Highway Star Trivia Quiz

Answer: Small Heath

The BSA Company was an amalgamation of fourteen smaller gunsmiths. The art of gun making began in Birmingham during the 17th Century with the first workshop appearing in around 1630. By the end of the 19th Century, Birmingham was one of the largest centres of the small arms industry in the world.

The production of bicycles had begun there as early as 1869 with the production of BSA motorcycles commencing in 1910. During the ensuing decades, BSA became one of the largest manufacturing enterprises in the world, however, a series of bad management decisions, lack of investment and poor industrial relations resulted in the virtual bankruptcy and merger of BSA in 1972 to form the Norton Villiers Triumph Company. Today BSA has all but disappeared with their core business concentrating on the manufacture of air pistols and air rifles.

Answer: Blue Star

Prior to the introduction of the BSA Blue Star, the vast majority of motorcycles were unreliable and required constant maintenance. Launched in 1932, the BSA Blue Star, available in B, R and W versions with 250, 350 and 500cc engine capacities respectively, was one of the first truly reliable motorcycles capable of completing long journeys without breaking down! Despite the Blue Star enjoying a relatively brief production run of just five years, this model proved to be a highly successful design for the company, so much so, that in 1936 BSA marketed a high performance version which became known as the Empire Star.

In production between 1932 and 1951, all BSA Blue Star models were constructed around the company's rugged and reliable air-cooled, pushrod-operated OHV, vertical single cylinder power plant.

Answer: Empire Star

Produced between 1936 and 1939, the BSA Empire Star was named in honour of the Silver Jubilee of the monarch King George V and was considered an engineering masterpiece. Like much of the BSA motorcycle range, the Empire Star was a development of the earlier BSA Blue Star model and went on further to become the basis of BSA's top-selling motorcycle, the Gold Star. Both the Blue Star and its successor the Empire Star had been designed by another 'star' in the BSA stable, the designer Val Page. Page had been employed by both Ariel and Triumph motorcycles before his tenure at BSA and a number of his ideas found their way into the BSA range, namely dry sump lubrication and gearbox foot changing mechanisms. Powered by a range of engine displacements, a 500cc version was endurance tested at Brooklands over a distance of five hundred miles and averaged a speed of over 70mph; further successful endurance testing included a tour of the United Kingdom which covered a total of one thousand miles with the Empire Star requiring no parts replacement, a feat unheard of for motorcycles of the time.

In 1939 BSA became involved in manufacturing for the war effort, completely halting all production of motorcycles not destined for military use.

Answer: Gold Star

The BSA Gold Star was BSA Motorcycles' most successful model and the model that the company became synonymous with. In 1937 the fastest motorcycle in the BSA range was the Empire Star model which achieved a fastest lap at the Brooklands circuit of 107.5mph; any lap of over 100mph was rewarded with a Gold Star pin and BSA, proud of its achievement, determined that their top-of-the-line single was to be named the BSA Gold Star. During the Second World War all civilian manufacturing capacity was turned over to provide materiel to the war effort with just a small number of Gold Star motorcycles, around five hundred in total, being produced in the years leading up to 1939.

After the war, BSA revived the Gold Star name and all models carrying the Gold Star moniker were custom built, by hand, to the customers' specifications and to exacting standards.

This method of manufacturing would become a BSA tradition with their Gold Star motorcycles. In addition to a wide range of engine specifications, BSA Gold Stars were available in a range of trim specifications which included a touring version, a scrambling version and in all-out racing trim. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, a number of improvements culminated with a new model, the DBD, which was available from the end of 1955.

The DBD, the final development in the BSA Gold Star line, still proves to be the most desirable model amongst enthusiasts of the marque. Sadly, the last of the great Gold Stars rolled off the production lines at the end of 1963.

Answer: Rocket Gold Star

The BSA Rocket Gold Star sports motorcycle was only produced by the company during 1962 and 1963 with a total of just 1584 examples manufactured, making this model one of the most desirable amongst aficionado's of the marque today. The BSA Gold Star frame was large and well proportioned and, with the Gold Star becoming increasingly dated by this time, BSA took the decision to develop a new machine using their impressive 650cc Rocket Twin engine; this improvement in power coupled with other enhancements such as a close ratio racing style gearbox, powerful nineteen inch brakes and dropped handlebars resulted in what was arguably the greatest British production built cafe racing bike of all time.

Many motorcyclists of the day found membership of the 'Ton-Up Club' rather easier to achieve than had been possible before the arrival in the showrooms of the BSA Rocket Gold Star as the new machine possessed all the attributes of its predecessor but with its new twin cylinder motor providing an impressive increase in acceleration times.

Answer: Star Twin

Prior to the start of World War II, BSA were renowned for the design and quality of their single cylinder engines and, like many other British motorcycle companies at the time, BSA Motorcycles wanted to make headway into the vertical twin arena, especially since Triumph had launched their now famous 500cc Speed Twin machine in 1938.

After the war BSA assembled a design team, a veritable who's who of British motorcycle design at that time, which included Val Page who had previously worked for JAP, Triumph and Ariel, Joe Craig of Norton motorcycles and Herbert Perkins and David Munro of Ariel and Triumph.

The result of their endeavours was the 500cc Over-Head Valve air cooled twin BSA A7, a popular machine with both the British public and a number of Commonwealth police forces. Like all BSA machines the Star Twin, as it had become known by 1947, was a rugged and reliable machine offering good performance with the minimum of maintenance on the part of its owner.

The first Star Twins were built utilising a rigid frame but by 1951 this had been superseded by an optional plunger style frame which provided much improved ride comfort and by 1954 this model was being manufactured using the more modern swinging arm style frames.

Although the BSA Star Twin was never as fast as machines powered by the Triumph Speed Twin engine it did excel in other ways; the BSA's retained their oil far more effectively than the Triumph and the engines were quiet, this being achieved through the use of single camshafts and timing gears in place of timing chains. Continually improved during its production run, the last of the Star Twins left the factory in 1962.

Answer: Royal Star

Based on the 1961 BSA 500cc Star Twin model, the machine that Royal Star was developed from first saw the light of day during 1964 but it was not until 1966 that the model became known officially as the Royal Star. The original machine, one of BSA's early unit construction models was a well-made, robust and reliable machine that had originally been designed with eyes on the lucrative US sports motorcycle market.

This machine was powered by a 500cc air cooled twin cylinder motor developing 33bhp at 5800rpm, had a top speed of around 90mph and was in production between 1962 and 1970.

Answer: Shooting Star

After the introduction of the Tiger 100 by Triumph motorcycles, BSA responded with the release of the Shooting Star, another improved, upgraded 'supersport' version of the trusty BSA A7 model. With an increased power output of some 32bhp, the A7SS Shooting Star had an alloy cylinder head, special valve seat inserts, high compression pistons and more powerful brakes as performance upgrades over the standard models. From 1954 the Shooting Star utilised a new duplex frame which provided much improved levels of rigidity and safety for high speed riding; and all this for barely twenty pounds sterling over the cost of a standard motorcycle! Although the BSA Shooting Star never quite possessed the kudos of the equivalent Triumph models, it was a machine that exuded quality and charm combined with good fuel economy, a predictable ride and high performance.

The Shooting Star models went out of production during 1962 when the A7 model upon which it was based was discontinued.

Answer: Starfire

The BSA Starfire had its origins with the production of the C15 model which began its production run in 1958. The C15, which went on to become the BSA B25 Starfire, was the first BSA machine using the new unit construction manufacturing method after the company had acquired Triumph motorcycles in 1951.

The Starfire was another of BSA's smaller motorcycles having been inspired by Triumph's baby motorcycle, the 200cc powered Tiger Cub. Although of a slightly larger engine displacement than the Tiger Cub, the Starfire was an ideal starter machine; in 1961 new laws had been introduced into the UK which restricted new, solo motorcyclists to a maximum engine size of 250cc and this BSA model which produced just 15bhp would later prove to be a popular product with new riders.

The Starfire was introduced in 1968 and remained in production for just two years, ceasing in 1970 when the company were on the edge of failure and bankruptcy.

Answer: Fleetstar

The BSA Fleetstar was a 250cc motorcycle with a low compression, air cooled, single cylinder motor designed for fleet use, hence its name. The BSA Fleetstar was first offered for sale in 1968 and was specifically aimed at the public service market with many British police forces purchasing it for patrol use.

The Fleetstar was enhanced with the capability to fit a top box and side panniers and had the facility for the fitting of additional lights and radio communication equipment. The B25FS Fleetstar was in production for just three years being finally withdrawn in 1971.