BSA A65 Hornet - 1966 Twin - Beautiful - A special bike

BSA A65 Hornet 1966 - Twin - Beautiful - A special bike

650cc Twin cylinder - Beautiful.
Matching Numbers.
Restored some 20 years ago, but cared for lovingly since then.
As per the original spec, this bike only has a rev counter, although there is a rear wheel that will come with the bike that has a speedo fitting to enable you to fit one if you so wish.
It has an ignition key, and a 12v horn.
There is a V5 registration document, and due to the age it is tax free and does not require an MOT.
The original bikes had pipes that were straight out, but this is fitted with small silencers that remove the ear bleeding crack that you get without them.
The handlebars are the unusual original type with cable shrouds - impossible to get now.
The carburettors are the original 389/689 combo, so you have left and right hand Monoblocs, a rare thing to find these days, as the 689 has not been made for 20+ years.
There is an anti-sump tap fitted with a ignition cutout, as most of these old A65's have a tendency to wet-sump, this means that you cannot start the engine when the oil tap is turned off, as it will not spark.
The tyres and chain etc are all great, as you would expect.
The fuel tank is a new fibreglass tank, recently painted, it looks simply glorious.
Overall the bike is in stunning condition.
Part of my private collection, it's being sold because I rode it twice last year, so it's time for someone else to have a go.

Some articles found online:
BSA would sell the Hornet in two main iterations, the Spitfire Hornet of 1964 and 1965, and the Hornet (sans Spitfire) in 1966 and 1967.
Off road racing motorcycles of this era were largely street motorcycles that had been adapted for the rigours of dirt riding, often with knobbly tires, wide and braced handlebars, a thick seat, a high exhaust with no silencer, and weight reduction measures that often included removing the headlight, speedometer, tail light, and anything else not essential.
Compared to modern motocross and enduro motorcycles, the scramblers of the ’50s and ’60s were primitive but still effective. Races made up of dozens and sometimes hundreds of motorcycles tore across the deserts and wilderness regions of the USA as the sport skyrocketed in popularity – it would evolve into the motocross and enduro racing we all know today.
The British were by far the most dominant force in off road motorcycle racing at the time with their large single and parallel twin cylinder bikes with simple air-cooled overhead valve motors, drum brakes front and rear, and some variation on either twin rear shocks or a hard tail rear, with telescopic shock absorbers up front.

The Spitfire Hornet was a US-only model, built just for the 1965 season and specially tailored to the desert racing market. To that end, it was fitted with high and wide handlebars, two-gallon glass fibre petrol tank, knobbly tyres and no instruments. Ignition was by a Lucas energy transfer system, which powered the coils directly from the alternator, negating the need for a battery to be fitted. It was fast too. Said Cycle World in 1965: “Faster in the quarter than any other scrambler we have ever tested, and within mere fractions of being the fastest-accelerating motorcycle we have ever tested – period.”