1971 BSA Rocket 3

Post-Sale Update: After 11 bids on eBay, this BSA Rocket 3 did not meet reserve at $16,600.

Sharing its roots with the Triumph Trident, the BSA Rocket 3 was a 750cc triple that was designed to extend the model line beyond 650 twins. It was specifically built for the US market, which wanted larger displacements and less vibrations. BSA’s financials suffered with the production of this bike, but nearly 27,500 of the Trident/Rocket 3’s were produced between 1968 and 1975. The bike was initially released to rave reviews, but Honda brought out the CB750 just four weeks later. The rest, as they say, was history.

The 58 horsepower engine was capable of pushing the BSA Rocket 3 up to 120 miles per hour, which might have been its saving grace. The $1,800 MSRP was high compared to Japanese competition, but Honda offered a 5-speed gearbox, overhead camshaft, electric start, and disc brakes, all features BSA/Triumph could not compete with. In 1970, BSA restyled the Rocket with a more ‘classic’ look to differentiate in the market, and the US sales team exploited the bike’s top speed to set speed records in Daytona. 200 models were then released with 5-speed gearboxes that supposedly commemorate the Daytona run, one of which you see here in front of you. Kawasaki broke the top speed record in 1971, and one year later, BSA was done. This bike was actually the base for what led to the Triumph Hurricane – as BSA contracted with Craig Vetter to restyle the bike for US tastes in the hope that they could ‘outstyle’ the Japanese competition.

This specific BSA Rocket 3 is in excellent shape, with original cosmetics and a refurbished motor by TripleTecs. The engine truly got a renewal, with .40 over Megacycle cams, Hepolite pistons, cross-drilled crankshaft journals, and a lightened clutch. As the seller states, this is a rider that shows extremely well. Total miles are about 23,400, though just 2k have been put on since the restoration.