Remember that although they had stopped making bicycles in 1887, BSA components were still available from previous manufacture, so surviving bicycles (ordinaries) might exist with BSA parts. During those six years the Company manufactured not only rifles, but also large numbers of six-pounder and three-pounder cartridges for quick-firing guns.Ī bit ambiguous, but they mean that parts manufacture recommenced: When the Government demand for rifles and ammunition somewhat declined, the Company once more was enabled to take up the manufacture of bicycles, and early in 1893 commenced the manufacture of safety bicycle hubs, examples of which were exhibited at the Crystal Palace Show that same year. safety bicycles and tricycles steadily increased during the next three years, but in 1887 the Government demand for rifles and ammunition rendered it incumbent upon the Company to temporarily discontinue the manufacture of bicycles and tricycles, and for six years nothing was done in this direction beyond the production of a limited quantity of Kelsey's Duplex Safety Bicycle Crank Axle Bearings. I definitely would not depend on Wikipedia for facts, but they were just one of many sources showing BSA stopped making complete bikes.īsa produced an early history leaflet in 1918:
