1956 Ambassador Popular

[GarrethK]

Hi everybody,

I am new to the forum and would like some help to identify this bike.
I think that it is a 1956 Ambassador Popular 150cc but not 100% sure.
Frame number: P65614727
Engine number: 030B 14579

I can't seem to find many pictures of the 1956 Popular but found an advert (attached).

Thank you in advance.

Kind Regards
Garreth

[33d6]

Yes, you've got it right A 1956 Popular with a made in June 1956 frame number and with the appropriate engine number prefix, 030B identifuing a 150cc 30C Villiers engine supplied to Ambassador in 1956. About the only mystery I can see is the singlle saddle as the 56 Popular left the factory with a dual seat but often that is a discreet way of stopping people trying to cadge a lift.

Anyway, what do you intend doing with it? With the price of fuel, insurance and so on thundering upwars a small economy runabout starts to look more attractive doesn't it.Easier to get past household management as well.

Tell us more.

Cheers,

[GarrethK]

Yes, you've got it right A 1956 Popular with a made in June 1956 frame number and with the appropriate engine number prefix, 030B identifuing a 150cc 30C Villiers engine supplied to Ambassador in 1956. About the only mystery I can see is the singlle saddle as the 56 Popular left the factory with a dual seat but often that is a discreet way of stopping people trying to cadge a lift.

Anyway, what do you intend doing with it? With the price of fuel, insurance and so on thundering upwars a small economy runabout starts to look more attractive doesn't it.Easier to get past household management as well.

Tell us more.

Cheers,

Thanks so much,
I am going to do a full restore of her, yip seat will need to be changed and few little bit here and there I will need to find.
Michael Easton sent me a ton of useful information regarding the "Instruction Book" and the original spec of the bike (colour, folks, etc).
Should be a fun project,
Thanks again

[33d6]

Just be aware the MP forks can be a monumental pain to rebuild unless you have a good workshop or deep pockets at your disposal. The rest is no drama.

[GarrethK]

Interesting, I'm going through the information that I got from Micheal, under the Colours/Finishers it list that the seat is a "Lycette saddle featured black cover" but the adverts and pictures show a dual seat??? I just double checked the saddle and the metal frame for the saddle has the original ‘Persian’ maroon paint on the inside. Any chance they came out with Lycette saddle? 

[R]

The acid test will be if the frame has brackets for a single saddle, or a dual seat.
Its unlikely to have both ??

Although you do hear of owners 'added new brackets, and cut off the old'  !

[R]

On reading about, came across this - which "devotes a page to each year and model".

'A Guide to Ambassador Motorcycles' by Michael Easton & Fred Hibbett costs £20 + £5 delivery to the UK,
and can be obtained direct from Mick Easton via ambassadorguide@googlemail.com
or by post to Mick c/o 4 Low Croft, Woodplumpton, Preston, PR4 0AU, UK

[Rex]

I am going to do a full restore of her, yip seat will need to be changed and few little bit here and there I will need to find.

Does it need restoring? Looks perfectly rideable as is. If it was mine I'd get it running and try it out before sinking a shipload of money into a full resto.

 Probably find that that saddle was fitted when some past owner fitted that bigger rack, and no worse for that either.

[33d6]

I agree with that Rex. Get it on the road as is and then decide what to do. Much better to have a planned approach after you know how it handles and rides.