I have one of these,
In a closed cardboard box,
Wrapped neatly in the original grease paper from the outside.
I bought it from eBay few years ago.
I never opened it, and was offered 20Eu from a curious BSA workshop owner,
Just to open and see what's inside.. LOL
I nay be stupid, but I did not accept his offer.
I like to see it originally closed.
-Hope not open it one day and find a water-melon inside..
Usually these parts have stickers on them with Not to be opened until required for use so you are actually not allowed to open it until required for use
OK then we have a NOS DU42 headlamp for 900 GBP. There are many good repro ones out there, common as muck in fact. My point is what is then the correct price for something for which their are no repros? How about 3000 GBP for a NOS matching pair of cranckcases? Or 2000 GBP for a NOS cylinder barrel, 1000 for a cylinder head?
Comments please!
Keith,
I am not in the BSA scene for as long as many of the guys here,
But in the 8 years (+/-) I am, the parts prices has gone up so much,
That it would be no surprise if the prices you quoted will be fetched..
Many of the BSAs here went for scrap and metal many years ago, as it was not worth
To ensure or MOT it, and was heavy, old slow and obsolete...
you could buy a top quality one for 400-500 GBP, or less.
For the last few years, since there is a "trend" for classic vehicle and low
Prices for insurance and MOT for it, you can buy A WM20for 3000 GBP+...(Some ask 7500...)
The same goes for the parts-
As long as there will be customers and less supply, the prices would continue to climb..
On the other hand,
Of course I do really wish for dear Henk to get top price !!
This headlamp shouldn't really be seen as one item....not that it should be broken for spares, but if a rebuilder is lacking one entirely, he will need to find all the components....This is my guess at UK jumble prices...
A decent shell needing no work...£40 or £60 if NOS
A new rim...£25
NOS or reconditioned reflector...£40
Pattern glass...£20
Rim clip....£7.5
Spring Clips....£5
Correct bulb holder...£15
Reliable light switch....£50
NOS 8 - 0 - 8 ammeter £85
Mounting bolts....£8
Panel screws...£3
WD cardboard box so you can post a photo on internet forums and pretend to be a serious collector...£10
That comes out at just under £330...added to which the parts might not fit...8" switch panel for instance and this one will save a buyer visiting countless jumbles or waiting months for eBay to turn up the parts.
It is expensive but for someone wanting correct parts, it will be tempting...
Not tempting for me...I won't be building any more WD bikes with spares going for the prices they are currently..It's just too expensive to get ALL the right parts...
The T120R I am working on is a 'special' so I'm not tied to having standard parts...and I can buy some very nice after market parts for a lot less money...
£45 for a set of Amal forged aluminium competition handle bar levers for example...or £300 for a WDM20 set....Ian
Yeah, I'm there now too, Ian. That's why I'm off to cuttin' up that Ironhead Sportster motor and stuffin' it in a '51 Triumph frame. Post War Triumph and Harley parts are still fairly thick on the ground and don't cost their weight in gold (yet!).
Yes, I will happily send a photo.
It is in a storage 10Km away, with most of my other BSA parts.
I will take that photo and send to you, at first chance I get.
Well, I remember these headlamps in the box coming on the market 20 years ago, and they never have been cheap, had a couple myself, payed 125 guilders back then, last one I fitted on my Matchless.
But I'm not fazed by the current price, just payed 600 euro's for a nice N.O.S. Indian (American Indian Motocycle) headlamp.
That's just "inflation" for you!
All in all M20 owners should not complain, there's so many spares about, for some bikes I collect you simply cannot find anything, so have to fabricate/cast/machine it from nothing!
But I have shifted the emphasis of what I do in reaction to prices that I no longer feel happy paying....
It's just a question of what, personally, you feel something is worth and how much cash you have or are prepared to tie up in it..
I can afford a £450 headlamp, but I don't want it that much...
I paid less than half of that for a one off forged piston for my sprinter..and £100 less than that for a one off carillo conrod for the same machine..
For that sort of money I can get some good 'one off' parts machined for my Triumph...or buy about 5 chrome headlamps... ...and still enjoy myself just as much building the Triumph which, ultimately, is worth more money than most WD bikes...
But go ahead... I'm not trying to stop anybody else 'splashing the cash' if they want to....Ian