This 1971 BSA Firebird is one of the last bikes made by the company before it closed shop in 1973. It looks great, shows just 5300 miles, and has undergone a professional tune-up to ensure rideability. Find it here on eBay in Abilene, Kansas.
The Firebird, released in 1968, was one of BSA’s last new models. By 1971, British motorcycle manufactures were in dire straits, and BSA was suffering from some serious mismanagement. In other words, this was not a bike that sold well.
1971 was the first year for BSA’s oil-bearing frame design, and was also the Firebird’s final catalog year. These last models were also updated to reduce engine vibration and oil leaks, which makes this one all the more desirable.
Firebirds feature BSA’s A65 650cc twin, first seen in 1962. This was BSA’s first unit construction twin, and all Firebirds also sported twin carburetors from the factory. All this was good for a claimed 52 HP at 7000 RPM.
This bike looks great for its age, and is pretty unique as well. It may not have quite as much classic appeal as an original Gold Star, but it is likely one of the most developed bikes ever produced by the company. It certainly seems like a fair trade off to us.
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I had this exact same model several years ago and it was a great bike. Bought it from the original female owner who was too short to touch the ground. Her dad would help her start & mount the bike, then wait for her to return from her 20 minute country rides to hold the bike up when she’d pull into the drive. Funny.
-should have never sold it; it ended up a chopper.
I have the 1971 Triumph Trophy (single carb) version of this machine and it is a great all around bike. Most of these were chopped unfortunately. Mine was a bolt-on chopper and was easy to bring back to stock since all the original parts were included. This bike isn’t spectacular at anything in particular but great at everything you want in an all around bike.
I always liked the scrambler pipes on bikes and this is no exception. A fine example.
Neat looking bike. Would go well with my 06 Triumph Scrambler and a particular F body Pontiac… :)
Not bad; but a bit of a wet firecracker for a curtain call after an illustrious history.
The story goes that the old fellow who had for years operated the BSA factory’s cylinder boring machine retired just before these white framed models came out. His replacement couldn’t adjust the boring machine properly since the index marks were worn off the ancient equipment. The retired old timer had been adjusting the machine by feel! The resulting crooked cylinder bores of these white framed models dealt BSA reliability a final blow.