Hello, I’m just wondering if anyone has a list or partial list of frame number that might tally with contract numbers?
I’ve looked through old links on this brilliant site, but non of them seam to work anymore,
Is it possible to get a date & or a contract number from frame number XG10918.
Many thanks in advance.
OK Damon, they were using the XG frame prefix since 1938. The W/NG had longer forks than the pre war civy models. Measure your forks from the centre of the top front spindle to the centre of the wheel spindle. Ron
Hi Ron, I don’t actually have the forks, it’s just a frame that’s up for sale,
Basically I’ve got a nice freshly rebuilt NG engine/ wheels/ oil tank etc a nice collection of bits I’ve been saving for a while, I just need a frame, even though I can see evidence of military paint, I wasn’t sure, as I say there is no field stand lug either..
Just had a look in the Ariel ledgers. Well, actually the Ariel engine ledger, the engine numbers are sorted, but the frame numbers are spread all over the book. I've gone through the list 4 times now, but I can't find frame number 10918. If you would have had an engine number, it should have been easier to find... 😕
But I did find 10917, bike delivered to the MoS in June 1940, with a NH2 engine. There are several (around 100 I guess) MoS entries around that period, but they were all made in between civilian orders.
To add to Jan's information. O&M quote less than 60 NH and NG models ordered under WO contracts in 39-40, but the frame numbers are amongst over 1300 ranging between XG 9838 & 11178. Ron
Thank you once again for all your info,
So considering that the amount of bike’s made in that time period is quite considerable & the relatively small number ordered by the W.O + the fact that this frame does not have the extra lug for the giant field stand, it might well be a civilian model with some old green paint.
I don’t suppose you happen to know if they ever made WNG frames without the extra field stand lug? From the pictures of the frame it’s difficult to see if the back part of the frame has the steeper angle for added ground clearance.
I suspect there is a fair chance that the M.O.S. (Ministry of Supply) entries for late May 1940 are the assorted machines grouped together under contract C7372 which were booked in at Chilwell on 1st June 1940. Some of the MoS entries have replaced a crossed-through "Stokvis" allocation. Stokvis was the Dutch importer and of course no deliveries had been possible there since 10th May.
C7372 was a "sister" contract to the mixed BSA contract C7370 and the Norton contract C7371 (which was for 16H, but "delivery already effected to Stirling").
Interestingly, most of the M.O.S. bikes are listed as "UP" which indicates "Upswept Exhaust".
There were spare engines and gearboxes supplied with the contract, but no mention of spare frames. It's quite likley though that some were ordered under separate demands.