Hi all
Am looking at a possible new project which I think might be a 1940/1941 model
Frame no: couldn't see
Eng no: 4519

It has a rear Ribbed rear guard, a side stand bracket point on the lifting handle,
Solid footrests

It has no tank or headlight just now

Based upon above information, has anyone got an idea as to what might be the year, last year of side stand fitment would help here I suspect

Other Questions are:
What type of petrol tank would be fitted ( based upon eng no)
what type of headlight should it have
What levers should it have, the fancy expensive items or normal Amal/Doherty types

Hopefully someone can help

Best regards

Jo'b

email (option): Jonnyob1@googlemail.com

hiya jon...
this is the engine from an irish contract...its only 3 out from mine ! so would be very early 1942 to dub.

email (option): chris.astinbarker@btinternet.com

So going by that, a large tank & 8" headlight would be correct ?

It doesn't have a valanced guard though

Any idea on levers, fancy expensive type ?

Jo'b

email (option): Jonnyob1@googlemail.com

jon, i dont know about that, mine came with a small tank but no cut away, ribbed guard, but not deep valanced. 6 in headlight...standard for 1942, but with field stand lug on frame. no pillion lugs
next time your down pop in !
i've put bsa combination levers on, but i doubt they'd be correct, i had a set and i like them ! it had a mismatched pressed steel set.

email (option): chris.astinbarker@btinternet.com

Thanks chris

Never even looked at pillion set up, but it definitely has the stand secured on the lifting handle like earlier machines

I have recently got a set of original pre / early war type levers complete, I'm looking at every excuse to keep & use them. I also have another set complete in steel, Amal type, but want what's visually right

Your bike should have the big tank but I thought this should have the big light too

Hopefully someone can confirm

Have a few days left on the calendar, the SW is the current favourite for a ride out for me just now

Hope all is good with you

Jo'b

email (option): Jonnyob1@googlemail.com

Engine no. 4519 was despatched to the Ministry of Defence, Dublin on 14/10/1941.

It is clear that these machines were a long way out of consecutive order when they were sent. They seem to have been a 1940 order that was not completed at the time due to the post-Dunkirk demand. My guess would be that they were squeezed in between contracts C9310 and C11101.

The WD machines at this time appear to have still had the 8" headlamp but had gained pannier racks and the smaller tank.

Did BSA use up the last of the large tanks on this contract or did they follow the British forces pattern ? I think that it would take photographic evidence from Ireland to confirm that. However, the large tank doesn't seem to have been used far into 1941 on British contracts and the valanced guard disappeared earlier.

It seems strange to have such an early '1940' number and late model trim but that may well be how it was produced.

I suppose that if the intention is to display as a British machine then 1940 trim would be correct but if choosing Irish markings then probably not.

Hi Rik,

You seem to know a lot of this stuff, so I have to ask.

Just how many contracts are three, and what would be the dates and machine numbers for each?

Thanks,

Robb

email (option): britool51@hotmail.com

rob. the only way to look at this is with the "bible " by messers orchard and maddern ! its got a listing for every contract known to mankind !

jon. you know i want a big tank, stop teasing ! did your bro make up his mind ? ken turner was a waste of time ! couldnt get a thing off him, nor a price for anything...
you want to part with the later levers ? could use them on the '44 one ?
cant make netley, so have a great time//

rik, who would have the definitive copy of the order placed by mod dublin ? so we could find out the fitted options?

email (option): chris.astinbarker@btinternet.com

Hi rik
Thanks for your off line msg & the info you have posted, really interesting stuff.

Henk recently had a shot on the website of 2 lads sitting on an m20, 8" head light, big tank, non valanced gaurd and as far as I could see a small rear carrier

This is the spec I suspect this bike to be & the one I want to build to compliment my 1944 pannier rack equipped type

Haven't met anyone to date other than rod or Mick Walsh in Ireland who would know about this, with some luck, they might be tuned in sometime soon

Jo'b

email (option): Jonnyob1@googlemail.com

Robb, as Chris says, the Orchard & Madden book contains more than enough background information. It doesn't have absolutely everything, particularly on the earlier stuff and odd snippets still turn up from other sources.

As the title suggests, O&M didn't include foreign deliveries such as Ireland and The Netherlands in their publication and they were working prior to the era of digital cameras which meant handwriting all the information found in archives.

Unlike early Norton stuff, I've never seen specification details in the BSA records and assume the contracts themselves did not survive the factory closure.

The only hope for finding more out on the Irish spec bikes would lie in archives there.

Whatever, a number this low is a nice basis for building an early spec bike unencumbered by panniers and all the late war standardisation....It won't be cheap to do though...