BSA A65 Rocket
Encyclopedia
The BSA A65R Rocket was one of a series of unit construction
twin cylinder British
motorcycles
produced by BSA
in the 1960s and a version branded as the A65 'Thunderbolt Rocket' was aimed at the US market. The A65R Rocket was produced from 1964 but was stopped in 1965 when all development at BSA was halted by financial difficulties.
and Chief Development Engineer Bert Perrigo they developed the unit construction Star twins.
To make the A65R more of a 'sports version' of the original BSA A65 Star
(and in anticipation of more stringent noise control legislation) it was given 'siamesed' 2 into 1 exhaust pipes with a special baffle, as well as chrome plated mudguards and headlight brackets. Able to cruise at 85 mph (137 km/h) and with a top speed of 108 mph (174 km/h) it was sold as the fastest BSA in production. A special version of the A65 branded as the A65T/R 'Thunderbolt Rocket' was aimed at the US market and featured high rise handlebars and a smaller fuel tank.
By 1965 competition from motorcycle producers such as Honda were eroding BSA's previously rising sales figures. BSA's marketing team was slow to respond and new motorcycle development contributed to substantial losses, so by 1972 the company was absorbed into Manganese Bronze Holdings
in a rescue plan initiated by the Department of Industry. A plan to combine Norton, BSA and Triumph failed through poor industrial relations and the BSA factories closed.
was a highly tuned version of the BSA A65R Rocket and featured twin Amal 389/206 carburettors and high compression pistons combined with an optional close ratio gear box to give lively acceleration.
The Lightning Rocket had a slimmer fuel tank and mudguards - with extra chrome. From 1965 the Lightning Rocket was discontinued in the UK.
Unit construction
Unit construction is a term used to describe the design of larger motorcycles where the engine and gearbox components share a single casing. The term is sometimes applied to the design of automobile engines and was often loosely applied to motorcycles with rather different internal layouts such as...
twin cylinder British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
motorcycles
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
produced by BSA
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
in the 1960s and a version branded as the A65 'Thunderbolt Rocket' was aimed at the US market. The A65R Rocket was produced from 1964 but was stopped in 1965 when all development at BSA was halted by financial difficulties.
Development
The A65R was a development of the old model range led by Bob Fearon, Managing Director and General Manager of BSABirmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
and Chief Development Engineer Bert Perrigo they developed the unit construction Star twins.
To make the A65R more of a 'sports version' of the original BSA A65 Star
BSA A65 Star
The BSA A65 Star was a Birmingham Small Arms Company motorcycle aimed at the US market for unit construction twins. As well as giving a clean look to the engine, with the pushrod passages part of the cylinder block casting, unit construction reduced the number of places oil could leak from...
(and in anticipation of more stringent noise control legislation) it was given 'siamesed' 2 into 1 exhaust pipes with a special baffle, as well as chrome plated mudguards and headlight brackets. Able to cruise at 85 mph (137 km/h) and with a top speed of 108 mph (174 km/h) it was sold as the fastest BSA in production. A special version of the A65 branded as the A65T/R 'Thunderbolt Rocket' was aimed at the US market and featured high rise handlebars and a smaller fuel tank.
By 1965 competition from motorcycle producers such as Honda were eroding BSA's previously rising sales figures. BSA's marketing team was slow to respond and new motorcycle development contributed to substantial losses, so by 1972 the company was absorbed into Manganese Bronze Holdings
Manganese Bronze Holdings
Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC is an engineering company based in Coventry, England. Since the sale of its components division in 2003 the company has only one operating division—LTI Limited, trading as The London Taxi Company—which manufactures and retails London Black Taxis.The London...
in a rescue plan initiated by the Department of Industry. A plan to combine Norton, BSA and Triumph failed through poor industrial relations and the BSA factories closed.
BSA Lightning Rocket
The BSA Lightning RocketBSA Lightning Rocket
The BSA Lightning Rocket was a British motorcycle made by BSA at their factory in Birmingham. A highly tuned version of the BSA A65R Rocket this was BSA's bid to capture the potentially lucrative USA export market in the mid-1960s...
was a highly tuned version of the BSA A65R Rocket and featured twin Amal 389/206 carburettors and high compression pistons combined with an optional close ratio gear box to give lively acceleration.
The Lightning Rocket had a slimmer fuel tank and mudguards - with extra chrome. From 1965 the Lightning Rocket was discontinued in the UK.