jenkinov

Whilst a pistol was common ,there are plenty of pictures of despatch riders with all sorts of weaponry ..my personal favourite being the Thompson sub machine gun .whether this arose as a result of soldiers being nominated as despatch riders and simply carrying their usual weapons is unclear ..but the photos exist as historical evidence . Jenkinov

I know of a Guy GS . But it is in a very poor condition having been exposed to the elements for at least 20 years Jenkinov

Paul Firstly I want to say you success with your venture . The cold war is a point in the world's history that should be remembered ..I have read with interest the posts ..and see you are facing an upward battle ...can I ask if you have considered affiliating yourself with another museum . I appreciate this in itself is a challenge but it might prove an assistance if you were the cold war collection of an existing museum ? Jenkinov

Hi .Norton Rider The handlebars you have fitted look to be correct for the age of the bike ..and i am confused why you are fitting 1 inch handle bars ? This will result in needing to change all the fittings which again look contemporary .? Military bikes went through REME workshops to repair damage and wear and in my opinion those modifications become part of the bikes history . I understand the removal of post war civilianisation and chroming as an example but not so sure if it' has to be a copy of how it came out of the factory ....particularly when we are often unclear on the factory standard.... Is there a chance your bike came out of the factory with 1 inch bars of it was a REME refit ...? Jenkinov

Yes it's a 500cc side valve ...If I recall it does not have a visible contract number but I think it has the war department stamp....I will check...it does have an original rear rack. The first i had seen Jenkinov

My Grandfather worked in a motorbike shop all his life .. ..through the war and up into the 1970s . Motorbike shops bought in ex army bikes after the war and refurbished them to look like pre war civilian bikes . I have a friend with a stunning looking triumph .it's in a fantastic British racing green .great pinstriping ..but close examination reveals it to be a a Triumph 3s frame from 1940 ( in fact contract 7162 the same as my bike )fitted with a triumph 500cc wartime engine. I believe this reviving of ex army bikes by dealers was common and thankfully so because you can still find these bikes in garages.sheds and other than the paintwork and the removal of field stands most are still 90 percent WD spec Triumph had a manufacturing and sales success in its post war ranges and did not need to buy in and refurbish the WD bikes ..dealers however bought in these machines to sell to the market that could not afford the new bikes.. Jenkinov

Worth looking at heidenau K67 vintage off road tyres..mitas EO5 or my favourite Ensign trials universal ...All feature a Square tyre pattern similar to the ww2 tyre patterns ... If you expect to ride the bike off road frequently the Heidenau or Mitas are probably best ..if you expect to be mostly on. Tarmac but want to feel ok on grass the Ensign trials universal range stands out for me .. Jenkinov P.s congratulations on the new bike

Moreno ..Thank you for The photos of the engines . Frame 34216 is a jan 43 frame and the engine number is within the expected range at 44216 if you look between the 3hw and the engine number you can see the war department stamp for inspector 52 at the triumph factory ...both contract 13948 Frame 35744 is a genuine March 44 frame but the appears to have been stamped with an earlier frame number potentially at a TIME site The engine number correlates with the March 44 date it was produced for contract S2956 between December 43 and June 44 ..the engine range for this contract was 3HW 51418 to 56417 ..so engine 53847 is in that range Both Engine and Frame are from the same contract S2956 .....again of interest is the war dept stamp is not visible on the photo of 53847 ..is it visible elsewhere ? Hope the above helps. Jenkinov

Hi Moreno . Great finds ..There is a register of Triumph military bikes at wdtriumph.com you may want to get your bikes on the list also if you are actively buying bikes you will enjoy British military motor cycles 1924-1945 by Chris orchard and Steve Madden it contains manufacturing tables which may find useful . Triumph bikes are heavily stamped on both the engines and Frame ..so photos of the engines may reveal more Frame 34216 Jan 1943 ...this was contract number C13948 frame no.s 30923 to 36417 the matching engine number will be 3HW 40923 to 46417 the seat post manufacturing date shows Jan 1943 The second frame is more complex the frame number would suggest it's in the above contract but the Seat post date is later at March 1944 .......The offset stamping on the frame is unusual ..my suggestion is that frame was a spare military frame that was restamped when the original was damaged beyond repair (not uncommon in the war ) The stamping is likely to have been done at a REME workshop rather than the factory. Photos of the engines and stamping may reveal more.... Jenkinov

The reproduction Indian manufacturer petrol tanks that I have seen look ok from a distance but the welding is often very poor and the give away is the underside of the petrol tank ...the original triumph petrol tanks as an example have a series of inward pressed panels to strengthen the tank bottom ..the Indian copies i have seen have totally flat bottoms an immediate give away they are copies. I would suggest taking detail photos of any bike you are looking at ..get photos of the frame and engine numbers and share the photos with the forum .you will get an honest critique plus owners will flag the non standard bits .. A missing or incorrect Speedo can alter a bikes true value by hundreds so it's worthwhile asking the forum ..I recently saw a bike advertised as a triumph 3sw but a critique identified it was a civilian 3s engine in a military 3hw frame .the rest was a mix of 40s to 60s bits ...... Jenkinov

79 x100 A great photo and example of the original paint and it's colour today . Had the bike retained its original paintwork it is likely to have changed to this colour all over today and as such it you were looking for a bike showing its age then colour matching to this would be a great option. But in truth I don't mind any restoration ..just love to see the bikes jenkinov

I have been around bikes My entire life . Riding in sidecars as a child and then migrating to The back of a bike ..and as soon as I was big enough riding an excelsior consort in the garden and fields . I still have the excelsior and am aware the paint colour has visually changed ..I believe darkening ....most of the bike was repainted by me when I was 14 or 15 when original paints were still available but I found they did not match the original paint so we to to a local body shop who mixed a matching batch ... I remember it did not appear perfect at the time but has matched in with age ... I still have original paintwork on the headlamp so match to that ...I would personally recommend matching to paint samples on the bike... Jenkinov P.s all my vehicles have the patina i think their age deserves ..I do admire the out of the factory bikes i see but personally am drawn to the warhorse that look their age ...my jeep which served in the Pacific has bullet holes the GIs intentionally shot in the floor and rear tool boxes to let the water out ..plus a few others which give the vehicle it's character and history ...

Thanks for the links .. I was aware triumph based its post war racers on the generator engines ..at this stage anything is of interest. As I said I am keen to get a generator but they appear quite rare Jenkinov

I am aware that triumph produced a 500cc Generator engine and have seen one in the national motorcycle museum. The generators are linked to ww2 bombers . I had aspired to getting one but they seem extremely rare..does anyone have one in their collection ? Or can give me more information ? Thanks Jenkinov

NYV 312 is on display at the national motorcycle museum . Looks great in its AFS colours Jenkinov

Hi Scott . Great looking bikes. I am interested why do you believe the bikes have been with the fire services ? . Do it have the bikes frame number And engine numbers ? The AFS was formed in 1937 created by the ARP act and existed until August 1941 when it and a number of works fire units became the National Fire Service NFS. After the war in April 1948 the NFS National fire service returned to its peacetime formation and came under the jurisdiction of local authorities. the Matchless and and AJS owners club have the original factory records and there's contain who the bikes were originally supplied to ... I believe you pay a fee but it may assist you in your research The website Matchless clueless has great guides on finding your frame number and accessing the Matchless and AJS records Regards Jenkinov PS My first car was a fire brigade car purchased at a disposal sale

it's always hard to help at a distance but Can I suggest starting with the basics and refreshing the fuel .. I would start with high octane ..if the bike has been transported its not unlikely that the tank has been shaken and possibly silt and dirt disturbed . I would start by draining the tank ..checking the fuel lines are clean . Removing and cleaning the plugs and then putting in fresh high octane fuel and giving it a try.... Jenkinov

There are some very nice reproduction war service tax discs available ....but whilst pretty these appear to have been used on civilian vehicles used by home defence forces of similar ....e.g a car or motorbike used by ARP military vehicles had no tax discs..? Jenkinov

I have used the valvoline lead replacement as a preventative measure .. but as you correctly indicate Fuel formulas have varied over time , decoking engines was in most ww2 maintenance procedures but due to modern fuels it does not appear necessary . Similarly it may be that re leading is now not necessary ....? The Question i have asked myself Is that if re leading is not necessary then surely one of the fuel companies would have targeted the not insubstantial classic car market and advertised their fuel as suitable for classic cars and bikes ....The fact I can see no evidence of this suggests that they are not sure ... So I edge on personal caution and re lead ? The cost is pence per litre I have both classic cars and bikes and as a personal rule tend to try to maintain them with equivalent oil and fuels to those they would have had when they were new , Jenkinov

I have used classic valvemaster lead replacement in my jeep for 17 years .I pick it up at a local lawnmower shop and add it to all my fuel .......engines in great condition Jenkinov

Congratulations to both of you ...Now it's time for its first ride .........found the garden counts 😀

Dallas Autoparts can supply you with matching Grease nipples ... Regards Jenkinov

My grandfather worked in a motorbike shop throughout his life .After the war there was a huge trade in ex army bikes many were civilianised the most common refurbishment with triumphs was a new paint job an pinstripping on the tank . Prior to the war the 3s was a workers commuter bike and returned to that role . The 3HW were fast and light by standards more popular . They appear to have been more heavily civilianised . There is evidence in those around today that engine numbers were rebound and revamped or altered to hide the vehicles military last and increase its resale value Jenkinov

Hi very interested in getting one ..can you pm me please Jenkinov

Great find..nice to see the authentic markings giving away it's military heritage