Company history
BSA Logo History
BSA began in June 1861 in the Gun Quarter of Birmingham, formed by fourteen gunsmiths who wanted to make guns by machinery. It built a factory at Small Heath on Armoury Road and won a 1863 order for 20,000 Turkish infantry rifles. Bicycles and parts followed, and motor bicycles were added in 1910, with the 3ยฝ hp model shown at the 1910 Olympia Show.
At its peak, including Triumph, BSA was the largest motorcycle producer in the world. In the late 1950s and 1960s poor management and a failure to develop new products led to a slump in sales, notably in the US market. The bicycle division went to Raleigh in 1957, and a government rescue in 1973 handed the motorcycle business to Norton-Villiers, later Norton Villiers Triumph. When that company was liquidated in 1978, the rights to the BSA name were bought by a new business, the B.S.A. Company.
People behind the identity
Key People Behind BSA
Hover or tap a card to discover each person's contribution.
Manufacturing heritage
Small Heath, Birmingham.
- Site
- Small Heath, Birmingham
- 100,000th Bantam
- 1953
Name origin
Why it's called BSA
The story behind the mark
BSA Logo Meaning
Rifles in a pile first, then wings and bold italics.
The oldest archived mark shows three rifles stacked together, which the sources call the piled arms, above the letters B.S.A. in brown. Wikipedia says some bicycles sold after Raleigh bought the BSA cycle division in 1957 still carried the piled arms stamp. The archived piled arms image is by ACTVR and is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.
The motorcycle badge is the winged BSA, shown here on a tank badge in brass and enamel. No designer is credited for either mark in the sources consulted.
Interactive logo decoder
The Winged BSA
Wing bars
Several horizontal bars of different lengths stream back from the first letter and suggest speed. The same wing shape is cast on the brass and enamel tank badge of the A7.
Highlighted on the logoBSA lettering
The three initials of Birmingham Small Arms in heavy red italic capitals, pushed forward to look fast.
Highlighted on the logoIdentity system
BSA Logo Font and Colors
Typography
BSA Logo Font
Custom bold italic capitals ยท Logo letteringBSA is set in heavy italic capitals with sharp, slanted cuts, with wing bars trailing from the first letter. No source names a typeface for it.
Logo palette
BSA Logo Colors
Select a swatch to copy its HEX value. Values reference archived artwork unless official guidelines are cited.
#E10102The lettering and wing bars, sampled from the archived 2021 logo file.
#000000The background field of the 2021 logo file.
#523A1CThe dark brown of the B.S.A. lettering and rifle stocks in the early archived mark.
At a glance
BSA Brand Profile
- Founded
- 1861
- Founder
- Birmingham Small Arms Trade Association gunsmiths
- Headquarters
- Birmingham, West Midlands, GB
- Category
- motorcycle brand
- Highlights
- Gold Star, Bantam, Lightning, Rocket 3
- Official site
- Visit official site
Geography
Where BSA was built
BSA's motorcycles were built at Small Heath in Birmingham, on Armoury Road. Coordinates are approximate for the district.
World map
One map, many badges
Factories and home cities show how motorcycle brands cluster around manufacturing regions.
Browse logos by country2 versions · 0 years
BSA Logo Evolution Timeline
2021: The winged BSA
The archive's other mark is the winged BSA in red italics on black, titled 2021 BSA Logo in the file. The same wing design is on the brass badge of the classic A7, so the shape itself is much older than the file.
undated: BSA logo in undated
An archived version from the visual identity timeline.
2021 โ 2021
Old BSA Logo vs Newer Versions
20212021Model archive
Most Iconic BSA Motorcycles
Hover or tap a card to read why it matters.
BSA knowledge test
How well do you know BSA?
Five quick questions about the Birmingham maker and its winged logo.
Question 1
What does BSA stand for?
The company began in 1861 as the Birmingham Small Arms company.
Question 2
In which year were motor bicycles added to BSA's products?
The BSA 3½ hp was shown at the 1910 Olympia Show.
Question 3
Which BSA rider won the 1964 and 1965 FIM 500 cc Motocross World Championships?
Jeff Smith won both titles on a B40.
Question 4
Which BSA model was developed together with the Triumph Trident?
The Rocket 3 shares most of its engine parts with the Trident T150.
Question 5
Which company took over BSA's motorcycle business in the 1973 rescue?
The rescue merged it into Norton-Villiers, later Norton Villiers Triumph.
Quiz complete
0 of 5 correct
Tool
Compare BSA With Triumph Motorcycles
Age, country, shape and redesigns — side by side.
Frequently asked questions
BSA Logo FAQ
Who designed the BSA logo?
No designer is credited in the sources consulted, so the authorship is unknown.
What happened to BSA motorcycles?
Competition from Japan and poor management caused heavy losses in the 1960s. A government rescue in 1973 merged the motorcycle business into Norton Villiers Triumph, which was liquidated in 1978, when the BSA name was bought by a new business.
What is the best-known BSA motorcycle?
The Gold Star, built from 1938 to 1963 in 350 cc and 500 cc form, is one of the most celebrated, along with the Bantam, the Lightning and the three-cylinder Rocket 3.
References
BSA Logo Sources and Notes
- Wikipedia — BSA motorcycles
- Wikipedia — Birmingham Small Arms Company
- Wikimedia Commons — BSA A7 badge
Logo images are presented as an educational reference archive. Trademarks and marks belong to their respective owners.
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