Wal Handley is famed for the 100mph plus lap at Brooklands on a tuned BSA M23 that led to the development of the BSA Gold Star, itself a bike that eventually totally dominated the Clubmans TT...

The picture below tells an unfortunate story I didn't know, that Wal Handley was killed during the war just a few years after his Brooklands record was set......Taken by a friend who is at the TT and showing a memorial bench seat with plaque...Ian

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

He had an interesting life. He died on 15th November 1941 when the engine of the plane he was flying caught fire shortly after take off.

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

No front brake?...He was obviously planning to go, not stop...:laughing: ....
Here's my friends replica of the Handley bike....Ian

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

Ooohh... Ian, That bike looks so fast standing still!

email (option): cas.vanderwoude@gmail.com

The M23, my favourite bike. Especially the twin port models.

Ian Wright

No front brake?...He was obviously planning to go, not stop...:laughing: ....
Here's my friends replica of the Handley bike....Ian

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

I see it had a Iron cylinder and head, so when did they actually make the later version with all alloy engine?

TTJohn

email (option): Jomichael@aol.com

The M24 Gold Star was introduced for the 1938 season...Ian

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

Yes great looking bike, but for some reason Val Page stepped off the great design of cams running on fixed pins like BSA had for years then. The 37-38 M-series had cams that were fixed to a shaft and running in bronze bushes that were fitted in the case and in blind holes in the timingcover.

Luckily the KM series had the old wear-proof design again!! and additionally with the hefty steel gear plate to relief the cover!:grinning:

I thought the change was primarily to aid assembly in the factory and to simplify the machining processes...
Checking that the cam end float is correct is much easier with the plate rather that having to fit a cutaway timing cover to allow access when the spindles are in the rear of the cover as on the earlier design...
Also the accuracy of the machining required for the early cover is reduced for the later cover which doesn't have to engage the spindles...

I also understood Val Page and Herbert Perkins did the redesign after Page moved to BSA from J.A.P. in 1936...At the same time he rationalised the complicated BSA range into just the the 'C', 'B' and M ranges..Ian

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