1971 350cc BSA E35 Fury

BSA

1971

350cc

About the 1971 350cc BSA E35 Fury

1971 350cc BSA E35 Fury

With its revvy double overhead camshaft engine, sure handling and modern styling, the BSA Fury looked like a serious competitor for Japanese imports when unveiled in the autumn of 1970. But the 95mph twin and its Triumph Bandit counterpart never reached the showrooms.

The project had begun in 1968 with a 350cc dohc Triumph designed by Edward Turner, the man behind Triumph’s successful line of parallel twins since 1937. The prototype, coded P30, is at the Museum.

Engineers at Triumph’s Meriden factory and BSA’s Umberslade Hall R&D centre completely revised the twin with a stronger engine, electric starting, five-speed gearbox and a stouter duplex frame. It was to be marketed in 1971 by the BSA Group in both BSA and Triumph versions, as the E35 Fury and T35 Bandit respectively. The models were aimed at entry-level riders in America, also being targeted with 350cc models by Japanese makers.

Only a handful of machines had been assembled at BSA’s Small Heath factory when both models were dropped. The BSA Group, which faced a growing financial crisis, decided to concentrate on BSA and Triumph’s best-selling 650cc twins being relaunched for 1971.