Road Tests

During the 1940s and 50s, the 22/47 sidecar featured in several road tests published in British motorcycle magazines.

These included:

Copies of each of these articles are available from Mortons Media at:         https://classicissues.com/

A restored combination featured in the following (USA) magazine.

A lady passenger's comments on the B.S.A. 22/47 de luxe sidecar:

from Motor Cycling, 16th Dec 1948

This is the second time I have experienced the pleasure of travel in this handsome sidecar. It manages to combine a sporting line with an unusual extent of roominess (actually 20 ins. at normal elbow level), while a squab depth of 26 ins. gives good support for natural seating. Back-draughts are almost eliminated by the sensibly shaped deep windscreen and the hood which is contained in an envelope when out of use can be erected in a matter of seconds to give complete enclosure by stud side-fastenings and a wing-nut screen attachment. Fast travel in heavy rain caused odd drops to enter over the screen, but the hinged dash was leakproof. The side-opening door might have been wider for graceful entry and exit, but this, in my experience, is a common fault among sidecars.

The amount of leg room is worth good mention - there's lots of it and no need to adopt a cramped position, and when I compared notes with a 6-ft. male, who tried a brief trip, he had no complaints to make on this score. A 200-mile journey with a five-year-old youngster sharing the sidecar was covered twice with only minor discomfort and swapping from knee to knee provided a measure of ease. The point is that there was sufficient room for me - 10 stone and 5 ft. 6 ins. - and the youngster.

Body-springing is quite satisfactory - the front being helped in every way by the soft front fork action on the machine. It is odd that so few riders study passenger comfort when discussing telescopic forks - because they make an enormous difference. The seat cushioning might have been softer with all-round advantage, I thought. The room available in the rear locker may be judged by the fact that I could have a suitcase measuring 22 ins. by 14 ins. by 6½ ins. just fitting on the floor and still have room for picnic basket, rucksack and two spare coats.

I am quite convinced that this is one of the nicest touring outfits of the post-war ranges.