Jack Innes Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 I have the opportunity to buy a WW II BSA folding bicycle. The bicycle is very complete & untouched. Most of the decals are present & readable. The tires & seat are dried out but original & intact. The original paint is 95% intact. The air pump is there. It is missing the tool pouch. What should I pay for this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 I have seen unmolested examples at the W&P show with a £2000 price ticket. But have a look at the prices a dealer is asking here in UK. http://www.stuart-bray-motorcycles.co.uk/ Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoseman Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 I have seen unmolested examples at the W&P show with a £2000 price ticket. But have a look at the prices a dealer is asking here in UK. http://www.stuart-bray-motorcycles.co.uk/ Ron They tend to start about the £850 mark up to about £1500. Wouldn't pay dealer prices tho,not the £2000 anyway. There is a dealer doing them for £1500 each. Try PARABIKES UK, they could help. I'm no expert by the way, just interested in PARAS and Welbikes, so do see them round. There was one on Evil Bay the other week, rusty n tired out, as a resto project (bit fought to be honest) went around the £750 mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Prices are frightening. I paid £250 for mine! :wow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey089 Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 I brought an unmolested one back from Arnhem which has never been touched from the day it was dropped it was found with around 20 more in a fire station refurb a few year ago .The tool kit ,pump markings etc are all intact and complete , all in all in excellent condition it still has the sticky grease all over the sprockets and levers . I paid for 3 yr ago from a Dutch collector £1700 , which at the time was the going rate . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Prices are frightening. I paid £250 for mine! :wow: I've got you beat Tony. When I was haggling over the price of my Welbike. The guy swayed me by throwing in a Parabike for another £100. This was about 16 years ago though. He found all this stuff during visits to India. He also found my original Big 4 side car body in India. We've been friends ever since ( I did offer to marry him!!!???). His Dad wrote the book "From Welbike to Corgi" . I'm not stating what these Parabikes should sell for, merely what others are asking for them.. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Innes Posted March 15, 2014 Author Share Posted March 15, 2014 Thank you all for the informative replies. As always this is a wonderful resource. I have gone over the bicycle carefully & am going to buy it. The front tyre is a Dunlop War Grade Tyre, cracked but there. The rear tyre is a replacement, equally cracked with a tread pattern that almost matches the front. Are War Grade 26 X 1 3/8" tyres available, or might I find an old tyre to match the front one? I will never ride this bicycle since it is too original (& the young fellows who it was designed to carry weighed far less than I do!) Would the tool pouch be marked BSA or were there other suppliers? Was there a standard light used on the front bracket or were they from different suppliers? It is a single tube type with ser. no. R 51093. Can anyone date the bicycle from that? Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey089 Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Thank you all for the informative replies. As always this is a wonderful resource. I have gone over the bicycle carefully & am going to buy it. The front tyre is a Dunlop War Grade Tyre, cracked but there. The rear tyre is a replacement, equally cracked with a tread pattern that almost matches the front. Are War Grade 26 X 1 3/8" tyres available, or might I find an old tyre to match the front one? I will never ride this bicycle since it is too original (& the young fellows who it was designed to carry weighed far less than I do!) Would the tool pouch be marked BSA or were there other suppliers? Was there a standard light used on the front bracket or were they from different suppliers? It is a single tube type with ser. no. R 51093. Can anyone date the bicycle from that? Jack Hello Jack I think you will have a problem with the WD tyres.The tool pouch on mine isn't marked with any maker mark though the tools inside are marked BSA .The front light, I'm not aware of any specific lamp that was fitted to the Airborne Bicycle . If I'm wrong on any of the above , someone will correct it and aim you in the right direction . Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoseman Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Hello Jack I think you will have a problem with the WD tyres.The tool pouch on mine isn't marked with any maker mark though the tools inside are marked BSA .The front light, I'm not aware of any specific lamp that was fitted to the Airborne Bicycle . If I'm wrong on any of the above , someone will correct it and aim you in the right direction .it Dave The light used could have been the Electric Lamp No2, as supplied to airbourne troops. This was similar to the standard No1 lamp except it had small 'feet' on the bottom to fit onto a bracket with similar clasp on the rear. Small wire loop on front allows the fitting of a green blackout lens. Removal of this exposed the permanent amber lens. Power control is by a knob on the top same as the No1 lamp. Taken from the book TOMMY, uniforms, weapons and equipment of the airbourne forces. (Excellent reference book,plenty of pics!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 I ride mine! Very useful around show grounds! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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