Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • The Classic MotorCycle

    Bantam building

    Feb 02, 2022 4 minutes
    Words and photographs: STEVE PARRISH

    Back when my Bantam was new in 1968, never in my wildest/weirdest dreams would I have ever thought I would be restoring one 54 years later. As in 1968/69 all I wanted was something cool and fast… and that was not a Bantam!

    Truthfully, even now it isn’t really either of those things, but it is iconic and a bit of motorcycling history of which many (most?) motorcyclists owned at some point between the late 1940s and mid-1970s. It’s estimated that nearly half a million of the lightweight bikes were built by Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA), starting out as a 125cc bike with an exact rip off engine of the German DKW, built in Chemnitz and now is Audi.

    I did actually own

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from The Classic MotorCycle

    The Classic MotorCycle4 min read
    A Memorable Centennial
    When Sunbeam Club stalwart Julie Diplock came up with the idea of celebrating the club’s centennial anniversary by organising an event at the famous Brooklands race circuit in Surrey, little did she know that modern history was to play a part in the
    The Classic MotorCycle8 min read
    News & Events
    The Kempton Park Classic Bike Show and Autojumble returns on May 11, 2024. This year will be the biggest show and autojumble to date at the venue, with over 350 trade stands, more than 120 classic motorcycles, plus the event is also being supported b
    The Classic MotorCycle6 min read
    An Undervalued Classic?
    Browsing through adverts for classic big British twins, it’s always been noticeable that prices for BSA’s A65 are significantly lower than for equivalent age and engine size Triumphs and Nortons. When the A65 was first introduced in 1962, it met with

    Related Books & Audiobooks