"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. BSA A65 Rocket The BSA A65R Rocket was one of a series of unit construction twin cylinder Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) motorcycles made in the 1960s. 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. The A65R was a development of the old model"
"Star Motor Company The Star Motor Company was a British car and commercial vehicle maker based in Wolverhampton and active from 1898 to 1932. At its peak Star was the UK's sixth largest car manufacturer and produced around 1000 cars a year. Star was founded by the Lisle family who like many other vehicle makers started by making bicycles, in their case in 1893 as Sharratt and Lisle. In 1896 this was changed to the Star Cycle Company. Edward Lisle built his own first bicycle in the early 1870s and had enough success racing it that he began to build"
"by Manley & Regulus, who produced plumbing fittings. Star Motor Company The Star Motor Company was a British car and commercial vehicle maker based in Wolverhampton and active from 1898 to 1932. At its peak Star was the UK's sixth largest car manufacturer and produced around 1000 cars a year. Star was founded by the Lisle family who like many other vehicle makers started by making bicycles, in their case in 1893 as Sharratt and Lisle. In 1896 this was changed to the Star Cycle Company. Edward Lisle built his own first bicycle in the early 1870s and had enough"
"in 1907 and production continued until 1909. In 1907, there was a 1296 cc (79 ci) single and a 1531 cc (94 ci) twin and the Stuart (Starling after 1907), with chassis from Hopper, a Barton-on-Humber cycle maker (which sold them as Torpedoes). The decision was taken in 1909 to make the Star Engineering Company a limited liability company with the Star Cycle Company becoming a subsidiary company. Joseph Lisle, one of Edward's sons, was appointed managing director of the company. To avoid confusion a new company, the Briton Motor Company was formed in 1909 and the products were badged"
"the remaining stock of parts to Stewart Engineering, and this company is now the sole supplier of spares for post-war Sunbeam motorcycles. 1959 to 1964 B1, B2 Scooters (see BSA Sunbeam). Sunbeam Cycles Sunbeam Cycles made by John Marston Limited of Wolverhampton was a British brand of bicycles and, from 1912 to 1956 motorcycles. On John Marston's death after the First World War it was bought by Nobel Industries, Nobel became ICI. Associated Motor Cycles bought it in 1937 then BSA bought Sunbeam in 1943. Sunbeam Cycles is most famous for its S7 balloon-tyred shaft-drive motorcycle with an overhead valve"
"BSA Empire Star The Empire Star was a standard motorcycle made by BSA at their factory in Small Heath, Birmingham. Named to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V of the United Kingdom and advertised as ""The Masterpiece of the Industry"", the Empire Star range was produced between 1936 and 1939, when it was developed into the BSA Gold Star and World War II stopped production. Developed from the popular BSA Blue Star and designed by Val Page, the Empire Star range had the benefit several ideas Page had been developing at his previous employers, Ariel and Triumph motorcycles."
"BSA Blue Star The BSA Blue Star is a British motorcycle made by BSA at their factory in Small Heath, Birmingham. The Blue Star range was produced between 1932 and 1936. In 1936 a slightly uprated sports version called the BSA Empire Star was launched with the Blue Star remaining in the model range and called the “New Blue Star, Q21”. The Blue Star became known for its reliability and handling. In 1937 an entirely new engine designed by Val Page featured in the Empire Star and the Blue Star was dropped from the range. The Empire Star developed into"
"1961 the factory was closed and production moved to the Raleigh factory at Nottingham. The 'Sun' name was for some time used to badge Raleigh cycles which had been returned to the factory for rectification work. http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Sun_Cycle_and_Fittings_Co http://dogdragons.com/dogdragons/a-2-z/s/sun-motorcycles-1911-1961.html Sun (motorcycle) The Sun Cycle & Fittings Co. Ltd. was an English manufacturer of motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles. The company was based in Aston, Birmingham. The company was founded as James Parkes & Son, a brass foundry producing lamp fittings and various other products. In 1885 the company started to manufacture frames and fittings for the bicycle trade. In 1897, the company"
"BSA A50 Royal Star The BSA Royal Star was a Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) motorcycle whose new engine design paved the way for a range of successful 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. The decision by Lucas in the late 1950s to switch production of motorcycle electrical components (from magneto/dynamo systems to alternator/coil systems) forced British motorcycle manufacturers to completely redesign their engines. Triumph and BSA took the opportunity to move"
"range of vans and trucks to the output and became one of the six largest British car makers. The Star Cycle Company run by Lisle's son, also called Edward, had continued in business building bicycles and motorcycles and in 1905 entered the car industry in its own right. The company was affected by the deep depression that hit the bicycle industry in 1905. In order to combat the decline in sales Star decided to produce a cheaper car called the 'Starling' that sold for £110. Although the name of these cars was changed to 'Stuart' the 'Starling name was readopted"
"BSA Rocket Gold Star The BSA Rocket Gold Star (RGS) was a air-cooled parallel twin motorcycle produced by Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) at Small Heath, Birmingham. Launched in February 1962, it was one of the final range of A10 twins, using a tuned A10 Super Rocket engine in the double-downtube Gold Star frame. Rocket Gold Star production ended in 1963 due to the development of new unit construction successors, designated as A65 in the 650 cc capacity. Gold Star tuner and dealer, Eddie Dow, had a customer that wanted to be supplied with a Gold Star fitted with a"
"a 1912 Star and a 1931 AJS as well as examples of later vehicles such as the Kieft, Frisky and Westfield Topaz. There are approximately 40 motorcycles in the museum's collection, all of which were made in the Black Country. A large proportion were manufactured by Sunbeam and AJS, but there are also examples by firms such as Wearwell Cycle Company and Rockson. The museum is affiliated to the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust. The museum does not have an extensive collection of Black Country bicycles, but there are examples by manufacturers such as Harry Albino and Star. Unusual vehicles in"
"BMW R65 The BMW R65 was a light touring motorcycle introduced by BMW in 1978 to add a mid-size motorcycle to its product line. The original R65, contrary to the views of some commentators has the same sized frame as the larger R series motorcycles, the R65 does however have a shorter swingarm than its siblings and therefore a shorter bolt-on rear sub-frame, this along with the shorter front forks and 18"" front wheel gives the illusion that the R65 frame is smaller. The initial ""model' R65 was manufactured until 1984. In 1985 the R65’s engine was put into the"
"forks were fitted, usually with Sebac rear shocks. The replicas were very successful on the Pre '65 Moto X circuits and in the hands of classic race competitors. 9. Chapman, Neville.Cotton Motor Company of Gloucester. Book Guild.2016 Cotton (motorcycle) The Cotton Motor Company, was a British motorcycle manufacturer of 11a Bristol Road, Gloucester, and was founded by Frank Willoughby Cotton in 1918. F.W. presided over the company until his retirement in 1953. The company was reconstituted as E. Cotton (Motorcycles) Ltd, and traded until 1980. The marque was later resurrected in the late 1990s by a business which manufactured replicas"
"the famous Gold Star in 1938 (also known as the M24). BSA Blue Star The BSA Blue Star is a British motorcycle made by BSA at their factory in Small Heath, Birmingham. The Blue Star range was produced between 1932 and 1936. In 1936 a slightly uprated sports version called the BSA Empire Star was launched with the Blue Star remaining in the model range and called the “New Blue Star, Q21”. The Blue Star became known for its reliability and handling. In 1937 an entirely new engine designed by Val Page featured in the Empire Star and the Blue"
"produced from 1985 until 1993. In 1982 in an effort to enhance the R65’s image the Hans Muth designed R65LS was introduced. 6,389 R65LS bikes were produced, which featured a triangular shaped pod fairing and instrument housing versus the standard naked front end of the R65. Furthermore, a different rear seat featured pillion grab handles similar in style to the soon-to-be-introduced K Series BMWs. Different model transfers were used and the only colours were hennarot (red) and polaris (silver). Much of the chrome work of the R65 was replaced by black painted or black chrome features (exhaust piping, mufflers). Other"
"Handley was awarded one of the traditional Gold Star badges. This inspired BSA to develop the BSA Gold Star. Also in 1937 BSA competition team rider Bert Perrigo won both the Colmore Cup and Victory Cup trials on a B25 Empire Star. BSA Empire Star The Empire Star was a standard motorcycle made by BSA at their factory in Small Heath, Birmingham. Named to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V of the United Kingdom and advertised as ""The Masterpiece of the Industry"", the Empire Star range was produced between 1936 and 1939, when it was developed into the"
"Sun (motorcycle) The Sun Cycle & Fittings Co. Ltd. was an English manufacturer of motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles. The company was based in Aston, Birmingham. The company was founded as James Parkes & Son, a brass foundry producing lamp fittings and various other products. In 1885 the company started to manufacture frames and fittings for the bicycle trade. In 1897, the company became The Sun Cycle & Fittings Company Limited, and around the same time began making its own bicycles. The first Sun motorcycle was produced in 1911. The company was taken over by Tube Investments in 1958, and in"
"BSA Lightning Rocket The BSA Lightning Rocket was a Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) motorcycle made 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. Twin Amal 389/206 carburettors and high compression pistons combined with an optional close ratio gear box to give lively acceleration. Sharing many A65 cycle parts, the Lightning Rocket had a slimmer fuel tank and mudguards - with extra chrome. From 1965 the A65 was discontinued in the UK and the BSA A65L Lightning became the main BSA production"
"were rebadged as BSA T65 Thunderbolt and exported to Spain and Australia. BSA unit twins The BSA unit twins were a range of unit construction twin-cylinder motorcycles made by the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) and aimed at the US market. A range of , and twins were produced between 1962 and 1972, but they were really developments of the older pre-unit A7/A10 model range with less weight. The engines had a reputation for vibration, but acceleration was good for the time, to a top speed of . Models for the US generally had smaller petrol tanks and higher wider"
"was achieving laps of 83 mph to establish his winning lead. BSA Lightning Clubman The BSA Lightning Clubman was a 650cc British motorcycle made by BSA at their factory in Birmingham between 1964 and 1965. Finished in gold and black the Lightning Clubman is now a highly sought after classic motorcycle. Due to the very limited production numbers replicas are created by enthusiasts from the BSA Lightning. The equivalent 500cc version was called Cyclone. The BSA Lightning Clubman was developed from the BSA Lightning and designed as a Production racing motorcycle, with a special gold and black paint scheme, 'drop"
"motorcycle, the 748 cc G15 which was also sold as the AJS Model 33' and as the Norton P11. The G15 was produced up until 1969. A Mk2 version was sold in Britain from 1964. Matchless/AJS built predictable handling, comfortable, well-made, reliable and economical motorcycles, for their day. Unfortunately such attributes were not enough to keep them in business. Continuing poor sales led to AMC becoming part of a new company, called Norton-Villiers in 1966. Some of the contents of the Norton factory including motorcycles were later auctioned off after the company went into receivership. Four-stroke scrambler production ceased in"
"AJW Motorcycles AJW Motorcycles Ltd was a British motorcycle manufacturer, established in Exeter in 1928. The last AJW motorcycle produced was the 125 cc Fox Cub in 1953, after which AJW began importing Italian two-stroke ""Wolfhound"" motorcycles with AJW badges. They also produced bikes in the 1970s such as the ""Champion"", the ""Whippet"", the ""Pointer"" and the ""Collie"". These were all rebadged Italian models. They ceased trading in 1981. Founded by Arthur John Wheaton, (known as Jack) in 1926, using his initials AJW, the company began production in the workshop of the family printing works in Friernhay Street Exeter. Initially"
"the 250 cc Star produced between 1959 and 1965. As with the trials version, the C15S saved the weight of a battery through an 'energy transfer' electrical system which was notoriously unreliable. The problem was that the timing and points gap required far too much careful setting for a rugged competition motorcycle. The scrambler C15 was unsilenced and had special tyres and strengthened fork springs with rubber fork gaiters to protect the seals. The BSA C15 Starfire Roadster was produced between 1963 and 1964 with chrome mudguards and tank side panels. Re shaped seat and tank, which gave the bike"
"AMC. It used a modified G85CS frame but there were stronger forks, completely new cycle parts (making some was rather costly), altered lubrication and modified primary chaincases, to mention a few. The G15 series was offered as 3 brands: Matchless G15 comprising G15Mk2, G15CS and G15CSR; AJS Model 33 comprising M33Mk2, M33CS and M33CSR; and last not least Norton N15CS (no Norton-branded roadster made as it would compete against the Atlas). The G15 series was produced from 1963 to 1969. They were initially for export only, but by 1965 these models were available in UK and Europe too. Associated Motorcycles"
"motorcycles manufactured in China under the AJS name, whilst maintaining the spares supply for the Stormer models. · AMC 20T (Taken from the James Captain L20 Manual) Associated Motor Cycles Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded by the Collier brothers as a parent company for the Matchless and AJS motorcycle companies. It later absorbed Francis-Barnett, James, and Norton before incorporation into Norton-Villiers. Henry Herbert Collier founded Matchless as a cycle company in 1878. His sons Henry (Harry) and Charles (Charlie) joined him and the name was changed to H. Collier & Sons. AJS had been bought"
"Sunbeam Cycles Sunbeam Cycles made by John Marston Limited of Wolverhampton was a British brand of bicycles and, from 1912 to 1956 motorcycles. On John Marston's death after the First World War it was bought by Nobel Industries, Nobel became ICI. Associated Motor Cycles bought it in 1937 then BSA bought Sunbeam in 1943. Sunbeam Cycles is most famous for its S7 balloon-tyred shaft-drive motorcycle with an overhead valve in-line twin engine. Sunbeam Cycles was founded by John Marston, who was born in Ludlow, Shropshire, UK in 1836 of a minor landowning family. In 1851, aged 15, he was sent"
"James Cycle Co The James Cycle Co Ltd., Greet, Birmingham, England, was one of many British cycle and motorcycle makers centred on the English Midlands, particularly Birmingham. Most of their light motorcycles, often with the characteristic maroon finish, used Villiers and, later, AMC two-stroke engines. James were prolific bicycle and motorcycle manufacturers from 1897 to 1966. The company was taken over by Associated Motor Cycles in 1951 and combined with Francis-Barnett in 1957. In 1966 the company became one of the many British motorcycle companies forced out of business by Japanese competition. James produced the 98 cc Autocycle, 125 cc"
"Excelsior Motor Company Excelsior, based in Coventry, was a British bicycle, motorcycle and car maker. They were Britain’s first motorcycle manufacturer, starting production of their own ‘motor-bicycle’ in 1896. Initially they had premises at Lower Ford Street, Coventry, and 287-295 Stoney Stanton Road, Hillfields, Coventry, Warwickshire before moving to Kings Road, Tyseley, Birmingham in 1921. Originally a bicycle company making penny-farthings in 1874 under their original name: Bayliss, Thomas and Co, they later sold bicycles under the names of Excelsior and Eureka and changed the company name to Excelsior Motor Co. in 1910. In the early years of motor-bicycle manufacture"
"Abingdon Motorcycles Abingdon Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer in Tyseley, Birmingham between 1903 and 1925. It was renamed AKD (Abingdon King Dick) in 1926 and produced single cylinder motorcycles until 1933, when they concentrated on ""King Dick"" mechanics tools. The tool and chain manufacturers Abingdon Engineering was founded in 1856 and started making motorcycles in 1903, when the industry was still very new, with engines from a number of manufacturers before the company developed their own ""Abingdon"" four-stroke 350 cc single and 794 cc V-twin engines, which were used by Ariel and Invicta. Much of the production was exported"
"x 66mm with a compression ratio of 8.5:1. Electric starting came as standard with no kick start fitted. These were aimed at the newly qualified rider for whom the cost of insuring Triumph's larger models was too expensive. The prototype Thunderbird 600 was converted by the factory into a conventional kick start TR65 to fulfil a Ministry of Defence order. From the Meriden Triumph factory production records held by the Vintage Motor Cycle Club, that TR65 (the black model pictured), made on 1 June 1983, was the last 650 cc motorcycle and the second to last motorcycle made at Meriden"
"twin. BSA Lightning Rocket The BSA Lightning Rocket was a Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) motorcycle made 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. Twin Amal 389/206 carburettors and high compression pistons combined with an optional close ratio gear box to give lively acceleration. Sharing many A65 cycle parts, the Lightning Rocket had a slimmer fuel tank and mudguards - with extra chrome. From 1965 the A65 was discontinued in the UK and the BSA A65L Lightning became the main BSA"
"Horch, Stoewer; motorcycle: NSU UK. Electric: Electromobile; internal-combustion: Asquith, Imperial, John O'Gaunt, Sunbeam, paraffin fuelled: Ralph Lucas; cyclecar: Campion; light car: Ralph Gilbert; voiturette: Wolseley; motorcycle: Matchless, Singer USA. Steam: Aultman, Binney & Burnham, Covert, Desberon, Hidley, Hudson, Reading Steamer, Stearns, White; internal-combustion: Altman, Apperson, Buffalo, Buffum, De Dion, Empire, Marion, Pierce-Arrow, Schaum; touring car: Austin; runabout: Stevens-Duryea; high wheeler: Holsman; motorcycle: Indian Belgium. Internal-combustion: Minerva France. Internal-combustion: Motobloc, Richard-Brasier Germany. Internal-combustion: Aachener, AEG, Argus, Beaufort, NAG; motorised tricycle/quadricycle: Cyklon Russia. Electric: Dux Spain. Internal-combustion: Anglada UK. Steam: Vapomobile; internal-combustion: Abingdon, Armstrong, Karminski, Maudslay, Rover, Vulcan; voiturette: Esculapeus, tricar: Advance;"