My M21 basket case is slowly rising from the ashes and I need to source some tinware as most of what I have is badly rusted through and the rear mudguard tailpiece is missing completely.
There is an Indian made pair on eBay for the girder fork model - will these fit my '57 rigid tele? I will be re-using all the original struts and brackets so it's just the tinware that I need to replace.
Also, any thoughts on sourcing a seat please? I've tried Wassell before and was not very impressed, the steel was like cheese!
Don't buy the Indian mudguards...It's unlikely they will be correct even for the intended model....
The girder fork mudguard is quite different to the tele fork type...and there is more than one version of the latter...
How concerned are you about originality?...I have an original tele fork mudguard surplus to requirements but it is the 'shallow curve' B31 type from a swinging arm model...It will fit OK (if you have the right forks) but doesn't have the center rib as its from a 1955 B series bike....
If you want the original M series/early B series type you'll have to trawl the jumbles etc. as there is no good replica available to my knowledge....Ian
Many thanks for your reply and offer - I'll email you a pic of what I have with the bike later today.
As it arrived in bits I can't be certain that the mudguards match but they don't have the central rib.
Although both are repairable they are rusted right through in several places so replacement might be a simpler option depending on availability.
I'm not too fussed about it being perfectly original - my other similar bike has a '49 M21 engine in a '52 B31 frame - which does have the ribbed mudguards. My main aim is to get it on the road again after decades of abuse and decay.