30's Motorcycle identification

[anonymous-user]

This should have been easy, but so far a positive ID has eluded me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Certainly sidevalve and that badge "should" be a giveaway.... But I'm coming up with no matches.

Regards Andy

[MC Bodge]

That looks more like 1950/60s?

[littleredrooster]

Engine looks like a BSA M21, but I can't remember them having a proper swinging arm rear end - I thought they were all plunger suspension?

[vetrof]

Looks like a Royal Enfield badge.




Also, a lot of similarities with this engine.

[littleredrooster]

Ah!! Well spotted! Probably an Enfield Bullet 350 from the 1950s.

[Pothole]

srob?

[anonymous-user]

Thanks for the pointers.

With those to narrow things down, a 1954 Royal Enfield Bullet looks very close - no doubt there was a bitsa element to it anyway.

[aeropilot]

Andy-IM said:

Thanks for the pointers.

With those to narrow things down, a 1954 Royal Enfield Bullet looks very close - no doubt there was a bitsa element to it anyway.

Doesn't look much 'bitsa' to me, all looks fairly standard factory in the original period picture...apart from a screen and rear/tank racks.

[roscobbc]

Andy-IM said:

This should have been easy, but so far a positive ID has eluded me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Certainly sidevalve and that badge "should" be a giveaway.... But I'm coming up with no matches.

Regards Andy

Interesting registration - wonder where.....?

[anonymous-user]

Limerick

[aeropilot]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Correct.

Specifically, ZY was Louth CC from Oct 1954 to Jan 1964, so photo was not prior to Oct 1954.

[cwis]

Oval air filter box is 1955 on. Cooling fins cast into crankcases in 1956 on are not there.

So - 1955 bike?

[Clifford Chambers]

Andy-IM said:

This should have been easy, but so far a positive ID has eluded me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Certainly sidevalve and that badge "should" be a giveaway.... But I'm coming up with no matches.

Regards Andy

Is it a side valve? Looks like a nice shiny rocker box to me.

[anonymous-user]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

That's actually the easy bit.... I just asked :-) It turns out to be a couple of hours away from where I assumed based on my knowledge of the families roots.

The photo was taken in 1961; outside a house in Ballywaltrim Court, County Wicklow (later demolished in the early 2000's to make way for a new housing block).

[anonymous-user]

Clifford Chambers said:

Is it a side valve? Looks like a nice shiny rocker box to me.

Very unlikely given a 1954/55 bike - but in my defence, I had no idea what the bike was when I posted that.

[cwis]

Andy-IM said:

Very unlikely given a 1954/55 bike - but in my defence, I had no idea what the bike was when I posted that.

Enfield Bullet nerd alert!

It's OHV - this engine started life in the 1949 Bullet with it's cutting edge swingarm frame. Enfield made "Bullets" before and during the war but they were different frames and engines and unrelated to this model. They were OHV too though - some had 4 valve heads!

[Pothole]

I should have said at the time that I thought 1930s was way too early for the bike, but hey ho.

[littleredrooster]

cwis said:

Enfield Bullet nerd alert!

It's OHV - this engine started life in the 1949 Bullet with it's cutting edge swingarm frame. Enfield made "Bullets" before and during the war but they were different frames and engines and unrelated to this model. They were OHV too though - some had 4 valve heads!

Yes - I meant to mention that; it has an oil feed pipe in the head which wouldn't - of course - be needed if it was a side-valve.

[OldDuffer]

If you've eyes, not sure how anyone could ever see this as a scene from the 1930s? That's WITHOUT the motorcycle in shot. The clothes, the picture quality, the 'general feel' screams mid 50s to early 60s. And I wasn't born for another 20.

You don't need to search for pix from the two eras to see the chasm. I do wonder how so many are blind to our own culture, but they are.

At least McBodge could..."Only hat looks more like 1950/60s?"

What's next?: Queen Vic and a mobile phone...

Edited by OldDuffer on Tuesday 16th February 16:06

[vetrof]

Pothole said:

I should have said at the time that I thought 1930s was way too early for the bike, but hey ho.

Why? Don't think anyone thought it was a 30s bike after the second post.