When BSA introduced their redesigned twins, in both 500 (A50) and 650cc (A65) capacities, the motorcycling world was rather less than completely bowled over.
The snag was that although the A10 and A7 twins were getting a little long in the tooth, even by the standards of British motorcycle design, they were very popular with the riding public.
While other manufacturers adopted some pretty bizarre styling cues in their quest for ‘smooth’ styling to suit the 1960s, BSA built a scooter and some mopeddy-things and left their motorcycles looking like motorcycles.
What they did to their bikes was to modernise them, taking their mechanical styling away from the trad approach, where nuts, bolts, adjusters and widgets were prominently on show, to a notably smooth, bulbous theme.
Read more in February’s edition of CBG
