welbike

Due to no interest here, the knob is promised to someone else. Cheers, Lex

No, he was on a jumble in Holland, but have been "In Der Grund" various times, should go back there sometime this spring. Nice then and now picture, the Koningstiger is probably melted down. Cheers, Lex

Have been informed that the knob is a real Thriumph one, as I spotted same one on a Thriumph toolbox, at Peter Long's (Cornucopia) stall at a jumble yesterday. Price should go up!! Cheers, Lex

Here a picture of THE knob (to avoid funny comments) seems to be of the cast variety, 8 pounds plus postage will do, or can give to someone in the UK in the near future. Re. Khaki green No.3 if you use Mike Starmers excellent formula of model paint you'll have the exact colour, and can make some sprayed samples; Khaki Green No. 3/ G3/ “Service Colour” Mix: Revell 361+ 360 + 84 in ratios 12:5:7. Not easy but the only way yet. This is matched to two 1939 original equipment samples and a replicated 1941 sample. In use: 1938 – 42. The new basic colour until replaced in 1942 by S.C.C. 2. Love that colour!! Cheers, Lex

Hi there, if still needed I have a spare toolboxknob f/s. will take a piccy later, Cheers, Lex

Ah, Anzac, good info!! Cheers, Alex

Hi Chaps, No time for full scans yet, but while looking for something else came across this misplaced or never filed bicycle parts list from 1957. Scans should speak for themselves, 26"wheel and tyres, that distinctive sprocket and other details, what make a postwar bike postwar. Cheers, Lex

Hi all, Came across this engine, sorry for the bad pictures, was a bit inaccessible. I think it's something german/austrian?, the carb/filter says "Zefan Filter" and a casting part on the front spells "W&STROUK" Hopefully someone will recognize it, might be for sale. Might not be Military at all, sorry, but had it on various other forums too, and nobody really recognized it at all. Cheers, Lex

Bugger, now you ask me!! no extra kickstarters, but the crash bars I have extra, I bought for the 640, but believe they are the same as 741. Better acquire next doors house if you want all my spares!! Cheers, Lex

Ron, Have a spare pair of them!! could have saved you some time!! Cheers, Lex

Ron, we're talking dataplates! but nice work on the 741, can we bring the C10 yet?? Steve here's a puzzle: This plate is on a 344!! (with L/H sidecar) on the front mudguard, other plate I showed was on the rear. Cheers, Lex

Steve, Ron, Here's a picture of an 340 plate (made some years ago at Stafford), can you make one of your 741 plate Ron??? Cheers, Lex

Yes, sorry, couldn't think of another expression, but meant that faults could have been made. I just checked some stuff I have here, and I must have emailed it to you some time ago, but the wrong cover was on the catalog, so here's the 2 pages again, but they are from the Byram Park Depot, Brotherton, 3330 Motor vehicles etc. and 40 Motorcycles sale September 1948. The post above with the PMG 950 reg. number, is related to the last page below. And if indeed that combination was a Norton Big 4, then the cc's are wrong here too. Cheers, Lex

Hello Dusty, Yes I see, but most 1939 bikes were still Civvy registered, it was stopped in the beginning of 1940. Reading through the excellent "British Forces Motorcycles" book, it says under the Indian chapter "The Machines also saw limited use with civil defence and fire organisations, and commonwealth and govermental departments and ministries" But they are talking about the Indians that were imported under Lend Lease agreement, and by that time no 600cc machines were even being manufactured anymore. Personally I think that the details, especially the cubic capacities in the sales cat's should be regarded with a pinch of salt, as they were of no great importance anyway, exept maybe when road tax had to be applied for, but then the reduced capacity would only make it lower! It would be nice to have all the sales catologs digitalized, and put into a searchable Excell database! but this would cost an extreme amount of time. If anyone is interested, I did make a list of sold postwar Thriumph TRW Ruddington sales, Reg. numbers only, but can trace it back in the catologs. Cheers, Lex

Hanno, will see what I can do, but is not on my list of priorities!! Cheers, Lex

Ah, thanks Wally! Just checked the C numbers against my (Welbike) survivers list, but no cigar! Am also wondering on the Indian combinations on that page, they cannot have been 600cc!! there was no such model in the Army at all! 500cc, yes, that was the 741, but too gutless for a sidecar, so then either 750cc model 640's but only a couple used, or the 1200cc models, there was however a 600cc civilian model, but have no evidence of that ever been used?? Strange the pages have dissapeared?? Cheers, Lex

Hello Wally, Excellent thread, but cannot see any attachments on previous pages, would be very interested in the Welbike sales, as they were not supposed to be sold in the UK. Re. the Norton combinations, there is one civy reg. no; PMG950 and am wondering if this could be a 633cc Big 4 Norton with the SWD configuration?? see picture of similar reg. no. with a combination with the QV Rifles in 1940; PMP and PMK were also used on Big 4's. Have also various sales cat's, so if any info is needed?? but don't really know how to go about with this? Cheers, Lex

Had a quick look, not looked inside it for a long time!! Carrier is mentioned as the MKIV model, with clamping plates MKII And now I see why it stuck in my mind, that wartime bikes all should have 28"wheels, both MK5 and MK5* are listed as having 28" wheels. (period!) The 26"tyres, as seen above in the page from the VAOS, are for the BICYCLES, Ladies, withous accesories Cat. No. 10031, 3 pounds 19 shillings and sixpence each! (I'll have a dozen please!) The MK5 came complete with all accesories, too much to type, will see if I can make a scan, but cost 8 pounds 9 shillings!! If enough interest, I can do a reprint??? Cheers, Lex

Hanno, I have those drawings too, but they are for the MK IV Bicycle, and WW1. But you could be right, will look it up in my VOAS tonight. Cheers, Lex

Rob, do you have a picture of the wheels?? are they 16" ?? look a lot like 75mm Pack How. Cheers, Lex

No offence, but you can straight away see it's a Hotchkiss..... Nice sketch though!! Cheers, Alex

Found some more b/w pictures, Lex

Ian and Tony, Have done a lot of research on these, and years ago looked into a WW2 parts list, and no 26" wheels were mentioned, and have watched the big sell out of these from the Belgium Army in the 80's and never seen 26" wheels on them, later in the 90's all these glossy green Phillips ones were for sale at Beltring, for very little money, and did buy 2 at the time for spares. So as to the the above link, of the 1939 one, if you look closely, the same deep bronze green is under the matte paint, and for me that is also a postwar indication. But I could well be wrong, and if anyone finds some conclusive proof, I stand to be corrected. Just found on another forum, a post by Johan Willeart (of H-D fame) that only MKVI bicycles had 26" wheels, will ask him about it. Here my 1946 V.A.O.S. that does mention the 26"wheels and tyres; Here my spares chest, clearly postwar, and carries 26"spare tubes; I won't bore you with too many pictures, but here some WW2 b/w ones, all big wheels; As you all probably know, only the rear carriers were dated, and no lists of framenumbers with contract dates exist, but a friend is looking in the N.A. so who knows what might turn up? Cheers, Lex

Rob, nice work!! can't see the before pictures anymore though? Cheers, Lex

If it has 26" wheels, and it looks like it, then it's postwar, wartime bikes all had 28"wheels. Cheers, Lex