Offered from The Forshaw Speedway Collection, c.1929 BSA 493cc S29 Dirt Track Racing Motorcycle

Frame no. R185 Engine no. T177 & 1409

• Exceptionally rare BSA variant
• The only known survivor
• Purchased by Cyril Lord in 1929 and in his ownership until 1969

From 1861 Birmingham Small Arms was a company manufacturing and supplying armaments for the British government. The contracts from Whitehall became so unpredictable over a period of forty years that the company diversified into the booming bicycle market. Free of government bureaucracy the business expanded rapidly staking a claim in the infant motor car world with the spectacular take-over of Daimler in Coventry and with the further logical expansion into motorcycle production by 1910. Within twenty years BSA had surged to the forefront as the world's number one producer of motorcycles with a well-engineered range of value for money models. The reliability and quality proved over the years by teams of factory riders competing in events of reliability, one day and six day trials and later in scrambles and moto-cross racing. It is not at all surprising that the call of the cinders appealed to such an innovative and diversifying company.

It was Jack Parker who set the ball rolling. Jack Parker became one of the greatest speedway riders winning every conceivable championship but never to win a world title. He joined the BSA experimental department around 1927 and soon developed a machine for the cinder track using parts from various factory models.

The sporting engine in the BSA range was the famous sloper introduced in 1926 but this was not suitable for the track. Parker made up an upright engine from some sloper parts as well as contributions from other earlier engines. The Parker special caused interest from the management and the decision was taken to introduce a full 500cc overhead valve upright engine suitable for road and possibly racing as well. By the end of 1928 the new model was ready for production, a sports roadster and a dirt track model priced at a very competitive £65. From despatch records it would appear that possibly as many as 84 of these machines were produced in 1929. During 1928/9 Jack Parker rode the prototype with considerable success. Every production model was tested at a specially built cinder track at the back of the factory. Although recognised as a well handling machine the engine was at least at a 5bhp disadvantage to the all-conquering Douglas and later the Rudge. The production run was short and was not listed after 1930.

This DT BSA, frame number R181 is the only known survivor. Despatched on the 4th July 1929 to Messrs Walter Wragg of Sheffield. It was acquired in 1990 along with the Art Pechar Indian (Lot 509) from Jim Gregory. Restoration of the machine was completed the following year.

It has been established that it was originally bought by Cyril Lord in 1929, Lord riding for Coventry as well as at the Isle of Man TT races. After his riding days were over Cyril maintained his involvement with speedway as official machine manager at Brandon Speedway. He was later managing director of the Coventry Motor Mart and always retained the BSA. In 1969, a year before he passed away, he gave the BSA to Noel Somerfield who had been employed by Cyril for many years. Noel always looked after the BSA and had rebuilt it in 1954. It later resided with Jim Gregory.

This 1929 BSA S29 DT has been maintained and treasured by one owner for most of its life, with more recent restoration and continuation of this care by Richard Forshaw. The mechanical condition is not known and therefore we recommend re-commissioning and/or restoration to a greater or lesser extent.
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