Founded in 1861, The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited (BSA) would quickly become renowned for being one of Britain’s industrial giants and played a huge role in supporting the nation through both world wars. The company was initially established to produce firearms, but would later open its motorcycle division in 1903.

With their first motorcycle being exceptionally well received at the 1910 London Olympia Show, BSA would go on to see great success with the model and sold out for the following 3 business years until the start of WW1. With the conflict in Europe looming, BSA would continue to focus a portion of its manufacturing efforts to support the war, producing weaponry, motorcycles, automobiles, tools, gauges, bicycles, and an assortment of goods. 

Following the first world war, BSA would increase its motorcycle development and see great success and praise with models such as the Blue Star and Empire Star. BSA had developed quite a reputation for manufacturing reliable motorcycles and would be trusted with assisting the nation once more, in WW2. Over 120 thousand BSA M20 service bikes were produced for the war effort, with a fair number still surviving to this day.

With peace seemingly resuming after WW2, BSA would later acquire Triumph Engineering, absorbing their motorcycle department. The ‘50s and ‘60s would be exceptionally bountiful for BSA, and the company quickly gained global popularity. BSA & Triumph bikes were trusted by the world’s police forces, considered reliable and well-performing by the public, and would even see great success on the track.

The BSA Thunderbolt was produced in the company’s prime, between 1962 and 1972, and is arguably one of BSA’s greatest creations. Designed as a touring motorcycle, the Thunderbolt features an air-cooled twin-cylinder 650cc engine and was able to comfortably cruise at 70MPH, reaching a top speed of 100MPH in road tests. 

Despite the company's success just years before, BSA would face huge losses and cease production in 1973, after a mightily impressive 63 years of non-stop manufacturing. This makes this particular Thunderbolt rather historically significant, as it was one of the very last bikes ever produced by BSA. 

This particular Thunderbolt is among the very last motorcycles produced by BSA (up until the company relaunched last year of course) and is therefore rather significant. The motorbike has just 2 previous keepers and has been owned by the current keeper for 46 years. For a bike of this age, that is simply remarkable and the bike’s care-filled past is clearly reflected in its condition. 

Throughout the last 46 years, the bike has been treasured and meticulously cared for. Given regular maintenance and an oil change each year regardless of miles, the bike is in perfect mechanical condition and performs brilliantly. After over 4 decades of caring ownership, the current owner has now decided it is time to let this mighty motorbike go to a new home, where it will no doubt fill the new owner with pride each and every day. 

This gorgeous bike comes with an assortment of paperwork, ranging from parts receipts to MOT certificates. The bike has been treated to frequent servicing and maintenance over the years and performs exactly as intended. Often referred to and used by its current keeper, original handbook and a Haynes manual are included with the bike’s paperwork, and will no doubt assist future owners with any foreseeable maintenance.

As the bike is now over 40 years old, it no longer requires an MOT, but a large stack of previous MOT history will be included for the new owner to peruse through. The paperwork also includes a dating certificate from the BSA owners club, which verifies the year of manufacture and authenticity. In addition to the above, this stunning Thunderbolt will also come with the V5C document, as well as the 2 historical versions. 

This bike is in fantastic condition and looks superb in the sunlight. The tank and other painted components have an eye-catching metallic shimmer to them and capture the light from every angle. With just minor touch-ups required over the bike’s long life, this BSA Thunderbolt is certainly one of the finer examples available on today’s market. 

All badging, details, and lights follow suit, with no noticeable signs of wear & tear to report. The dials are also clear and work exactly as intended. The square-top seat is not only comfortable, but is also in excellent condition, with the BSA marking offering a great amount of contrast against the black leather. Both wheels are also in excellent condition, with the chrome presenting itself as beautifully as the forks and the rest of the details. 

Overall, this is a simply stunning motorbike and will no doubt fill the new owner with plenty of pride upon each glance. 

Having been very well maintained and treasured over the years, the bike performs flawlessly. The peppy 650cc engine fires right up and provides a fantastic riding experience, perfect for zipping through country lanes in the sunshine. Brakes and suspension perform brilliantly and are more than adequate for modern roads.

The bike is in as original condition as possible, save for the handlebars which have been replaced with a set of Norton straights. This is quite a popular modification done to bikes of the era and cafe racers, which gives the bike a much sportier feel and better ride positioning. The standard bars will however be included with the bikes sale, so the new owner will have the choice of easily reverting back to standard. 

With such few miles on the clock and excellent maintenance, it should come as no surprise that the bike hasn’t needed anything major, with the most significant parts of wear including items like clutch springs, kick start springs, and standard consumables. Lovingly cared for by a true enthusiast, the bike has been given an oil change each and every year, regardless of mileage. 

Buyers will also be pleased to know that all electrical components are also in full working order, and the bike has certainly lived up to BSA’s reputation for producing reliable motorbikes, worthy of the nation’s trust.

Being one of the last motorcycles produced by BSA in the 1900s, this Thunderbolt is a historically significant piece of motoring history and is some of BSA’s absolute finest work. This particular example has been treasured by its current keeper, is in full working order, and will no doubt put a smile on the face of anyone lucky enough to see it in person, or take it for a ride.