1961 BSA Super Rocket - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article

Description

1961 BSA Super Rocket - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
Have you ever seen a motorcycle
that radiates a feeling of power
without even starting the engine? This
was the impression that the staff of
CYCLE received when we saw the BSA
Super Rocket, for the first time.
Our lest machine was supplied to
us by Aub LeBard of LeBard and
Underwood Motorcycle in Los Ange-
les, California. The only instructions
given were to make sure that the Super
Rocket had a good grade of fuel when
we filled the gas tank. The fuel tap
was turned on, the carburetor tickled,
and with one easy kick our BSA roared
into life. Throughout the test, starting
was excellent even on the coldest
mornings. For a large capacity vertical
twin, starting was a lot easier than
many of the smaller machines we have
tested over the years. This was a very
welcome surprise to me. because kick-
ing over large motorcycles is not al-
ways easy when you weigh only about
140 pounds.
The Super Rocket is one of the most
flexible motorcycles in regard to pow-
er output that I have ever ridden. One
moment you can be in deep traffic,
barely creeping along without any
signs of erratic running, and then a
few seconds later accelerating out on
the open road so hard that your body
is actually trying to slide back on the
long dual seat. There are no places
along the acceleration range where a
flat spot can be detected. From idling
speeds to wide open throttle, power
output is smooth and steady. We could
use all sorts of fancy words to de-
scribe the power that this machine
turns out, but it still wouldn’t do it
justice.
The engine of the Super Rocket is
a 650cc vertical twin with a bore of
70mm and a stroke of 84mm. It has
a compression ratio of 8.25 to 1.
Valves are operated through a conven-
tional push rod and cam arrangement.
Carol Anderson and Mike Van Ness out for an evening's ride. The overall beauty of our test
machine is shown to advantage in a photograph of this type....
e61cb08 RL-mb1954-6103-04 11852-6103-04
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