I quite like the current website header shot, looks like the rider doing his tappets & timing. Complete with a milk bottle to catch the oil. I wonder if the oil went back in the tank?
Too hard on the knees anymore! And the mechanic is certainly making it more difficult on himself; a bit of lean to the left would make the process quite a bit easier...! And a bit more lean would preclude the need for an oil-catching cream bottle
As per Ian, noting the finned muff on the exhaust pipe...Interesting.
Stub fitting is unusual,could it be earlier than the monobloc came available,might be bing looking by the screw on top which looks bigger than the amal.
Judging by the brake rod, front number plate, fork damper and metal shrouding around the front down tube etc, it must be an early bike. Yet the central fork attachment appears to have the 1/2" extension piece, making them the later longer forks. Any carb could have been fitted, but how did they do the spigot? Is it a tube attached to a flange that is bolted to the normal flange studs?
The bike looks a bitsa to me. That is a British uniform isn't it? Ron
That carby is not an Amal pre monobloc or a monobloc, looks like a Bing, the big giveaway is the top ring holding the carby top on. It is quite different to the Amal top rings.
Judging by the brake rod, front number plate, fork damper and metal shrouding around the front down tube etc, it must be an early bike. Yet the central fork attachment appears to have the 1/2" extension piece, making them the later longer forks. Any carb could have been fitted, but how did they do the spigot? Is it a tube attached to a flange that is bolted to the normal flange studs?
The bike looks a bitsa to me. That is a British uniform isn't it? Ron
Not sure if it is a bitsa, Ron. as I believe only the very early bikes had the shorter forks I think it is possible that this could have the correct specification for the later 'balloon tank' bikes. (late 40, early 41)
But not sure if the strengthend frontstandtube already existed by then.
(The brakerod is actually cable).
But this doesn't explain the Bing(?) carb. Interesting......, Michiel
You could be right Michiel, that might be a cable. But there is definitely the 1/2" extension piece in the centre under the forks for the mudguard, which I assume is for the longer (later) forks. Ron
The air filter and the sand,could be middle east,the carb could be off a captured bike,is that part of a C number partly visible,or could be post war in service with an Arab army Jordan etc.
I have just checked my own short forks and it also has no 'trumpet' and looking the same as in the picture. I was under the impression that it was sawn off by someone but now I think it is correct from factory.
I think that, what we call the 'late and longer" fork is actually the STANDARD fork, as it has the same length as the forks used on most PREwar M-types I have measured.
On the prewar models, only the M24 had the shorter lightweight forks. And I now think the 'trumpet' on the M24 forks had to be removed to compensate for the shorter legs in combination with the 20" frontwheel.
And it was this fork together with the lightweight M24 frame which was used for the early WDM20's.
And using this M24 fork in combination with a 19" wheel could explain the distance piece you see in the picture....... Michiel
I have 2 pairs of short forks. One set is on '38 M22 and with the "trumpet", other set were bought separately from the local jumble and were under WD paint. WD fork has shorter "cut off trumpet". M22 fork is original for sure. Both sets are appr. 630mm from top spindle center to front axle center.
Sorry, I can't help with any more info as I got my picture from a source with just a number. I can't help noticing how many IWM pictures are now on Ebay as 'Genuine' private pictures. I am aware that the copyright has probably expired but they must be copies of originals and not originals in their own right. This is where so much information is lost because they are sold as 'Grandad in the war' or whatever with no real provenance.
When I started collecting pictures I was really only interested in the bikes but I do, now, try to put as much info as I can, though some early pictures had the info cropped as the amount of letters you could use was very limited.....
I am always happy to share a picture if anybody want's anything particular, if I have one.
Looking closer at the picture, the front number plate looks to be the same as a standard UK plate...That is pressed steel with silver lettering on black or flat plates and white paint with UK style font (for want of a better word) I don't know of any countries other than commonwealth countries or dependencies that would use them. The reg looks to be a civilian number which would make it,possibly, either early war (civilian registrations were later dropped) or an impressed machine.