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Motorcycle Discussions => Identify these bikes! => Topic started by: tech255 on June 05, 2008, 03:59:02 AM

Title: Can you Identify my bike
Post by: tech255 on June 05, 2008, 03:59:02 AM

Engine No. 051D 4613 Villiers type 31C  148cc  1956-64
Frame no. 1163 334X hand stamped to frame
I need to find out the make, model and year of manufacturer in order to obtain an age related plate so any help would be usefull.
Thanks

Title: Re: Can you Identify my bike
Post by: 33d6 on June 05, 2008, 10:03:37 AM

This bike looks remarkably like an Excelsior.
Could the D in the engine prefix be a badly stamped B?The engine number prefix 051B (not D) was used by Excelsior in 1961 on their Excelsior Universal model U10.
I'm afraid I have no frame number info for this model.
Cheers,

Title: Re: Can you Identify my bike
Post by: Justin_Faithfull on June 06, 2008, 12:28:02 AM

My information suggests the following.
051D is the first part of the engine number for 148cc Villiers engines fitted to the following Excelsior models.
1960 U10, 1963 U14 & 1965 U14.
The 1965 model U14 starts with engine number 051D 4601, so your engine is most likely 1965.
However 1965 Excelsior  U14 frame numbers start at U63/369X

Title: Re: Can you Identify my bike
Post by: tech255 on June 06, 2008, 02:41:18 AM

Justin
thanks for the info

Ok cleaned the frame a bit more and took a magnifing glass to it and it is U63/344X the U looks like 11 until you look a bit closer and the slash just looked like something had hit it at some point.
The engine number is quite clear and is definately 051D 4613
So it looks like I have an Excelisor U14 poss made in 1964 is there any way of pinning down what part of the year
Thanks

Title: Re: Can you Identify my bike
Post by: Justin_Faithfull on June 06, 2008, 11:10:27 PM

Your frame number is U63/344X, & I have U63/369X1 (sorry I omitted the 1 off the end of the frame number in my last post) as the frame number for the start of 1965. Then perhaps you have a 1964 frame with a 1965 engine in it?
Of course there is always a possibility that the information could have errors, however this material is usually reliable. My source is the following book - 'Villiers, singles & twins' by Roy Bacon, published by Osprey, ISBN 0 85045 486 7.
I am not able to pin down the part of the year more accurately, but it may be possible if the Excelsior factory records still exist!

Title: Re: Can you Identify my bike
Post by: tech255 on June 07, 2008, 04:22:12 AM

justin thanks again

Is there any chance you have a picture of your bike as the closest i've got is a roadster seems the same but not sure of the colours
the web site i used to find the engine info is http://www.villiers.info/ you may have seen it already if not there seems to be some usefull stuff there.

Title: Re: Can you Identify my bike
Post by: Justin_Faithfull on June 07, 2008, 10:36:26 PM

Regret that I do not own any Excelsiors, so cannot send you any pictures.
You may be able to get a copy of literature from Bruce Main-Smith & Co. Ltd.
http://www.brucemainsmith.com/