BSA Motorcycles L25 2½ Hp 1924
This is a fine example of a 1920s flat tank BSA “Workhorse”
Thousands were produced when motorcycles were used for transport rather than sport or recreation as they are now used in the western world.
The 350 class is a solid well-made motorcycle for the masses and would probably have been the most numerous class made at the time. Most working class folk would have preferred the economy of a 350 to the slight performance increase of a 500.
Performance could only be described as pedestrian by today’s standards but these bikes were bought for going to work and the occasional trip out at weekends was not an important consideration (times have certainly changed). Traffic speeds were very much lower in the 20s and road surfacing was considerably worse than today so a ‘pedestrian’ speed was acceptable.
Overhead valves were things of the future for ordinary machines and the numbers of sidevalve machines purchased at the time is testimony to the fact that the general public wanted transport, not sports motorcycles. In 1924 racing had yet to improve the breed.
Purchased in 2009 from the US.