BSA side valve industrial engines were, at one time, a fairly regular sight, powering rotovators, cement mixers, conveyors, lawn mowers etc, indeed I even had a 420cc side valver on a garden tractor. However, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a Bantam engine used in such a manner. It was spotted on a trailer at Stafford and on sale at £275, which was a bit spicy considering the overall condition – and no guarantee that the engine was any good either. It certainly looked a proper job, not one someone had cobbled together, but I bet it wasn’t the handiest thing to start with the hand operated kickstart – and why a gearbox? Surely it didn’t have three or even four speeds in there? Flat out in top across the veg patch, now that would be something to see!
