In a nutshell....
The bikes ended up in North America after the British military's sell-off, but there were few spares imported.... no dealers, no tools and no parts: welcome to "Bodge City"
email (option): teladelujo@msn.com
I don't know what you mean "no dealers", there were plenty of BSA dealers. I still recall the curmudgeon who had the franchise near where I lived, by the name of "Woody" (Donald Wood) who, in the early '70s sold out his remaining inventory to the predecessor of Domiracer.
BSA's flathead singles were orphan children here....There was no BSA dealer "network" in the US until after WWII, and they were sure not selling M20s nor stocking parts for them. The real influx of machines was with the BSA twins. (along with Triumph and Norton as well)
email (option): teladelujo@msn.com
at those prices i would like to place an order for a dozen
I know in the latter years the bulk of motorcycle production was destined for export to the USA, but I am surprised by the comment there was no dealer network to support these M20s by the early/mid 60s, when that advert for M20s is dated. BSA would still have been supplying spares for the M20 at that point.(though they would have been 'special order' through a BSA dealer I would think)
I understood the Harley Davidson Sportster was introduced in response to challenge of the British twins..and that was 1957...
Even Marlon Brando was on a Triumph in 53 (The Wild One).. ...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
I understood the Harley Davidson Sportster was introduced in response to challenge of the British twins..and that was 1957...
Even Marlon Brando was on a Triumph in 53 (The Wild One)..
...Ian Greetings Mr Wright,
A couple of observations:
You are correct: the flathead KR HD which became the "Sportster" was an attempt to staunch the Brit bike invasion. At dirt-track events, the BSA Goldstar and the KR were classed so as to race together: the flathead 750cc V-twin and the OHV 500 single judged as a fair match by the AMA.
Regarding the WM20, in the early 1960s, when the "flood" of de-mobbed WD bikes hit the US, there was an east-coast and west-coast distributor for BSA, each with their own dealer network. The dealers didn't stock parts for the models they did not sell. And while yes, you could special order parts for anything that BSA produced, in those days, you paid "up-front" for your special order and then waited months for the parts to arrive in the US by boat, and then be trucked to the dealership.
The dealer network then in place from just after WWII had no history of selling the old singles; there had been little import of much beyond the twins (sure, a relative few singles such as the B and DBD models) The returning GIs in post-war America wanted speed, not pedestrian plonkers.
(Did I mention that BSA twins were "flash" too.. resplendent in their chrome, and shiny red plastic tank badges!)
When you got to the center of the country where I lived, BSA dealers were few and far between. Most sold every brand they could get a franchise for and were just then taking on the Japanese brands to fill in for the "learner" bikes that none of the established OEMs wanted to produce. Big bike were more profitable. Japan like the UK after the war were exporting everything they could build.
In any case, the WD bikes for the most part, never darkened the door of an official dealer. They ended up in barns and under shade-trees to be tormented by hammer & pliers-wielding owners (thank goodness that most of the bikes came over with tool kits containing at least the basics, as there were few sources for BS wrenches, taps, dies, fasteners, etc.
And we are talking about BSA; Enfield and Matchless had it even worse at the time...
The good old days... At least now the machines remaining from the winnowing over the years are appreciated.
email (option): teladelujo@msn.com
Thanks John..Fascinating stuff...I saw Cal Rayborn racing a factory 'K' Model back in the early Seventies when they ran the 'Transatlantic Trophy' here in the UK. They really got those K models moving..but it's odd that the Sportster wasn't developed more for racing.
I guess the old ex army sidevalves were in the same class as what we now call 'grey imports' in the UK.(often Japanese or European models)..that is, various 'not normally imported' models bought into the country 'unofficially' and shunned by the dealers and Insurance companies...
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Hi Dave..I have a file of Patricks mods to the sidevalve Harleys and iron Sportsters...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com