Levis Which model and year?

[Norton55]

Hi Everybody,
I am trying to help a friend identify the model and year for a Levis motorcycle that my friend recently acquired. The bike has belt drive to the rear wheel so I think it is probably an early 1920's or earlier model. I have posted some pictures of the bike at the following link. http://picasaweb.google.com/cooltehrani/FarhanSFiles?feat=directlink
Any information regarding the model or year this could be from will be appreciated, as my friend plans to restore the bike after positively identifying the model and year.

Thanks

[cardan]

An interesting machine, but quite unlike the usual Levis machines I am familiar with. If you get no response here, it might be because people are puzzled. Perhaps try the VMCC, as they are sure to have a Levis marque specialist. You might need to look beyond Levis...

Leon

[33d6]

If I remember rightly the VMCC have a lot of the original Levis factory records and can readily identify most Levis made. An enquiry there should be helpful. As with the previous answer I see no relationship between this bike and the usual Levis two-stroke.
Cheers,

[Norton55]

Thanks for the replies.
I have been searching the internet for pictures of Levis and don't seem to find anything like this. So I am starting to think that this might either be a bike built up from components of other bikes or it might be some other marque. The front forks seem a bit strange to me, as its not like the usual druids type that you would expect on an old bike. Also, the magneto on the bike doesn't look like one I'd expect on a bike from the 1920's. Any ideas if the magneto seems right for such a bike?

[33d6]

Hi again,
The magneto is from the 50's and the carburettor looks like a Mikuni or Keihin from the 60's. The forks I suspect are  Triumph Junior, Triumph favoured the fore and aft rocking fork for many years. Also favoured by Schwinn in America. Personally I think you have a vintage bitsa made up in the 60's when such a machine would have been seen as an amusing exercise whereas today people would think you crazy to waste such good vintage components.
What is its history? For example, it looks like the sort of thing that could have been made up for some movie or TV series. It looks old but would have been simple to make and easy to ride and maintain.
An interesting history would make all the difference whether you restore it as is or part it and make some money selling the bits.
Cheers,

[Norton55]

Thanks again 33d6.
The forks did look like they were from a Triumph model H to me at first. Though they don't appear to be exactly like them though. The forks actually like early girders that have instead been fitted with the fore and aft spring. Now I think the bike is definitely a bitsa. The bike is in India and the mechanics there are known to make radical modifications to keep a bike running and I guess this could be an example of such a case. The bike belongs to my friend who purchased it believing it to be a Levis. He did not have any history regarding the bike and so asked me to find info regarding the model and year. Despite being a bitsa the bike still looks interesting as it is not easy to identify it as a bitsa at first glance (At least for me as I did not realize that the magneto and carb were later ones even though I did see the bike in person).

[cardan]

I wouldn't write it off as a bitsa just yet. In the 1920s there were many small manufacturers in the UK, the US and on the continent who adopted the 'fore and aft' rocking fork. And I wouldn't even pretend to know what the motorcycle industry in India was up to in the 1920s! Do you think the bike has been there since new?
The frame has some elements of the 'built like a bridge' Francis Barnet, but is not fully bolted up like that marque.
Where to from here?
Is it a bita? Tell-tale signs are welded up components where you would expect to find lugs, and the odd unresolved stuff up. Have a close look around the back axle region and where the seat post mounts where the frame looks unusual: if these places are done with lugs with tubes brazed into them I think you can bet the bike has left a factory somewhere looking much as it does now.
Where does it come from? Carefully measure the threads on the frame, motor and gearbox. This may help as metric threads might point to europe, BSF/BSCY might point to UK, UNF to the US. (Not always useful as some manufacturers used very strange threads: try to find a metric thread on an early FN sometime - you'll be disappointed!)
Because the bike is in the 'cheap and cheerful' category, I suggest restoring it (or getting it running) as is. It would be fun to ride, and more information will come to light some time!
Leon