welbike

Ah, Ron, you never asked me, and as the bike is with its near side to the wall, I never noticed! Here a picture, it seems no locking wire was used at all, (but I did find it on some originals) so only some real heavy thick walled grey rubber tubing. Let me know if you find something, could do with 2 yards or so, to replace all the fuel lines on the bikes...... Lex PS, while I'm at it, the carb should be painted bronze, not plated, same for float chamber, no plated parts anywhere.

Not good Ron! no ferrules were ever used, just thin wire.

Barry, I have a G3WO chainguard f/s, but it needs work, can't find picture now, but it has severe rust on the lower parts. Cheers, Lex

There is a Czech company making KG No. 3 now, but have not seen it for real yet, he's on Facebook only. (it's a difficult colour!) Here a detail picture of a Polish M20 petrol tank. Cheers, Lex

Too bad about the forks, a friend here is also looking for a set for his Tiger 80. About the BSA's, that workshop was in Hannover, Germany, 12 Heavy Workshop (Hanomag) circa 1946 to 1951. so probably to get the Hanomag factory started up again, they made loads of vehicles for the German army! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanomag#Military_vehicles Cheers, Lex

Just looked up the Indian pages in the newest O&M book, and see that i have to update my chart! Cheers, Lex

Yes, a picture of the sidestand would be nice! I have made this little chart awhile ago, but it's just from info from the manuals and O&M and such.

Pawel, to get back to your question about the BSA, that bike was still in the British army untill 3-06-1953, when it was sold off probably in Mönchengladbach Germany, the postwar military registration number was 03-YE-93, my card gives the C number as C5212522, but this is out of sequence and it must be the number you gave, C5212599, it was probably misread when altering to the new ERM system. So I don't know if it was attached to the free Polish forces at all, but you never know! A scan of the whole Key Card (with 17 bikes on it) is available for 20 Euro's See sample card. Cheers, Lex

Early bikes didn't have the pannier frames and bags yet (they were actually already invented by Norton, but that's another story) so the straps are for securing greatcoat and kit to the small rear carrier, I'm sure Rick will have pictures from that setup, I put some on my January 1940 Enfield.

Here's the Wesco folding oil can, early ones were silver. When enough interest, I will have the transfers printed again. Cheers, Lex

No probs, just something that stood out to me! Just looked at mine, and the top ones are not seperate pieces, but part of the casting! Cheers, Lex

Mike, are you in touch with a Dave Stapleton? he emailed me some years ago, as I do have some more info on AFS Matchlesses, below a little extract of an email he sent me back then. "Contract One: Ministry of Supply - 8 Matchless Motorcycles - June 1953 – LYO 840 to LYO 847 (this is the order on the scan you posted) Contract Two: Ministry of Supply – 85 Matchless Motorcycles – March 1954 - NYV 252 to NYV 336 Contract Three: Ministry of Supply – 50 Matchless Motorcycles – July 1959 - WXR 551 to WXR 600 Contract Four: War Office – 192 Matchless Motorcycles – March 1960 - XYM 501 to XYM 692 Contract Five: War Office – 60 Matchless Motorcycles – September 1960 - 391 ALD to 450 ALD Contract Six: War Office – 44 Matchless Motorcycles – January 1961 - 450 BGJ to 493 BGJ Contract Seven: War Office – 20 Matchless Motorcycles – July 1961 - 525 BYV to 544 BYV The dates shown are when production commenced, so the orders could have been placed one or two months earlier than the dates shown." There is more info, also about Ruddington disposals, but am not sure if I can divulge all this on a public forum. See 2 scans of some info that I have in my database. You can always contact me for more info, and Dave's emailaddress. Cheers, Lex

Nice stuff, am not that far yet, but shouldn't the bottom frame spacers be inside the frame tubes?? Just a thought, you put them on correctly on the top (under saddle) lugs. Cheers, Lex

Ok, keep me posted please. Cheers, Lex

Yes, I used them before, if there was a way to lacquer them, they would be very nice! Cheers, Lex

Yes, email me, I have them. Lex

I fixed the picture, let me know if you need a Norton box spanner, all are NOS, also have more Norton tools. Cheers, Lex

Well Rich, certainly never ever any cloth covered wire on the electrical cables, just very thick rubber covered wire, it can be sourced, and proper BSC hardware top, and the cloth covered control cables also, it just takes time, just found another batch of Norton short box spanners, NOS Enfield WD-CO parts, and 1" Doherty throttles, and some more nick knacks, an afternoon well spent, but climbing into shelving and such, in an extremely dirty place has its "charmes" 😎 Cheers, Lex

Regarding the DKW, might be better to start a whole new topic on it, but I know next to nothing about this model, only have the RT100 and 125 models, but I can check the numbers. Lex

That clear HT lead is soo French! It might be better to drill through the suppressor, and use it as a sleeve. An immobilizer was also fitted, you can see it on Ron's picture, and on the drawing above, also the rare Lodge cap was fitted, same as on the Flea. Cheers, Lex

Another one in Normandy, and found the church! it's in Bernieres sur Mer. Lex

Yes, there's a website by his daughter; https://rimakeating.co.uk/Geoffrey.J.Keating,MC,PHOTO ARCHIVE.html And the IWM website mentions him, as he made quite a lot of wartime pictures, in the picture above, he's holding a lumen meter in his hand, to set the shutter speed on the camera, so the question(s) remain, was it his bike that he used during the French campain? or did he just sat on it for the shot? The bike was found much more southernly then Bresles (roughly between Amiens and Albert) where this was taken, but it must have been on the beach on it's side for some time, as the r/h side has a heavily coroded timing cover, carb and gearbox cover! so it was maybe picked up by a local frenchman, and after the war somehow the wheels got changed to Thriumph ones, and the BSA DeLuxe tank and Norton rear mudguard and carrier also changed, or maybe that was all damaged? we'll never know probably. Also the French documents show 1937, that was possibly done to avoid nasty questions where the bike came from, a bit the same story as Jan's ex B.E.F. WD-C, that had French FN documents from 1928. Khaki green No.3 visible on the frame, this how the previous owner bought the bike, and before he sprayed it black, so I was told, the French Priest used it to visit people in his Parish. Cheers, Lex

Ok, sorry, long time, no updates, but since I have the bike at home, I've done 91 miles, and it's a very nice bike to ride!! have found out about the history as well, and did various technical jobs, I knew that needed to be done. But the icing on the cake was that the front number plate revealed that this is the bike that Lieutenant Keating was sitting on in June 1940!!! (07-06-1940, thanks Jan!) I tried in various ways to contact his daughter, but no response yet. Cheers, Lex

Easy to rivet, just make up a suitable snapper to rest the head of the rivet in, and you won't damage the guard. Had to fabricate a bracket and rivet it on, sorry no pic's of that. Cheers, Lex

As far as I can see no transfers on MKI's also no transfers for the C number, just a stencil, there may have been a transfer on the steering stem, but nobody makes them in the right colour. I have to get on with that project, one day... Lex