This is the rarest of the rare of BSAs: a barn-find OHV V-twin from the mid-1930s. The Y-13 was only built for three years (1936-38) and is a very handsome machine that is also very sophisticated and comes with great performance. A worthy rival of other British V-twins of the era, the BSA has a remarkable dual speed-range transmission for solo or sidecar use, giving effectively 8 speeds. The Y-13 has terrific styling with very pretty aluminium engine castings and is built with a low center of gravity, rubber-mounted handlebars, twin toolboxes on the rear fender and an instrument panel on the fuel tank containing an oil-pressure gauge, ammeter and an inspection lamp that could be stretched out from its housing and used as a kind of tethered flashlight. The chassis included a very strong full-loop cradle frame built for sidecar duty with cast steel lugs for sidecar mounts. The Webb-type girder front fork includes a steering damper and adjustable shock absorbers.

BSA was known for producing reliable and strong motorcycles at a reasonable price and with good performance. The company’s single-cylinder machines were renowned through the industry for their solidity, and its side-valve M-series singles were the backbone of Britain’s military motorcycle force during World War II. BSA built a series of V-twins in the 1930s, originally intended for the military: the Model G 985cc side-valve V-twin, and a smaller version, the 500cc Model J with an OHV motor. The first civilian V-twins were the 1934 Model J34, while the OHV version grew to 750cc and was called the Y-13. Because it was such a beautiful machine, and produced for such a short period (only 1,600 were built in three years), they are among the most sought-after BSAs of all.

This terrific 1936 BSA Y-13 is an original “barn find” that was first registered on July 30, 1936, in Sweden, and it has only had two owners from new. Part of the MC Collection, this Y-13 has not been renovated, but left as it was discovered. These are extremely rare machines today; some estimate as few as 15 survive, and its unlikely many of those present with original paint.

#Bike #Moto #BSA #Classic