If you are a fan of veteran or vintage motorcycles, we've saved the best till last in terms of our extensive coverage of Brigg Bike Night 2019.
Brigg Blog has already posted two batches of pictures and provided a link to a third set. But here's a real 'golden oldie' we missed among the massed ranks on Bridge Street and the Market Place.
On Friday (July 5) Ken Harrison, of Brigg Matters magazine, caught up with well-known local enthusiast Peter Gunnee and his 94-year-old BSA, manufactured in 1925.
It's a single seat, side valve 350cc bike with three gears and a pump-charged fuel tank.
"In its day, the bike was the workhorse of the working man and often had a lightweight side-car for the family," says Ken who knows a thing or two about vintage machines.
Brigg Bike Night 2019 attracted a record 2,000-plus attendance.
Was Peter's the oldest bike on show?
BSA stands for Birmingham Small Arms - a famous company that made guns, cars, cycles and many popular types of motorcycle.
The 175cc BSA Bantam was a popular first buy for many in North Lincolnshire and Brigg Blog rode a 1966-made example in the mid-1970s (bought second or third hand for a few quid), taking it to Peter East's workshop on Bridge Street for adjustments and MoTs.
BSA was one of the firms hard hit by the so-called Japanese invasion when manufacturers from the Far East found a ready market in the UK for reliable machines with reputations for easy starting even on cold or wet days.
Ken has kindly added a few more of the many pictures he took - featuring more modern makes - to complete our coverage of Brigg Bike Night 2019 which attracted a record 2,000-plus attendance.
They included members of Brigg Rotary Club who marshalled the event, Humberside Police and staff of the Hungry Fisherman in Coney Court, Mary and Peter from the China Royal on Bridge Street... Roll on Bike Night 2020!
View our first batch of Bike Night pictures here...
View 14 more from Ken Harrison here...
Read the full Bike Night report with many more pictures here...
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| Improvising Barry's Saturday market stall as a chippie table! |
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| View through the Coney Court archway, looking towards the Market Place with bikes in evidence. |
BSA- Brief history..formed from a syndicate of Birmingham rifle manufacturers circa 1860...very successful until 1879 (The year my Granny T was born)..slack trade, so decided to use skills to manufacture bicycles as well...then in about 1905, started making motorbikes..
ReplyDeleteDuring history, also were involved in Daimler and Manchester (even BSA) car manufacture + buses. Parent company to Sunbeam and Triumph m/bikes...
Sold pedal bike contract to Triumph in 1957...the year before I got my Triumph Palm Beach, straight-handle bar bike...all the rage at the time...Company folded in 1973...although BSA products are still badged by a firm in India etc..
BSA Batam..came in 3 sizes...125, 150 and 175cc...the 175 was known as the Super Batam...fall into a convinient category at the time for lightweight m/bikes when provisional licence holders, from the age of 16 could ride motorbike up to 250cc....... Scooters, which became popular from the late 50's were similarly engines with 125/150cc..
ReplyDeleteBSA- Brief history..formed from a syndicate of Birmingham rifle manufacturers circa 1860...very successful until 1879 (The year my Granny T was born)..slack trade, so decided to use skills to manufacture bicycles as well...then in about 1905, started making motorbikes..
ReplyDeleteDuring history, also were involved in Daimler and Manchester (even BSA) car manufacture + buses. Parent company to Sunbeam and Triumph m/bikes...
Sold pedal bike contract to Triumph in 1957...the year before I got my Triumph Palm Beach, straight-handle bar bike...all the rage at the time...Company folded in 1973...although BSA products are still badged by a firm in India etc..
Back to BSA ...the Triumph Palm Beach pedal cycle also came with a Sturmey-Archer 3 gear changer...another BSA patents..
ReplyDelete