Following Triumph’s lead, BSA turned to unitary construction for its range of parallel twin as the 1960s dawned, launching the all-new 500cc A50 and 650cc A65 Star models in January 1962. The first high-performance variant - the A65R Rocket - arrived in October 1963, only to be superseded the following year by the Lightning, the first unit-construction twin (along with its A50 equivalent, the Cyclone) to be equipped with the new twin-carburettor cylinder head. For 1965 the Star tourers were replaced by the A50 Royal Star and A65 Thunderbolt. These single-carburettor twins were preferred by many riders, being more economical, easier to keep in tune and only marginally less powerful than their twin-carb equivalents. This Thunderbolt was bought from its first owner in 1972 and used by Professor Ehn for many years before being placed in the Museum. Always maintained, it continued to be used for selected events thereafter. The machine is offered with the original Austrian owner’s insurance documents.
Following Triumph’s lead, BSA turned to unitary construction for its range of parallel twin as the 1960s dawned, launching the all-new 500cc A50 and 650cc A65 Star models in January 1962. The first high-performance variant - the A65R Rocket - arrived in October 1963, only to be superseded the following year by the Lightning, the first unit-construction twin (along with its A50 equivalent, the Cyclone) to be equipped with the new twin-carburettor cylinder head. For 1965 the Star tourers were replaced by the A50 Royal Star and A65 Thunderbolt. These single-carburettor twins were preferred by many riders, being more economical, easier to keep in tune and only marginally less powerful than their twin-carb equivalents. This Thunderbolt was bought from its first owner in 1972 and used by Professor Ehn for many years before being placed in the Museum. Always maintained, it continued to be used for selected events thereafter. The machine is offered with the original Austrian owner’s insurance documents.
Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!
Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.
Create an alert