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new owner needs advice

Hi Folks,
i just came to an agreement on the following at $3400 US
I'm very excited abt it as have been eyeing M20's for 10 yrs now
It hasnt been run in 10 yrs and no fluids in it
Any advice on proceeding to start this?
any advice for a newbie in general?

sorry I dont know how to post pics yet
it is painted black and will probably leave it as is

tnx patrick

1939 BSA ........M20

Engine Number 36063

Frame Number 10L376

Smiths Speedo Shows 15048

This auction is for a complete BSA M20

By complete, I mean all the extras are included!

Original Grips!
Original Side Stand
Original Center Stand
Original Buddy Seat and Pegs
Original Panniers
Original Bore, no one has fiddle with it
Original Shark Fin Plate
Original Driver Book
Original Witworth Spanners

The not so good

Tool box door does not lock
Tail Light not right, should be a black out tube.
Could use tires if you want to drive it
Head light black out shroud not present
Sold by Bid of Sale
The Bike has run in the past. It has not been started for about 10 years. It strokes and has great compression. These are easy to work on and parts are readily available. The bike was stored dry. There are no fluids in it now. It has a 4 speed, right foot shift.

Re: new owner needs advice

when you say everything is empty then you will need to put some oil in primary chain case and gearbox if you live in the uk castrol gp 50 there are different companies that do it both have level plug as to the engine was it drained or did the oil disappear if it disappeared the you will maybe oil in the bottom of the engine underneath the engine is a drain plug see if any oil comes out if it does that means that anti drain valve might letting oil bypass but i wouldnt worry as long as it isnt to bad then fill the oil tank to about half full with the 50 weight oil your petrol taps may leak as they corks could have gone dry so dont put to much petrol in at first check carburetter isnt leaking check for a spark from the mag if its there give a kick and see what happens have a fire extinquisher handy good luck if i am wrong with anything someone off this forum will put it right

Re: new owner needs advice

When I get a bike of unknown history, I don't try to start her, even don't kick, but I take her apart up to the last bolt and nut, and take lots of notes and photos!
Then I know what has to be done, and proceed accordingly. Took me 6 years for my WDM20 (well, not full time )

email (option): viaconsu # planet dot nl

Re: new owner needs advice

Hi Patrick in New York! Welcome to the group.

First off, go to the parts for sale page and buy Henks CD. It has tons of info for you and the maintenance manual.

I think you can also download the maintenance manual from the tech section here on forum.

READ everything in the tech section! LOL!! there are guys with years of experience giving their 2 cents worth.

I'm here in Michigan, but will be glad to help if I can.

Cheers,

Robb

email (option): britool51@hotmail.com

Re: new owner needs advice

hi patrick,i can email the photos you sent me of your bike to any voulanteer who can post them if you wish cheers rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Re: new owner needs advice

Email any one of us your photo's.
Most of us have an account to put them on the website for you until you get yourself an account on one of the photo sites.

Then we can help as best we can.

Paul C
UK
east riding of Yorkshire

email (option): pcrisp@pipistrelle18.karoo.co.uk

Re: new owner needs advice: First things first

Patrick: since it's a "bill of sale" deal, before you spend a lot of time and money on repairs/rebuilding, IF you intend it for road use, I suggest you first find out whether it's possible to license it. New York used to be very loose. all you needed was an affidavit about how you came to own it and a notarised statement from a licensed repair shop or inspection station stating what it is. But I hear that in recent years it has become a lot more difficult. It may be especially difficult in your case since he "10L" frame number does not appear to be an M20 or, in fact, a BSA.

Of course, if you don't intend to use it on the road, then all of this becomes moot. (I think in a prior post you said you were in Buffalo.)

email (option): jonny.rudge@verizon.net

Re: new owner needs advice: First things first

The best place to get your 50W engine oil would be at the local Harley dealers, it is still used in the old Shovelheads and is quite reasonably priced and good quality

email (option): davmax@ntlworld.com

Re: new owner needs advice: First things first

Hi Patrick..and welcome to the forum.
If you want to try running the bike you need to check over the basics..First of all check that you have a good spark at the plug and you have the correct plug.
Assuming that is ok drain any remaining oil from the crankcase..you can do this by removing the crankcase drain plug located right at the bottom of the cases. If you have a sumpguard fitted you can access the plug through the hole in the sumpguard.
Then refill the oiltank with 5 pints (uk) of 40W or 50W oil. Top up the gearbox through the filler plug located at the back of the box until oil appears in the filler neck. Again 40 or 50 W engine oil.
Next take out the primary chaincase level plug..this is on the outer face of the cover next to the footrest support bar. Also remove the large inspection cover screwed into the front of the cover at the top. Slowly pour oil through the inspection cover hole until it comes out of the level plug hole..allow any surplus to run off and replace both plugs..again 40 or 50W oil is used here.
Check the action of the throttle, clutch and Advance retard /cables and check that the clutch frees off ok when you pull in the lever.
Having done all that I wouldn't bother to look at the carb at this point. Put in some petrol and give it a try! You may get petrol leaks, you may not. How much more you have to do depends on the results...Ian

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

Re: new owner needs advice: First things first

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more to follow

Re: new owner needs advice: First things first

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Re: new owner needs advice: First things first

Hi Patrick..That's a nice bike!!...I wish I could find one like that! ...Ian

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

Re: new owner needs advice: First things first

Yes that bike does look remarkably complete, with lots of original WD bits intact. It seems to be from the one year or so that the steering damper was deleted (was it 1943?) also when was that style of tank caps used?
I can clearly see the engine number is prefixed with WM20. So that's good! But what has happened with the frame number? Has another number been added? For perhaps US registration. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: new owner needs advice: First things first

I just kooked it up. The engine is from 1940/41.
If the frame number has been misread and is actually WM20 101376 then that is from 1943. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: new owner needs advice: First things first

realy a nice bike i hope it all goes well they are enjoyable bike to ride

Re: new owner needs advice

Really nice bike and looks complete. If there are no latent problems (and if you are able to register it) you got it at a very reasonable price. Welcome to the fold. You'll have lots of fun with it. Be prepared for some curious questions (like: "So are you the original owner?" )

email (option): jonny.rudge@verizon.net

tnx for posting pics for me Paul/and more newbie questions

i'm getting excited
and have arranged to pick it up next sat
the seller is 250 miles away

I also have a 1921 model T and a 1930 model A ford
I didnt restore them myself, but theyre in nice shape and i keep 'em running by turning a lot of wrenches at times
but they are dependable and drive them regularly
in fact have a little one-wheel trailer I pull behind the model A and take it camping

Im a real fan of the BSA M20 and its history
although i know very little abt it mechanically
I'll download the manual and start reading

I hope to get it running and use it as is
without getting into too much of a rework

are there any spare parts that are a "must" to have?
are there any parts still manufactured at all?

tnx pjw

email (option): pwegelin@moog.com

Re: tnx for posting pics for me Paul/and more newbie questions

Hi Patrick...Once you get an M20 running reliably they are not great consumers of spares, you'll find the bulk of what you buy will be to get it to that point in the first place.
As it is the bike is an unknown quantity mechanically and electrically so be prepared for some work.
The first thing is to get it home and give it a thorough check over to see what you have.
Spares wise the parts needed to run the bike are generally available from different sources...but you will have to shop widely. Also there is no shortage of information available, a lot of it right here on the forum...Ian

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

Re: great looking bike

Hey Patrick,

Looks like you won the big door prize! Congrats.

Hell, tune it, oil it, gas it, run it! How could you resist?

Cheers

email (option): britool51@hotmail.com

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