The BSA Spitfire is a high-performance

BSA motorcycle The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited (BSA) was a major British industrial combine, a group of businesses manufacturing military and sporting firearms; bicycles; motorcycles; cars; buses and bodies; steel; iron castings; hand, power, and ma ...

made from 1966 to 1968 with model designations of MkII, MkIII and MkIV. Announced at the

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

motorcycle show held during September 1965, it was based on the earlier

BSA Lightning The BSA Lightning is a British BSA 650 cc-class motorcycle made in Birmingham between 1965 and 1972. Development The BSA Lightning was designed as the all-round sports machine of the 1960s,''Motorcycle Sport'', June 1969, p.226 ''BSA Lig ...

with a power-upgrade achieved by higher compression-ratio 10.5:1 pistons and two large-bore

Amal GP AMAL was a British engineering company servicing the motorcycle and other light-engineering motor industries between 1927 and 1993 Motor Cycle, 21 April 1966. ''Road test'' Accessed 2013-06-28 it was one of the first BSAs to have 12-volt electrics. At introduction in 1966, it was the fastest standard BSA ever produced and the fastest standard motorcycle tested by Motor Cycle with a best run at 123 mph and average of 119.2 mph The Spitfire was used for travelling Marshalls' course duties at the 1967

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...

races.

Development

Spitfire Mark II

The first A65S Spitfire of 1966 was confusingly designated ''Mark II'' and had a number of new features including two-way damped front forks, Girling shocks and a brace between the downswept exhaust pipes. A 190mm front drum brake improved braking and lightweight alloy rims reduced the weight to 174 kg. The bike was supplied as a sports-tourer with raised handlebar, forward-mounted rider footrests, a large dual seat with race-styled hump, and the glass-fibre fuel tank and side panels covering the oil tank/tool compartment and battery were finished in ''Peony Red''. Motor Cycle, 21 April 1966. ''BSA factory advert''. Accessed 2013-06-28 The UK Spitfire had a conventional four gallon tank, with a large five gallon option from 1967. A selection of factory extras were available to enable the model to enter Production Races, including a fairing and single racing seat. Two large-bore Amal GP carburetors with velocity stacks improved acceleration but made the Spitfire hard to kick start when the engine was hot, so owners chose to replace them with

Amal Concentric AMAL was a British engineering company servicing the motorcycle and other light-engineering motor industries between 1927 and 1993 Harley Davidson Sportster The Harley-Davidson Sportster is a line of motorcycles produced continuously since 1957 by Harley-Davidson. Sportster models are designated in Harley-Davidson's product code by beginning with "XL". In 1952, the predecessors to the Sportster, the ...

Spitfire Mark III

For the 1967 Model Year (MY) the Spitfire was upgraded and designated as Mark III. The racing Amal GP carburettors with open-intakes (bellmouths) were replaced by Amal Concentrics Motor Cycle, 10 November 1966, ''Earls Court Show Edition'' p.15 Amal factory advert for the 'new' Concentric and "wide range of controls, handlebars, etc. Amal Limited, Holdford Road, Witton, Birmingham 6." and p.632 ''Show Guide editorial, Stand 632'' "New carburettors are rare...the neat 600 and 900 Concentric carbs are at Earls Court for the first time.". Accessed 2013-07-09 with individual chrome filters which enabled better low-range engine response. Motorcycle Mechanics, March 1967. ''Road test'' Accessed 2013-06-29 The fuel tank was enlarged to five UK gallons, which hampered both spark plug and carburetor accessibility. Both Mark II and Mark III UK models carried the traditional BSA 'flash' side-panel badges inset in the side cover gelcoat. The export Mark III, a majority of the Spitfires, had a transfer on the side covers similar (but not the same) as the other '67 model year machines. Other modifications were Amal alloy (aluminum) control levers with click-stop cable adjusters, production of which BSA took over from

Amal Amal may refer to: * Amal (given name) * Åmål, a small town in Sweden * Amal Movement, a Lebanese political party ** Amal Militia, Amal Movement's defunct militia * Amal language of Papua New Guinea * Amal (film), ''Amal'' (film), 2007, directed ...

, marketed under their 'Motoplas' accessories branding, and the

Zener diode A Zener diode is a special type of diode designed to reliably allow current to flow "backwards" (inverted polarity) when a certain set reverse voltage, known as the ''Zener voltage'', is reached. Zener diodes are manufactured with a great varie ...

voltage regulator was installed in an aluminium heat-sink mounted high on the front frame tubes Motor Cycle, 1 December 1966. p.733. 'On the Four Winds' by 'Nitor'. "''If you were looking at some of the BSAs at the Show, you were probably surprised at the size of the heat sink for the Lucas Zener diode located under the steering head. The Lucas boffins tell me that.....a diode may need to shed as much as 120 watts. Hence the vast departure from the sheet-aluminum sink cosily ensconsed under the dualseat.''" Accessed 2013-08-09 to benefit from the cooling airstream.

Spitfire Mark IV

The 1968 Mark IV Spitfire was the last year of the 'Mark' Spitfires made. Amal's Concentric carburetors were combined with twin-leading-shoe front brakes and independently adjustable Lucas ignition points for easier starting and tuning. Engine power output was increased to . A total of 1291 true 1968 model year Spitfires were produced, not counting the 478 'hybrid' 1968 Spitfires that have 1967 style numbers. The 'hybrids' were dispatched in March to May 1968 near the end of the 1968 model year.

Gallery

Image:BSA Spitfire 1.JPG, Spitfire MK IV at Birmingham National Motorcycle Museum Image:BSA Spitfire 2.JPG, Spitfire MK IV at Birmingham National Motorcycle Museum Image:BSA Spitfire badge.JPG, Close up of MK IV badge

References

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