1956 Sunbeam S8  Registration Number: 297 BPD Frame Number:...

Estimate

£4,500 - £5,500

1956 Sunbeam S8 

Registration Number: 297 BPD
Frame Number: S8 8374

- Comprehensively restored
- £5,000+ in restoration bills

Designed by Erling Poppe with styling loosely based on the BMW R75 designs acquired as war reparations by BSA on behalf of Sunbeam, the unusual engine layout of the S7 and S8 models was similar to that of a car. The engine was a longitudinally mounted inline vertical OHC 500 cc twin based on an experimental 1932 BSA design (the Line-Ahead-Twin - LAT) with coil ignition and wet sump lubrication which, through a dry clutch, drove a shaft drive to the rear wheel.  

Three models were produced, the S7, S7 "de luxe" and the S8. All three were very expensive with only modest performance resulting in low sales. The lighter S8 was sold as a "sportier" model with a top speed of 85 mph. It also had new (BSA) forks, a cast aluminium silencer and chromed wheels (with narrower tyres to replace the 'balloon' tyres which had led to uncertain handling at speed). The model ran until 1956.

First registered in July 1956, in more recent years the bike was owned and restored by an enthusiast, at a cost exceeding £5,000. The history file contains a number of invoices to support this expenditure, as you might expect the bike is now in super condition. Supplied with current UK V5C, this is a fine example of this classic 50s British sports bike.