Can anyone tell me about BSA C10 in the wartime, i have a chance to buy a 1945 one.

Hi,

The WD bikes would have a frame & engine prefix of either KC10 or WC10 depending upon the contract.

If the bike is 1945, does it have a frame prefix of XC10? I don't know of any WD contracts issued in 1945. The GPO bought a couple of hundred bikes in 1945 to supplement those bought in 1940 & 1941.

On the bike you are looking at is the oil tank built into the petrol tank? Do the engine oil pipes exit the front of the crankcase or the rear?

Ron Pier could be the man to answer this one..the key thing is to check the frame number against wartime contract numbers..I believe only about 900 WD versions were produced and non WD models masquerading as such are fairly common, though there are identifying features....Do you have the frame number?...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

frame & engine no. prefix xc. whats this indicate?

no it has a seperate oil tank, not sure about crankcase pipes, cant remember. what would they indicate if front or rear exit? thanks everyone.

Frame number prefixes generally indicate year of manufacture, though they were inconsistent at times, particularly post war...However, only K and W were applied during the war years. K on 39 models, W for the remainder of the war, when I imagine year by year changes were deemed uneccessary...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Hi,

XC10 indicate 1945 model year onwards. Very unlikely too be WD bike as by 1945 they were already cancelling undelivered parts of contracts for most manufacturers. They had a surplus of war material and therefore wouldn't need any little 250cc bikes. It maybe part of the GPO order or just a civilian bike.

There was one contract in May 1939 for 600 bikes, KC10 prefix. another one in september 1939 WC10 prefix and 3 bikes supplied to the Ministry of Supply in August 1941. The GPO bought 300 WC10s in 2 contracts in 1940 & 1941.

Just to add to what has already been said. I also don't think any C10's were used by the military after the war. Fewer than 2000 were built under WO contracts and all were 1939/40. These wartime models were fed engine oil from a tank combined in the petrol tank. The 1945 C10's had an oil tank where my tool box is situated and therefore the pipes were re-sighted to the rear of the lower crankcase. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

A wartime C10 as used by the Navy....

email (option): stinkypete80@hotmail.com

I think that young wren might have a C12. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Considering it has a decompressor fitted, undoubtably a C12.

Unfortunately I am not an expert in these areas. Just looked too small for an M20.....

email (option): stinkypete80@hotmail.com

Even the experts have captioned these pictures incorrectly Ewok. To the most part they are identical to a C10 Even the frame number will read C10. But the engine is 100cc bigger. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com