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

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

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

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

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

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

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