A photo recently for sale shows a KM20 from contract C3655 displaying the census number - C3914805 on a pre-war style black panel.

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This is in contrast to C3915648 which has the number painted on the service colour.

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Both these machines have been recently taken over by the Wehrmacht and are likely to be in their original form.

C3655 covered WM20 3001 - WM20 4601 with numbers split into two groups. There is a difference of 843 between these census numbers and although they were not 'married' to frame numbers, it would seem that the change probably took place between WM20 3750 and WM20 4600. Based on the factory records, this would imply that the change occurred during July 1939.

Good work Rik you will get a gold rivet for this, and a super picture too.

Front fork spring seems to be well compressed and what's the flat thing coming down from the pillion seat?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Rob, I thought only RN M20s had a Golden Rivet...

I suspect that it's a leather strap hanging down. At a guess, I'd say 42" long and 1" wide...

Hi Rob,

I think this is a leather equipment strap hanging down. There is also some kit behind the seat.

Cheers,

Leon

email (option): ljvbekkum@hotmail.com

Rik, where does that leave us with the other makes?? there must have been a directive??

Interesting!!

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbxxx.net

One thing though Rik, if you look closely at the second picture with the number painted straight onto the tank, you can see it originally had a square under the paint. So I would say this bike did have the black square but has been painted over with green paint and the C number reaplied. The problem with this picture is you don't know when the German's captured it so you can't say this is the original paintwork

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Oooops, I see it aswell now, there goes a whole theory down the drain!

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbxxx.net

I'm not sure that the darker area is anything more than shadow and fuel spillage. The first figure '3' seems to be outside of the area. If there has been an overpaint, could it have been of the initial Ordnance-applied black panel prior to the signwriter carrying out his task such as on this 16H ?

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I have examples of Nortons where the black panel has been overpainted but there are usually distinct black areas close to the ciphers.

By the time C5110 commenced delivery in September 1939, the black panel had certainly been discontinued.

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