1967 BSA Lightning A65L

Description

Additional photos of this 1967 BSA Lightning Rocket are available here for your perusal.

The BSA Lightning was one of three bikes BSA was cranking out in late 1960s. These three bikes played different roles – the Thunderbird was a touring rig, the Spitfire was a pure performance machine, and this lovely Lightning was the ‘tweener – think of it as their all-around sport bike of the day.

The Lightning sold for $1,305 back in 1967, and the 53 horsepower 654cc parallel twin engine was powerful enough to be a rival to the Triumph Bonneville. Thing is, BSA owned both companies at the time, so they tried to differentiate them in the market by selling Triumph as performance-minded, while BSA was sold as being more reliable and a better option for daily commuting. Fitting the middle of the product range, the Lightning had enough oomph to “do the ton”.

This was one of the last models BSA pushed out in an effort to combat the Japanese motorcycle invasion, competition that was cheaper and often faster. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, as BSA would be out of business a few years later.

The seller of this example (VIN: AG5LA14343Y) acquired it eight years ago from a private party in Ohio.

The odometer shows 5,607.5 miles.

It was restored in 2013 by Don Harrell, one of the best British motorcycle restorers out of the US who sadly passed away recently (RIP). The seller includes documentation of the restoration, which shows a total bill of $11,401.64. It has not been ridden since the restoration.

Currently located in Palm Springs, California, this BSA is offered on an Ohio permanent registration. Please note that there is a CA license plate on the bike “just for aesthetics…we wanted to put an era correct license plate, the plate is not actually for that bike. We have the Ohio permanent registration and will give a bill of sale..”

The seller states that there are no mechanical or cosmetic issues. Have any Lightning stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the comments!