BSA Rocket 3
Mike Hailwood Replica
With Phil Aynsley
What you see here is a “recreation” of the BSA Rocket 3 that Mike Hailwood rode in the 1971 Daytona 200 race. He rode a “high-boy” Rob North framed BSA in the 1970 race and the new North “low-boy” framed bike in the ’71 event but suffered mechanical DNFs in both.
After the ’71 race Ray Pickrell campaigned the bike in the ’71 Anglo-American Match Races, winning three of the six races before crashing in the final round at Oulton Park.
The frame was damaged and relegated for use as a tank jig at Triumph. After the factory closed, tuner Les Williams obtained the frame, along with other Experimental Department items.
Some years later the bike’s current owner bought the frame and other bits such as wheels and proceeded to assemble parts with the aim of making the bike as close as possible to how it had been raced at Daytona in ’71.
Many ex-works parts were used in the process which was completed by P&M Motorcycles (including repairing the badly bent frame) in 1990.
The engine has a factory cylinder head (that features a re-angled centre sparkplug and reshaped combustion chambers). An original factory ignition system is fitted along with an original Quaife five-speed gearbox as used by the factory bikes.
The tank was made by Don Woodward who constructed the originals, using this very frame! The fairing is an original item as well. The bike has been run in many classic events and IoM parades since 1990.
Performance topped out at 83 hp at 8500 rpm, with a weight of 180 kg with oil, but no fuel. Top speed could hit 250 km/h.
Mike Hailwood’s BSA Rocket 3 Gallery
