128 pages, 50 black & white illustrations, size 5.5 x 8.5 inches. Originally published under the title The Book of the BSA, by F.J. Camm this book is one of The Motorcyclist’s Library series published in the USA by Floyd Clymer by arrangement with the original publishers, Pitman Ltd. of London, England.
This re-print of the 1926 second edition of the Motorcyclist Library ‘Book of the BSA’ was selected as being an important edition as it includes information that is appropriate to many of the BSA models that were in production as far back as 1914. Models that are specifically covered are the: 2.49HP Standard De Luxe, 3.49HP Model L & Super, 4.93HP Standard, 4.98HP Standard & De Luxe, 5.57HP Light & De Luxe, 7.70HP V-Twin Light & De Luxe, 9.86HP V-Twin Light, De Luxe & Colonial and the 6, 7, 7a & 8 sidecars, the Tradesman’s Box Carrier and the Commercial Van Sidecar. In addition, the 1927 models are covered in a separate supplement which includes details for the 1927 variants of the motorcycles listed above plus complete technical details for the first year ‘new for 1927’ highly collectible 493cc ‘Sloper’.
Unfortunately, service and repair information for BSA motorcycles manufactured prior to 1936 is extremely limited and difficult to find. This is probably due to the fact that BSA never published anything that could be called a workshop manual for these early machines and only began to publish ‘service sheets’ coincident with the introduction of the B, C & M Series in 1933. However, these ‘service sheets’ only focused on singular tasks and they were never published for any of the pre 1933 models.
The first edition of the Motorcyclists Library ‘Book of the BSA’ by the author ‘Waysider’ (F.J. Camm) was published in 1924 and subsequently revised and published through numerous editions. The first seven editions included data that was applicable to both the current year’s models and the earlier machines. In addition, most of them also included supplements for the following year’s models.
Unfortunately, concurrent with the publication of the 1937 eighth edition (and the 1938 re-print of that same edition) a change of format eliminated information that was applicable to the earlier machines. To quote the author ‘In this (8th) edition I have found it necessary owing to space limitations to emend certain of the information and chapters which appeared in previous editions, and is now not strictly germane to recent models’. However, as the 1940 (9th) through 1952 (12th) editions included ‘all models from 1936’ onwards they are appropriate publications for owners of 1936 and later machines.
Consequently, the 1st through 7th (1924 through 1935) editions of the ‘Book of the BSA’ are the editions that will be of the most use and interest to owners of the pre-1936 machines.
