1968 BSA B25 Starfire

In England, Standard by Tom WackerLeave a Comment

Introduced in 1968, the BSA B25/Triumph TR25 was another ‘badge engineered’ entry from the brain trust at BSA/Triumph. The two models were mechanically the same with only trim and badging to differentiate between the two.

The B25 Starfire was essentially a C15 wrapped in handsome new trim. Somewhat underpowered, somewhat ‘fiddly’ it was the quintessential English 250 CC single. Very utilitarian, which no doubt hurt it in a market full of very sporty 250 CC machines. Suzuki, Ducati, Kawasaki, Montesa, Yamaha all had very sporty 250’s in their showrooms.

The B25 Starfire did not sell very well, and the model was doomed to a three year run. BSA did add a ‘high pipe’ scrambler B25 in ‘69, but it just wasn’t enough. Which makes the B25 highly collectible today.

The 1968 BSA B25 used a 249 CC air cooled four stroke overhead valve single cylinder that made a rumored 25 HP. It had a ‘cush drive’ clutch setup that eased running in traffic with a 4 speed gearbox and wet weight of around 290 LBS gave it a top speed of near 85 MPH.

This particular BSA B25 Starfire is located in Cypress, Texas and is listed as ‘rebuilt from the ground up’. Mileage is listed at 6,800 and the bike has gotten 10 bids (currently $1,025) in less than 24 hours in a no reserve auction

Sources:
Rider
Real Classic
MCS
Wikipedia