Author Topic: What bike? Pic dated 1938  (Read 4900 times)

Offline v12gte

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What bike? Pic dated 1938
« on: August 12, 2009, 04:49:10 AM »
Greetings,

I live in San Francisco and ride a 2008 Ducati Hypermotard S. This pic is of my grandfather, dated 1938, and I am wandering what bike it is. The tank logo seems to say "Baker", but it could be a BSA, NSU, or who knows.  The backdrop is Poland.
Any clues?
Thanks in advance

« Last Edit: August 12, 2009, 05:26:30 AM by v12gte »

Offline v12gte

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Re: What bike? Pic dated 1938
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2009, 04:49:57 AM »
one more pic, thanks

Offline v12gte

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Re: What bike? Pic dated 1938
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2009, 07:42:08 AM »
Mystery solved (sleep is overrated)
It is a British Bike called Baker (The James Cycle Co.), later built on license and called Podkowa 98 in Poland. This appears to be the original Baker, with a 98cc or 125cc Villiers engine.

http://www.podkowa98.pl/strony/histor/baker.htm

Offline 33d6

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Re: What bike? Pic dated 1938
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2009, 02:39:50 AM »
Those are very interesting photos if only that they show the British industry sold their products under different names in different countries.
Mr F E Baker was involved in the motorcycle trade way back before the First World War. He made a well known brand of  proprietary engine, the Precision which rivalled J.A.P. in its day but never quite got back to its former position after the war. In 1928 he he came back with the Baker range of Villiers engined bikes. These lasted until the early thirties when his firm was bought by James who used many of his ideas in the manufacture of their bikes.
The Villiers engine used in your grandfathers bike was introduced in 1936, years after James had bought Baker so it is really a James but rebadged as a Baker for some commercial reason now lost in time.
As you say, the capacity could be either 98 or 125 cc. There were certain taxation advantages in some European countries reducing the capacity to 98cc, so this engine was made in both capacities although you can't tell one from t'other from the outside.
They are lovely family photos and as owner of a 1951 James I find them a tiny but fascinating piece of history, showing how the british motorcycle industry operated back in the 1930's.
Thanks for letting us see them.

Offline v12gte

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Re: What bike? Pic dated 1938
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2009, 06:35:42 AM »
Thanks.
Indeed...the advert cites the fact the the purchase of a bike in the under 100cc class requires no driving permit, and avoids the usual taxes.
A text I found on another site states that the James company continued selling their own bikes branded as Bakers, even after the acquisition. Same thing happens still in my software M&A world...

I do have the goggles that my grandfather wore in this pic, so it is a nice memento of those years.