I have two family photos with a motorcycle in them. I believe the bike is a BSA M20 but I cannot confirm that. Can someone assist?

I don't see a way to attach photos so I will need assistance with that as well.

Thank you!

email (option): machuero@gmail.com

Message sent.

Jack, What wonderful photos !

It's a Royal Enfield WD/CO from contract S1564 which was scheduled for delivery at 1200 per month from October 1943 onwards.

Were the photos taken in the U.S. as it looks ? It's quite unusual to see any images of COs outside of the UK. Do you know the story behind it ?





I'm sure that Jan (Rewdco on this forum) will be along to give chapter and verse later but he's travelling home from St Vith in the Ardennes this evening.

Thanks Rik!

Thank you so much for the help! I truly appreciate it.

Yes, the photos are from Montebello, CA, USA in about 1947. I wish I knew more about the owner of the bike. He was a family friend is all I know at the present. I found it unusual for this bike to be in the US also.

email (option): machuero@gmail.com

In the April 2016 issue of THE CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE page 84-85 is a photo of an early post war motorcycle meet in the USA,amongst all the Harleys and Indians is a lone Royal Enfield WD/CO,on the left hand side of the photo.Maybe that a dealer in the US was importing ex WD motorcycles as it still looks in army spec.

Yes, here we are!

First of all, what a beautiful photographs! Thanks for sharing!

The WD/CO with census number C5166729 is frame number #24389. This bike was despatched from the Royal Enfield factory on 24/03/1945 to the War Office in Batley, as part of military contract S/1546. Please keep in mind that the War in Europe was almost over by that time, so it is very likely that this bike never saw active service. After the war, it was taken back by the factory who "reconditioned" this bike (together with hundreds of similar late war WD/COs). This "reconditioning" may have been nothing more than some basic maintenance after having been laid up for several months. Anyway, the bike was despatched again on 18/07/1946, to Glendale Motors in Glendale. I can see in that factory ledgers that Glendale Motors bought quite a lot of "reconditioned" motorcycles from this contract.

The immediate post war period was the "export or die" period for Great Britain, and it looks as if Glendale exported at least this bike. I know from my Register that quite a lot of WD/COs from the last contracts ended up in the USA and Canada. (Example: "sister bike" #24341 was for sale on eBay USA in September 2015. This "factory reconditioned" bike was sold by the factory to Rodity in London, on 07/06/1946). These may all have been "brand new" military bikes (still in military colours), sold by the Army at the end of the war.

If you would have any other pictures, please don't hesitate!

@ Steve, any chance of a copy of that Classic Motorcycle photograph?

Cheers,
Jan

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Jan, Glendale would be Glendale, California I think - just 17 miles down the road from Montebello where the photos were taken.

I'm quite amazed that these 'factory reconditioned' machines were despatched retaining census numbers. I had assumed that they were put into some semblance of civilian colours.

I think that I've learned something today :-)

Ah, of course! I should have checked Google Maps! I thought it was a village somewhere in the UK... Good spot Rik!

Here's another one "in Army paint" at the East coast:



Jan

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

This is part of the double page photo that shows the Enfield.

Thanks Steve! Seems to be a WD/CO indeed, unfortunately too vague to see any details.

Cheers,
Jan

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

You guys are amazing! Great information, thanks.

The only thing I know about the owner is that his first name was Harold and his wife's name was Maude. Yes, Glendale was fairly close to Montebello, CA where I grew up.

I wonder if it would be possible to see the names of people who purchased bikes from Glendale Motors at that time?

Thanks again, Jack

email (option): machuero@gmail.com

Hello Jack,

These details are not entered in the factory ledgers. You would need to check the dealer's sales books (if these still exist somewhere...)

These bikes may also have been advertised in a local newspaper shortly after the war, just like the one in the post above. Maybe there's a library in your neighborhood that still has old copies? Or the newspaper may have an on line archive? Please let us know if you would find anything!

Regards,
Jan

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Warranty on UK sales was the responsibility of the manufacturer and some of them transferred purchaser details over to the ledgers but overseas warranties were taken on by the importer.

It's quite rare to find any sort of surviving paperwork from trading companies or dealers. Presumably they simply retained it for as long as was legally required and this sort of thing never survived retirements and closures.

Does the Licensing Department of the State of California or the local districts have an archive ? It'll mean a lot of work but armed with the frame number and his first intial, it may be possible....

Hi Steve,

Just noticed that you also made this better scan of that WD/CO in the USA:


Interesting to see that both the Glendale bike and this post war USA WD/CO seem to share the same interesting details: gas detection paint on the headlamp and a "pale coloured" front mudguard. Also note the lack of pannier frames on both motorcycles...

Jan

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Yes that's the best I could do,any closer and the camera goes out of focus,it looks from the same batch as the other one,the Classic Motorcycle photo I think is from 1947 and could even be in California,it has the short pillion seat which would be late war,I wonder if it has the late lighting switch under the saddle,I picked up a Royal Enfield WD/CO and CO instruction book from April 1946 at a local flea fair recently for £1 and its got some nice info on the WD/CO late lighting switch which I didn't know (two types) about,also a new CO had a factory guarantee of six months,but a recon ex WD/CO only three months guarantee.

hello,
the pale colour on the front mudguard isn't it gas paint as on the headlamp??? there is a normandy pic somewhere on this forum with a Matchless G3L front mudguard painted in part with pale paint, and after examinate RE flea pics they've got the head headlamp ( top and also on the miller blackout, a little part of front mudguard, and a little part of the rear mudguard....
maybe explain as this ( just an idea!), headlamp for the driver, daylight, front mudguard for the driver with blackout light ( in the night... ) and rear mudguard for the "after" vehicle...
i'am right???? or is my 40 years crisis who attack my head???
Arnaud

email (option): leger-arnaud@wanadoo.fr

What about the speedtwin without mudguard on the right and a bit of a matchless below it. Looks like a g3l

The advertisement on the Long Beach newspaper, shows $535 for a used military 350cc bike with no chrome plating. That is $5800 today!!!! That is an insane amount of money for a Royal Enfield.

The advertisement on the Long Beach newspaper, shows $535 for a used military 350cc bike with no chrome plating. That is $5800 today!!!! That is an insane amount of money for a Royal Enfield.