Following Triumph’s lead, BSA turned to unitary construction for its range of parallel twins as the 1960s dawned, launching the all-new 500cc A50 and 650cc A65 Star tourers in January 1962. The first high-performance variant – the A65R Rocket – arrived in October 1963, only to be superseded the following year by the Lightning, the first of the unitary construction twins (along with its A50 equivalent, the Cyclone) to be equipped with the new splayed-port cylinder head fitted with twin-carburetors. Cycle parts remained unaltered except for the adoption of a 19″ front wheel.

On offer here is a matching numbers, 1970 example of BSA’s Lightning, manufactured in May of that year. From a southwestern collection, the very original machine has been stored in a climate-controlled environment alongside classic British bikes and high-end American 4-wheeled muscle. Fresh from a re-commissioning by marque experts, Glory Motorworks, the bike is offered in good riding condition.