History: Dependable No - Nonsense Twins

Predictable advertising from BSA. Identical twins launch the new 1962 A50 and A65 unit construction Star models

BSA's 500cc A7 and 650cc A10, and their A50 and A65 developments, rank as Britain's best loved post-war parallel twins. Immensely popular when they were made, no Nineties classic motorcycle gathering is complete without these rugged no nonsense machines which have always been fit for their intended roles - from main road cruiser to dependable sidecar tug.

Frowned on by Triumph riders as cheap and unexciting - the rival Tigers and Trophies from Meriden were generally a few pounds more expensive than Small Heath's Golden Flashes and Super Rockets - BSA twins are appreciated by their many supporters as fast and sure footed motorcycles.

Even early models offer top flight performance. Cycle magazine wrung 101mph out of a Golden Flash in 1950 - the 650 BSA's first production year. And with an 88mph top speed, the 1951 500cc A7 was no laggard.

Triumph owners are also unwise to criticise the handling of BSA twins which were transformed in 1954 by the Gold Star derived all welded duplex cradle swinging arm frame. A year later, home market models received this important upgrade. The superiority of the BSA frame - only Norton's Featherbed was better - meant that it remained virtually unaltered until replaced in 1971 by the BSA-Triumph oil-in-frame chassis.

Choosing to buy a BSA twin will give you the pick of a vast array of models made between 1946 and 1973. You may fancy an early plunger sprung A10 with its startling gold colour scheme, or prefer the 12volt electrics and excellent brakes of a late Sixties single carburettor Thunderbolt.

But don't worry, your choice doesn't have to include the rare 650cc Rocket Gold Star. Less than 1800 of this now highly collectable pre-unit BSA twin were made during a short 1962-1963 production run. With cycle parts based on the Gold Star singles, an RGS could now cost you over £8000. But any of the more common twins in good condition can be bought for a third of this sum. And as they rolled out of Small Heath in their thousands, there are still plenty of smart survivors to choose from.