Vintage BSA Motorcycles

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The Birmingham Small Arms Company, better known as BSA, was started in 1861 by gunsmiths in Birmingham, England. The founders had been supplying guns to the British government during the Crimean War, but when the market began to decline, they began to broaden their horizon. BSA began producing Otto Dicycles in the 1870s, bicycles in the 1880s, and automobiles and motorcycles in the early 1900s.

The first experimental motorcycle was produced in 1903, however the engines came from other manufacturers for years. The first release of a motorcycle with a BSA engine was in 1910. After success, "BSA Motorcycles Ltd." became a subsidiary of BSA Company in 1919.

World War II brought about an increase in demand for motorcycles. Over 125,000 BSA M20s were produced for the British military over a span of thirteen years, from 1937 to 1950. The M20 was a 500cc bike, and its larger counterpart, the M21 was a 600cc bike also used by the British during the war. At WWII’s end, motocross was gaining immense popularity across the globe, and BSA of course, quickly jumped on that bandwagon... Read more

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