Hi John..Rob Miller who contributes to this forum makes nice replicas of the contract plates...He is at the Malvern Military event this weekend but will no doubt respond when he sees your post...or you can mail him.. robmiller11@yahoo.co.uk ...Ian
That does seem a bit high...but less so if you have a bike from that contract I suppose..Ian
I will be making some more brass contract plates this winter when I have perfected my new potion.
Rob.
email (option): robmiller11@yahoo.co.uk
I have an original plate for sale for BSA contract S5209 for bikes with frame numbers from WM20-104818 up to M20-116817.
Henk
email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl
Henk
Henk,
The contract plate I require will be larger, almost square, so as to fit the holes already drilled in my fender... Thank you for the offer..
email (option): teladelujo@msn.com
Rob
After looking at the picture of the plate Henk just sent me, it appears that what I am seeking is a post-war rebuild plate as installed on the bike pictured here..
email (option): teladelujo@msn.com
Sorry Rik I didn't read your post properly before answering
Its quite unusual to find a rebuild plate high up on the mudguard, when they were put on in the 50s there was usually a number plate there?
And thats a great picture with the kit layout, thanks
email (option): robmiller11@yahoo.co.uk
About 2 years ago there was a dealer here in the UK who had boxes of unissued brass rebuild plates, I seem to remember it was Marcus Glen.
Marcus.glenn@btinternet.com
I can't remember which one came from there though?
But would it be right retro fitting one to a vehicle, anything you stamped on it would be fake and would then blur any real remaining history connected to your bike/vehicle.
And most of us restore our bikes to wartime trim when these plates didn't even exist.
Rob
email (option): robmiller11@yahoo.co.uk
Hi John, its your bike and not for me to tell anyone what to do.
So good luck with finding one, Rob.
email (option): robmiller11@yahoo.co.uk
Ahh...The old problem of choosing where/if history stops.
If a bike is restored to a wartime spec. that eliminates visually all subsequent history. The fact it is restored at all eliminates all previous visual history..or is that restoration an ongoing part of its history?..like the neglect that preceded it.
If so what you fit or don't fit, do or don't do doesn't matter a jot...it's all part of the history of the bike...and you are just making your contribution.
It strikes me as a bit like the idea of time travel...if you discuss it for too long you get completely confused
...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
I'd like to see a few more nicely restored 'National Service' motorcycles. So many have been retro-restored over the years.
Let's face it, we're all just playing around with old vehicles (and I know of no finer hobby )
The important thing as far as I'm concerned is that we know what we're doing and why.
My 16H saw an abrupt end to its service career in May 1940 and in restoring it I tried to keep in mind the idea that someone mysteriously transported by Ian's time machine from 1940 would see nothing which jarred. In that respect, I failed but I did my best and enjoyed trying.
I think I know what I'm doing..but after 40 years at it I am still not entirely sure why...aren't we all supposed to want new bikes?...If I did have a time machine I could save myself a sh*****d of work and just pop back to BSA and try a new old machine thus miraculously converting myself into one of the people with a new bike...I think...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com