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BSA Norton Triumph and Ariel motorbikes & trikes

I've had my M21 a few years now, once upon a time it had a yellow tank and sidecar. I'm not going to say who, as recently took em nearly 10 hours to get my classic car 10 miles home and they also diagnosed the issue wrong.:mask:

1957 BSA M21 600cc SV.JPG
 
oldMohawk said:
I bought my 1st Scooter in 1959 from Chambers in Sutton.
It was a BSA Sunbeam 250cc 4 stroke like the one shown below, only mine was light blue.

Had some adventures with it - 75mph on the Chester Rd north.
A cow chewed most of it's seat off while I was flying a model aeroplane in Sutton Park, and the scooter was shortened by about 12 inches when I pulled up behind a car on Sutton Parade, and a car ran into the back of me.
I notice my licence says I'm still qualified to ride a motorbike ! Some hopes...:biggrin:

BSA_Sunbeam_Scooter.jpg
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Haven't noticed mention of the 1950's BSA Sunbeam, perhaps because it's not a proper motor bike.
 
1950 Sunbeam S7 Deluxe

BSA acquired Sunbeam in 1943 and unveiled a new model in 1946, designed to be the "group flagship." The Sunbeam featured a short-stroke, overhead cam, inline twin-cylinder engine with shaft final drive via a four-speed gearbox. It had a duplex frame, plunger rear suspension, telescopic forks, and 16-inch balloon tires. However, due to issues, the model's release was delayed until 1947.The S7 Deluxe is powered by a 487cc (500cc) overhead-camshaft (OHC) parallel-twin, four-stroke engine that is mounted longitudinally, like a car's engine. The unit featured a wet sump lubrication system and coil ignition.Drivetrain: A four-speed gearbox and a dry clutch transferred power to a shaft drive, a very advanced feature for British motorcycles at the time. The S7 used a worm gear final drive.
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s8 sunbeam
1763227240044.jpeg
 
mw0njm. said:
1950 Sunbeam S7 Deluxe

BSA acquired Sunbeam in 1943 and unveiled a new model in 1946, designed to be the "group flagship." The Sunbeam featured a short-stroke, overhead cam, inline twin-cylinder engine with shaft final drive via a four-speed gearbox. It had a duplex frame, plunger rear suspension, telescopic forks, and 16-inch balloon tires. However, due to issues, the model's release was delayed until 1947.The S7 Deluxe is powered by a 487cc (500cc) overhead-camshaft (OHC) parallel-twin, four-stroke engine that is mounted longitudinally, like a car's engine. The unit featured a wet sump lubrication system and coil ignition.Drivetrain: A four-speed gearbox and a dry clutch transferred power to a shaft drive, a very advanced feature for British motorcycles at the time. The S7 used a worm gear final drive.
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s8 sunbeam
View attachment 213857
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The green bike reminds me of a Garley police cruiser.
 
mw0njm. said:

1952-1969 Triumph Tiger Cub: The Baby Bonnie 200 cc​

View attachment 213897
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I have had a couple of Triumph Tiger Cubs, as a did a couple of my friends. I thought they were a super and great looking bike that sounded super and were nice to drive. One thing I noticed with them was there was very little in the way of change or improvement between the 1952 and the 1969 models. It seems the biggest change was confined to the manual; the later edition was shorter. The bikes except for some styling, the high-level exhaust and energy transfer alternator were not all that different.

I also found them quite unreliable, big-ends and clutches a common problem.

My pal then ought a K2 Honda. At first us bikers were horrified at the sheer thought of any motor bike not British. The problem was his K2 was a much better bike that all our Tiger Cubs and C15’s.
 
Morturn said:
I have had a couple of Triumph Tiger Cubs, as a did a couple of my friends. I thought they were a super and great looking bike that sounded super and were nice to drive. One thing I noticed with them was there was very little in the way of change or improvement between the 1952 and the 1969 models. It seems the biggest change was confined to the manual; the later edition was shorter. The bikes except for some styling, the high-level exhaust and energy transfer alternator were not all that different.

I also found them quite unreliable, big-ends and clutches a common problem.

My pal then ought a K2 Honda. At first us bikers were horrified at the sheer thought of any motor bike not British. The problem was his K2 was a much better bike that all our Tiger Cubs and C15’s.
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Some good points Mort; I have noticed the lack of changes or upgrades to British cars as well as motorcycles. Was this a cost problem or because the manufacturers didn’t think necessary? If it was the latter, I could see in the immediate post war years but ‘52 to ‘69 will ring the death knell every time.
 
Morturn said:
I have had a couple of Triumph Tiger Cubs, as a did a couple of my friends. I thought they were a super and great looking bike that sounded super and were nice to drive. One thing I noticed with them was there was very little in the way of change or improvement between the 1952 and the 1969 models. It seems the biggest change was confined to the manual; the later edition was shorter. The bikes except for some styling, the high-level exhaust and energy transfer alternator were not all that different.

I also found them quite unreliable, big-ends and clutches a common problem.

My pal then ought a K2 Honda. At first us bikers were horrified at the sheer thought of any motor bike not British. The problem was his K2 was a much better bike that all our Tiger Cubs and C15’s.
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and a lot more umph k2 760 cc, tiger cub 200cc c15 250cc
i was patriotic never bought a foreign machine...that is why they prob went bust people buying honda's etc:(
 
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I had a 1958 Tiger Cub, brand new...I had the great pleasure of riding to Brum the first day the M1 opened. No speed limit at the time so you could really get the throttle open. I remember doing over 75mph for the first time. I went to Aston see my old street, Paddington St. My old house was gone...
Dave A
 
adap2it said:
I had a 1958 Tiger Cub, brand new...I had the great pleasure of riding to Brum the first day the M1 opened. No speed limit at the time so you could really get the throttle open. I remember doing over 75mph for the first time. I went to Aston see my old street, Paddington St. My old house was gone...
Dave A
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67 years ago!
 
adap2it said:
I had a 1958 Tiger Cub, brand new...I had the great pleasure of riding to Brum the first day the M1 opened. No speed limit at the time so you could really get the throttle open. I remember doing over 75mph for the first time. I went to Aston see my old street, Paddington St. My old house was gone...
Dave A
Click to expand...
75 on a cub wow
:grinning:
 
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