casperboat

1 minute ago, Richard Farrant said:

Gary,

I hear that RR Services in Kent currently have a Flying Flea for sale

http://www.milweb.net/webvert/a2774/91776

From the photos, it shows a Contract number plate on it.

He says that has already sold. They've just not taken the ad off.

Well, not been on for a while, but as an update to this, before I could let my mate know what had been found out on his bike, he had sold it.. The new owner told him he was going to paint it olive green.. I would have bought it if i'd known..

Now my brother has bought a 1943 Matchless G3L, in green with panniers racks etc. Looks to be well looked after and rides very well. We have just had to clean the tank and the carb and he's done quite a few miles on it without issue..

I'm now looking to buy a Royal Enfield Flying Flea, if anyone knows of one about..

Gary

, so far it's shown that all the bikes would have been green, with this one being Standard camouflage colour no 2.

Gary

My mistake, Standard Camouflage Colour No 2 is actually brown, so this bike was brown from new..

That's very close to my own M6973.

 

i thought he may have been getting his contract and frame numbers mixed up as you said he found the contract number on the frame.

I just assumed he got the contract number from the frame, I must be wrong. I'm reading through all the information i have been sent, so far it's shown that all the bikes would have been green, with this one being Standard camouflage colour no 2. Signed off by M244 in 1943. 32% of the 5000 bikes in that contract survived the war, with most then being civilianised by Royal Enfield, who fitted new parts where needed, including engines and new paint, mainly black or maroon.

Gary

Trying to find out information for a chap. He has a Royal Enfield CO, on log book it is first registered in 1946, but from the contract number on the bike he knows it must have been before Feb 1942.

The numbers on the bike are:

Contract number: C12425

Frame : M6794 & M244

Engine (overhead valve) : 6794

I've attached a picture of the bike, the RN are just stickers added.

The owner hasn't managed to find out anymore history, the contract order doesn't give details of where the bike went. We can't see any other trace of colour under the black paint, so no clues there.

Would this bike have been army green originally, or were some made in black?

Is there any way to trace it's military registration or history?

Thanks.

The contract number was only lightly pantographed on to the crank cases. If the number he has found on the frame begins with a C, it is a model WD/C 350sv bike. A Model WD/CO would have no prefix or an M.

The contract number is C12425, but the bike is overhead valve and has matching frame and engine numbers 6794, but one of the numbers has an M as a prefix. There is also an M244 stamped on it.

A chap I know has a 1942 Royal Enfield CO, he can find the contract number on the frame and has found it in a book listing all War Department contracts, but the book doesn't say where the bike order was going. With other listings the book specifies where the bikes are headed. The bike is black all over and looks to have always been that colour. He's always assumed it was a dispatch rider's bike. He doesn't use the internet so I thought I would see if there was a way of finding out. The log book states it was first registered in 1946 but built in 1942.

Thanks.

Gary

Fitted a wooden panel to form the join/seal between the truck cab and the rear tilt. This is not visible from the outside. also fitted 2 fold up dickie seats from a discovery.

I bought a 2 man ex US army tent for £20, which just happens to neatly fit over the hoops. Even being thick canvas is sewed well with our old sewing machine. It comes off easily as i've had to remove it a few times to fit eyelets and sew it. Not exactly an authentic army vehicle , but the truck cab and rear rag suit my needs. I'd like to make a bikini top for it next as i've now bought another tent the same and have plenty of canvas left.

This hood only took me a day to do, and that was between watching the Olympics so not too much effort.

Gary

I think that you will find that thats the carrying capacity.

Be good if you are right, but from looking at this trailer it wouldn't surprise me if it weighed that much unladen.. Rather a big thing to only carry 20cwt..

Gary

Welcome Gary. Just gave you a great excuse to find something to tow it with.

I wanted one to tow behind my Landy Lightweight.. Can I ask, the fact it's called a 20cwt trailer, does that mean it weighs 20cwt unladen? If so then with the normal tow hitch that has been fitted to it, which will not work the brakes, it will be illegal for me to tow it?

Gary

I have just bought one of these trailers, it is painted red as was last used on an airfield behind their fire engine. They converted it to a standard tow hitch ( which means the brakes are not connected) and they also removed the lights!

I was told by the seller that it was a 3/4 ton trailer and I only saw a picture of it, no measurements. The seller delivered it to my brother who was close so I didn't see it until later, when I realised just how big it is. Maybe a tad too big to tow behind my Landy.

I was also wondering about the weight of it, if it really weights 20cwt unladen then it will be illegal to tow it with the tow hitch fitted.

Gary

Hello.Found my way here while researching for a trailer i've just bought. Turns out it's a 20cwt Sankey. I bought it kind of by mistake. I had only seen a picture of it and the seller told me it was 3/4 ton. It looked right in the pic, but when I saw it I realised the wheels were massive and therefore the trailer was alot bigger than I thought..

I had hoped to tow it behind my 1965 Landy Lightweight, but think it's a tad too big..

Gary