I think it's a BSA

[Jan]

I have a few photo's of my Grandads bikes and through event programmes I've matched the license plates to find out what the bike is.  For obvious reasons I can't do that with this photo.
Does anyone know what it is?

thank you
Jan

[boardtrack]

Yes, c. 1914 BSA, dif muffler, no front fender, but pretty stock. Feb 1964 Cycle World has a cover feature on a 1914 BSA which sure looks like this bike.   If I get a chance I'll try & be more specific.   

[boardtrack]

Probably a 550cc.  I mentioned 1914 & if by chance I'm right matching your photo & what I believe to be a 1914, there would be a good chance the year of the bike in the photo is 1919/1920 because of course from Aug 1914 to Nov 1918 the Great War, so a 1914 & a 1919 would very likely be about or near exactly the same.   

[boardtrack]

wow, they made essentially that motorcycle for a long time (but Goldstars, etc. v/long time too.

Apparently the 550 BSA was actually a 557cc.  Likely an H, maybe a K, the H went along & by 1924 was the H-3.

The 1924 H-3 had that Edwadian looking headlamp too.  1914/1915 to 1924 lk v/much the same.  They did all have footboards, but in your photo the front fender is gone so I'd expect the footboards to go bye-bye too.

Look through this link & you'll see lots of familiar BSA's.  

http://www.classicbsamotorcycles.co.uk/

http://www.classicbsamotorcycles.co.uk/1915BSAH.htm


  

[Jan]

Thank you   I've spent hours looking (but when you don't know what you're looking for it's pointless lol).

[chaterlea25]

Hi Jan
The bike in the Photos dates from the mid 1920's
The gearbox shape is quite different to the earlier H or K bikes
This bike will be a model L or S followed by the year , eg L25
Exhaust correct for mid 20's, 350cc model
The L's are 350 cc side valve and the S's 500cc (maybe 550??) I know some of the S models have an exhaust box under the magneto

HTH
John O R