OLLIE HULME

Subscribe and save:www.Real-Classic.co.uk/subs AUGUST 2019 I99

Y

ou have to wonder what on
earth was going on between
BSA and their US importers to
come up with this one.It’sa
1969 BSA B25SStreet Scrambler.Itmay be
the only one of itskind in the UK,though
thereare afew still dotted around theStat es.
Ican only guessat the conversations that
went on in impenetrable accent sbetween
Small Heath and New Jersey.
‘We’ve got this sporty Starfire 250we’dlike
youtosell.’
‘But buddy,nobodywants250s. Andift hey
do,theywantHondasthatare easyto start
and don’t explode dramatically.Unles sit’san
off-roader.How about one of those?’
In 1968 BSAtook astock Starfire, painted
the engine block black so itranhotter than it
did already,and slapped onahigh-level and
vast silencer down the left-hand side,witha
flimsyheatshield made out oldcoat hangers.
They did this even though they already had a
perfectly good,right-side,slender silencer on
the Triumph TR25 which theycould have used.
AndthisStarfire didn’t sell either.
At which pointthe geniusesat Small
Heathwent into the stores,picked out some
old petrol tanks designedforthe utilitarian
Fleetstar thatweregathering dust,and
sprayed them withavaguely Union Jackish
SwingingLondon type paint-job in an
expensiveshadeofflamboyant candy blue,
even thoughSwingingLondon hadwell and
truly swungby then.Then they decided it
neededadifferen theatshiel donthe silencer.
Whynot makeashiel dout of glassfibrethat
looks likeachild’sbeach shovel? Idealforan
off-roader and definitely not likelyto fracture
and fall offat amoment’snotice.
Tank badges?Whatwould theywantthose
for? Either they decided thathavingBSA on
thesidepanel in tinyletterswould do,ort hey
wereembarrassedby theirownname.Asit
wasastreet scrambler then using thatpeaky
road bike enginewasgoingto befine,
honestly.Don’t wo rry
about the tuning

or the gears.Just put some trialstyresonit.

No,don’t change the sizeofthe wheels.Or

the mudguards.Asi t’satrail bike,how about

anicepair of wide,brace dtrialsbars.No? You

want cow-horn handlebars?Cowhorns that’ll

make it impossibleto use ongravel, let alone

on mud?Right. Whatelse?Usethe forksand

brakes offour 500twins? Theseat? Well,we

could use the shortone wefittot he Victor

Special? Nah. Just use thatbig oneweuse on

the Starfire with theracing hump...

AndBSA ended up building

abikethatthose horny-

handedsons oftoil in Birmingham must

have thoughtwas just thekind of faband

far-out bike thatBilly-Bob inDead End,

Minnesota,would rushto buy before

picking upBetsy-Sue afterhighschool and

goingforasoda, or heading downto the

creek withabed roll andabottle ofRipple.

This actual bikewassenttoNew Jersey

nlate 1969 andwasnever registered in

the US, whereits pent some time being used

by acircu s. Yes, youread thatright. There

areextra lugs weldedto the frame used as

specialfootrest mountingsforastuntrider.

This would explain thefire-damaged clutch

cable,thoughwhether thiswasdue to afuel

leak or an injuryincurredwhile tryingto

jump throughablazing hoop is hardtosay.I

like to think itwaspilotedround circusrings

by apneumatic blonde inaspangly leotard.

TheStarfire wasreimportedbacktothe

UK in November 2016 andIboughtitf rom

achapatanautojumble.Itp assed theMoT

afterveryminimalwork and it wasregistered

forthe road withalot of swearing.Itis

h h f M p g c i

PPotentiallyless hideous heatshieldmaintains

thhe‘made from oldcoathangers’appeal of

thheoriginal

TThhiissiisstthheemmiissssiinnggooiillpprreessssuurreelliigghhttsswwiittcchh.WWeellll,iitt

isn’t,butyouget the drift

Speedo refugeefromalaterBSApermits operation of the lighting switch, unliketheoriginal Oneofthemysteriouscircus framemods