The ex-Bob Heath works 1970 BSA Rocket III 750 Production Racing...se uno deve sognare

Nel ricercare validi esempi di BSA Rocket in versione racing, mi sono imbattuto in questo magnifico esemplare del 1970, una macchina "works" come si diceva allora per indicare le macchine ufficiali delle case impegnate nelle competizioni.

Si tratta di una delle due sole Rocket production racer costruite agli inizi del 1970 dal BSA Competitions Department di Armoury Road, Birmingham. Ha debuttato in pista a Brands Hatch il 27 marzo del 1970 pilotata dal factory rider Bob Heath, classificandosi al secondo posto (dietro una Norton naturalmente...) dopo aver tenuto la testa della gara a lungo.

La moto è stata battuta all'asta nel 2008 da Bonhams e venduta per una cifra di 32.200 GBP pari a circa 38.000 euro. Non male ma oggi vi costerebbe senz'altro di più...

Il nostro Rocket conserverà la sua originalità, però quanto sarebbe bella anche in versione racing...forse ce ne serve un'altra...

  

The ex-Bob Heath, works
1970 BSA Rocket III 750cc Production Racing Motorcycle
Registration no. UOJ 549H
Frame no. A75R DC02457
Engine no. A75R DC02457

The machine offered here is one of only two Rocket III production racers prepared at BSA’s Competitions Department in Armoury Road, Birmingham in early 1970, the rest of the works three-cylinders racers (regardless of whether badged as ‘BSA’ or ‘Triumph’) being constructed at the Triumph factory in Meriden.

In accordance with production racing rules the cycle parts were left standard apart from a 250mm Fontana front brake and alloy wheel rims (19”) while the rear brake was vented and fitted with racing linings. A five-gallon alloy fuel tank and glassfibre racing seat replaced the stock items, complemented by clip-on handlebars and rear-set footrests. Realigning the exhaust system improved ground clearance and the ensemble was rounded off by the fitting of a Screen & Plastics fairing.

The engines were prepared by polishing the crankshaft, shot peening the con-rods and fitting high-compression (10.5:1) pistons under a tuned and flowed cylinder head fitted with W&S valve springs. Ignition was handled by Bendix points fitted to a Les Mason-designed points plate incorporating an outrigger bearing. Extensive lightening of all possible rotating internals was carried out and the transmission modified with a ventilated clutch and 4-speed close-ratio gear cluster, which in later times was replaced by a Quaife 5-speed gearbox as part of progressive attempts to maintain competitiveness.

This bike’s first race was at Brands Hatch on 27th March 1970, held on the Grand Prix circuit. Ridden by BSA factory rider Bob Heath, the Rocket III finished second to Brian Kemp’s Norton, having led for most of the race - Heath had eased up only to be caught by Kemp within sight of a win. At the 1970 Isle of Man TT production race Heath brought the machine home 5th behind the winning Triumph of Malcolm Uphill, the Nortons of Peter Williams and Ray Pickrell, and the Triumph of Tom Dickie. (Dickie’s bike later became the legendary ‘Slippery Sam’). The BSA returned to Brands Hatch in August for the Hutchinson 100 and, by now fitted with a Quaife 5-speed ’box, was qualified in pole position by Heath, who brought it home in 5th place after a hard fought race.

September 1970 saw the bike entered in the Bol D’Or 24 Hours race at Montlhéry, France for BSA employee Graham Sanders. Saunders and Don Jones were attempting to consolidate their lead in the Coupe d’Endurance Championship, but a night time crash coupled with other gremlins knocked them down the finishing order and back to 2nd in the Championship. The next time Sanders and Jones rode the bike was at Thruxton in May 1971 when they finished 4th in that year’s 500 Mile race. 

At the end of 1971 the bike was bought from Graham Sanders by Peter Bates who campaigned it for the next two seasons supported by Bill Crosby of Reg Allen (London) Motorcycles, with the now retired Don Jones as mechanic and helped by people such as Steve Brown and Martin Russell. Bates rode the BSA in the 1972 and 1973 production TTs gaining silver and bronze replicas for 12th and 13th places respectively. The bike spent most of its Reg Allen-backed career contesting the Coupe d’Endurance Championship, with Bates being partnered by Bob Biscardine, Martin Russell and Malcolm Jeavons. Probably the most notable success was at Spa in 1973 when Bates and Russell formed part of the BSA team that received the Princess Paola Trophy. 

In 1974, with Bates and Russell moving to Amsterdam to work on Yamaha’s XS750 project, the bike was sold out of racing. After a period of duty as a road bike the ex-works Triple was acquired by the vendor who subsequently set about returning it to original condition for display in Bill Crosby’s London Motorcycle Museum. 

The original engine/gearbox unit retains the factory lightened cam wheels, lightened clutch, ventilated clutch housing and Quaife five-speed gear cluster, and has been rebuilt with a standard crankshaft, Carillo rods and stock ignition points. The original carburettors are retained, while the replacement Screen & Plastics fairing is to the correct pattern. A Krober electronic rev counter is fitted currently, the original Smiths unit being included in the sale together with the original race-fairing top half and instrument binnacle. 
With very few of the BSA-Triumph works three-cylinder racers remaining in anything like original condition, this machine represents a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire an undamaged example of one of the most important British racing motorcycles of relatively recent times. The machine is offered with the aforementioned spare parts and Swansea V5C registration document.  

...per me il Commando qui sopra appena dopo lo scatto ha "sverniciato" in curva il povero Bob...