1902 Norton Energette

The first powered two-wheeler to carry the legendary Norton name is now on display at the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham, England. The Norton Energette, a pedal cycle with a small engine attached, was launched late in 1902 by James Lansdowne Norton's Birmingham-based manufacturing company.

James Norton was born in Birmingham in 1869, and at the age of ten he first ventured into an automotive endeavour when he built a model steam engine. Norton was initially apprenticed into the jewellery trade but in 1898 he saw an opportunity in the growing popularity of the bicycle. He set up the Norton Manufacturing Company and operated as a supplier of parts and fittings to the cycle trade. This logically led to building motorcycles when engines were first bolted to cycle frames, and soon the Energette was born.
The Energette's power unit is a 55mm x 60mm, 145cc four-stroke single with an automatic inlet valve and mechanical exhaust valve, manufactured by Clément in France. A belt takes drive directly from the crankshaft to the rear wheel while pedals, chain drive and a free-wheel hub are provided for starting and assistance on hills. An accumulator carried in a wooden box on the seat tube provides ignition power, while the small petrol tank was suspended beneath the top frame rail The whole machine weighed about 70lb. The 20mph machine was advertised as being 'for business, touring or racing'.
Norton also offered a version with a two-speed pulley mechanism driven from the crankshaft by chain and mounted ahead of the bottom bracket. There was a Ladies' Model, and one which was touted as being 'the ideal doctor's bike.'
In 1904 the Journal of Commerce praised Norton's machines; 'since the first day of bicycle manufacture the Norton Company has given special attention to all improvements.'
Norton's workshops built frames for the Clément-Garrard powered bicycle marketed in Britain and the Energette is very similar to that product, but has a longer wheelbase. It was built to order and only three examples are known to survive.
We have owned the oldest Norton in existence for a long time', said NMM owner Roy Richards, 'but it was in a very poor state. I am delighted that we have recently had it fully restored by Dr George Cohen, an early Norton specialist, to join our large and ever-growing display.'
Norton concentrated on building its own motorcycles from 1904 and first came to prominence when Rem Fowler won the multi-cylinder class of the 1907 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race on a Peugeot-Norton V-twin. The marque went on to win another 42 TT races, the most recent in 1992 with a rotary engine.
Source

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Norton Big 4

The Model 1, or more commonly known as Big 4 was a Norton motorcycle made between 1907 and 1954 in various forms. With 633 cc (38.6 cu in), it was the largest and most powerful side valve engine, with plenty of low end torque in the model range, and was mostly used to haul sidecars. Approximately 4700 of the nearly 100,000 military bikes made by Norton during WW2 were Big 4 sidecar outfits.
Designed to carry two or three men plus their fighting equipment over very rough terrain, the Big 4 was used for reconnaissance and carrying loads of ammunition to the front line troops. It was called Big 4 due to its power rating of 4 hp, calculated as tax horsepower. Calculated using current methods the horsepower rating would be 14 brake horsepower.
Manufacturer:Norton Motorcycle Company
Also called:Model 1

Production:1907 - 1954 Engine:633cc, side valve air cooled single Top speed:68mph Power:14.5 bhp @ 4,000 rpm Transmission:Four speed gearbox to chain final drive Suspension:Girder front forks, solid rear. Telescopic front fork from 47 to the end and rear suspension as option Brakes:drum brakes Weight:305 lb (170 kg) (dry)

Civilian Norton Big 4
The first Big 4 machines were civilian versions starting in 1907 with a bore and stroke of 82 x 120 mm. The model was produced for nine years after the end of World War II when Norton ended the manufacture of side valve singles to concentrate on twins. As from 1948 the bore and stroke changed to 82 x 113 mm to give 596cc capacity.

Military Norton WD Big 4
The WD Big 4 was a development of prewar trials outfit with a sidecar wheel coupled to the motorcycle rear wheel through a dog clutch and drive shaft. Initial trials were carried out at Studland in Dorset and it coped well with challenging terrain. The simple design also meant it was easy to maintain in the field. All three 18" X 4.00 wheels were interchangeable with various makes of tyres for off road use. The sidecar was unarmoured, with thin sheetmetal on the front of the sidecar and there was no suspension in the rear of the heavy duty frame.

The sidecar was mounted on four leaf springs, and had two friction disc shock absorbers at the back. The Big Four was eventually replaced by the Ford GP or the Willys Jeep in 1941. The Big 4 could be equipped with a Bren gun or a 3 inch mortar, bombs could be fitted to a platform in place of a sidecar, but this seems to have been a one off model, same with the Thompson equipped Big 4.

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BSA Spitfire

The BSA Spitfire was a high-performance Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) motorcycle made from 1966 to 1968 with model designations of MkII, MkIII and MkIV. Announced at the Brighton motorcycle show held during September 1965, it was based on the earlier BSA Lightning with a power-upgrade achieved by higher compression-ratio 10.5:1 pistons and two large-bore Amal GP carburetors with velocity stacks it was one of the first BSAs to have 12-volt electrics. At introduction in 1966, it was the fastest standard BSA ever produced and the fastest standard motorcycle tested by Motor Cycle with a best run at 123 mph and average of 119.2 mph The Spitfire was used for travelling Marshalls' course duties at the 1967 Isle of Man TT races.

 

Manufacturer	Birmingham Small Arms Company
Predecessor	A65L Lightning
Engine	654 cc (39.9 cu in) air cooled four stroke, parallel twin, OHV, 2 valves per cylinder, 2 Amal 10GP2 carburettors, five pints of oil
Power	54 bhp (40 kW) (claimed) @ 6900 rpm
Transmission	4 Speed / chain
Suspension	BSA telescopic front fork with two-way damping, Girling rear shock absorbers with three-position spring adjustment
Brakes	190mm (7.5 inches) front, 180mm (7 inches) rear
Wheelbase	56 inches
Fuel capacity	4 gallons (2 in the US export version)

 

Development
Spitfire MkII

The first A65S Spitfire of 1966 was confusingly designated MkII and had a number of new features including two-way damped front forks, Girling shocks and a brace between the downswept exhaust pipes. A 190mm front drum brake improved braking and lightweight alloy rims reduced the weight to 174 kg.

The bike was supplied as a sports-tourer with raised handlebar, forward-mounted rider footrests, a large dual seat with race-styled hump, and the glass-fibre fuel tank and side panels covering the oil tank/tool compartment and battery were finished in Peony Red. The UK Spitfire had a conventional four gallon tank, with a large five gallon option from 1967.

A selection of factory extras were available to enable the model to enter Production Races, including a fairing and single racing seat. Two large-bore Amal GP carburetors with velocity stacks improved acceleration but made the Spitfire hard to kick start when the engine was hot, so owners chose to replace them with Amal concentric carburetors with more conventional round air filters and this became the factory supplied specification in 1967. Keen to boost sales in the US market BSA produced a special Spitfire with a two gallon fuel tank following the trend set by the Harley Davidson Sportster.

Spitfire MkIII

For the 1967 Model Year (MY) the Spitfire was upgraded and designated as Mk111. The racing Amal GP carbs with open-intakes (bellmouths) were replaced by Amal Concentrics with individual chome filters which enabled better low-range engine response. The fuel tank was enlarged to five UK galllons, which hampered both spark plug and carburetor accessibility. Both Mk11 and Mk111 carried the traditional BSA 'flash' side-panel badges.

Other modifications were Amal alloy (aluminium) control levers with click-stop cable adjusters, production of which BSA took-over from Amal, marketed under their 'Motoplas' accessories branding, and the Zener diode voltage regulator was installed in an aluminium heat-sink mounted high on the front frame tubes to benefit from the cooling airstream. Spitfire MKIV

The 1968 MK1V Spitfire was the last made. Amal’s new Concentric carburetors were combined with twin-leading-shoe front brakes and independently adjustable Lucas ignition points for easier starting. Engine power output was increased to 53 bhp (40 kW). A total of 471 true 1968 model year Spitfires were produced, not counting the carryover 1967s converted to 1968 specs

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BSA Rocket 3

For full detail see BSA Rocket 3/Triumph Trident (for corresponding Triumph models see Triumph Triples)



The BSA Rocket Three / Triumph Trident was the last major motorcycle developed by Triumph Engineering at Meriden, and was a 750 cc air-cooled unit construction pushrod triple with four gears and conventional chassis and suspension. It was badge-engineered to be sold under both the Triumph and BSA marques.
The Rocket3 / Trident was part of Triumph's plan to extend the model range beyond their 650 cc parallel twins. Created to meet the demands of the USA market, the smooth 750 cc three-cylinder engine had less vibration than the existing 360° twins. BSA fell into serious financial troubles,but during the seven-year production run 27,480 Rocket3 / Trident models were produced.
Although designed in the mid-1960s, the BSA Rocket3 / Triumph Trident engine had its origins in a 1938 parallel twin, the 500 cc Triumph Speed Twin of 1937 designed by Edward Turner. The 1938 Tiger 100 was a sports version of the Speed Twin, and in essence the Trident three-cylinder engine is a “Tiger 100 and a half” (although the triple has a longer stroke than the "squarer" Tiger 100 engine).
Following Triumph tradition, the OHV Trident engine has separate camshafts for inlet and exhaust valves.
USA specification BSA Rocket 3 with the controversial Ogle styling.
The three-cylinder design was started in 1962 by Bert Hopwood and Doug Hele. Meanwhile, test engineers developed the handling of the chassis by affixing lead weights onto a standard 650 Bonneville. The first prototype, P1, was running by 1965, and it seemed that Triumph might have a machine in production by 1967. However, the decision to produce a BSA version with sloping cylinders and to employ Ogle Design to give the early Tridents / Rocket 3s their 'square tank' look not only robbed the prototype of its lean looks and added 40 lb (18 kg) of weight, but also delayed production by 18 months.[3] During 1966, a P2 prototype was produced with a more production-based Trident engine, with changed bore and stroke dimensions and improved cooling. Ultimately, Hele obtained 90 bhp (67 kW) from a Trident engine, leading to speculation that if development had sped up in 1964, a 140 mph (230 km/h) British superbike could have been a reality in 1972.
Although most British motorcycles used a wet multiplate clutch, this triple had a dry single-plate clutch sited in a housing between the primary chaincase and the gearbox. Mounted on the end of the gearbox mainshaft where one might expect to find the clutch there was instead a large transmission shock-absorber.
All the three-cylinder engines, and the Rocket 3 motorcycles, were produced at BSA’s Small Heath site, but final assembly of the Triumph Trident model was carried out at Meriden in Coventry.
The major differences were the engine and frame: The BSA had an A65-style double-loop cradle frame (with engine mounted at a slant), while the Triumph had a Bonneville-style single downtube frame with vertical cylinders.
Other differences were cosmetic. Triumphs sold better in the US despite BSA’s Daytona racing successes of the early 70s. However sales did not meet expectations, and for the 1971 model year a fifth gear was added, creating the models BSA A75RV and Triumph T150V.
BSA were having financial difficulties, and only some 205 five-speed Rocket 3s were built before production of the BSA variant ceased. Production of the five-speed Triumph T150V (with a front disc brake replacing the original drum) continued until 1974. For the 1975 model year the Trident was updated to the T160.

Model	Engine	First year	Last year	Notes
A75R Rocket Three	750 cc	1969	1972
A75RV Rocket Three	750 cc	1971	1972	5-speed gearbox (only three produced in 1972)

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List of BSA motorcycles

This is a list of Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) motorcycles from the 1930s until the end of the marque in the 1970s. The list is tabulated by engine type and period.This list currently lacks models from 1910 until 1929 and is incomplete from 1930 until 1936. If you can help to complete it please do so!

V-Twins Series BSA Motorcycle Listing

Model	Engine	First year	Last year	Notes
Model E	771 cc	1919	1924	side-valve V twin
G30-G35	985 cc	1930	1935	side-valve
G14	985 cc	1936	1940	side-valve
J34, J35, J12	499 cc	1934	1936	overhead valve
Y13	748 cc	1936	1938	overhead valve

BSA B Series Listing

Model	Engine	First year	Last year	Notes
B33-1 - B35-1, B1	249 cc	1933	1936	side-valve
B33-2 - B35-2, B2	249 cc	1933	1936	overhead valve
B33-3 - B35-3, B3 Blue Star	249 cc	1933	1936	overhead valve
R33-4 - R35-4, R4	349 cc	1933	1936	overhead valve
R33-5 - R35-5, R5 Blue Star	349 cc	1933	1936	overhead valve
W32-6, W33-6, W34-7, W35-6, W6	499 cc	1932	1936	side-valve
W32-7, W33-7, W34-8, W35-7	499 cc	1932	1935	overhead valve
W33-8, W34-9, W35-8 Blue Star	499 cc	1933	1935	overhead valve
W33-9, W34-10, W35-9	499 cc	1933	1935	overhead valve
B20	249 cc	1937	1938	side-valve
B21	249 cc	1937	1939	overhead valve
B22 Empire Star	249 cc	1937	1938	overhead valve
B23	348 cc	1937	1939	side-valve
B24	348 cc	1937	1939	overhead valve
B25	348 cc	1937	1939	overhead valve
B26	348 cc	1937	1939	overhead valve
B29	348 cc	1940		overhead valve
B30				overhead valve
B31	348 cc	1945	1959	overhead valve
B32	348 cc	1946	1957	overhead valve
B33	499 cc	1947	1960	overhead valve
B34	499 cc	1947	1957	overhead valve

BSA M Series Listing:

Model		Engine	First year	Last year	Notes
M33-10, M34-12, M35-10, M10		596 cc	1933	1936	Side-Valve
M33-11, M34-13, M35-11		596 cc	1933	1935	overhead valve
M19 Deluxe		349 cc	1937	1938	overhead valve
M22		496 cc	1937	1939	overhead valve
M23 Silver Star/Empire Star		496 cc	1937	1940	overhead valve
M24 Gold Star		496 cc	1938	1939	overhead valve
M20		496 cc	1937	1955	side-valve. Thousands of this model were supplied to the British Army
M21		591 cc	1937	1963	side-valve. The UK's Automobile Association used this model in sidecar combinations
M33		499 cc	1947	1957	B33 overhead valve engine in M series plunger frame for civilian sidecar work

All BSA C Series Models

Model	Engine	First year	Last year	Notes
C10	250 cc	1938	1953	side-valve engine
C11	250 cc	1939	1953	overhead valve engine, dynamo electrics
C11G	250 cc	1939	1954	overhead valve engine, alternator instead of dynamo
C12	250 cc	1940		overhead valve engine, swinging arm suspension
C10L	250 cc	1953	1957	side-valve engine
C12	250 cc	1956	1958	overhead valve engine

Bantam Series BSA Motorcycle

Model	Engine	First year	Last year	Notes
D1 Bantam	125 cc	1948	1963	Early examples had rigid frames; later models had plunger suspension
D3 Bantam Major	150 cc	1954	1957	All-welded swinging Arm  frame
D5 Bantam Super	175 cc	1958	1958	All-welded swinging arm frame similar to D5
D7 Bantam Super	175 cc	1959	1966	Swinging-arm frame with separate rear subframe bolted on
D10 Silver Bantam, Bantam Supreme, Bantam Sports and Bushman	175 cc	1966	1967	Some models had four-ratio gearbox
D14/4 Bantam Supreme, Bantam Sports and Bushman	175 cc	1968	1969	All models had four-ratio gearbox
D175 Bantam Sports and Bushman	175 cc	1969	1971	With C15 front forks and centrally-located spark plug

All Type Of Construction Single Unit BSA Motorcycles

Model	Engine	First year	Last year	Notes
C15	250 cc	1958	1967
C15T	250 cc	1959	1965
C15S	250 cc	1959	1965
SS80	250 cc	1961	1966	High-performance version of C15
B40	350 cc	1960	1965
SS90	350 cc	1962	1965	High-performance version of B40
B44 GP	441 cc	1965	1967	(Chrome lined barrel, a two-piece exhaust where the rear section was a tuned megaphone rather than a silencer, plastic bung for a fuel cap, the first unit single with oil-bearing frame differing from later oil bearing frames as it used super strong/lightweight Reynolds 531 tubing aimed at competition use)
B44 VE "Victor Enduro"	441 cc	1966	1970
B44 "Victor Roadster"	441 cc	1966	1970	From 1968 to 1970, called "441 Shooting Star"
B40WD	350 cc	1967	1967	2,000 for Ministry of Defence
C25 Barracuda	250 cc	1967	1967	Short-lived high-compression model
B25 Starfire	250 cc	1968	1970	Similar to the C25 but with slightly reduced compression
B25FS Fleetstar	250 cc	1968	1971	Made with low-compression engine to increase reliability and fuel economy for police and civilian fleet use
B25SS Shooting Star	250 cc	1971	1971
B25ST	250 cc	1971	1971
B50SS Gold Star	500 cc	1971	1972
B50T Trail	500 cc	1971	1972
B50MX Motorcross	500 cc	1971	1972	In 1974 sold as Triumph TR5MX for US

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