BSA C11
Encyclopedia
The BSA C11 is a British motorcycle
manufactured by Birmingham Small Arms Company
(BSA) at their factory in Armoury Road, Small Heath
, Birmingham
, between 1939 and 1956. Actor Steve McQueen
owned a 1951 BSA C11.
) in 1940 530 C11s were ordered in military specification by the Office of the High Commission of India. Modifications for war use included a rear carrier over the mudguard, an additional air filter on the fuel tank and a mag dyno in place of the coil.
owned a 1951 BSA C11. Painted in British racing green, McQueen's C11 had a chrome tank with green and gold accents and chrome wheels with green spokes. After McQueen's death the C11 was kept by his wife Barbara for many years before being sold by auction.
which had the same underpowered 249cc overhead valve engine in a modern frame with good suspension, more efficient brakes and a more comfortable seat. A number of engine modifications also made it more reliable than the C11 The BSA C12 was in turn replaced by the BSA C15
in 1958.
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
manufactured by Birmingham Small Arms Company
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
(BSA) at their factory in Armoury Road, Small Heath
Small Heath, Birmingham
Small Heath is an inner-city area within the city of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is situated on and around the A45 ....
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, between 1939 and 1956. Actor Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
owned a 1951 BSA C11.
Development
The BSA C11 was a pre-unit single-cylinder developed before the Second World War from the sidevalve C10. Fitted with overhead valves and displacing 249cc, the C11 was launched in 1939 and continued to be developed into the 1950s. The C11 frame was improved in 1951 when BSA added plunger rear suspension.Military W-C11
Although British armed forces only used a few BSA C11s as lightweight transport (having selected instead the BSA M20BSA M20
The BSA M20 was a British motorcycle made by Birmingham Small Arms Company at their factory in Small Heath, Birmingham. Initially viewed as a near failure by the War Office in 1936, the M20 evolved into one of the longest serving motorcycles in the history of British military motorcycling, as well...
) in 1940 530 C11s were ordered in military specification by the Office of the High Commission of India. Modifications for war use included a rear carrier over the mudguard, an additional air filter on the fuel tank and a mag dyno in place of the coil.
BSA C11G
Problems with the gearboxes were addressed by the model C11G, which was available either with a three speed gearbox and a rigid frame or with a four speed gearbox in the plunger frame. The C11G also had improved front brakes and became popular as a post war commuter motorcycle.Steve McQueen's C11
Actor Steve McQueenSteve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
owned a 1951 BSA C11. Painted in British racing green, McQueen's C11 had a chrome tank with green and gold accents and chrome wheels with green spokes. After McQueen's death the C11 was kept by his wife Barbara for many years before being sold by auction.
BSA C12
From 1956 the C11 was replaced with the BSA C12BSA C12
The BSA C12 was a British motorcycle produced by the Birmingham Small Arms Company.The C12 used the same engine as the earlier C11G but in a more modern chassis. It had reasonable suspension, usable brakes and comfortable seat which meant it was more useful than the earlier models...
which had the same underpowered 249cc overhead valve engine in a modern frame with good suspension, more efficient brakes and a more comfortable seat. A number of engine modifications also made it more reliable than the C11 The BSA C12 was in turn replaced by the BSA C15
BSA C15
The BSA C15 was the first four-stroke unit construction motorcycle produced by the British company BSA and manufactured between 1958 and 1967. At the time, the C15 was the largest capacity bike that a learner could ride on L-plates in the United Kingdom...
in 1958.