Stev my ML is finished in maroon,, that because its been civi restored,the frame no is ML 6826, so from last contract, don't know engine no will look over weekend and let you know. when its painted it wll be brown , cos I like the colour, I also have most of a ML found under a hedge with lots of WD parts the frame no is ML 1286 the engine no is 539/594 Andrew .h.

email (option): warbikes@gmail.com

I'll copy down my frame number and you can add it to your list
Dave

email (option): davmax@ntlworld.com

SCC No.2 is, I suspect a much under-used colour for portrayals of NW Europe. My Dad was L of C and landed on 25th June but if I ask him about vehicle colours during 1944-45 is always most insistent that they were "nearly all a browny colour".

Just as a reminder Gents, Daren still needs a rear hub to get his to France, even if he just borrows one or a rear wheel.

I've been in contact with over 300 museums via the museum trust and gone direct to, well all of them I could find including some in the the US and Oz, we found one chap who'd lend us a complet rear wheel from a '47 one should we need. One museum offered us a loan motorcycle but handling such a motorcycle was a bridge too far on a trailer or 'thrown' in the back of a van, so we had to decline.

email (option): kit247@hotmail.com

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

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

Hey Kit,
assuming the MOD does not now f**k it up for us all I will be arriving at the camp site on the 30th May. If you are really stuck I could bring along my rear wheel for Daren to use. I'll want it back when I leave on the 8th though.
Cheers, Mick.

email (option): mick@motorbikemike.plus.com

I think we may have sorted Darens back wheel.

email (option): davmax@ntlworld.com

Don't worry stev it will not stay maroon for long, next year perhaps. I have just too many bikes that need to be restored and been a bit slow last four years , long story,got the bit between teeth now,The hedge ML frame blasted and painted , will collect a few more bits together next weekend for more blasting the Hubs might be ok just need time , my new storage arrives at easter , A nearly new 20ft container this will allow me to store bikes out of workshop,Have two in house,!!"and by putting a solar roof on and ventilation to keep heat down and sweating the container is the way to go but will never get to where Ron is with his collection, Andrew.h.

email (option): warbikes@gmail.com

And I have just started an engine revamp of mine. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron will you paint it green, anyway what was wrong with that it needs stripping down, Andrew.h.

email (option): warbikes@gmail.com

Hi Andrew.
Originally my ML had a post war engine so I rebuilt it with WW2 crank cases that I got from Steve. After which I was unable to engage the gears. So I needed to re visit the bike to see what I had done wrong.
So far, all I can find is that I think this plunger spring is wrong and much too heavy. I'll get some new parts from Villiers Services and rebuild again and paint the engine and exhaust and dull chrome the two down pipes as it would have been from the factory. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I should report that having had another look at my Normandy James ML tank in the daylight that the tank was originally brown and NOT green as I stated before. It is funny how different light makes colours appear a different shade.
Also Ron, a very very minor point of detail but note from the photo of the Canadian on the ML that there is a full stop after the letter C and my original tank also has this. I have never seen it on C numbers on other makes. Cheers, John

email (option): tinley@btinternet.com

John. Steve has sent me a picture of your tank and given me the order to fit that Dot . However mine is from near the end of production in 1944 so I'll be keeping the green colour. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Good Afternoon,

I am about to purchase a James ML motorbike but I cannot locate the frame number. Where are the most common places to look for when searching for serial numbers? I did notice a brass tag on top of the engine that describes the type of oil that is to be used in the 2 stroke engine. Was this a common practice for the bike used in WWII?

Thank you very much!

p.s - I was able to locate a number on what looks to be the "frame". The number reads ML 28181. Any idea of what this could be?

email (option): lentzbrandon@hotmail.com

Brandon, the frame number on ML's is located at the base of the front-frame headstock on the right-side..........genuine WD ML's do not exceed "ML 8500" although the next 1,500 were cancelled WD orders and finished in civvy colours............James made the ML for the civilian market from 1945 right through to 1948 and in volume too, and very popular it seems to have been...........frame numbers ran consequitively and one with a five-digit "ML 28***" number is late (47-48) civvy manufacture but not too difficult to convert back to a WD replica (unlike the WD Flea that is wholly different to later civvy models)............you will need to source certain parts and much of the WD tin-ware can be sourced or modified by Terry Roberts at Metal Magic.........

The brass lubrication plate is standard on all Villiers 9D engines, although some late post-war civvy ML's went over to an aluminium plate but otherwise identical...........the engine number will be to the rear of this plate, WD engines being prefixed "AAA" and suffixed "A"............

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

Here's the pressed steel contract tag from Vidya's ML.....1st contract........



And the reverse........note the traces of cad/nickel plate remaining......

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