Thanks Ron,

Oft wondered if any were made or t was a case of the MC1 or Bandit/Fury lots written about a model that was never made.
Had a chance to ride a Fury but just about all of the internals were made by the owner.

So he lack of production has given it a legend status.

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

Here's a picture of one of the Post Office WB30s....They are shown in the Post Office vehicle records and all come from this series of registrations...

The 50 pre production bikes submitted for 'troop trials' are the most extreme in terms of weight saving and have the hairpin valve springs and alternator lighting of the original design..I imagine as a result of those trials later versions were altered substantially to ease production, improve braking, lighting, reliability and I suspect to strengthen some parts...

The last bikes from the RN contract were to this later specification...Interestingly the hairpin valve springs were deleted due to high rates of valve guide wear, being replaced by conventional springs but still housed within the B29/30 head with the larger spring boxes....Later engines also had steel, not aluminium rocker covers and an altered breathing system...

The GPO bikes seem to have had the high engine numbers...I was given the registration document for one (the bike no longer existed) that showed a number from the 1000 plus range (usually just over 1000)...I currently know of a set of engine cases from this range as well....

I spent a lot of time researching the B30s before and during the restoration of my own B30 and although determining a definitive number produced isn't really possible at this point it appears with reasonable certainty around 200 were built and possibly more...As an order for 10000 bikes was placed and then cancelled it is likely a number of components were already in production, particularly bearing in mind the B30 was based on the B29 which was a production bike for 1940 and therefore most of the tooling, jig work, drawings etc. were done and ready to go...

I have a full size factory blueprint of the engine and copies of two other drawings that show the various engine changes....

BSA didn't let all this work go to waste, after some redesign work the B29/B30 became BSAs first new post war model,the B31, and the all alloy B29/30 (for which 12 sets of castings were manufactured) was further developed into the 1949 ZB32 Gold Star...

Interestingly, but not surprisingly perhaps, of the RN contract (engine numbers 601-701) two have turned up in Malta and one in Singapore...One of the ultra rare all alloy engines currently exists in NZ..taken there by an 'ex pat' when he emigrated...Ian

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

The Post Office Vehicle club have quite a bit of info on wartime BSAs, some has been published in detail others just as a mention in a booklet.

By registration the numbers appear to be

GLP 633-729 (97) BSA 350cc Solo Motor Cycles
GLP 730-732 (3) BSA 350cc Motor Cycle Combinations
GLP 828 (1) BSA 350cc Motorcycle Combination
GLP 829-831 (3) BSA Solo Motorcycles

Which does add up to 100 solos plus 4 combinations which may have been B30s or other 350cc Models?

Rob

The REME even got round to sectioning one..Ian

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

Have they used always a B26 gearbox

email (option): oldbikes@kpnmail.nl

Yes, both the B29 and the B30 used that box in all variants...Ian

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

The despatch records are not complete but show the following engine numbers: 501, 505 up to and including 511, 513 up to and including 521, 523 up to and including 527, 529 up to and including 533, 535 up to and including 539, 541 up to and including 547, 549 up to and including 551, 553 up to and including 555 and 557, 558 and 560. ALl delivered to the War Office save for 501 which was delivered to the Chief Ordnance Officer. Two engines were stamped 546 fitted to frame 143 and 149. I have no records for the higher numbers.
All bikes were despatched in 1941 save for 501 which was despatched on 31 December 1940(!).

The GPO machines must have been B30's since there is no reference to the GPO in the despatch records for the B29 and as fas as I know save for the sidevalve C12 no other 350cc bikes ware produced by BSA.

email (option): leonhop3_at_planet_dot_nl

This is a rarity...A military B29...There was one contract of 22 bikes according to O&M...Ian

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

Here's my RN contract bike just after completion of its restoration from a basket case...Ian

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

Ian I count 159 B29's in the despatch records as being despatched to the War Office. Is that in line with O&M?

email (option): leonhop3_at_planet_dot_nl

This spare parts list for the WD/B30 covers 12 bikes in 4 contracts,there are no frame or engine numbers in it. This chart is from a riders hand book from contract 8330. This chart is from a riders hand book from contract 294/C/S/13872.

['I count 159 B29's in the despatch records as being despatched to the War Office. Is that in line with O&M?..']

I have to confess I haven't checked the latest edition of O&M for either B29 or B30 numbers..:flushed: ....Ian

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

It gets curiouser and curiouser! I don't immediately recognise any of the contracts listed on Steve's parts list. Here is the list for the RN contract. O&M quote 167 WB29's but only 22 serial numbers. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

The B29s supplied to the War Office were part of a mixed batch of B29s M20s and M21s, a contract number is quoted C7370 but in reality its more of a job lot of impressed machines.

A delivery card exists which shows

170 B29s crossed out and 167 written in
145 M20s crossed out and 104 written in
211 M21s crossed out and 255 written in

In both cases the total was 526, the fact that the BSA ledger doesn't agree with either of these is not a surprise, there are several instances in the ledgers of machines being diverted without an alteration. and some of these B29s may have already been delivered to showrooms before the government reclaimed them.

Steves B30 spare parts list is very interesting, I would like a copy of that.

Rob

Another period picture. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi
Another wdb30 exists it's owned by a friend of mine and we are in the process of putting it back together Do you know who has the engine for sale and what frame numbers were early wd bikes
Thanks Ian

email (option): Ian.baldock-apps

There is more than one version of the B30...It would be interesting to have more details of your friends machine to pin down which type it was and from that when it was manufactured...Do you have the frame or engine number..?..or details of the brakes or engine breathing arrangements?....also mudguard and chainguard details...Ian

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

Hi
Ian I think the frame number is wb30 660 but I am not sure My friend is away at the moment but on his return I will show him this site and I I have no doubt he will be in contact with you
Thanks
Ian

email (option): Ian.baldock-apps

Hi all.

The WB30 interests me. As much as I love the WM20, and I'm building one starting with a frame... The idea of a light weight OHV version of the M20 intrigues me.

I've ridden a Matchless G3L, and loved the short coupled good handling nature of it. The Matchy 350's are nice smooth little engines too.

That said, in a world where Beezas are better, much like 'the burgers are better at Hungry Jacks', A girder forked B30 would be a lovely machine to ride I'm sure.

So, after re-reading the section about the B30 in the 'British Forces' book, there doesn't seem to be much information on what exactly comprises the B30.

If one was to build a 'replica', as i'm sure finding one would be nigh on impossible, does anyone know what the B30 frame is? Is it the same as a rigid B31? Is the Girder fork the same as the WM20? Or is it all too hard?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

email (option): marty.whyte@gmail.com

A daunting thought indeed! I have a parts list for the 100 RN WB30's (not illustrated). I've just had a quick look through the BSA parts lists for 1938/39/40 and none of the part numbers for frame or forks seem to cross reference. Because of the special lightweight requirement, I guess they are unique? The B29 frame and forks being probably the nearest?

Ian Wright has compiled quite a dossier on the WB30.

Ted Koks in NL built a lookalike WB30 with I think a B31 engine and front frame and modified M20 rear frame. He possibly used some pre war lightweight girders??

Here is a youtube video of Ted (with sub titles) where you can see the bike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imjfWSxc5cQ

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

It is possible to build a 'lookalike' using various BSA parts...Exactly what parts rather depends on how 'close' you want your lookalike to be to the original...

Basically, and perhaps obviously, the closer you want it to be to the original the harder it will be to complete...
If you just want a bike you can ride that looks similar to a B30 but is easily identified as a 'copy' then that is much more easily done...

Whatever you want to build the starting point is some research on the original...You will then need some knowledge of suitable alternative BSA parts that can be used or modified for use...So, what fits what in effect...

If you are happy to have a lookalike machine it would be a worthwhile project as they are a nice machine to ride...and there are also options such as a capacity increase to 500cc (or more) to think about!...Ian

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

Thanks Ron and Ian.

Crikey, sounding like the WB30 would be quite difficult to build a copy of. Especially, as I'd expect parts, ie, frames etc of a B29 would be almost non existent.

Will take my time and research I think. It's good to know a little bit more about them though, so thank you.

Best I focus on my '42 WM20 first, and keep learning about them all. :)

Cheers.

email (option): marty.whyte@gmail.com