It looked tough, it road tough, read the ad campaigns for the BSA Firebird Scrambler in the later 1960s. Building on their trusty A65 engine this was a rugged bike that could go just about anywhere you could want to go.
This example was bought home to the UK just over 20 years ago, with no time to complete the restoration it sat for 13 years until it was passed on to the second owner who started the restoration process. Over the next few years, a lot of time was spent getting this bike up to museum quality. This is now your chance to own a piece of British motorcycle history.JdFbn8nB9rABRZN0g8CqelpyZqpgMgD0YQ0aeLiC.jpeg2.81 MB
The History and Paperwork
Produced in 1969 this BSA was sent out to the US
It would spend the majority of its life stateside until it was bought in the UK around about 20 years ago
It was purchased to help fill a space in a shipping container, but due to a busy schedule it was never finished
13 years on it was sold to the second UK owner and a big restoration was started
A lot of parts were upgraded including, electronic ignition, 8mm oil pump, Hepolite pistons, Hepolite valves & valve guides, new wiring harness, new ignition coils, and other parts
Over the past 2 decades, this bike has hardly been used, so it could be possible that the 8,323 miles shown on the speedometer are genuine
The current owner picked the bike up in 2021 and has refined this bike even more
They have added an exhaust heat shield (new old stock), chain guard, front fork rubbers, exhaust baffles, petrol tank centre strip, petrol taps and petrol pipes, fuel diamond put in the tank on the 20/10/21, tank mounting rubbers replaced, and a chrome grab rail, sump guard.
Should you wish there are a lot of spare parts that will come with the bike, including some of the original parts that have been taken off as part of the restoration
It is now your chance to swing your leg over this beautifully restored, numbers matching, classic BSA
There are a lot of spare parts that have been photographed and put into the gallery
You will also get a lot of paperwork, there is an up to date V5, workshop manuals, and magazine articles about the BSA Firebird
There are also other assorted invoices for some of the parts used throughout the restoration
What a good looking bike this is, they really don’t make them like they used to. With its large knobbly off-road-esque tyres, which are still like brand new, and classic style chrome elements it would look amazing sitting within your collection that’s for sure.
If we start by looking at the condition of the paint on the tank and side panels, we can see that they are presented very nicely in a very striking red with the correct badges and decals too. These areas are then contrasted nicely with the gloss black frame that is also presented very well indeed.
Another key part on the exterior of any classic vehicle is of course all of the chrome. Luckily for you, the chrome mudguards, handlebars, and other smaller parts are all presented incredibly well. If you look very closely you will find a few small areas or slight pitting but nothing that should worry you at all.
The current owner has gone to the effort of replacing the original seat cover with some nice new black material. It does still include the ‘BSA’ logo on the rear of the seat which is a lovely little feature. There is also a nice chrome handle for your pillion passenger to hold on to when you go off on an adventure. Although it has been replaced the original seat cover can still be found in the spare parts.
If you look at the bottom of the frame just in front of the engine you will find the frame number, and just behind this the engine number. These have both been photographed and show that this bike is indeed a proper, numbers matching, original BSA Firebird. This combination of matching numbers will usually mean the bike is more collectable, and could therefore be a bit of an investment for you.
During their restoration efforts, the current owner has sourced a new rev counter, however, they have kept hold of the original Smiths dial that can be found in the spare parts section. They have also sourced a new old stock heatshield for the exhaust, this part was sourced from Austria.
The overall condition of this BSA is amazing, it looks so good that it wouldn’t look out of place in a motoring museum. It can now sit at the heart of your collection shining away, but it is not just a bit of eye candy, it has been mechanically overhauled too as we will get onto in the next section.
Not only is this bike a good looking bike, but it also runs beautifully. Thanks to all of the work carried out by the current and previous owners this bike now kicks straight into life and idles amazing when it has come up to temperature.
As we have mentioned a few times the mechanical elements have received an overhaul. With new pistons, valves, valve guides, a new Norman Hyde 7 plate clutch, and fuel lines. This means it is ready for you to get on and ride into the sunset.
On the day of the photoshoot, it was wheeled out of its garage storage and placed onto its centre stand. After the photos were completed, we were treated to hearing this 650 running. After tickling the carbs it burst into life easily, below out its growly soundtrack for all to hear. Due to the amount of work done to the bike it probably rides better than ever now. Also, thanks to its scrambler nature it is pretty nippy too, its lower ratio gears and torquey 650cc engine should win you a few traffic light drag races.
You will be getting an excellent bike here that should provide you with many happy memories in the future. You shouldn’t forget a ride on this beast quickly that is for sure.
What an incredible bike this is, with its powerful engine and extensive restoration you are going to be getting a motorcycle that is almost like new. It has everything going for it, matching numbers, well presented, and easy to start/ride what’s not to love?
Whatever you wish to do with this BSA, both the bike will look good doing it.
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only. Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.
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