Latecomers to the scooter scene, BSA introduced its first ‘proper’ scooter in October 1958 under both the BSA and Triumph banners as the ‘Sunbeam’ and ‘Tigress’ respectively. Both could be had with either a Bantam-based 175cc single cylinder two-stroke engine or a new twin-cylinder four-stroke. Displacing 249cc, the latter incorporated a number of features unusual in a British motorcycle, its cylinder bock, engine and gearbox being a single light-alloy casting and the pushrod-operated inline valvegear more reminiscent of car practice. The four-speed gearbox employed a foot-operated gearchange, rather than the scooter-conventional twist-grip, and final drive was by duplex chain contained within the single-sided swinging arm casting. Up front the telescopic fork placed both legs on the left-hand side, single-sided suspension at both ends permitting the use of stub axles for easy wheel removal. Pressed steel bodywork of conventional appearance was wrapped around a duplex loop frame. Introduced too late to capitalise on the post-war scooter boom, the Sunbeam and Tigress were dropped in October 1964. This example is offered without documents.
Latecomers to the scooter scene, BSA introduced its first ‘proper’ scooter in October 1958 under both the BSA and Triumph banners as the ‘Sunbeam’ and ‘Tigress’ respectively. Both could be had with either a Bantam-based 175cc single cylinder two-stroke engine or a new twin-cylinder four-stroke. Displacing 249cc, the latter incorporated a number of features unusual in a British motorcycle, its cylinder bock, engine and gearbox being a single light-alloy casting and the pushrod-operated inline valvegear more reminiscent of car practice. The four-speed gearbox employed a foot-operated gearchange, rather than the scooter-conventional twist-grip, and final drive was by duplex chain contained within the single-sided swinging arm casting. Up front the telescopic fork placed both legs on the left-hand side, single-sided suspension at both ends permitting the use of stub axles for easy wheel removal. Pressed steel bodywork of conventional appearance was wrapped around a duplex loop frame. Introduced too late to capitalise on the post-war scooter boom, the Sunbeam and Tigress were dropped in October 1964. This example is offered without documents.
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