As someone who has from time to time stated, based on initial experience with my 16H, that not all machines ex India are necessarily that bad i thought i should set the record straight now that i have been through a few more items...
Engine and gearbox were pretty good, hence early comments.
Dynamo - field coil and main body were usable, clamp usable but later style so did a swap, everything else replaced.
Magneto - rewound and numerous (most) small parts replaced, "that has seen quite a life hasn't it"
Girders - just about to pick them up and the feedback is that
- spindles and pins all well worn, and have been replaced
- blades needed to be bushed
- check springs not of matching length, one replace
- every link was bent and needed machining flat and square, except 1 lower link replaced since too far gone,
- stem replaced (old one appears to have been bent and straightened)

Something about fools and their money seems to come to mind, ah well at least once all is done i will be a happy fool, if somewhat destitute

I'm glad you have had a reasonable experience Iain. Any comments I have made are based on the machines that have come my way to work on and one I bought for myself. In total 4 M20s (3 ex India 1 ex Egypt), an M21 (ex Pakistan) and a B33 (ex Thailand).
They were enough to teach me that I won't have one in the workshop. Anything can be restored and if you are keen you can bring them back to life.
From my point of view where I have to charge a commercial rate for the work they are a complete 'non starter'..they just need too many hours to put right and I can't really charge for it.
Of course it would never be the case that ALL the bikes coming from these sources are completely worn out but on the basis of my experiences and the tales recounted by other owners that is often the case.
The key point really is that if you know a bike came from the middle east etc. approach it very carefully and spend a lot more time determining what condition it is in...after all...your time at that point is a lot cheaper than the repairs you might have to do later if you buy a 'bad' one....Ian

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

Not sure how relevant this is, but my Burmese (Myanmar) M20, *appeared* as if it had all been gone through completely, and I was assured that every piece of this bike that could wear out was now NOS. heh!
Now every time I take anything apart, or remove any cover, I find that it was just all completely bodged (a very useful word i learned on this website).

But it's okay with me for two reasons: 1. I would not have shelled out the money for any other M20 I have seen that was available to me (remember I'm from the states, where they don't show up too often or very near or very affordably), and 2. I'm a little bit of a mechanical control freak--I never completely trust any part of any used vehicle until I have had a chance to inspect and, if necessary, repair properly... so while I have certainly worked on my bike far many more hours than I have ridden it, I really love it a lot.

related: I was never into military vehicles specifically--I just like to keep old machines alive, and loved the way the M20 looked (especially the girder forks)--but having mine and using this site (daily!), got me really interested in my grandfather's time in WWII as a navigator on a plane called the 'Maxwell House'. I found out a lot more than he ever told me about when I was a kid... Thanks, Henk, et al.

email (option): nicktog@gmail.com

Ian - i fully agree with your workshop policy. The best part of a weeks work just went into refurbishing my girders, by someone experienced in these.

Nick - i bought allegedly an older restoration and have found not disimilar to you in many areas. But also girder Nortons are not that plentiful here and despite having now committed well beyond resale value i'm stil glad i have the bike.

My ex Egypt M20 was certainly well worn but I like the challenge of returning it all to the proper spec. and like Nick I am only really happy when I have been through everything myself and am satisfied that it has been fully and correctly overhauled.
If that isn't done it will catch up with you out on the road somewhere.
Generally, these bikes will require more input in both time and cash and are best suited to the 'end user' who ultimately is prepared to take that on board.
There is also a perverse pleasure in completing the restoration of a machine that has nearly reached the 'point of no return'.
It is fortunate that there are those inclined to take on the challenge, otherwise these bikes would be scrapped or broken for spares.
Nick, do you know the significance of the name of your Grandfathers plane?..in England 'Maxwell House' is a brand of coffee!?? ...Ian

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

Oh, Ian, thank you for asking!
Yes, it is (or was) a coffee brand in the states too--their motto? "Good to the Last Drop" ( it was a bomber, i'm sure you get it). i don't know if my grandfather named it, but that was definitely his type of humor. they had a crash-landing not far from their base, and named their next plane "Maxwell House too".

And if anyone wants to see what a burmese-rebuilt M20 clutch with only about 20 miles on it looks like, go here (Hans, you have seen these):
http://s944.photobucket.com/albums/ad281/nicktog/

Ian, do I need to do anything about getting you some money for that girder spring?
Thanks,
nt


My grandfather, Thomas Smith, aka "Bumpo" to his grandkids, is second from the left in front, with a black hat.


And here is a highly sensationalized version of their crash after being the only plane to return after a run over Austria (I don't have the text scanned). I don't know if you can make out the "Maxwell House" but it's there... note too that one of the engines has stopped--they're out of fuel.

email (option): nicktog@gmail.com

Nice pictures of the crash, both the plane & the clutch. I am rebuilding my engine and my 70 year old clutch looks better than that!

email (option): stinkypete80@hotmail.com

Hi Nick
That was interesting to me about the plane named Maxwell House, as I work in the boilerhouse of the Maxwell House factory in Banbury, England.
Maxwell House is a part of the Kraft Foods portfollio.
Do you think you could email those photos as there will be people at work interested in the story.
Thanks, Pete Stowe

email (option): Gasboy@btinternet.com