Hello,
I’m John from Minnesota USA and could use some assistance identifying this BSA I purchased 15 years ago. I had the intent of restoring it and that’s when life happed and I’ve just now begun to reassemble it and hope to complete it this winter. I was told it was a 1939 and the last time it ran was 1969. I didn’t receive a title when I purchased it and would like to start the process of registering it with the DMV so I can ride it, but the frame and engine numbers indicate it’s a 1943 from my research. Can anybody confirm what make and model I’ve acquired?

Frame WM20 95825
Engine WM20 86832

Any help and information is greatly appreciated!

email (option): simonette.john@mayo.edu

John. Frame WM20 95825 is from contract S1048 which was a large contract for 15000 bikes in 1943. 95825 is the 14008th bike and would have had tank census number C5129225. By this time the 1/2" longer forks were fitted which would necessitate a 1/2" spacer for the mudguard. Strangely though yours appears to have the 39/40 period deluxe "balloon" petrol tank and "valanced" rear guard? The engine is from the same contract.

Here is a bike from that contract. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

It's worth noting here that military M20s were frequently rebuilt by both REME and civilian contracted workshops with a mixture of cycle parts from different years...The majority usually don't have the 'right' parts from the year of manufacture..The main thing, unless you are keen to get it 'ex factory' correct, is to have all wartime parts as no military M20s were manufactured post war...In all cases the year of the bike is determined from the frame number....Ian

Thank you so much, very helpful. The information on the tank would explain why the previous owner thought it was a 1939. I have three questions as long as I have your attention:

* How can I purchase a high res image of the key card with this information? After purchase can it simply be e-mailed to me? (Preferred).
* Can anyone identify this piece? For the life of me I can’t find two mounting points where it would go. I believe it’s referred to as a brake brace.
* Does the original desert sand color indicate where it maybe been deployed?



Best,
John

email (option): simonette.john@mayo.edu

That part is the cylinder head steady..It goes from one of the rear cylinder head bolts up to the bolt that holds the two halves of the frame together (under the saddle)....You can actually see it in place in the picture of the bike when it was red...Ian

Hi John
I can send you a parts list with illustrations / it’s for a sidecar contract - so some features will be different like wheels & engine sprockets
I can do that later for you

As the crow flies in the USA - you are not “so far “ from Randy Baxter in Iowa - he has had m20’s & projects go through his place & may have broken a few over the years

Mach IV motors near Green Bay were prolific in breaking military bsa’s a few years back - I visited & bought a lot of what he just didn’t have time to or bothered to list - he was very pricey but on site good to deal with

Good luck with the bike / there are lots of m20’s & nos parts out there - laying in sheds - you just got to root them out

Br
Job

email (option): Jonnyob1atgooglemail.com

Excellent information - thanks a lot, I may have to look up Randy B. as the project continues. There's a guy (Mitch) who owns and operates this business which is only about 8 miles from me. He's mostly a Triumph guy but has some BSA parts too. http://www.klempfsbritishparts.com/

John

email (option): simonette.john@mayo.edu