BSA Rocket Three

This BSA Rocket 3 was manufactured in 1968 and shipped from the BSA factory on Christmas Eve 1968 to BSA West, a dealer in California USA. This Rocket 3 is a Mark 1, and was not available in Great Britain at the time it was shipped to the USA. The retail price in March 1969, when it did become available in G.B., was £614.3s.5d. After 30 years in California, it was brought to Scotland in August 1998 by Bill Whalen of Northern California for the BSA International Rally in Inverness, but he suffered a holed piston, possibly by running at high speed with just one fuel tap open (BSA/Triumph issued a Service Bulletin warning both taps must be open - a few years after they realised it was a problem !). I bought the bike from Bill at that rally.

The engine is a 740cc three cylinder unit, fed by three Amal 626 concentric carburettors giving a power output of 58 bhp and a top speed of 125 mph. Modifications to this bike include Boyer electronic ignition, an 18 inch rear wheel rather than the standard 19 inch, and it is also fitted with the telescopic forks and front wheel from a 1973 Triumph Trident, which includes a more effective disc brake. Rocket Threes were never fitted with disc brakes as standard.

1969 BSA
Rocket Three Mk 1

A work of art!

I spent a huge number of hours fabricating this from an eight metre length of unpolished 3/8" bore high-pressure stainless steel tube. It is designed to follow the lines of the original grab rail, and has detachable side rails. The whole rack is designed to carry three Givi luggage boxes. The Givi boxes (see pic above) are superb quality and cost around GBP 140 here in the UK, - but I bought mine in Italy at around GBP 80 each where the lire made them quite affordable !

I have to thank my pal Ian McGregor for his skill in using a heavy duty plumber's pipe bending machine for getting the bends just right.

I have upgraded the electrics to 180 watt three-phase, fitted a PODtronics regulator/rectifier rather than the twin matched zeners. That is what powers those twin Cibie headlamps which light up half of Northumberland!