Here we go another one fresh from the shed,this is a BSA W6 totally original in everyway having covered only 15000 genuine miles, this is a untouched machine that would restore easily but why bother,the coachwork is still good with minimal rust spots the worst is the chromework on tank but isnt rotten and wont get much worse if left untouched,This has been stashed away for 40 years at least and even has a original BSA sidecar to go with it!! This bike will get new tyres/tubes new handlebar grips/kickstart rubbers & wiring and a thorough mechanical check,oils etc ,It isnt worn out so why pull it apart it just looks dirty.I think this is the model that was the M20 was based on.
Cant wait to get a start on this but will take my time and make sure everything is right (apart from cosmetics) 
Dave.
Hi Dave, Sounds like you have already decided... This one is definitely good enough to preserve..just do what you have to to get it running and the minimum of 'sympathetic' preservation work to stop any further deterioration..a great find!...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Originality is like virginity, once it's gone it's gone forever! 
A customer of mine bought a lovely oily rag 1925 AJS V twin, it was absolutely gorgeous due to the fact it showed all it's history and ran like a clock ,it even fired up first time every time, it only had traces of paint on it's tank and blacksmith repairs to the Panama hat mudguard, and he took it to a couple of shows and when it fired up it had the biggest crowd around it that I'd ever seen and it must have been the most photographed bike at every one of the shows I took it to.
Now he's taken it from me to restore and he's replaced the front mudguard with it's repairs and repainted the tank with the remains of it's paint, although it isn't finished yet I already know that it's lost it's history. If you find any original bike it is a shame to restore it as when you have you get frightened to use it for fear of it getting dirty, you'd enjoy it a lot more for what it is at the moment, as it more of a talking point than if it is restored, at the end of the day it's an easy restoration, so it won't really show off your restoration skills so what would be the point especially as the restoration costs would be probably double what you paid for the bike which you probably wouldn't recoup. If you look after it as it is going to increase in price and eventually when it is sold someone else has the pleasure of a completely untouched bike
email (option): davmax@ntlworld.com
hi,jeff,what a find.luckily it wasnt left outside with an old carpet over it,i think its great just as it is.there is a guy round the manchester area runs a 1925 raleigh sidevalve,bury registered,complete with rust bodges and all.my missus would empty her bank account to buy it,and leave it just as is.
keep the forum posted,cheers rick
email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com
Don't get me started again..Unlike many here I don't regard restoration as some sort of crime, quite the reverse in fact. I believe there is a line at which it can be said the so called 'original finish' has deteriorated to the point that it should no longer be called that and to do so is just an exercise in 'adjusting reality' or delusion.
Where exactly that point lies is a matter of debate (and personal opinion) but personally I find it amazing that a petrol tank with none, or very little, of its original paint left can be regarded as having an 'original' finish and therefore be deemed worthy of preservation. The only original thing remaining is the tank itself and that will still be there if it is refinished.
I accept there is a certain attraction in a rusty, repaired and well used bike but when the factory finish has largely gone to call it ..'original'?..no..that is not a true description.
The BSA that started this thread is still carrying nearly all the original finish and most of it will be seviceable with some careful cleaning and 'touching up'..you are actually looking at an unrestored bike in (largely) its original spec. and that merits preservation, as 'original' bikes that good are few and far between. Once the plating has gone, the paint has flaked off and all you really have is the original components on a bike that happens to have not been maintained properly for a few decades it's time, in my opinion, to stop thinking it is original and to do a proper restoration. 'Restoration' meaning that you 'restore' it as far as possible to what it 'originally' was. You can't lose or destroy what has already been lost.
Taking the position of 'the devils advocate' I would ask someone to explain just what is 'original' about a bike that has lost its original finish, needs a coat of oil at all times to stop it rusting away and has had many of its original mechanical parts, tyres, cables, battery etc. replaced to make it roadworthy?...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Hi Dave..I completely understand the attraction of a largely 'untouched' bike to some people and if that is the way they want it then so it should be.
My personal opinion is that a well restored machine with its plating and paintwork refurbished is actually closer to the original specification of that machine when it was new than a badly deteriorated example which has little of that left.
In the case of those bikes I dispute the principle of the statement they have an 'original' finish and therefore challenge the arguement that they are necessarily and automatically worthy of preservation on the basis of what seems to me to be a patently incorrect description.
At no point were blacksmiths repairs, corroded and unplated parts or painted parts without paint part of thier original specification...Isn't that obvious?..Yes, they look quaint and they carry their battle scars and many people like them like that, but they aren't original anymore!..Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Never restore such a beautiful bike make it only in tcnical order You can do it always bud never put it back to this order. I am a painter and can make it brand new. Bud make like it is now ???
that is a hell of a job and wil take 60 years 
Gr. Theo
email (option): indian@inter.nl.net
It's a question of degrees and that is my point..How much damage and deterioration does it take for 'original' to turn into 'non original'?.Here's a 'barn find'..you could just put it back together, give it a coat of oil and you would have an 'original' bike wouldn't you ?..or would you?
..after all it has only just been taken apart.....
Or you could 'butcher' it... ..I think in this case the second photo is a truer representation of what it was like when it came out of the factory as an actual 'original' in 1942...freshly manufactured and rust free.
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Sorry all to open a can of old worms, but my reason was to show a original bike in truly untouched condition that in my opinion is to good to mess with.If it was a worn out pile of bits then I would rebuild it.Looking at Ian,s bike I would of done exactly the same as there was not much there in the first place and looks like it had a hard previous life & now is a clean useable machine up to original spec. I now need to find out more info on this W6 ie; ign timing settings / valve clearances etc .I have to strip out magneto to rebuild also the three brush dynamo (never pulled one of these apart before) As I said in original post I think this is the model which our M20s are based on.Will get this bike on the bench once my plunger flash has had a top end rebuild and I have the room,which is another problem buying more bikes I reckon the HM21 will have to go.The W6 only came to light when the shed it was in collapsed in recent storms there is also other bikes there, which if I go back I know I will have even less room Dave
Hi Dave, lots of information in this little book:
Noticed there are some differences in the specifications of 35 and 36 models
Good luck with the 'restoration', very nice project!
Hi Dave..The three brush dynamos aren't too clever in the reliability stakes. It is possible to convert them to the later two brush set up without altering the external appearance..something to consider..Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Original is when it first came out of the factory.
Every thing else is 'Near to Original' as can be done today.
So it can be said it looks as close to the original condition or it has been restored to near as original condition. The original state has gone.
We all could go into the detail of parts and paint manufacturing techniques now different and are all copies of the original used. So it can never be said truthfully that it is as it was, or "its in original condition".
Never ever will be again.
I for one like the bikes to look like they have come out of the factory. They do look good and it gives people the feel of the history of the Bike. Mine is a working Bike and I have not restored it but keep it running and looking like a working bike. If you see it you could get the feeling of it being a while out of the factory and see the battle scars and understand it has 'been in the action'.
It depends what you personally want to see. I am pleased we have the diversity of interest and skills to cover the full range of looks the bikes need to show the history of the bike and help tell the story through visually seeing them and hearing the bikes running around our roads.
As long as we all keep doing what we are doing the history of these bikes will stay alive.
As I like to fully restore my bikes..largely to ensure mechanical reliability and durability I usually start with a bike where 'something was lost' about 20 years ago...My past time is really 'ressurection' not 'preservation'.. ..Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
As I am waiting for parts for my goldflash I have started on the W6. Amazingly I am the first person to remove timing cover since this bike was built by BSA in 1935, even the magdyno is untouched with internals like new. Also STD bore which all in all relates to the 15000 miles on speedo.The floatbowl was full of water and I have replaced it and the tank inside is rusty.I also have worked out the strange thing clamped on the handlebars near the throttle it houses your pocket watch must of been a period item. Magdyno is now working just needed a good clean as did dynamo engine should be running this weeekend Dave..
Dave,
I can't help being curious how things have progressed with the W6.
Regards,
Leon
email (option): leonhop3@planet.nl
Hi,Leon I have had the W6 fired up ran and it very well just waiting for powder coated parts to return then I,ll rebuild it using stainless steel fixings and a few ill fitting pattern parts then ready to show off to local enthusiasts . Sorry but thats not going to happen. Bike is now back in storage waiting for new tyres/tubes and electrics etc to get it in roadworthy condition.I have other projects on the go so just waiting for time/money....Dave.
I can't understand it...I've been through my parts list 3 or 4 times looking at the 'original' finish codes and I just can't find the codes for rust, flaking chrome, perished rubber or cracked enamel..Strange, as everyone keeps telling me these are original finishes....Have I got the wrong book?... ...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Maybe the heading for this post should be 'To use or not'...This year I'll be restoring...or rebuilding, I think that's a better term..my M20 for the third time..I rebuilt it a couple of years after I bought it and have done well over 120,000 miles on it...Using it just wears it out, mechanically and cosmetically. Rebuilding it puts it back into optimum condition in readiness for further use, maintains reliable performance, reverses for a while the process of deterioration and extends its life further beyond what was originally intended..
Personally, I accept that the 'history' of a machine that is used as intended is not static..unlike many 'preserved' bikes...and face up to the fact that if you use and/or neglect a motorcycle, like all machines it will need rebuilding sometime. That process isn't the end of the world...or the end of the bikes history..it's part of it...So why try to preserve them in aspic (or should I say oil) at an arbitarily selected point in history and think of them as 'sacred cows'?...They are not that..they're just motorcycles. Arguably they are no longer 'original' once the original finish and fittings have substantially degraded, I certainly think that, and they definitely never will be again once you do something to them and replace parts. From that point on you are just arguing the percentages or deluding yourself...With WD machines the Army repeatedly rebuilt them, swapped engines, frames gearboxes,changed finishes etc. etc. yet bizzarly nobody seems to worry about the 'originality' of the bike in that case or think any less of them....I'm surprised anyones prepared to buy one in such an 'unoriginal' state!
The world has become rather distorted I feel when the main concern is to preserve 60 year old clutch cables, worn out saddle covers and rust..and to do that, regular use of the bike is sacrificed....But then I have always used my bikes primarily for transport and am not a collector, which probably explains my 'practical' perspective on the subject. 'Originality' wouldn't count for much either when a 60 year old component decides to go 'tits up' miles from home......Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
That took a few years Henri and I don't drive a car which makes a lot of difference.. Also I've owned the bike for 27 years. Some of those were high mileage years others, particularly as I have got older, less so..I'm expecting the upcoming, very thorough refurbishment to be the last during my period of stewardship....Someone else can do it next time... ...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Thanks Fred for constructive remarks, I will check brakes, bearings as well as condition of spokes rims etc when I replace the tyres, as well as all other things needed to make a reliable rebuilt!!!! bike.But sorry to say it wont get tarted up.I like to think I have all the skills needed to make this happen 40years involved with bikes 20+ years trade motorcycle mechanic (hands on trained not day release college boy) left trade as was getting pissed off with servicing pieces of crap that the owners didnt care about to concentrate on my own bikes as well as a few of my mates and 10+ years body shop panel beater /sprayer.I also use my bikes as transport, dont we all?? only had one breakdown on my 41 WM20 since I built it 4 years ago down to a so called professional mag rebuild, beware of anyone offering mag builds as most dont!! they just farm bits out then just build them up for you..some also do this to a complete bikes they profess to have restored. Dave P.S will try Jeff for grips
Hi John...I actually believe some 'unrestored' bikes are worth preserving in that condition..They are the ones that are in good enough condition to realistically represent what the bike looked like when it was new....and I think the subject bike of this post more or less represents a good example of what I'm talking about.
However, as that state is deemed desirable by some people and therefore 'adds value' to a machine the definition of what remains 'original' has, in my opinion, been stretched to include just about anything that has surfaced from a barn or similar and is fairly complete..virtually irrespective of condition.
As I have said before IMHO if the bike has lost its plating and the greater part of its painted finish and requires a substantial amount of work to make it run, to then call it 'original' is laughable...just what is original about it at that point?
Further, the enthusiasts for this type of thing tend to denegrate anything that has been rebuilt, however well, on the basis that it has lost its 'originality'..To me there is an amusing irony there..
It is time, I believe, that people took another look at just what constitutes an 'original' bike and faced up to the reality that many of these bikes lost the connection to how they were when they were new many years ago...
Likewise the definition of 'patina' does not mean the virtually complete degredation of the original surface finish....yet this is another misused term that is employed to somehow validate a bike that in reality should be rebuilt....Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Because at sme point in time some parts or finishes will need to be verified.
Things like size & colour of pinstripes ( if any ) actual shape of painted section of the tank , true shape of exhaust , position of brackets etc. etc. etc.
These are the values of the "oily rag" bikes.
In fact after the "what's it worth ?" question the most common request I got when secretary was dimensions & colours of tank finishes, what size stripe, on the chrome or on the painted section , thin one inside or outside etc etc etc.
While not directly relevant to WM20's , a big problem with others.
I am trying to do a round tank at the moment.
Currently I have 9 variations on what was the "original" finish and 2 of them were on unrestored bikes.
Oh and I am going to do the tank in a mylar wrap not paint just so every one will know it is what I think it should have looked like but not the real thing.
One of our beter bike painters uses a pin lining gun, but he only has 4 different wheels thus most of the non triumphs he does come out with the wrong size pin lining.
We have 5 members with one owner bikes, 3 of them retored their bikes back to "original" all were very fastidious sending a lot of supposed NOS & prefect reproduction parts back because they were wrong yet each & every one of them made some changes.
Now i have no problem with this untill we get bods having a go at each other with tyre irons because because one retored his bike identical to Freds while the other used Bill's and they are naturally not the same.
email (option): wariron@tpg.com.au
Isn't that a 'catch 22' Trevor?..If everyone followed your line of reasoning and didn't restore bikes so that there were accurate examples to refer to, there would be nothing to restore..Also, you note yourself that there are even variations in bikes which are unrestored, indicating that in some cases at least there isn't an exact 'standard' template to work from in the first place..Once you find such a variation how do you determine which is more 'correct'?..And does it really matter?..As long as the bike is a resonably close representation of the type and is preserved does it really matter very much if the tank lining is slightly incorrect?..At the end of the day it is impossible to make it exactly the same as it was when new, some of the materials, parts and processes are no longer available to make that possible ..Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com