From the Cynric Richardson Collection, 1925 BSA 349cc OHV Model L De Luxe

Sporting flat tank motorcycles of the mid 1920s are perhaps the essence of great vintage motorcycling. Not being weighed down by the heavier saddle tanks which followed, or electric lighting sets with attendant dynamos etc, they are wonderfully light, and especially if the bike is fitted with an ohv engine, the advantageous power to weight ratio delivers a surprisingly zippy performance. An excellent example of the type is BSA's ohv 350 which is surprisingly hard to find.

The late Cynric Richardson excelled at everything he did. He was a topflight piano tuner and technician who grew prize-winning vegetables and breed prize-winning rabbits. He also found the time to restore and ride some wonderful motorcycles. In 1999 his fabulous 1938 Ariel Square Four beat a lot of exotica to scoop first prize in the Louis Vuitton Classic Concours at the Hurlingham Club. We were honoured to sell the Ariel on his behalf in April 2015 by which time he had restored a second 1938 Square Four to an even higher standard. Cynric's attention to detail was as extraordinary as his first-class workmanship. Sadly he lost his battle with cancer a few months ago, and we are privileged to offer his two BSAs in this sale.

Cynric had been looking for a 1925 BSA ohv 350 for several years, but these are rare machines and the search had been fruitless. In the end he placed a 'wanted' advert in the VMCC Journal, and it worked: none other than Rick Parkington of CLASSIC BIKE fame answered the ad and sold him this fabulous machine. Rick wrote about why he was happy to sell the BSA to Cynric in his column in the February 2010 issue of the magazine (supplied).

About three years earlier, the September 2007 issue of BIKE magazine carried an excellent six page article by long term bike journalist Rupert Paul. Entitled 'This was a Golden Age', it was essentially a road test of this very same BSA written whilst it was in Rick Parkington's ownership. Being BIKE magazine it was pitched at the modern bike enthusiast. The article records that according to Rick, the BSA had last been taxed in 1930, and it was therefore effectively only a five year old machine at the time of writing. Rupert concluded 'The BSA is one of the most memorable bikes I've ridden......you could argue that bikes like this are the true ancestors of today's supersport machinery. Mechanically they're worlds apart. But spiritually they're closer than I dreamed possible' (magazine supplied).

Cynric loved this BSA, both for the way it rode, and for its glorious patina. It represented something of a change of direction for him, following a series of wonderful very shiny restorations, and became one of his favourite machines as he always knew it would. A video of the bike with the engine running can be viewed on our sale website.

In addition to the aforementioned magazines the BSA is accompanied by a V5C, an original 1924 BSA parts book, an original copy of BSA's 'Some Helpful Hints for Riders of 3.49h.p. OHV Motor Bicycles Single Cylinder Model "L26" de Luxe 1926', an instruction booklet for ML CMA & CMAK magnetos, and a copy of Radco's invaluable 'The Vintage Motorcyclist's Workshop'.

Prospective bidders must satisfy themselves regarding the motorcycle's provenance, condition, age, completeness, and originality prior to bidding. Sold strictly as seen.
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