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Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Yes indeed Henk I missed that post war shield at the front .

Stuart I'll send you some pictures of mine which is an early bike which is depicted as brought up to later war spec. Please search pictures of other guys bikes however as reference research. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Stuart,

She looks nice in Civies, I know you want her back to miltary, could cost. Just use her as it is until you get all the bits

Dave

email (option): jeepfinger@blueyonder.co.uk

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Dear All

Many thanks to all the eagled eyed enthusiasts out there and I appreciate the honesty, it will make the restoration run a lot smoother and save re doing a lot of the work over again.

I’m new to the WM20 scene and my bike is actually only the second time I have seen a WM20 in the flesh, the first one is the only other one in Hong Kong and is in pretty bad shape and a lot missing.

So far I can determine that I need to start looking for the correct 1943 period pieces.

Mudguards
All Levers
Speedo (I already know what to look for)
Ammeter
Switch
Headlamp glass and rim
Dynamo
Regulator
Horn
Knee Grips
Saddle Springs
Primary chain case

I have tried google searching with many mixed results and nothing that says this was issued in 1943. If anyone has an image of any of the items even if it’s come from Google that would be period correct it would be greatly appreciated. With time comes knowledge and that’s something I haven’t been able to put in living in Hong Kong, where the number of prewar vintage bike can be counted on one hand. However I’m sure you all know the stage I’m at as everyone started at the beginning at some point in time.

Many thanks for the images of your bike Ron, it is an inspiration and scary at the same time. Your bike makes me want to start straight away.

Regards

Stuart

email (option): deepsea@vol.net

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

The sumpguard is also missing along with the field stand and clip, rear carrier, bag carriers, bags, Y straps and pannier support tubes...The pillion seat is incorrect as well...

Unfortunately the rear mudguard is too short so this will adversely affect the fitting of the pannier bag assembly...

The primary chaincase can ,with patience, be made into the wartime one by removing the wide metal band attached to cover the gap between the primary cases and the crank cases...

The front mudguard looks OK to me but the lower stay is incorrect...

The voltage regulator is an MCR2 (post '48)..It should be an MCR1. The petrol tank knee grips are also post war...

On the plus side the bike looks fairly sound generally and has a nice head and barrel...Also quite a few of the missing incorrect parts are available as good replicas...

E mail me off forum when you have a definitive list and have decided how to progress..I may be able to help with a few bits and can put you on to suppliers for some of the replica parts...Ian

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

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Dave Boocock
Stuart,

She looks nice in Civies, I know you want her back to miltary, could cost. Just use her as it is until you get all the bits

Dave


I agree looks lovely as is. If you value your sanity and financial status just use it!

A correct ammeter will set you back about £200 and may take a couple of years to find one and that is only a minor part.

When these were sold off by the army after the war many parts had already been changed in the workshops. ie: dynamos and regulators were upgraded. So if you still want the military look just a paintjob may do but even the choice of colour can cause arguments here Ha Ha!

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Hello,

I agree with Keith. It's beautiful just the way it is, even if it's not "proper" for 1943. Ride it, get to know it, just as it is, and you'll love every moment. Then you can start looking for the right bits.

Since you're in Hong Kong it's not as if there will be many others to compare it to, and getting parts mailed may cost you plenty!

Above all, don't use India-made parts unless you are desperate and fancy a lot of extra effort making them fit. If you have to buy the India-made items (like mudguards) it's important to have good photos of original parts so you can adapt the new made items to fit.

Best wishes, Allan Hunter

email (option): allanmatchless@yahoo.com

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Stuart I'm still convinced that your front guard with its rolled front edge is off a post war BSA . The WM20 has a raw edge. Anyway I've taken some more detailed shots of some of the parts that I mentioned which I'll send you directly. But as I said before, please do gather information from other sources and other guys opinions. Ron.
M20_499
M20_500
free cdn image hosting

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Dear All

Many thanks for the feedback I now have a better understanding of what I need to start looking out for.

Ian I already have the rear carrier, bag carriers, bags, Y straps and pannier support tubes I purchased them from the person whom sold me the bike but they arrived separately in the crate.

Thanks Ron for emailing me all the amazing pictures of your bike, as I said a picture is worth a thousand words, especially to a novice in this area, I have a lot to learn.

Looks like I will be trying to hunt down the following first a rear mudguard, ammeter, flat glass headlight rim and 4 position type switch.

I have ordered a DVR2 so I only need a none working MCR1 regulator to use the external box, the Dynamo will have to wait for a while.

Regards

Stuart

email (option): deepsea@vol.net

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

I'm unsure about this...Didn't the early deluxe based M20s have the formed edge on the guard?...Ian

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

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Hi sorry to jump in on the thread, but the current conversation is useful for me as it's to do with the front mudguard. I have three of the later types and all are different widths at the front, what should it be? Should they be the same uniform width from front to back or should there be a small flair at the front?
Grahame

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

The 1940 parts list gives the front mudguard part number 66-6530...This is shown again for 1946...I think this is the type with the front number plate mountings (at least that is what is shown in the post war illustrated parts list)...It is also shown with a formed edge..

The later '41 on wartime parts lists show 66-6536 which I'd assume is the sharp edged, no number plate mounting type...Oddly, for '47 only another number is shown..66-6532...Not sure about that one, perhaps 66-6530 without the number plate mounts?...

Width wise I believe they should all be the same...Examples I have seen with 'wide' fronts have usually received a knock at some point...

An 'early' M20 anorak is required I think...Ian

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

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Grahame. Looking through my selection of original pictures right back to early war (I have a few) The front guard width looks uniform throughout it's length....Like these ones. Ron
BSA_KM20_PME_198
factorypicturebsa_M20

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Thanks Ian and Ron, a bit of panel beating required then. Fortunately they are not painted as I need to weld up the number plate holes.
Thanks Grahame

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Hi Ron,

Quick question... earlier I think I read that the knee grips were only used on post war bikes (see Ian Wright's post on this thread at 10:52). However, the one wartime photograph you posted appears to have kneegrips. Could you or anyone clarify (as I too am a novice working on restoring a 1945 WM20) as to whether or not wartime WM20s have kneegrips... if so, what distinguished post war and wartime knee grips?

Thank you all... I read all these posts trying to figure out what you are talking about to increase my meager (but increasing) knowledge!!!

Kind regards,
Anthony

email (option): bagnetteaw@me.com

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Anthony if you look at the knee grips on the B&W pictures and then look at Stuart's bike in Hong Kong you will see the suttle difference in style. All the early bikes had rubber parts fitted but as war progressed and rubber became short because of the Japanese influence in the growing areas of rubber tree plantations in the Pacific. More and more rubber parts were deleted of changed to a different material (Like canvas handlebar grips for instance).

Henk would probably best to answer the question about at what time the M20 knee grips were deleted. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

Dear Anthony

This was copied from the historic section in the website.

"Late 1942 saw the deletion of rubber fittings on all new machines, the replacement of the handlebar grips with universal War Department canvas items and the relocation of the horn to the nearside front engine-plate on many machines. Further modifications include the removal of the rib-centered rear mudguard in favor of a simplified plain item, although the front mudguard continued to retain the ribbed center until the end of the war."

That also means that I need to be looking for a rear mudguard without the rib down the centre.

Regards

Stuart

email (option): deepsea@vol.net

Re: 1943 WM20 arrived in Hong Kong any obvious irregularities?

DOH! I often refer to and advice others to search the rest of this site for further information.....And then completely didn't. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

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