By 1966 BSA had trimmed its offerings to six models, all now upgraded from the outdated 6-volt to 12-volt systems. A standout in the line-up was the “no frills/all thrills” 650-cc Hornet (Model A65-2h) developed as a purpose-built off-road and desert racer thus no need for lightning equipment.

Perhaps because of the varying terrain, the Hornets sent to the U.S. East Coast were fitted with high pipes as seen here, those that found their way to customers on the West Coast sported low TT pipes. As far as factory finish, as seen here, they all came brilliantly appointed in Mandarin red accented by chromed and polished alloy. Certainly a very pretty bike designed to get dirty, they could also be re-purposed for the street as factory headlamps and taillights were available if one cared to convert them.

Hornet’s were buzzing with the full-race Lightning 10.5/1 compression hi-performance engines. In keeping with its Spartan race-bred design, its simply carries a tachometer.

The Hornet’s rep was further enhanced by its win of the Vacaville, CA 24 Hour Marathon Championship in July 1965. This example, from the Baker Collection, shows an exceptional restoration, it condition hard to distinguish from an original.