Hey guys,

Chasing a bit of information if possible on two WM’s located in Perth, Western Australia.

The first one is an original looking bike in good to excellent condition, I believe it has the matching engine but wondering if I could gain confirmation if this is in fact the case.
Frame No: WM20.63179
Engine No: WM20.45453
Are you also able to advise who this served with, assuming Aus military.

The second is a WM frame however the side valve has been changed to a 1950 OHV500 at some stage in the past, this bike I am considering purchasing and I am hoping to be able to pick up the original matching engine cases so that it can be converted back in the future, are you able to advise what engine number this bike left the factory with, and also who it would have served with.
The frame number for this bike is WM20.45814

Lastly, are you now able to offer dating certificates or are these still not available through here?

Would have added some photos if I could have.

Regards

Josh

email (option): johnsonjosh@icloud.com

Hi Josh,

The BSA with frame number (and also duplicated frame number on the engine) WM20.63179 was despatched from the Birmingham factory on 3/7/42, destination Ministry of Supply, London. It was part of contract C/11101. This was a contract for 10.000 bikes (frame numbers 53413 - 61412 and 61448 - 63447). The census number on the tank would have been C4666887.

The bike was transferred to the Australian Army, where it received the AMF census number 87469.



Here's a sister bike:


The BSA with frame number (and also duplicated frame number on the engine) WM20.45814 was despatched from the Birmingham factory on 23/9/41, destination Ministry of Supply, London. It was part of contract C/9310. This was a contract for 9.000 bikes (frame numbers 44213 - 53212). The census number on the tank would have been C4555323.

The bike was transferred to the Australian Army, where it received the AMF census number 13737.



Here's a contract C9310 sister bike:



The BSA with frame number (and also duplicated frame number on the engine) WM20.45453 was despatched from the Birmingham factory on 26/9/41, destination Ministry of Supply, London. It was also part of contract C/9310. The census number on the tank would have been C4554962.

The bike was transferred to the Australian Army, where it received the AMF census number 38410.



Here's a sister bike:

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Hello,

Thankyou so much for the very prompt reply.
So just to confirm, both bikes would have had matching frame/engine numbers when they left the factory?

Lastly, are you able to supply dating certificates now or should I make contact with the BSA owners club?

Thanks again

Josh

email (option): johnsonjosh@icloud.com

Josh go here. http://www.wdbsa.nl/BSA%20Dating%20Service.htm

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

email (option): johnsonjosh@icloud.com

What's the reason for wanting a "Dating Certificate", Josh ? Is it for registration purposes ?

As far as I'm aware, the certificates formulated by our dear old friend Henk did not have official status with any licensing authorities and all countries have their own ways of working. He was, though, acknowledged as a guru with a public profile and many organisations accepted them.

Jan is a guru too, but not with the public profile that officialdom likes to see.

Both the BSA Owners Club and the VMCC in the UK have access to the factory records and can provide offical letters accepted by the UK vehicle Licensing Authority and by extension, most other countries as it was the land of origin.

The excerpts from the Australian Wartime records that Jan has shown are available to you on line, as part of the Australian War Memorial digitalization and combined with the BSA production records provide a level of detail that those of us in the rest of the world can only dream of obtaining for our ex-WD machines.

To answer Josh's other question: WD bikes always had "matching numbers" when new (with a few exceptions). This is why the "engine number" is also called the "duplicated frame number".

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

G'day Josh,
I'm not familiar with WA's rego requirements but I would think that if you are intending to put the bike on club/historic registration you shouldn't need a dating certificate. Become a member of a club that is a signatory to the club permit scheme, a club representative will inspect the bike and then fill out the registration papers. However you may need a dating certificate if you're aiming the put the bike on full rego if the numbers are not know to the authority.

Hey mate,

Don’t require one for rego purposes, just like to have one😊

Cheers

Josh

email (option): johnsonjosh@icloud.com

Thanks Jan,

The second bike I enquired about has a later OHV engine installed, there is a chance the original cases may be on a shelf with a good lot of other M20 and WM20 cases. I can now go through them and see if they are there now that I know that the engine number should match the frame.

Cheers

Josh

email (option): johnsonjosh@icloud.com

Hi Matt,

Was just after a certificate for my own interest, the 41 WM20 i have purchased has a 1950 500OHV installed but hoping to be able to obtain the original WM Cases, I can then rebuild the that engine over time.
I’ll be putting the bike on full rego as I do plan to ride it frequently including a trip out to Lake Perkolili in 2025.

Cheers mate

Josh

email (option): johnsonjosh@icloud.com

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Check with your local transport dep
In NSW we get club unlimited use + 60 days
Victorians get a total of 30,60 or 90 days use regardless , more days costs more
SA get 90 days regardless of the useage
Qld is the same as the old NSW system, club use only but there are easy ways to circumvent that
and in WA it is 60 days of club use + 30 days private
The rego is not the important bit, it is the insurance
I get $ 10,000 agreed value full comprehensive off the NRMA for $ 150/ pa + the greenslip is part of the $ 47 annual fee
Thus that saves near $ 2,000
In reality you will not be riding the bike much more than once a week even if it is a 4 day weekend
With 2 bikes it will be even less
I know quite a few now who have 6 vehicles on plates and the whole lot costs less than 1 vehicle on full rego
I currently have 2 and by the end of next year it will be 4

Here are a few pics of the 1941 WM ive just picked up, not quiet original but a very good start. There is a large bundle of WM20 engine cases which ill be going through so there is a possibility of getting the original matching cases, if not matching i am guaranteed a good set of non matching WM cases.

Bike has a 1950 BM33 engine and gearbox installed, i will ride it as it is at present and look to restore it back to WM spec in the future.

email (option): johnsonjosh@icloud.com

I do have a question,

Ive not had the chance to remove or start going over the bike yet as im away for work.

I noticed that there was some movement/play in the rear wheel and on closer inspection noticed that the holes in the hub where the brake drum pins slot into are flogged out, guessing the three bolts have come loose at some stage and resulted in the damage.

Assuming it is common issue, what have people been doing to remedy this?

Pic below

cheers

Josh

email (option): johnsonjosh@icloud.com