The S7 and S8 Sunbeams were designed by Erling Pope with styling loosely based on designs of the BMW R75, designs of which were acquired as war reparations by BSA. Built in Redditch, the engine in the bike was highly unusual being more familiar to that of a car rather than the tradition bike layout. The vertical inline twin, OHC 500cc unit was longitudinally mounted with a coil ignition and a wet sump lubrication system which, through a dry clutch, drove a shaft to provide locomotion to the rear wheel. 

The S7 and S8 were very expensive when new with only modest performance gains, which is why they resulted in low sales volumes. The S8 was sold as a sportier model due its lighter weight, enabling it to reach 85 mph, it also had new BSA forks, a cast aluminium silencer ad chromed wheels.

This bike was purchased by the current owner’s uncle as part of his larger collection of weird and wonderful and varied machinery. Unfortunately, after his passing the collection was passed down through the family but now with a change in life circumstances the bike is up for sale. 

 

The bike is not thought to have had a lot of work done to it during its time in the collection aside from regular maintenance. Any work that did need doing would have been done by the previous owner and therefore the paperwork would not have been kept. The condition of the bike however shows that it was well cared for during its time. 

 

The Sunbeam is a fantastic looking bike with the spring seat reminding us of tourer bikes of the same era, the engine configuration however is something that sticks out as being something different. 

The overall condition of the frame is good, there is some general wear and tear and there is a small amount of surface corrosion starting to show but it’s really very minor and certainly not at the levels you’d expect for a 69-year-old vehicle that has over 41,000 miles on the clock. If we look at it in that aspect, it’s in very good condition indeed. The frame has no structural damage or anything obvious wrong with it from what we could see, after a rub down and a lick of paint it would be as good as new. 

The wheels are in good condition although are starting to see some corrosion coming through the rims, the tyres would also need to be changed as the rear has a flat. The handle bars look to be in great condition and the centre dial on the light pod although looks a little tired is still in good overall condition and is reported to be working as intended. 

 

The bike has sat for a few years in storage underneath a cover so will need some simple, light recommissioning to get running, a battery change, a fuel flush and a spark plug change is all that the owner believes should be needed. The exterior condition of the engine is fantastic as you can see from the photos, no fluid leaks or other worrying signs to see. 

The mechanisms are reports to all work as they should with the kick starter and gear lever all moving without freely. The bike rolls freely despite the flat rear tyre and the stands kick down without issue. The tyres are getting a bit old and as you can see have started to split due to being dry and aged, it might be wise to change these before attempting a ride. 

The exhaust looks to be in great condition too with no visible cracks or splits in any of the joins and the entirety being dent and damage free from what we could see on the day. The rubber bushing for the shaft looks to be whole and not split from the small section you can see from the exterior. 

 

The Sunbeam was an innovative bike that offered something different from the standard, it was perhaps not as popular with buyers back in the day, but they have a dedicated and loving fanbase now. The production number of the S8 are believed to be around 8,530 so represents quite a rare beast. This one has a great back story and has clearly been looked after, it needs only a little TLC to get it back on the roads and commuting to shows in the glorious British summer time.