undoubtedly ahead of its time and when compared to the opposition, consisting of mainly air-cooled vertical twins, the single overhead camshaft, shaft-driven engine of the Sunbeam S7 De Luxe made it the most advanced British motorcycle of its age.