c1926 BSA DeLuxe 2.49HP 250cc Motorcycle

Description

The history of the Birmingham Small Arms Company dates back to 1854 when a group of local businessmen began supplying guns for the Crimean War.  It wasn't until the 1880s that BSA diversified into bicycles and following a natural progression, the company began offering proprietary engines such as the Belgian Minerva to power their two-wheeled products in the early 1900s.  Ultimately BSA commenced production of its own engines in 1910, with a side-valve single becoming the mainstay of the model range well into the 1920s, despite the introduction of more sophisticated ohv models.  Made famous by its signature ‘Round Tank’, a top seller was the lightweight Model B introduced in January 1924.  Rated at 2 ½ horsepower, the 250cc model became very popular with tradesman wanting affordable, reliable transport and remained in production for most of the 1920s; a three-speed gearbox was added in 1926 and a ‘Flat Tank’ adopted the following year on DeLuxe versions.  The Post Office became one of BSA’s largest customers, using the bikes for telegram deliveries and over 35,000 Model Bs were sold but few remain in working condition today.  Between the wars, the BSA Company became the most successful British motorbike manufacturer, boasting that one in four on the roads in the United Kingdom came from the Birmingham factory, but few survived the ravages of time.  BSA has a strong following, with plenty of support for owners from clubs and specialists around the world.