Birmingham Small Arms
n 1905, the first BSA motorized two-wheelers saw the light of day. Five years later, BSA developed its first entirely English motorcycle. During the war, the production of motorized two-wheelers continued, but BSA returned to its original activity: armaments.
In 1920, the brand released a V-twin that would enjoy great commercial success. So much so that its displacement would be increased in 1922 from 770cc to 986cc. In 1926, a BSA dealer and a journalist decided to embark on a world tour on a BSA motorcycle specially prepared for the occasion. The machine was renamed "Colonial."
Over the following years, BSA produced several models of all displacements, even though lightweight singles sold the best. As the crisis hit Europe in 1930, BSA developed a low-cost version of its famous Roundtank, which was sold at the paltry price of 33 pounds.
Some time later, the Sloper S31 model was released, which didn't shine for its speed but rather for its very quiet operation. Once again, it was a success, and nearly eighty thousand units were reportedly sold in a few years, according to the brand, which didn't stop it from producing a new machine called the Blue Star.
The First Twins
In 1936, BSA celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of George V's reign by launching the E22 Empire Star. Another machine was released in parallel, the De-Luxe, which, as its name suggests, aimed to be luxurious and refined.
BSA would subsequently invest heavily in competition and particularly distinguished itself in the Tourist Trophy, trials, and endurance racing.
During the Second World War, BSA mainly produced singles for Commonwealth troops, but the immense factory was easily identifiable and suffered numerous German bombings.
