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Request for BSA M20 History

Hi All,

I have a 1942 BSA M20 with
Frame number: WM20 111756
Engine number: WM20 25039

Could anymore help with the bike s history. Am not able to trace it's history. Thank you for the information provided. Really a exquisite site with so much information about BSA M20 and World War II.

Cheers All..

Thanks ..

email (option): a.muthukumr@gmail.com

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Hi,

on this website there is a "frame + engine numbers list."
Have you checked that already ?

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Yes Michael I have checked but unable to find my series.. That's why needed your help. Kindly throw light on this frame and engine number.

Cheers All.

Thanks a lot for responding Michael..

email (option): a.muthukumr@gmail.com

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Frame number 111756 was the 6939th bike from 12000 built under contract S5209 between December 43 and July 45. I calculate the tank census number to be C5552456.

Engine 25039 is from a much earlier contract for 17000 bikes (C7287) 1940/41.

If you look up the dating service on this site, Henk can probably give you a letter with actual date of despatch.
Other than that, it's virtually impossible to know any history of it's war time use.

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

And on that subject I went back & had a look at the register and noticed that Mick, Billy , Joe & myself all have matching numbers with a spread of just over 100.
This would tend to indicate that they were all from a single contract .
But being 43 models highly unllikely that they were never actually used .
Any chance of spreading some light on them ?

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Thank you Ron Pier for the information. Am so happy to see this information.

Thanks All...

Cheers All...

email (option): a.muthukumr@gmail.com

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Hi All,

Anyone can help with the war time usage and where this vehicle was used. For

Frame number:111756
Engine number:25039

Wishing all a merry weekend..

Cheers All..

Thanks and Regards
Muthu

email (option): a.muthukumr@gmail.com

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Rob van den Brink's Norton military motorcycle website has probably the best explanation of any military vehicle website about why it is virtually impossible to trace the wartime history of any military vehicle.

https://www.wdnorton.nl/Individual_motorcycle_history.htm

For most contracts, it is clear that machines were liable to be taken from a row and sent anywhere in world. All that we can say is that at certain times, most were going to specific theatres. It's certainly true of your frame that with the war in Europe coming to an end late in 1944, far more material was being sent to India for the continuing war against the Japanese which was expected to take another year or two.

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Hi Rik,

Thank you for the response. I was just trying to find out which region the bike was in with the frame number WM20111756. I completely agree that finding out exact usage is tough as per the website link you have shared. I was also surprised to see how the engine number WM20 25039 which was much earlier than the frame number landed in the bike.

Thank you all for the responses, it was so interesting and am happy so much information is available here only with everybody s efforts..


Cheers All.

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

I'll check these numbers in my Key Cards over the weekend, and get back here.

Cheers,

Lex

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Hi Lex Schmidt,

Thank you for such a gift. Am delighted with your response. Thank you again and wishing you a merry weekend..

Happy Weekend All...


Cheers All

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Ok, I just had a quick look, and that frame number is not in the Key Cards, that just means it was sold by the Army before appx. 1948.

Ron is correct that the C number on the petrol tank was C5552456, this I can see from bikes nearby, this is an easy contract, ans the last two digits of the frame number were the last two of the C number, wish it was always like that!

Regards,

Lex

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Hi Lex Schimdt,

Thank you for helping out amidst the weekend Lex.Happy to know about the Census number digits C5552456 matching with frame number 111756.

Learning more with everyone's response. These information is very hard to get especially for a rookie like me.

Thank you all.

Merry weekend 🍕🏠🎉 All.

Cheers All

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Muthu if a bike came into the workshop which needed serious engine work, it was often quicker to just take another rebuilt engine off the shelf and rebuild that one at a later date. Then that engine could easily have be fitted in a newer or older bike. No one cared much about matching numbers during those times. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Hi Ron,

Thank you for the response. Your explanation gives a complete logic. I never knew they changed engines easily those days than repairing the existing ones and was thinking about the difference.

Here we have to undergo lot of procedures to change an engine like getting permissions from office of police.

Interesting that am learning facts of time with my machine and with all your efforts. I love discovering happening s of those days. Wish I was born earlier to experience the happenings especially during the war.

Posting a picture of my motorcycle.

https://ibb.co/m6rzdcy

Thank you Ron for the Census number and the engine dating.

Thank you All

Cheers everyone

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

It just needs a coat of "Service Brown" paint now Muthu :smile: :smile: Ron
SAVE-20211218-121128

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Thank you Ron for the suggestion. Actually the bike needs a lot of things indeed Ron 😁😂😂😂.Kindly Request your inputs Ron.

Need to source a lot of things and need all your valuable inputs to bring it back to shape.

Requesting all to give your suggestions so that I can learn as much.


Thank you Ron Pier.

Cheers to All.

Re: Request for BSA M20 History

Hi All,


Wishing everyone a Merry New year. Wish all a joyous and interesting finds ahead.

Cheers All.

email (option): muthukumr.au@gmail.com

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