1924 BSA Sports Combination
Reg Number: XT 9364
Frame Number: C2089
Engine Number: 2090
Body Colour: Green
Cc: 493
BSA had become involved in the cycle trade as a supplier of high quality components from 1880 and entered the world of motorcycle production in 1910 with a three-and-a-half horsepower single. During the Great War they supplied machines to the Russian military and when hostilities ceased recommenced the production of high quality, durable motorcycles that may have lacked the glamour associated with marques such as Norton and AJS but which would provide sterling service for their owners. These attributes were confirmed by their success in long distance trials and later in the company's history, scrambles and observed trials.

Mainstays of the range in the first half of the twenties were the 493cc side valve single, rated at three-and-a-half horsepower and its larger brother, the 555cc four-and-a-half horsepower version, both of which were equally adept as a solo machine or hitched to a sidecar. They were backed up by an extensive dealer and service network. In 1925 BSA challenged the ACU to obtain the parts necessary to build-up one of its new 2.5hp models from its dealer network with no complete assemblies being purchased. With the parts duly purchased a machine was assembled and ridden for 100 miles, unimpressed by this, due, the ACU said, to the machine being a contemporary model, the ACU were requested to repeat the process by BSA, obtaining the components for a 1914 557cc single with the same result after three days and five hours assembling the machine!

The example offered of the 493cc single was last used in 2005. It is believed to have been restored prior to this date, subsequently seeing occasional use in VMCC events such as the Banbury Run. The machine is fitted with a contemporary single seat sidecar finished in green to match the motorcycle.

BSA Models 1920-1929