Bike Show Bites - BSA Dandy

This tiny little thing is a BSA Dandy scooterette from 1956. It doesn't have the reputation of being Britain's finest and contains some strange, if not bizarre, design features.

The bike was powered (and I use that word in its loosest sense) by a 70cc two stroke engine with a two speed gearbox. The gearchange was a preselector. You changed gear by rotating the left grip but the change only occurred when the clutch was operated.

Being an early example starting was by a hand lever. I don't have a photo but this rested in an awkward location on the left footrest.

But the biggie was the location of the ignition points. They were located deep inside the engine and require the motor to be removed and split for access. Not a great idea on an item requiring regular maintenance. 

Backwards facing engine. I'm guessing that the points will be at the end of the red wire

Period advert