Sunbeam Motorcycles 1944-1957

Based on exclusive interviews with Sunbeam and BSA engineers, explore the history of the revolutionary shaft-driven Sunbeam motorcycles.

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This book tells the story of the revolutionary shaft-drive Sunbeam motorcycles of the post-war era. Inspired by the BMW R75 motorcycles used by the Wehrmacht in World War II, Sunbeam engineer Erling Poppe designed a motorcycle on similar principles, with a longitudinally mounted twin OHC engine with a shaft drive to the rear wheel. The S7, S8 and S7 Deluxe models were very expensive, and the novel design created a variety of engineering challenges. The book shows how these were tackled by Poppe and his team at Sunbeam and BSA, which had bought Sunbeam motorcycles.

This fascinating book also covers the wider history of Sunbeam motorcycles, which began as a manufacturer of high-quality bicycles in Wolverhampton in 1912, and the career of chief engineer Erling Poppe, who was the inspiration behind the new Sunbeam design. Based on exclusive interviews with Sunbeam and BSA engineers, and including archive photography, this is an essential guide to the groundbreaking models one of Britain’s most exclusive motorcycle marques.