1965 BSA Lightning Rocket 650 

Thank you for representing old England Kaplan , this was the sound of my Father coming home after work and picking me up from School ☺

My dad dad one ,he was a rocker in London UK 🇬🇧 in the 60s ,he's 83 and still a rocket at heart.

Nice bike. You should buy it and ride it young man. Be safe out there

The BSA Lightning 650 is the bike Hunter S. Thompson rode in the 60's (even while he was writing his breakthrough book "Hells Angels"). Beautiful machine.

My second motorcycle. Bought used in 1969 for $500. Drove it for a month before the engine blew (left rod started clanking). Paid $300 for a rebuild. Drove it for another six months, then drove it from Rochester NY to San Francisco, then on to Burbank before the engine blew again (left ball bearing cage). A beautiful looking bike. Good handling. Good power for the time, but not a Norton. Reasonable comfort for the time. On the down side: pathetic brakes, Amal monobloc carbs warped and would stick open, corks in petcocks leaked fuel, oil leaked everywhere - especially sump pump cover, pathetic lights, no ignition key (easy to steal), kick starter lever broke off periodically, timing could not be adjusted individually for each cylinder, porous exhaust pipe seal against head, crazy left-handed-bolts everywhere, non-standard "Whitworth" bolts that no American or Metric socket set would ever fit, starting drill required "tickling" that sprayed gas over your fingers every time, cast iron piston rings randomly broke, valve guides came loose, punishing vibration at highway speeds, fiberglass side panels fragile, clutch cable broke often, throttle cable broke, inherently defective engine design based on timing side bushing that always wore-out (dropping oil pressure to the left rod), pathetic 6 volt electrics. "Bulletproof"? Not a word I would use! Fun when it ran right? Definitely. Not an experience I would choose again.

I love BSA sounds so good

That’s a beauty boys. God bless ya.

World's most comfortable handlebars, imagine how far you could cruise on that beauty

It’s beautiful

I hope the new BSA is successful and that they release a bike like this.

Beautiful 🙏👌❤️🇬🇧

Reminds me of a biker heading to Woodstock in 1969

Nice low mile bike there my dad has two a 66 & 67 both 650 lightings.I'll be watching this he may want a third bike both engines for his have been at the engine builder for over a year now and summer is fast approaching

Interesting! Sounds great. At the time, and for a decade or more before, British bikes like this must have presented quite a serious challenge to the Harley Davidsons. I imagine they were lighter, handled better, were quicker and used a less fuel. I personally think they look as good if not better than the US bikes too.

Avon roadrunners made in 🇬🇧, had them on my gp125 in the 80s

Nothing beats sit up and beg.

I rode one at 120 MPH.

Nice BSA! You didn't even get that power egg up to its scary powerband. They flatten out around 4000 then pick back up around 5000rpm then hold on for another level of power.

Sadly, i saw many BSAs, Triumphs, and Nortons get placed on the chopping block especially during the 1970s when most were bolting or welding hardtails on their stock bikes or removing the engine completely moving it to a rigid frame. The craze got so big it was nothing to see 350, 450, 500, and 750 Honda choppers everywhere along with the Kaws, zukis, and The Yamaha xs650.

Ticking Time Bomb

Bought my 5oo Trophy in 1975, owned a 66 bonnie, 73 Tiger, 75 850 commando later. Also a 69 G 80 cs Matchless! Made the mistake of getting married in 1989, ouch! Sold most of them ... shame on me!!

My uncle had a yellow one. No idea where it ended up.

when enfield built the twin if they copied the style of the a65 a50 twin engine a would have bought 1

👳‍♂️ bezzers is for geezers, I'll take a 65-68 Royal Endfield 750 Inteceptor or same yrs Norton n-15 cs or 68 Norton P 11 I thank you please! 👳‍♂️"he-leo"🧞‍♂️👋

My father had the same bike until he married Mum .

I love you guys it's always something but I never see bull tacos bull Taco Jim palmeroy both taco I've got the last bull taco probably brought to United States custom built only Hugh knows prairieville New York I've had that bike for 40 years what about Taco