Can anyone help to identify the make/model/year of this 1930's motocycle?

This motorcycle belonged to my father and dates back to the early 1930's or perhaps late '20s.. I would very much like to be able to identify both make, model and year of the machine. Current thoughts are that it may have been an AJS. Unfortuneately licence plate information does not extend back that far. I am sure that there are many out there who might be able to provide the answer.

PH was a Guilford number. Back then numbers were not centralised and I believe they were controlled by the local council who may be able to help.

Some sort of sloper in a duplex downtube frame? The belt driven dynamo is reminiscent of a Velocette but it's not. Probably a DIY adaptation.

The forks look a bit BSA to me.

Rob

I think the county councils had this job.

Edited By ega on 26/11/2022 00:24:44

BSA sloper?

The BSA Sloper had a combined magdyno unit mounted in behind the engine so would not have had that belt-driven generator perched out the front. Unless, it was a first year 1927 BSA Sloper that was available without lights or generator, and someone has added that belt drive genny out the front? Seems possible given the lack of belt guard.

Maybe an aftermarket kit, or an adaptation from a Velocette? Velocette was one of the few Brit makers who did not offer a sloper model in that late 20s early 30s era, so I doubt it is a Velo. Unless it is a V-twin with a sloping front cylinder, but all the Brit V-twins of that era seemed to have chain driven magdynos through the timing cover on the right hand side of the engine.

The rest of the bike in the pic certainly looks very BSA Sloperish. It is just that genny that is odd. And that strange vertical pipe sticking up from it, which closer examination shows to be a bicycle pump!

BSA G14..?

I have a 1920s and a 1930s BSA Sloper and do not think it is one. Genny addition looks home made and the front mudguard looks wrong for a BSA.

`The gegistration may crack it. My first thought was Vello. Reg numbers were issued by both boroughs and county. LEX 91 H was issued to me in 1969 by Gt Yarmouth borough. EX was yarmouth, Norfolk had other letters. Noel

When everything went to Swansea in the mid 1970s a lot of local licencing authorities binned their documents. They were just seen as filing cabinet fillers. This was so much the case that the National Archives kept a few just to show the world what they were like. A few county archives, Wiltshire being one, did gather together documents from their local authorities. I think this can be seen as a massive case of vandalism. If you think about it these are more than vehicle records. Local wealth, population movement and a lot of other information can be gleened from them.

If PH was Guildford try the Surrey county archives but don't expect success.

JA

I checked the registration number on the DVLA site and there is no record, so possibly scrapped many moons ago. I am no motorcycle expert by any stretch of the imagination, but having quickly scanned a few vintage photos, those front forks look a bit Rudge-like to me. Who knows, maybe many manufacturers used tubular construction in those days. Maybe an email to the National Motorcycle museum (if there is one) or Brooklands museum might elicit some help? Brooklands have some pretty knowledgeable people there in the two-wheel department. Have to say, Brooklands didn't reply to an email query I made of them and they weren't any help when I went there in person, either. You may have more luck.

John

National Motorcycle Museum LINK Fabulous place. Although I no longer have a motorcycle I have visited several times. A great day out especially if they are hosting a few clubs on the day.

regards

Edited By Oldiron on 26/11/2022 10:22:43   spelling

Edited By Oldiron on 26/11/2022 10:23:14

Might also be worth contacting the Sammy Miller museum in the New Forest.

Yet, the front stays on the front mudguard have the same funny sticky-out mounting nuts and brackets. Maybe he cut the flat "spat" off the back edge of the front mudguard? And the rear mudguard looks to have the same loop type stay that the 1927-28 Sloper had. If it is a BSA Sloper, it must be '27 or 28, I think, because 29 onwards seem to have the twin port head with a lefthand exhaust pipe and muffler. Some of the old pics and brochure drawings show a couple of different front mudguards for 27 and 28.

And I reckon those are BSA forks because if you blow the pic up you can see the small horizontal piece of tube about 2" long going between the front and rear fork tube as a sort of brace. Don't remember seeing that on any other bikes. But can't say I was particularly looking for it.

So my guess -- for what it's worth (not much) --  is it's a 1927 or 28 BSA Sloper with a few owner mods like the front mudguard spat removal and the generator clipped to the front down tube.

Edited By Hopper on 26/11/2022 11:30:10

Looks more like an OHV cylinder head, not a G14 Sidevalve. And the V twins all had a chain driven magdyno not a belt driven genny.

A few other late 20s bikes had gennies out front like that with a belt drive, including Velo, Ariel and Ivory Calthorpe but none match this bike for various reasons, one being the commercial installations all had the V belt running inboard of the primary chain while this one seems to be an outrigger set up. (Dad would want to be sure his shoelaces did not get mixed up with that open belt and pulley!) And the Velo was not a sloper, and the Ivory Calthorpe had twin exhaust pipes, one each side.

So I am still putting my money on '27-'28 BSA Sloper but still not 100 per cent convinced! There were so many very similar bikes back in that era before the Depression killed off all but the very fittest.

Edited By Hopper on 26/11/2022 11:42:56

In addition to NMC I would also suggest M&C Motorcycle Collection in Bakewell , as well as a Google search of Motorcycle Museums which brings up a surprising number of nationwide hits . Good luck with your search .

The Classic motorcycle magazines also have "can you identify this" sections where readers submit photos of bikes for identification.

Nigel B.

Hi all - Many thanks for all the help and information being provided. I have been referred to this link which may or may not be relevant

**LINK**

I am having trouble seeing that it is a bsa tank emblem?