Help idenify this old bike.

[henmar]

Could someone help me identify this motorcycle   , i think it is a BSA of the 1950's

[henmar]

Could someone help me identify this motorcycle   , i think it is a BSA of the 1950's

          looks bigger than a 200cc .

[R]

200cc would have been an odd engine size then, 350 or 500cc would have been more common,
and are often tough to tell apart.

There are some odd features on that bike that don't really look BSA,
the forks, rocker gear, clutch and back sprocket look more like other brands. ?
The bike could of course be an amalgam, race bikes often used what was to hand...

What country is this likely to be, that often helps tracking down the rider - J Owens in this case

[TGR90B]

I don't know myself, but the front wheel mounting should be a clue. Unless it's a bitsa.

[33d6]

At least I can say it's running an Albion clutch and as no one ever fitted an Albion clutch by choice I would presume the beast has an Albion gearbox. It really is a typical bitza of the period isn't it. Rigid frame, hand painted racing number, no vinyl stick on's then and are those front forks Velo? I can't recognise the engine but prewar engines were very cheap in the 50's and were a popular choice. At that time a mate had something similar powered by a prewar 350cc Triumph Tiger 80 engine. Choosing a 350 was deliberate as it qualified for entry to more races at any one meeting. He got rides in the 350, 500 and Open classes all for one entry fee.

[cardan]

The motor seems to be late 1930s 250 BSA - something like a 1939 B21. Lots of creativity elsewhere.

Cheers

Leon

[Mark M]

I was going to suggest a 250, that was a very popular class in the post War period and there were no 'proper' race machines at this capacity so special builders thrived! I agree Albion box, they did make racing boxes and although evil things they may have been better than the alternatives. The rider has separate leather jacket and trousers, not a proper one-piece suit and are those 3-strap DR boots he's wearing? Anything to get on track!
REgards, Mark

[cardan]

Or 33d6 could be right: the 250cc B21 and the 350cc B24 were quite similar in 1939, so the racer could be a 350. Interesting that prewar the 250 and 350 used the same base with the 500 quite different; but postwar it was the 350 and 500 that were similar, with the 250 quite different.

Cheers

Leon

[TGR90B]

And in the 60s/70s it was the 250 that was the base for all larger BSA singles.