Date of motorcycle?

[johncrowner]

I think this attempt might work! can you identify the age of this bike please? Thanks

[Geoff-E]

There are similar ones here http://www.classicbsamotorcycles.co.uk/ ... but they seem to have front brakes.

I see from Wiki that BSA made its first bike in 1910 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Small_Arms_Company#Motorcycles

[t mo]

hi john
the bike is called in modern terms a flat tank machine built around the 1920s the inner rim on the back wheel is for the drive belt and the tubes on the side of the engine are for the push rods to operate the valves also the the thing onthe side of the tank is an oil pump as this early they didnt have built in pumps in the engine , would also hazard a guess and say its a single speed bike hence no gear lever later machines in the 30s had a lever on the side of the tank where the oil pump is   t mo

[johncrowner]

Thanks for this, Mo. I had also checked the BSA site quoted, but I didn't see any machine like this. I did wonder whether it could have been earlier than 1911, before reading that BSA's were first made in 1910, and sold in 1911. The reason I had thought that was because the chap holding it had previously been identified as a village vet who died in 1911!!! If the bike is a 1920's model, its back to the research! Anyone guess at his age? thanks   John   

[t mo]

hi john just been looking up bsa history and reckon i,m wrong on the age of the bike it could be as early as 1912only it,s stated that in 1912 bsa changed the frame from having a straight top tube (the one directly above the petrol tank )to a drop tube to give a better riding position if you look at the photo you can see that is the configuration of the chaps bike it follows the line of the top of the petrol tank . your best bet is to contact the Vintage Motorcycle Club  there e -mail address is     hq@vmcc.net    they have loads of info and you may even find that the bike is still in use , sorry to jump the gun before checking my facts   yours  trevor (t mo)

[jksdelver]

If the number is AP2991 then that was issued from Dec 1903 to Feb 1922.

This plate would have been issued by East Sussex C.C. If it is 2994 then it is the same year span

[johncrowner]

Thanks, T Mo. I had wondered about the pedals. If BSA started building m/cycles in 1911, could they have built engine assisted bicycles before this. None of the pictures on the BSA classic site shows pedals, even on the earliest  ones. I'll do what you suggest, and look at the vintage m/cycle site . John

[Borley Manor]

Found it at last....
The pedals and chain would have been only for getting one home, exactly like a pushbike. If the engine packed up, or ran out of juice, then pedal home you go. I will delve further and see if I can identify it...
Borley Manor

[Borley Manor]

The first two, a model H, and a model K, are both 1915, the third one is 1920'ish, i can't remember now, but you can see how things are moving on apace....