BSA Lightning 3 (1972)

The BSA Lightning was one of the last important sporting twins from Britain’s once-dominant motorcycle industry. Developed as the twin-carburettor sports version of the A65 range, it was aimed heavily at export markets, especially the United States, where British 650 twins still carried strong appeal through the 1960s and early 1970s.

By 1972, however, the Lightning also represented a company under pressure. Japanese multis were changing expectations around smoothness, reliability and performance, while BSA struggled financially. That gives the 1972 Lightning a bittersweet place in history: a handsome, characterful British twin from the final chapter of the original BSA era.