Looks very original m20 at ANGLIAN CAR AUCTIONS Kings lyn starts at 12 opens at 10 google them for pictures sorry only just seen it
Looks pretty honest.
Rob
https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic/saturday-15th-june-2019/1942-bsa-m20-wd/
email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk
It deserves to be kept as a 'National Service' era bike. I bet it fetches more than the guide price !
Nice to see then like this, hope it's kept in this condition. Would be a shame to paint it all up as few are seen like this anymore, it just needs a bit of protection over the rust areas and a good recommission. Pity the sale is not closer to me, it will fetch good money but it will still be a good buy.
Tim W
email (option): t.j.walker@btinternet.com
It fetched strong money I think...A friend of mine bid £5000 on it by phone and he was the 6th. under bidder in the end...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Nice to know how much it fetched, sure we will find out.
Tim W
email (option): t.j.walker@btinternet.com
I went to the auction.
It Sold for £5400 plus commission making it around £5800. Needed tyres cables registering and wiring- but all complete. Too good general condition to repaint.
The opening bid was £4000. Stupid guide price of £1500- £2000. A really ratty C12 went for around £1500.
email (option): pete.m.thomas@btinternet.com
Auction house is only 20 miles from me, I did think of going but do I need another bike?
It needs an Amal A/R lever handle too. I have one that may be available to the new big-spending owner for £500 or so :-)
What would a top quality restored example be worth ? Something less ?
Often cheaper in the states. Got these two to the UK in January. Just back from Normandy. Great time and no problems.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1940-BSA-M20-/232957053413?nma=true&si=InNlBSjojbKvfBV8jBaemCQ%252FaqY%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557.
Shipping and duty for two to the UK less than £1000.
email (option): pete.m.thomas@btinternet.com
I thought you would like to know I am the new owner. I have no intention of restoring this lovely machine and plan to keep it "as is"
I will just Undertake sensitive recommissioning to make it rideable and reliable
Any idea how I can find out it's history via its post war registration- I have tried putting reg no in the RLC search and it comes back with nothing
Any help would we most appreciated
Regards
Lee
Hi Lee
Welcome and well done on buying an M20, the best of the WD machines IMHO.
It is listed in the post war key cards but there is very little useful information there.
Card 081b
Post war reg 90YC61
Frame 67915
Contract C12424
Original Serial 4704012 (correct, matches frame number)
FTM 19 1 67 (Feltham depot?)(Date arriving there or sold off?)
A typical rebuilt machine with parts from various eras, an earlier valanced rear mudguard and post war knee grip rubbers to name but two.
It would be interesting to know if it has a contract plate on the rear mudguard somewhere near or under the rear number plate?
I would restore it back to wartime if it was mine, but its yours to do with as you want.
Rob
email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk
Cheers Rob
Very helpful and more info I would have hoped for - I will have a look re contract plate
Thank you so much for your assistance and any other info gratefully received
Lee
email (option): wdb40@btinternet.com
My 1942 M20 bought recently had a contract plate on the rear mudguard but the contract number was for a 1944 machine. Clearly the bike was made up of parts at the REME BOAR stores.
email (option): pete.m.thomas@btinternet.com
No contract plate on mine to be found
Still has Dec 1956 WD marked tyre on the rear
Fascinating stuff
It's strange that we all express surprise at the high prices these are fetching. I believe these are one of the best pre-1945 motorcycles for every-day riding. Easy to maintain, reliable, good parts availability and a great community of other riders. Many people in this group ride their machines on a daily basis sand some of the iron-butt members clock up 10s of thousands of miles a year.
We also under-value the importance of having a fantastic community of like-minded riders. Some of us fell in love after buying one, but other people I'm sure, select WM20's specifically because of the great WD community out there always willing to offer advice and historical information, and possession of a WM bike is like the membership fee to join up. It is actually our "niceness" that's driving up the price of our babies. If we want prices to go down, we need to be more like other groups, bickering, back-stabbing and being generally unhelpful to newcomers.
email (option): cas.vanderwoude@gmail.com
The reason is when you ride a Japanese bike nobody knows you have been there when you ride a bsa you leave a big pool of oil.
[When you ride a BSA you leave a big pool of oil...}...
Speak for yourself...:laughing: ....I only leave a small spot...and I reckon the bikes allowed to perspire at that age!...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
We also under-value the importance of having a fantastic community of like-minded riders. Some of us fell in love after buying one, but other people I'm sure, select WM20's specifically because of the great WD community out there always willing to offer advice and historical information, and possession of a WM bike is like the membership fee to join up. It is actually our "niceness" that's driving up the price of our babies. If we want prices to go down, we need to be more like other groups, bickering, back-stabbing and being generally unhelpful to newcomers.
This excludes the exotic bikes destined to be bought & sold & never see a road as a commodity .
The number of people wanting to own & ride this stuff is actually falling.
I would imagine if we did a poll the average age of this forum would be 60+.
However right now war is popular & trendy & I have a suspicion there is some government PR involved in this .
Thus military anything now is back in fashion and probably will be till the 100 year anniversary .
Also remember that money is only a common item for trade.
The actual price is hours worked not £ spent and in REAL terms prices are going down.
It is just out incomes are not rising as fast as they used to.
IF M20's had kept pace with inflation then you would be paying well over £ 100,000 for any bike.
Remember when they were new a pint was 1p and a weeks wages were £ 3.
Our soldiers being paid 10 shillings a day were considered "Overpaid" which was quite true as a lot of particularly rural volunteers did so because they could earn 2 to 3 times what they did doing hard yakka on a farm.
email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au