BSA
Lightning A65
 The
1969 BSA 650 twin is arguably one of the best-developed
of the breed. The BSA Lightning A65 arrived
in 1962 as the natural progression from the
sturdy A10. Given a unit construction twist
and sensible technical development, the twin
remained the backbone of the BSA range all through
the 1960s. In fact, things almost went a little
too far in the middle of the decade when there
were eleven different models (counting 500s
as well as 650s) based around the same basic
machine. Eleven! Perhaps there are actually
too many ways to skin a cat...? Most customers
opted for the 650-sized Lightning anyway, so
the range was trimmed to a more sensible size
of six before Richard's own A65L went into production.The
Lightning was accepted as the BSA all-round
sportbike of the Sixties, sitting alongside
the single-carb, touring Thunderbolt and the
supersports Spitfire. If you're buying an A65
today then you'll have plenty of different examples
to choose from, which reflects how well the
bike sold when new. Although Turner's twins
continued to steal many hearts with their glamorous
reputation, it was a fully-faired Lightning
that was kitted out with car-seeking missiles
to take on James Bond in the Thunderball movie.
In real life the Police rode something which
looked similar, but their Lightnings came without
the additional thunder!
By 1969 BSA had tackled most of the BSA Lightning
A65's obvious flaws (and the ones which remained
required rather more fundamental efforts to
improve them). As the multi-cylinder bikes arrived
so the pressure could be taken off the twins,
and the Lightning was allowed to settle into
an almost genteel sports-tourer role while the
Rocket 3 took the strain. Amendments to the
motor were aimed at making it more reliable,
quieter, and less leaky, and any attempt at
ultimate top speed was sacrificed to beef up
the mid-range and improve rideability. 'Very
fast but easy to handle' reckoned BSA, and we'd
have to agree. The twin-carb A65 would still
reach 108mph (but don't try that at home children,
and particularly not you, Mr Wilson, unless
you want to develop a sudden and expensive relationship
with SRM). It also offered accurate cornering
without feeling overly stiff. Yet even in 1969
it was freely admitted that only a masochist
would use a Lightning as an outright speed machine.
It excelled as a high speed tourer, however,
and still willingly fulfils that role today,
if you have the yen to travel in starburst style.
BSA even fitted an oil pressure warning light,
intended to reassure riders that all was well
with the bike's lubrication and cooling. It
signalled alarm should the oil flow become compromised,
ideally before extreme engine damage occurred.
However, as the switch itself was prone to malfunctioning,
most riders ignored its cries of 'wolf!' after
a while. BSA's claim to be 'ultra reliable under
all conditions' wasn't quite as accurate as
they hoped! BSA Lightning
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