Principle designed by Erling Poppe – The sunbeam was designed and made at the BSA Redditch factory. However the Sunbeam was not built by BSA, it was Sunbeam Cycles Limited. (A subsidiary of BSA) The first production model was the S7 in 1946.
There were other variations considered including a 250cc model, but never went into production
The early Sunbeam had a engine bolted direct to the frame, this was how the first sunbeams left the factory, but were returned. Erling took some flack for this, but was he the reason they were build that way, or was it the parent company cost cutting? Engineers redesigned the engine/gearbox to be rubber mounted. Design flaw ? Well we do know Erling looked at early on rubber mounting as he submitted patent for same.
Sunbeam S7 Produced from December 1946 until April 1949, approximately 2100 manufactured
Distinctive features:
- Available in black only
- Plunger style front fork suspension
- Stubby ‘Lucas MC45’ dynamo
- Inverted handlebar control levelers and ‘clean’ handlebars (no wires)
- Cantilever seat suspension
- Small circular rear light (this changed during production, from a rear light only to a rear light with brake light combined)
- Blue tank badge with ‘Sunbeam’ in white
- Cigar shaped exhaust
- Fat aluminum carburettor cover or round bell type
- Horn mounted on the front part of the frame above the dynamo
- Fat tyres
- No side stand
- Balloon tyres
- Rippled petrol cap
- Tax disk holder in the front suspension fork shroud
Sunbeam S7 Deluxe
Produced from Spring 1949 until 1956, approximately 5500 manufactured.
Distinctive features
- Available in ‘Mist Green’ (some were supplied in standard BSA colours, especially to Canada and USA)
- Sunbeam designed front suspension, shares no parts with BSA
- Normal ‘Lucas MC45L’ dynamo
- Normal control levelers
- Cantilever seat suspension
- Tank badges blue on early bikes, and yellow later
- Cigar shaped exhaust
- Flat pressed steel carburettor cover
- Horn mounted on the frame behind the rear brake pedal
- Balloon tyres
- Side stand
- Normal main stand
- Flat petrol cap
- Tax disk holder in the front suspension fork shroud
Sunbeam S8
Produced from Spring 1949 until 1956, approximately 8300 manufactured.
Distinctive features
- Available in Black or polychromatic grey (some were supplied in standard BSA colours, especially to Canada and USA)
- Conventional BSA type front fork suspension
- Normal ‘Lucas MC45L’ dynamo
- Normal control levelers
- Spring mounted three point attachment seat
- Tank badges blue on early bikes, and yellow later
- Aluminum cast exhaust with art-deco styling
- Flat pressed steel carburettor cover
- Horn mounted on the left hand side of the frame behind the rear brake pedal
- Conventional tyres
- Side stand
- Normal main stand
- Flat petrol cap
- Plain fork shrouds