| In a world dominated by vintage Harley Davidsons, | | | | weapons. It would not be until another decade later |
| and timeless classics such as the Triumph Bonneville, | | | | that production would begin on the first BSA |
| few true enthusiasts have ever heard of the rich | | | | motorcycle. At their peak, the company would |
| history of BSA Motorcycles. Having had a long | | | | release the early Gold Star, and later the Rocket |
| standing part in the development and growth of | | | | Three Triple models. What really helped BSA make |
| motorcycle history, BSA has become an almost | | | | their mark and compete with vintage Harley |
| forgotten relic of sheer simplicity and an unbridled | | | | Davidsons, were their A-Model Bikes. |
| connectedness to the open road. Though the roads | | | | Throughout the 1950s, BSA became a household |
| are now overrun with powerful, streamlined | | | | name when they built their 500cc A7 and 650cc A10 |
| sportbikes with ever expanding capabilities and | | | | bikes. Acclaimed for their superior reliability and overall |
| flickability, classics like the creations of Birmingham | | | | efficiency, the A7 and A10 were also kind on wallets, |
| Small Arms were one of the originators of the sport, | | | | being relatively cheap motorcycles. What they lacked |
| and helped to make it what it has become. | | | | in flash, they more than made up for in function. In |
| Before its untimely demise in the early 1970s, | | | | spite of all this success, the end was not too far off |
| Birmingham Small Arms was known the world over | | | | for BSA motorcycles, due to the shifting market |
| for solid, dependable bikes that riders valued for their | | | | trends and shoddy business strategy. Sporty, |
| uncompromisingly austere qualities. Born in the early | | | | performance inclined Japanese bikes were saturating |
| 1860s in the Gun Quarter of Birmingham, England, | | | | the market, and ultimately final efforts to salvage the |
| BSA started by manufacturing airplanes, autos, and | | | | company could not halt its end in 1973. |