I have an option on an early (about '35) BSA 500 V twin.
I have always believed that this model was developed first as a military bike and only later supplied as a 'civvy' machine...Is this so? and does anyone have more info. relating to machines of this period?...Ian

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

Let me know the address and I'll sort things out there for you

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

There is no option! Buy it and sell everything else!

I run a 35 500 V Twin myself mine is a civilian model, before that was the J34-11 which was the first civilized version of the "B15" War office 500 OHV V Twin, that was developed from a prototype named "A14" which was put together in late 1932
unlike the 50° sidevalves all these OHV 500's were 45° V twins with side by side con rods. (Y13 was forked rods).
Here's a few pics of military versions..

Ian,

I have a copy of the despatch records from BSA so I can check engine and frame numbers. I have a J34-11 and a J12 myself so I can do some measuring for you.

Regards,
Leon

email (option): leonhop3@planet.nl

Here's some records .. i see M20 prototype of 1936 features in there.



Will try to post a better pic as it keeps coming out blurred even though I used hi Res ..

Lovely looking machines, i've never seen any for sale. How do you come across something like that?? I note that none of them seem to have electric horns!

email (option): robmiller11@yahoo.co.uk

fred re blurred photos some digital cameras need a second to focus press the picture button half way down some have 2 lines that you will see move to focus on what you are looking at some time you will see it focus on the background which will make the foreground blurred just move the camera and let it refocus on what you are taking when it has focused push the picture button down fully and take the photo mine beeps when you hold the picture button down half way letting you know it has focused on something the trouble is it might have focused on the wrong bit then i push down fully to take the photo hope this helps roger

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

Hi Ian,

Some more pictures (but you may have seen them before...):












Cheers,
Jan

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Roger, I'm not saying I took them blurred, they are high resolution shots that photobucket for some reason keep downgrading to low Res.

Rob, all of the pictures you are concerned about are on sheets sent to me in the post by Dick Lewis as part of a dating inquiry, I don't own or have access to the book you are speaking of.
Your post makes the assumption, I copied them from a book.
I like to state clearly here that is not the case.
Dick sent me an envelope full of pictures & info on V Twins & all those pictures are from that.
Im happy for my input here to be removed, however I'm unable to delete it myself.

Here's my contribution

Rob

email (option): robmiller11@yahoo.co.uk

The military police in Egypt had a batch of J34-11's & on a recent trip I found a surviving one pictured complete with what looked like original exhaust system, we ran the engine & it sounded OK

I took these photos & I'm happy for them to be reproduced but not for financial gain.

As a regular reader on this forum I was very interested in this post as I to have a military 500 twin. I am a fan of pre war BSA motorcycles and find the forum very informative but this is my first post. My V twin shows as registered on 5th Jan 1937 yet is number E15 618 with registration FME *** it was supplied in a batch to Chilwell depot Nottingham. The photo of the line up of bikes on the post has a couple of bikes with FME registrations could this be taken at Chilwell? Perhaps mine is somewhere in the line up.

email (option): Thomas_michael@hotmail.com

mike yours is the first one in the line it waiting for the number to be put on the blank front number plate

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

My numbers are E 15 200 and E 15 122. Both have C 1 under the other cil foot.
Can anyone tell me anything about them (year, model etc) ?

email (option): vanderzandemedema@snelnet.net

Michael,

your bike is a 1935 War Office twin. The give away is the E15 prefix which is for War Office bikes only. Civilian bikes would have had an E12 prefix. I will look it up in the despatch records at home.

Regards,
Leon

email (option): leonhop3@planet.nl

Michael, I gather these bikes are hard to start, handle like a jelly, have no brakes, wouldn't pull a sick whore off a piss pot and no electric hooter. Would you like me to take it off your hands Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron,

No you have got it wrong, they are overweight, underpowered but over here! We will take good care of your British heritage. Actually the J12 is only a marginal improvement over the M20 for power but with way better looks and much more complicated to restore and maintain. So I must be an idiot to have 2!

email (option): leonhop3@planet.nl

Michel,

I forgot to look up your numbers:
Engine E15.122 was fitted to frame E15.118 and despatched on 14 March 1935 to the War Office. Engine E15.200 was fitted to frame E15.197 and despatched on 4 March 1935 to the War Office.

Regards,
Leon

PS Michael Thomas' War Office twin would have matching engine and frame numbers and was despatched on 6 January 1936.

email (option): leonhop3@planet.nl

Metropolitan police in London used to use them as well, I once had an ex police one.
Can't say I was overly impress with it.

email (option): deadsheds@yahoo.com

Hi Ken,

I have one of those ex-Metropolitan Police bikes.

Regards,
Leon

email (option): leonhop3@planet.nl

I can't remembr the reg number on mine,or even who I sold it too.

But you are welcome to it

email (option): deadsheds@yahoo.com

There were a few 500cc BSA V-twins imported from Egypt a few years back by good old Eric from Kempton Autojumble fame.......there were apparently many more out there, but the deals went pear-shaped eventually......and with the state of the area now, no chance of anything else forthcoming........

By the way, I don't mind anyone on here posting or quoting from the book......after all, it's being used for what it was intended for.......

What I do object to however, is some complete ar%$&£le publishing my book on the web without any permission or authority...........didn't even bother to ask for permission...........

email (option): sjmwdbikemad@aol.co.uk

steve, copyright is for 75 yrs [I'm sure you know]after death of the author or heirs.

As you don't seem very dead yet why not contact the Society of Authors?
they can help you fight your case.

email (option): deadsheds@yahoo.com

Thanks Ken.....already in the hands of the publisher to sort-out the US-based site that have hosted the infringement..........

As stated, I don't m ind anyone using the stuff from the book for what I intended it for....I'm an easy going character as those who know me will confirm.......but I take umbridge at what is basically "theft" of mine and Chris's hard work without so much as a "can I ?" (and it was back in those pre-computer days !!).....

email (option): sjmwdbikemad@aol.co.uk

Not that bloody gutenberg outfit?

email (option): deadsheds@yahoo.com

What about this one. Built by members of the 'Bar None Club' 1944 in Cairo.

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Do the numbers match?

email (option): deadsheds@yahoo.com

Some great photo's!

My dad has a 1934 J12 which he uses lots. This year he's toured Southern Ireland and the Isle of Wight on it, plus numerous other VMCC events. It's very, very well used!! It's in civilian trim now but was originally a military model, being an 'E15' bike. It has a three speed foot change box, which he says is it's achilles heel (no pun intended!). We wonder if it's running sidecar/signalling(?) gearing as first and second are close together, then a jump to third. It's also a pig of a gearbox, full of false neutrals! We believe the gearbox to be wrong for the bike, so if anyone happens to have or know of a correct four speed unit (or even what other BSAs shared the gearbox) I think he'd be eternally grateful as it'd make it far more pleasurable than it currently is.

I'd love to see any more photo's of J12's. His is registered BMM ***, so if anyone has any photos of any bike with a BMM registration I'd love to see them!

I'd also be interested in details of the book mentioned above. Christmas is coming, and he does love a good motorbike book :)

I have seen BMM 479 ( if its that one you mean) over the years with different owners & a friend in Suffolk owned it about 13yrs ago.
The 1934 hand change one with a bolt on foot change mechanism is a J11 (J34-11) although often called J12 & also called that in an article in Classic Bike winter 1978 edition.
its that article that inspired me to buy one but it took 25yrs until I did. The magazine features the built Story of BMM 479 & is plentiful on ebay .. I will put a link to one of the many currently on ebay.

As for the gearbox. .The 1934 civilian one should be 4 speed but military versions of that bike were produced earlier & they I think we're 3 speed. . I'm not that educated on the military early ones.... it may well be low geared (Sprocket wise) but that aside it sounds like the gearbox need a rebuild... that box was not originally intended for foot change & everything is hampered by the very long gear lever & hastily added positive stop mechanism.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=131035214706

Fred, are you on any of the other bike forums (classic bike forum, or classic bikers club forum etc)?

I'd like to drop you an email but I don't really want to publish my email address on here forever, so wondered whether a private message on one of those sites may be an option if you're registered?

No worries if you're not :)

wow! they look the bees knees, love to hear one of those, well to be frank I'd love to have one. Buy it Mr Wright, I think thats a foregone conclusion..

Simon. I've tightened up on posting email addresses also. I've got a phone SIM that is live for a few weeks before the contract shuts down. Just text your email address to it & I will check it.
07946257339

Done :)

I have a BSA B15 V twin project for sale - 1934 RAF WO model. Served with 6 squadron in the middle east and north Africa. The frame number is not listed in Chris Orchard's book but BSA records show that is was dispatched to War Office SW1.
Any one interested?
Stan

email (option): s.peplinski@btinternet.com

hi stan, just sent you a pm. curt