The Lightning was the backbone of BSA in the 1960s. And when we rode a restored example, we found that it still retains a lot of thunder.
Big British twins are the bikes to ride and own. Riding is the easy part, but owning them isn’t. They are in such high demand that, in recent years, the prices have practically shot through the roof. It seems as though amongst all the post war British twins, the BSA Golden Flash A10 commands the highest price. There are better bikes than the A10 of the same period, but few of them could match the kind of glamour that’s associated with the A10 – with the possible exception of the Triumph twins.
In 1962, BSA launched the 650cc A65 Lightning. It was a natural progression from the successful Golden Flash. The Lightning is ruggedly built, and fun to ride with its deep exhaust note. It’s stylish in a typically British understated way. And it has loads of attitude too. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see much of the beautiful Lightning in this part of the world – the machines I mean. The lightning that comes down from the heavens is beautiful too, but, if experienced from close quarters, most likely fatal. So, I’ll stick to the earthly Lightning thank you – it’s safer any day. All the A65s that I’ve come across, of which there’ve been a handful, have needed restoration in varying degrees. But this one was a beautifully restored 1969 A65. One look at it, and I knew that the bike would move as well as it looks.
A year back, the Lightning was a far cry from its present glory.
Its owner, Fateh Singh, faced some persistent problems and the
bike would stop every two kilometres – suffice to say it had lost some of its brilliance. By the time it was delivered to restorer Gurmukh Singh’s garage, the engine had packed up in totality,
and there was little or no compression at all. The pistons had
seized because all the oil lines were jammed, but luckily the seized pistons did not damage the barrel too much. Of course, the barrels had to be bored out and British-made Hapolite sleeves were put in, which comfortably took in standard sized AE (Associated Engineering) pistons.
Comparatively, this A65 was in a much better condition, mechanically. Other than the pistons, the engine didn’t need any drastic changes. Well, since the engine was dismantled, it made good sense to change all the bearings, if even only for mental satisfaction. New valves were put in, but the valve guides had to be made out of gunmetal.
Most BSA bikes had excellent gearboxes, but some had niggling problems. When stripped, the Lightning’s gearbox didn’t show too much of wear and tear, but anyway the bushes and bearings were changed for good measure. The single biggest weak point of this motorcycle is the gear-shifting shaft. The shaft also incorporates the shifter and the dog very often bends and wears out. Even if the shaft bush wears out on one side, the shaft stands a chance of getting bent and damaged. And it’s so rare that it could well take months to get a hold of another shaft.
This Lightning is fitted with a Mikuni carburettor, sourced from a Royal Enfield Bullet 500. Since the size of the jets has been increased, it performs admirably and shows no sign of fuel starvation even on hard acceleration. This is the single carbureted version of the A65, and initially had an Amal monoblock. But new monoblocks are very hard to come by, and when an Amal concentric carburetor was fitted on, there was hardly any space left for the air filter. So, Mikuni it was. BSA had continuously worked on the development of the A65, and, by the end of its production run, many of the problems were ironed out. The A65, thus, became much more reliable, and a less leaky bike to ride.
Electricals were always a major cause of headaches for these classic motorcycles, but since the A65 was fitted with an alternator it made things that much easier. Both the coils and the two contact breaker points were also changed, and now starting the bike holds no terror. Some of the old components were so well made that they just needed a bit of servicing for them to start working like new. The alternator, still in its original form, works perfectly and charges the 12-volt battery more than adequately.
Done up in sandalwood gold, black, lots of chrome, and with the starburst tank badge screaming at you, the bike looks just stunning.
The engine has been sand blasted, while the clutch, gearbox, and tepid covers have been buffed. And, fortunately, I was right – it does move as beautifully as it looks. It roared to life with one kick and soon started purring delightfully at idling speed. Just opening the throttle lets out a deep-throated rumble from the twin exhaust that is a symphony to any motorcycle enthusiast’s ears. The clutch, which has seven plates, is surprisingly smooth, and as I dropped it after engaging the first gear, I got a fair bit of wheel spin. Wow! I thought, not bad at all for a 35-year-old bike. The four-speed gearbox was very precise and on sharp turns, the bike held its own. The swing arm got new gunmetal bushing, and this also helped keep the bike steady, although the road holding and handling was definitely compromised because of the rear tyre, which was not of the specific size. The front tyre is 3.80x18 while the rear has been shod with 100/90x18 MRF tyres. The specified tyres are a bit fatter, but they are not easily available in India.
The seating position is a bit laid back due to the slightly raised handle bar, but it is comfortable. Up front, I could see the Smiths chronometric speedo and the chromed headlight dome with the idiot lights. One of these lights is for the high beam, and the other is an oil pressure light. But knowing old technology, I wonder how effective the oil pressure light will be. The Lightning is capable of speeds in excess of 100mph, but unfortunately I couldn’t figure out how fast I was riding it because the speedo didn’t have a cable. The speedo drive
is located in the rear wheel, and the long cable has to be
locally made.
We’ve been spoilt silly by disc brakes, and somehow feel rather insecure on drum brakes – especially while riding fast bikes. But the 9-inch front drum brake of the Lightning is very effective indeed, and, safe with this knowledge, I opened up the throttle quite a bit. But, thankfully, I didn’t have to test the braking powers. The bike rides so smooth, and the rumble is so very addictive that I wouldn’t blame a rider if he decides to go whole hog. But, you would have to be a bit of a nutcase to do that.
Throughout the swinging 60s, the Lightning twin formed the backbone of BSA. In fact, it was so popular that BSA went overboard, and at one point of time there were eleven different versions of the Lightning! But the 650 sold the most. Anyway, better sense prevailed, and the range was trimmed down to six.
Racing was important to the manufacturers, and the Lightning was the all-round sports-bike for BSA. It was an able rival to the Thunderbolt and the Spitfire, and held its own against some superior machines. Later on, with the arrival of the multi-cylindered bikes, the Lightning was relegated to sports-tourer, a role that it took to with great elan.
As far as the post-war twin goes, the Golden Flash and the Triumph twins took all the limelight, but it was a Lightning that James Bond got onto. One that was fitted with car seeking missiles! Well, the one that I rode had a similar type of engine, but had a lot less thunder! After all, I don’t have a license
to kill. But it didn’t preclude me from getting a thrill with
the Lightning.
