Author Topic: Any oldies in here who recognise this bike? :-) (Read 5341 times)

MadDogMcq · « **on:** January 26, 2006, 12:28:52 AM »

Hi guys, sorry to refer to you as "oldies" but you know what I mean (and I'm almost one of them anyway)

This photo is of my Dad who sadly died aged 27. I would love to know the make and model of this bike he's sat on. Any ideas?? Photo dates from early 1950's.

Regards,

Tom.
www.mcqart.com/550four

Jim Shea · « **Reply #1 on:** January 26, 2006, 03:02:43 AM »

Tom, Great pic, but very sad..
Looks like a twin cylinder hand gear change, maybe a Vincent??
Jim.

fishtoft · « **Reply #2 on:** January 26, 2006, 04:09:49 AM »

Maddog, I think the machine might be a Rudge Whitworth, built well before WW11, but in the fifties people would ride (or Drive) anything they could get their hands on!

bill440cars · « **Reply #3 on:** January 26, 2006, 04:16:35 AM »

I'm usually not bad at recognizing the oldies but, from this picture, it's hard for me to tell. I guess this is the only picture you've, huh? Bill

malcolmgb · « **Reply #4 on:** January 26, 2006, 10:06:39 AM »

not Vincent they were V twin with 2 into1 exhaust down right side of bike, the angle of exhausts suggest it may be single cylinder with dual exhaust ports.

MadDogMcq · « **Reply #5 on:** January 26, 2006, 11:35:52 AM »

Thanks for trying guys. I was hoping that the gear-change(?) lever would be the most obvious identifier, but obviously not. And yes Bill, it's the only photo I have of him on the bike. I strongly suspect that the bike actually belonged to his older brother, my uncle Robert. They came from a very poor family, so the bike would indeed have been quite old even in the 50's.

Tom.
www.mcqart.com/550four

heffay · « **Reply #6 on:** January 26, 2006, 12:05:56 PM »

hey mcq... great website you have there.

your dad looks like a cool cat! sorry you didn't know him longer. and, seeing that i'm only pushin 30... can't help ya with the motorcycle but i do like your site... everyone should visit it.

btw, your cousin was a "firm kawk man"... hehe snicker snicker

MadDogMcq · « **Reply #7 on:** January 26, 2006, 04:32:34 PM »

Hi Heffay,
Thanks for your kind comments. It was kinda weird that my father should die so young and that I should name my first-born child after him only to see him die young too! It ain't supposed to happen that way, but there you go. Even wierder perhaps is that my cousin also lost his first-born child too. I guess we're both jinxed.

Anyway, I see from you sig that you're restoring a 400/4. Any pix??

Regards, Tom.
www.mcqart.com/550four

bill440cars · « **Reply #8 on:** January 26, 2006, 07:02:17 PM »

Hey Tom,

Listen, I deeply apologize, in my trying to figure out what brand the bike was it probably
seemed like I ignored the fact that your Dad died so young. You have had some pretty heavy
losses in your time and I truly sympathize with you. You deserve some good turns. Later, Bill

fishtoft · « **Reply #9 on:** January 27, 2006, 05:40:56 AM »

Hi MD, I first thought the machine might be a Rudge from the shape of the front mudguard but the levers don't look right, it might well be a Panther model 20 red panther 250cc from the thirties, I hope you get a definite result to your inquiry I think it would be nice tribute to your dad to be able to say the make of machine he was on. All the best.

MadDogMcq · « **Reply #10 on:** January 27, 2006, 10:13:29 AM »

Don't worry about it Bill.

And thanks Fishtoft. I'm sure someone will identify it sooner or later.

www.mcqart.com/550four

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #11 on:** January 27, 2006, 05:02:40 PM »

Hi Tom,

I tend to go along with Fishie, It's 99% sure to be a single with twin port exhaust, but lots of manufacturers made bikes in this cofiguration.

I have quite a number of reference books at home, will have a look for you when I get time.

If I find anything maybe we can get together and look it over when I have a night off.

Sam.

heffay · « **Reply #12 on:** January 27, 2006, 06:32:30 PM »

Quote from: MadDogMcq on January 26, 2006, 04:32:34 PM

Hi Heffay,
Anyway, I see from you sig that you're restoring a 400/4. Any pix??

Regards, Tom.
www.mcqart.com/550four

mcq... there's some pics toward the end of this thread http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=126.15

don't use the link in my original post (doesn't work anymore)... anyway, not much to look at although, it's getting better since i have the headers and traded the tank you can see in the background for a 75 red tank that has better paint... for some reason he (jotor) likes the 77 cap better so it was a good trade for both of us (i hope)

Jim Shea · « **Reply #13 on:** January 29, 2006, 07:33:21 AM »

I was chatting to a chap today about your pic, he thinks it was probably a Panther, he has a knowledgeable friend that he will consult!!

bill440cars · « **Reply #14 on:** January 29, 2006, 08:51:00 AM »

Jim,
That might be it. I had completely forgotten about the Panther. I don't remember them
having 2 pipes but, that doesn't mean they didn't. As I look at it now, it does look like the cylinder
is leaning toward the front (from the way the pipes look anyway). Maybe that chap has hit on it.
Here's hoping. Later on, Bill

Jim Shea · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2006, 01:36:15 AM »

Bill,
One thing this chap said was, only a couple of bikes ever had hand gear change levers, and one of those was a Panther??
Jim.

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #16 on:** February 03, 2006, 02:15:10 PM »

OK Tom lad, spent quite a while going through reference books while I was off work.

I would take a guess at it being a BSA sloper. These bikes was made in their thousands and was more affordable than their rivals.

Have a search for vintage BSA web sites and post the picture there, you may get more joy than on here.

Regards Sam.

MadDogMcq · « **Reply #17 on:** February 03, 2006, 02:30:25 PM »

Top man, Sam! Will do that. Thanks for the effort mate

Will let you know how I go on.

Regards,
Tom.

MadDogMcq · « **Reply #18 on:** February 03, 2006, 03:10:14 PM »

Just found an image of a Sloper and compared it to my Dad's bike. Similar but not quite there....

1. Sloper headlamp looks really quite old fashioned and doesn't have a chrome rim.
2. The gear-lever seems much more vertical than the one on Dad's.
3. Dad's bike seems more "substantial".

Could be wrong though. One thing's for sure....the handgrips are virtually identical in style - look at the inner chrome piece.

Still up in the air I reckon

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #19 on:** February 03, 2006, 03:22:03 PM »

MadDog,

Are you an AMA member? There's quarter million members there. I wonder if there is some contact within AMA you could send the pic to that might have some idea as to how to ID the bike?? Just a thought. A more specific vintage association might be better, but probably not much of an option until the brand is ID'd.

heffay · « **Reply #20 on:** February 03, 2006, 03:36:21 PM »

hmmm... i think we're lookin at the same bike...

thousands made... perhaps the headlight assembly was not painted but rather chromed on some
like you said, the crome piece to the inside of the grips IS pretty much identicle
i think the shifter position may be an opticle illusion from the bikes being at different angles

also, check out the kickstarter... same angles... your dad's was just new enuf to still have the rubber

also, there is a horizontal brace that goes in front of the spring on the front end (just above the fender) seems to be in the very same place

^my .02

heff

cbjunkie · « **Reply #21 on:** February 03, 2006, 05:18:01 PM »

bob's suggestion seems good to me - the most distictive part in the photo (to me) is the front fender - there has got to be something about that particular front edge that only one bike maker did... it's not a smooth round arc, but seems to have more of elliptical bulge at the front and center, and i don't think the effect is caused merely by attenuation from the peculiarities of the lense or angle of the photograph. most cameras back then had fairly shallow depth of field and nothing like the distortion caused by a specialty lense such as a fisheye or extreme wide-angle.

i'd say that restored Sloper is decked out military style - blacked out, definitely not a stock bike like what your ole da was perched on...

the photograph itself was more than likely taken with a mass-produced "over-the-counter" camera with a fixed lense. that's why i can't shake the feeling that that front fender is in its design, distictive.

that makes .04 cents you have now...don't quit your day job, but keep trying - i'm sending this thread to my dad, born on date 1942, to see if he recognizes the image...he's an old BSA guy himself...

cbj...

clarkjh · « **Reply #22 on:** February 03, 2006, 05:37:47 PM »

just quickly leafed through an encyclapedia for motorcycles at one of my schools. Thought I seen one similar, I think it was a Martin, Marlen or something like that, not sure about the year. I will try and get a better look at the books later next week.

James

heffay · « **Reply #23 on:** February 03, 2006, 05:49:24 PM »

Quote from: heffay on February 03, 2006, 03:36:21 PM

hmmm... i think we're lookin at the same bike...

also, there is a horizontal brace that goes in front of the spring on the front end (just above the fender) seems to be in the very same place

^my .02

heff

i'm sorry... it doesn't go in front of the spring... it's the lower mount for the spring! still tho, it looks like the same bike to me... with a "possible" mod or two.

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #24 on:** February 03, 2006, 06:03:08 PM »

Ok guys, I found lots of bikes that it could have been.
The BSA sloper was made for quite a few years and changed quite a lot over the period.
Look at the difference between the first SOHC and the last.
The sloper was the bike that the masses could afford.
I would follow the BSA route Tom or try the Vintage MCC.

Sam.

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Author Topic: Any oldies in here who recognise this bike? :-) (Read 5341 times)

Jim Shea

Jim Shea

Jim Shea