The first motorcycles made by the Birmingham Small Arms Company in the early 1900s used proprietary engines such as the Belgian Minerva, and it was not until 1910 that the firm introduced a BSA-designed and built machine. Introduced for 1923, the Model L, as it would come to be known, is noteworthy as BSA’s first production motorcycle to have overhead valves. Designed by ex-Daimler employee Harold Briggs, the new engine was inspired by the 1,100cc Hotchkiss v-twin that powered another of the BSA Group’s products: the BSA-Daimler light car. Suitably scaled down to bore/stroke dimensions of 72 x 85.5mm, this new overhead-valve motorcycle unit displaced 349cc. Complementing BSA’s new ohv sports bike was an otherwise similar sidevalve version sharing essentially the same cycle parts and priced (in 1927) at £42 10s. “To the sporting solo rider who asks for a ‘go anywhere’ mount, its records in the Scottish Six Days’ Trial and the International Trials in Sweden in 1923 stand as recommendation,” stated Pitman’s Book of the BSA, reviewing the Model L sidevalve for 1924. Dating from 1928, the last year of ‘flat tank’ styling for the vast majority of British manufacturers, this Model L sidevalve has the timing chest-mounted oil pump that did away with the tank-top sight feed, thus improving lubrication and reducing the complication of external oil lines. Nicely restored, in good condition throughout and finished in the marque’s classic green/black livery, the machine is reported as test-run recently and performing well. It is offered with Swansea V5 registration document.
The first motorcycles made by the Birmingham Small Arms Company in the early 1900s used proprietary engines such as the Belgian Minerva, and it was not until 1910 that the firm introduced a BSA-designed and built machine. Introduced for 1923, the Model L, as it would come to be known, is noteworthy as BSA’s first production motorcycle to have overhead valves. Designed by ex-Daimler employee Harold Briggs, the new engine was inspired by the 1,100cc Hotchkiss v-twin that powered another of the BSA Group’s products: the BSA-Daimler light car. Suitably scaled down to bore/stroke dimensions of 72 x 85.5mm, this new overhead-valve motorcycle unit displaced 349cc. Complementing BSA’s new ohv sports bike was an otherwise similar sidevalve version sharing essentially the same cycle parts and priced (in 1927) at £42 10s. “To the sporting solo rider who asks for a ‘go anywhere’ mount, its records in the Scottish Six Days’ Trial and the International Trials in Sweden in 1923 stand as recommendation,” stated Pitman’s Book of the BSA, reviewing the Model L sidevalve for 1924. Dating from 1928, the last year of ‘flat tank’ styling for the vast majority of British manufacturers, this Model L sidevalve has the timing chest-mounted oil pump that did away with the tank-top sight feed, thus improving lubrication and reducing the complication of external oil lines. Nicely restored, in good condition throughout and finished in the marque’s classic green/black livery, the machine is reported as test-run recently and performing well. It is offered with Swansea V5 registration document.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
