HI,

I was looking at an article about the Welbike in the Classic Motorcycle dated December 1991 and noted a caption which read:

"Military enthusiast Lex Schmidt found his Welbike at Beaulieu autojumble. Less than 40 of the 3853 made are known to exist."

Now we all know that with the explosion of available info that occurred subsequent to the internet etc, a substantial amount of more accurate data has become evident.

Now my understanding is that many more that 3853 were made - in fact it appears that many thousands of WD surplus went to the USA post-war, more's the pity!

But back to my original question" How many are known to exist today?

Just curious........

lots of the little buggers went to India


http://reddevilmotors.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2016-01-01T00:00:00Z&updated-max=2017-01-01T00:00:00Z&max-results=50

My own Welbike was repatriated from India by Richard Miller who is the son of Peter Miller who wrote the book "From Welbike to Corgi" Peter quotes in his book that about 8000 welbikes were sold off after the war and as they weren't eligible for the roads in UK, most were bought by New York department store 'Gimbles' to be sold in the US as fun bikes or farm yard runabouts. An awful lot were bought by the 'Shriners' who are some sort of Masonic society The bikes were prepared in blue and chrome and used as parade bikes......This lot have a strange attraction for miniature vehicles for their parades Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

PS. Here is Lex's website and I think he has a Welbike register. http://www.welbike.net/

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Cheers Ron!

I see that the 1991 article that I referred to in the original post quotes the 8000 as well. It's Lex's Welbike that is the subject of the article as well.

Peter's book is on the water as we speak - looking forward to reading it.

Thanks for the info on Lex - will follow that route.

A good quantity made there way here to Melbourne, some pics lifted from the State Library of Vic.

Wow Matty - haven't seen these before. Thanks for the pics.

Are there still quite a few floating around is Aus? The only one that I've ever seen here in South Africa is the one in the Military Museum in Johannesburg. Although I have no doubt that there must be one or two squirreled away somewhere......

Just saw this, my website has not been updated for many years have no idea how to do it now!! but the email button still works!
Re. surviving WB's have about 110 in my register, so that's a survival rate of 4% there are more numbers, but I have not verified them, as I would like to see pictures and pictures of the numbers, to determine if it is original or not, there are many fakes around, and the unsuspected who do not know, and buy one cheapish could be in for a shock!

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbiXX.net (think about it!!)

Lex what is your view on the 8000 quoted as going to America? Seems an awful lot! Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Well Ron, I have the original article somewhere, it was in the "Motorcycling" and they quoted some of the "Sunday papers", and "the Evening Standard" so how reliable that is, you know better then me!

Anyway, there is no evidence whatsoever that there were ever 8000 made, I have the receipt cards for the 3 contracts, a fourth was cancelled, so just a slight exaggeration???

I get no higher than 3930 bikes total, including prototypes, also framenumbers do not go much over that amount (3954)

Cheers,

Lex

PS, if repro's are kept being made, it will reach the 8000 eventually!!!

email (option): welbike@welbiXX.net (think about it!!)

It's my feeling that there was a typo somewhere and someone hit the 8 instead of the 2 Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Think more like 800 max. went to the US.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbiXX.net (think about it!!)

You could be right at that Lex? I just re-read Peter Millers statement in his book where he quotes it from the Sunday Graphic newspaper but adds (sic) (odd or erroneous) after the sentence. Quite likely that someone added an extra zero by mistake. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

here in Melbourne, Australia - there is a bloke with a smallish museum in inner west Melbourne:
has a Welbike and an original canister they were parachuted in, on display

Nice, could you visit one day, and get me the frame and engine numbers, to get a pattern of which bikes went down under??

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbiXX.net (think about it!!)

I currently still have one for sale!
Freshly restored! Pictures available!

Excelsior Welbike MK1 1942
Original matching engine and frame.
Restoration has just been completed. Complete overhaul of engine and clutch. Starts and runs great. Tanks hold pressure well.

Price 8900 GBP

email (option): mail@xandre.nl

Problem is if hey sill are around they are more likely to be used as paddock bikes for the grand / great grand kids.
However if they are really worth that sort of money I might start driving around with some pee wee's and make some kids a "good" deal.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Amazingly they really are worth that much money..or at least they fetch that much money...

Priced as a piece of militaria rather than a motorcycle IMO...

Personally I'd rather have a full size WD bike and some change as the Webike can't cut it in the latter role.. but then I'm not a collector...Ian

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