BSA A70 Lightning
With the American market being a vital focus for British manufacturers in the 1970s, it comes as little surprise that Norton, Triumph and BSA made bikes specifically for that market. Some models were for mass productions, while others, such as this A70, were limited edition specials or, in this particular case, homologation models that were intended purely to be used for racing. Although this wasn’t the tarmac circuit racing that the British factories were used to, but for the dirt ovals of the American flat track racing.
The frame might have been the same as the standard A65, but the engine wasn’t – it had an increased stroke to give a capacity of 750cc, an increased compression of 9.5:1, and a number of improved parts (rods, crank, big end shells, flywheel, timing side bush etc. were all uprated) all of which suggested that the Beezer meant business. Of the 200 that were built during the months of June, July and August of 1971, the greater majority of them were shipped to Baltimore, although around 23 headed to California, and very few of them ever returned to British shores. Clearly, this one did, and it’s another of John Moore’s bikes.
When John saw it for sale at Yeovil’s (being sold from a deceased’s estate), he couldn’t resist, knowing that they were such a rare bike, and it looked original, aside from the exhausts clearly being different, and the lack of indicators and centrestand suggesting that, as the factory had intended, it had been raced when stateside. John is pretty much a Triumph man, but even so it was clearly obvious to him that the bike had engine problems when he got it started. After further investigation, racing had obviously taken its toll, and the engine had clearly been rebuilt to sell when it was sent home, with many A65 parts fitted internally.
Having found a chap who had engineering drawings of the A70 internals, John was able to have parts made to suit, and the motor was rebuilt to original spec, and while he reports it is a lovely bike to ride, he does like to clock up the miles and the small tank range that the Lightning offers just wasn’t enough.
Consequently, John offered it to the museum, continuing his long term relationship, knowing that the Beezer would be looked after, and used on occasions too.