Bsa 500 & 650 Twins

Rapid Bikes, November 2008 Australian magazine Peter Henshaw has seen more British motorcycles than most in his time and is probably the best guy in the world to liaise with when buying a British machine. As a result, be has created ‘BSA 500 650 Twins - The Essential Buyer’s Guide.’ His pocket-sized book covers all the aspects of buying a Beezer. What to look for, how to assess a potential new love and most importantly, what they’re worth. Also covered are all the important bits like advice on running costs, model history and vital statistics and how to spot a bad bike before you hand over your hard-earned cash. ‘BSA 500 650 Twins - The Essential Buyer’s Guide’ by Peter Henshaw is a very handy little gem. -

NZ Motorcycle Trader News, June 2008 New Zealand magazine Sometimes living under the shadow of the flashier, high profile Triumph Twins, the equivalent BSAs were just as numerous, and were exported all over the world. BSA was often seen as a less glamorous marque than Triumph or Norton, associated more with commuting and sidecars than coffee bar cowboys, but that doesn’t detract from its collect ability today as the bikes have become highly usable, enjoyable classics. This book is a practical guide to buying one of these bikes and covers the complete range, from the very first 1946 500cc A7 to the final 1973 650cc A65s. Photos and a unique scoring system smoothly guide you through the buying process without making expensive mistakes. One hundred color photos, useful appendices and expert advice mean that this book could save you thousands.

OK, so, you’re tired of the flashy hyperbike scene and fancy something different. The retro scene and old motorcycles has started to appeal but the problem is you’re completely new to old motorcycles and know nothing about them. Yes, you’ve seen them about and have probably even heard of a few of the makes like Triumph and BSA but beyond that … well. What do you do to find out if the scene will suit you and what bike could be the one for you?

A useful first step could well be one of ‘The Essential Buyer’s Guides’ by Peter Henshaw and published by Veloce Publishing if you’re fancying a BSA twin or a Triumph Bonneville - OK and BMW GS as well. The buyer’s guides are not an in-depth look at every machine, that would be difficult in a 64-page 7 11/16in x 5 7/16in soft back book. Instead they are squarely aimed at the newcomer and advise on model changes, recognition points, pitfalls and other things to be aware of when seeking out a classic.

A long time classic owner will find the information fairly run of the mill but if you’re just starting out then it’s all new and after reading ‘The Essential Buyer’s Guides’ you should be able to spot a Bonnie from a T’Bird or an A7 from an RGS.

Peter Henshaw has been an enthusiast for anything with wheels since he was a child – everything from bicycles to 500hp tractors. He was Editor of Motorcycle Sport & Leisure for five years before going freelance, and now contributes to a whole raft of transport magazines, including The Vintagent (motorcycles), A to B (cycling) and Tractor (as it says …) as well as editing Vintage & Classic Motorcycle. But this petrolhead is becoming increasingly green – now doesn’t fly, doesn’t own a car, rides the most economical motorcycle on the market, and for local journeys uses a bicycle or pedelec.