Help request for my late dads BSA.. unknown Model etc, photo enclosed.

Hi all,

Newbie here so please excuse any lack of knowledge !..

Can anyone help :-

My late dad had a BSA motorcycle back in the mid forties to the early fifties.

I have a black and white photo of dad on it while he was in the RAF, he was stationed at RAF Cardington Bedford, just after the war.

Photo :-

https://www.flickr.com/photos/60033589@N03/31789926856/in/dateposted-public/

kindest regards

Derrick

email (option): zola-1@ntlworld.com

Ooops i don't think i put the photo in ! here it is

email (option): zola-1@ntlworld.com

That seems like a pre war BSA M23 to me.

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

Hi Henk,

Many thanks for the quick reply, would the M23 be a 350cc or a 500cc ?
ive just done a quick search on youtube and found this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECEsC-Mq7ig

its the only picture i have of dad on a motorcycle :), he looks so happy ....i just want to be sure its the correct one, were they a production bike or a ww2 military supply only ?

that sergeant looks like he can handle that motorcycle, were they handful to ride? do you have one ?

any thoughts ..

got so many q's please bear with me :)

kind regards

derrick

email (option): zola-1@ntlworld.com

This is basically a motorcycle just as the M20 but with a over head valve engine. Very nice motorcycle of 500 cc. The best of all was the M24 with basically the same ohv engine but with an alloy cylinder and head.

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

A 500cc, great that sounds so much better than a 350....i'm so pleased to find some answers to some of my q's , that have built up in my head ,,,thank you, i will be in touch as i have a few more q's.

many thanks

derrick

email (option): zola-1@ntlworld.com

By coincidence we were talking about these just this week in another thread. The M23 was called a 'Silver Star' and there was a 350 version which was the B24. Both were offered with a twin port head and high rise twin exhausts. Real beauties Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Bit off track but raf cardington was the main raf distribution depot during national service.it has the two giant airship sheds from 1917, which are still used for the new aiship known locally as the flying bum.(I've got a 42 m20 too!)

Mine's the green one!!!

The reg. number 'EJH 452' on your fathers bike is a Reading, Hertfordshire registration...

RAF Cardington is in Bedfordshire so the bike didn't come from too far away..Ian

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

Isn't Reading in Berkshire.

['JH - Reading (Hertfordshire to 1974)..']...

Things changed in 1974 apparently..and the JH area code changed areas...

So in fact it was Hertfordshire THEN Reading and not Reading IN Hertfordshire...

My misreading of it..Reading is indeed where you say it is... ..Ian

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

Here a picture of my unrestored BSA M23 1940 I think its the same bike

Hi Ron,

Many thanks for your reply, i've been advised to count the no of fins to establish if its 350 or 500cc, i have dads original photo in my locker at work so i will get the magnifying glass out when i'm back tuesday.:)I'm pleased to hear it was a great bike, dad looks chuffed to bits in the photo,he would have rode between bedford and a little village called Weeley near Colchester back in the late forties ,what fun blasting down the roads and lanes,off to meet mum, they were married in 51, so he had time to enjoy motorcycling before we came along ...ha ha.

Are there any clubs you know with guys who still ride them ?

cheers

derrick

email (option): zola-1@ntlworld.com

Hi Ian,

Thank you for the info on the registration,i can imagine him buying it and blasting back to camp ... dad looks really happy, i bet he hadn't long got the bike and i can only imagine the fun riding it during that time...i can recall brief snippets when dad talked about his motorcycles, he came off a bike at a roundabout near clacton, a Guinness lorry had spilt its load and he came off, not a serious accident and he laughed at the memory....he mentioned a Vecolett/Matchless, but i have no pictures, just thoughts of him owning them.What fun times eh

cheers

derrick

email (option): zola-1@ntlworld.com

Hi Theo,

Thank you for your reply...


What a cracking looking bike, :)..have you a picture of the clutch side, i'm trying to make a side by side comparison of dads bike, are you in the uk ?

cheers

derrick

email (option): zola-1@ntlworld.com

Hi Ron,

I've counted 9 fins on the picture of my dads BSA,this bike has a clear picture of the same side

http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/feature-lots.cfm?Order=price&feature=&collection=&grouping=&category=&SaleCode=AS15&ID=r0017

It appears to have the same no, would you agree ?

cheers derrick

email (option): zola-1@ntlworld.com

It's making my eyes hurt Derrick. I've sent you pictures. It's the timing case which is the big tell tail between the 350 and 500.....But I guess you can't see that on Dad's bike. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com