BSA start dates confusion
As I’ve developed an interest in BSA motorcycles, I’ve been reading about the firm’s history and model development to discover some apparent misinformation – or am I misunderstanding what I’m reading? Marque histories and your encyclopaedia state that although BSA experimented with motorcycle development in 1905, they left it until 1910 to put a model into production, and then its design was based heavily on the Triumph.
Now, I find BSA motorcycles were built as early as 1902 and a sketch of a 1904 example was published in a small booklet, called Motorcycle Story 1875-1905 ,by Motor Cycle News, in 1962, with drawings by Harold Connolly. My revised copy of this booklet was published in 1974 by Bruce Main-Smith. Why is BSA’s history so confused?
Gregg Hutchens, via email.
The Birmingham Small Arms Company was formed by a group of 14 local gunsmiths in 1854 and in 1861 bought a 25 acre site at Small Heath, Birmingham, on which to build their factories. Their main business was the manufacture of guns and arms components. However, in 1878, they started making and supplying cycle components to the growing cycle trade. Two years later, they made and marketed their first cycles, but stopped making complete machines c1887 due to growing demands for guns, including huge regular orders from the military. At this time, ‘The BSA’ (as many employees called the firm) was growing into a huge engineering concern and earning a good reputation for the standard of their contract work, as well as guns.
Their cycle component trade was centred around making frame fittings for a range of cycle types, such as racing, lady’s, gent’s touring, lightweight etc. Trade and private customers could choose frame kits, providing lug castings such as bottom brackets, fork ends, steering heads, seat lugs and more. They also manufactured frame tubes, fork legs, chain wheels, pedals, hubs (including, later, coaster hubs), brake components, and by circa 1903/4 epicyclic gear rear wheel hubs, handlebars from sit and beg touring to extreme racing dropped bars, and again more.
The large company, which had become a plc in 1861, was controlled by a board, the majority of whom thought, in those early Edwardian days, motorcycling was a passing craze. However, they weren’t opposed to turn an income from this passing craze, but didn’t want to take any financial risk, leading them to begin to offer circa 1902/3 frame lugs, frame kits and associated parts from which others could build their own motorcycles, using available proprietary engines such as the Minerva, Kelcom or Fafnir available from the Continent, or the newly launched British JAP. BSA listed these ‘motorcycle’ kits – which were regularly updated – for a number of years and the attached drawing is from BSA’s 1905 cycle and motorcycle components catalogue.
It would be reasonable to assume, as BSA designed their motorcycle frame kits around available proprietary engines, they may have even assembled the odd motorcycle for development purposes, but it is doubtful any such machines escaped the Small Heath gates. Circa 1905, the BSA board must have had a rethink, as evidence suggests they built one or a small number of machines from their components and bought in engine/s, but again the board dithered, and nothing more came of the project.
To my knowledge, there are at least two surviving motorcycles from this mid Edwardian period branded BSA. It is highly likely these were built by individuals in period or small cycle shops and the like, who were building cycles from BSA components and thought they’d have a go at motorcycle assembly using BSA components. Although it is highly unlikely these were ever assembled at Small Heath, it’s not unreasonable some of these private or small workshop assembled machines were branded ‘BSA’ as they comprised a rolling chassis built largely of BSA components.
In 1908, BSA restarted building cycles again under their brand and soon after started looking at motorcycle manufacture, as by then their board must have decided there was a future in the ‘craze.’ Rather than start from scratch when designing their first machine, BSA weighed up what was on offer and picked the best single cylinder 3½hp (500cc) motorcycle on the market to serve as their inspiration, and they didn’t need to expend too much effort searching the country, as one of the best singles of the period was built by Triumph of nearby Coventry. They didn’t make a slavish copy, but rather incorporated their own design features, including frame and front fork, but the cruel of the period, and later, claim many Triumph engine components were interchangeable with those of the first 499cc BSA built engines… True or not? This columnist isn’t commenting!
Rumours, deliberate or otherwise, emanated from Small Heath of an all-new machine being developed behind closed doors in 1910. Despite the whisperings, the factory waited until the autumn 1910 Olympia Show before publicly unveiling their first production motorcycle. One wonders if BSA studied the market more closely than we, today, would imagine. Although having no racing pedigree, the sturdy, refined BSA, with its distinctive green and cream tank, priced at exactly £50, drew the crowds and sold well.
Although launched as a direct drive model with pedals, BSA understood their expected market and soon offered a free engine facility at extra cost. Then came the option of a two-speed rear hub, again with free engine facility, and in 1913 a 557cc model was offered (with options of chain or belt final drive) with three-speed counter shaft gearbox and integral multi plate clutch, which was soon optional for selected 499cc models.
Despite their late entry into the motorcycle marketplace, little over a decade later BSA would by volume be the largest motorcycle maker in the world, and this was despite turning their back on the racing world after their famed debacle at the 1921 IoM TT races.