Author Topic: My dads Beeza  (Read 5526 times)

Offline Grunt

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My dads Beeza
« on: May 12, 2017, 07:39:58 PM »
Can anyone put a model name to this, it was taken in 1952.

Sorry pics a bit rubbish but I'm away at the moment and the posted photo is a photo of a photo in an album my sister has brought with her. That does make sense... I think.
« Last Edit: May 12, 2017, 07:42:23 PM by Grunt »

Offline R

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Re: My dads Beeza
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2017, 12:33:54 AM »
I'm going to put the cat amongst the pigeons, and suggest that this bike is in fact a Norton !

Somewhere just prewar, with an ohv engine - that chrome tank and those converging pushrod tubes and the sweep of the exhaust pipe are unmistakable, and the full cradle frame (?) makes it an ES2.

Bike sold by Bonhams recently, restored, with some slight alterations.
https://images1.bonhams.com/image?src=Images/live/2013-09/19/8857615-4-1.jpg
The plunger back suspension was an option..

Its not impossible it was new as a 1946 Model 18 either, as this example on the NOC website
http://www.nortonownersclub.org/models/sngle-cylinder/norton-models-singles-large-images/0028.jpg
They are nearly indistinguishable from each other, the postwar manufacture being (briefly) the same as prewar.



« Last Edit: May 13, 2017, 02:50:37 AM by R »

Offline Grunt

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Re: My dads Beeza
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2017, 09:14:12 AM »
It was my mum that always said it was a BSA, but she's not around to ask anymore. I did have my doubts but never broadened my search from BSA. I have another photo at home (we're away with family for the weekend) it's taken from the front and may give a bit more information.

Offline cardan

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Re: My dads Beeza
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2017, 09:24:41 AM »

Offline iansoady

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Re: My dads Beeza
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2017, 11:01:25 AM »
I agree with R although the height makes it look Model 19 to me. Not a Norton tank though.
Ian
1952 Norton ES2
1986 Honda XBR500
1958-ish Tre-Greeves

Offline Grunt

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Re: My dads Beeza
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2017, 03:29:05 PM »
Thanks for all the replies.
Heres a couple more pics from the same album taken at the same time.

Offline L.A.B.

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Re: My dads Beeza
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2017, 05:08:32 PM »
I agree with cardan.

Probably a BSA B18 http://www.bsa1930s.nl/1936/1936_b18.jpg
L.A.B.

Offline R

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Re: My dads Beeza
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2017, 11:49:46 PM »
You could be right about a BSA B18, I was considering whether that was a gear change gate or the riders knee visible in the initial pic, on a 2nd viewing it does look like the knob is visible there.
And  mum would probably know best, if she said it was a BSA..... !

Offline Grunt

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Re: My dads Beeza
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2017, 09:11:46 PM »
Here's another photo. It does look like it's hand change. I doubt they would have been able to afford a Norton, assuming they would be more expensive than a BSA. Incidentally they were obviously in the Lake District they had travelled from Hull. I'm not sure I'd fancy doing that on a modern 'small' bike with all the refinements we have now.