A year with a BSA M20

[@abandoneduniverses]

I sold my wdm20 after 30 years of use..such a great machine,simple and reliable...always in my heart❤ this bike somehow created me as a man ..ridden from my teen age till last year at my 52 years....salutations from Greece

[@williamrafff]

At this moment, I am sat in my favourite chair by the fire with a Bacon Sandwich and a cup of tea, a scene made all the better for watching this wonderful video. For a few precious minutes I forgot about the troubles we face these days and let myself drift back to a better, simpler World. Well done!

[@sgch101]

Cheers William, nice to know the film brought you some pleasure.The bacon sandwich sounds like a good idea too!

[@RuciPrasiddha]

from the moment i saw this video, i knew i m in love with bsa m20. and finally i purchased and keep it run until now. thank u for creating and inspiring me of this video🎉

[@TadpolCreative]

I can't put into words how much I enjoyed this. This was so tranquil and yet informative as well as entertaining. I can't believe it was 7 minutes, it felt like 30 seconds. Beautifully done.

[@sgch101]

Thanks again for leaving such kind comments. We were all surprised too at how short the film seems when one watches it. We were worried that 7 mins. might have been unduly long but it seems to be the exact opposite - strange! You may also be interested in the films by the "Panther Owners Club" - similar to ours but different. kzbin.info/door/1RTDI42nvnYuK0jAdleItw

[@kelco2246]

I think that its Simon,s voice that makes the vid so nice

[@joshadams8761]

I listened to this with headphones and was amazed at the sound quality. 👍🏻

[@sgch101]

Thanks Josh. We pay a lot of attention to the sound quality and use windshields etc. to avoid wind roar. The microphone shielding on GoPro cameras is quite good up to about 40mph. Other microphones that we use with a separate digital sound recorder need windshields unless there is no air movement at all.

[@fahadfaruqui3575]

This is of just Another level all together 👌🏻. Love and lots of appreciation from India ❤️

[@sgch101]

Glad you enjoyed it and many thanks for your kind comments!

[@delzworld2007]

Very reminiscent for me, as I had the same combination way back in 1962. A simple bike to repair and how sweet that engine sounded when it was perfectly tuned.

[@stephenbrown13]

All you videos are terrific! Please keep adding more, they are such a treat.Cheers, Stephen

[@markletts2000]

What a glorious machine....😊👍🇬🇧

[@richardpope3063]

"There's a long long road a winding to the land of my dreams"...Very well set, Cheers to you.

[@drewpzoot]

Very entertaining video. Calm and collected with a digestible amount of information. Great job 👍🏻✌🏻

[@sgch101]

Glad you liked it - many thanks!

[@brianr1443]

Hello Simon I enjoy your videos love old motorcycles i have a 1956 M100 Panther my wife and i enjoy riding and go on camping trips . look forward to more videos Regards Brian

[@sgch101]

Hi Brian, So glad you like the films. Your Panther sounds fun and it's good it takes you camping - a recipe for pleasant hols! We'll probably film a BSA A10 next and will possibly be doing a film on the 2019 Bamburgh Run, with more chats with the riders about their early machines. Cheers, Simon.

[@mikeymike3240]

Hi guys, that’s such a beautiful combination, my dad had one of those after the war as well, he was a dispatch rider during the war and even got shot in the leg 🦵 and it never stopped him until he got back to base. The men in those days were made of sterner stuff, he went on to become a coal man and when he retired he was still able to carry those big bags of coal, weighing over 120 lbs, something i was never able to lift, and heaven knows i tried lol 😂

[@alanholdsworth9478]

Great shots, Great sound.

[@sgch101]

Thanks for the kind comments!

[@whiterabbit201]

I've always had a desire for a M20........maybe one day.

[@sgch101]

Slow and steady! You get quite confident in these old plodders.

[@nanako-kbs]

You're doing a great job and the quality is amazing!

[@philldodds1482]

I have owned a BSA WM20 1940 for almost a year. When one came up on auction I I luckly won it. I really enyoy riding around on it. It certanly is quite the motorcycling experience riding around on it. I recently did an advanced riding skills course on it and certanly did everything expected except keeping up with the group on the open road. I must take some video myself.

[@gentlerowdy]

Beautifully maintained machine and lovely video from a fellow m20 lover from India

[@peterlamont1533]

Simon, Great little film! I run a 1975 BMW R75/6 with 1960s Watsonian sidecar but a girder fork side valve machine is soooo way more cool - and what a great sound! Lovely.

[@sgch101]

Thanks for the kind comments, Peter. It's probably way sooo much slower too - you just have to switch mindset and remember it's a slowish BSA M20 - made even slower with a sidecar sprocket!

[@emilelapointe]

Nice video Simon. Loved the backdrop of the country lanes with the thump of the engine riding by.

[@sgch101]

Great to hear that you liked the sounds and backdrops!

[@piearm1271]

Great film, lovely machine

[@jamesgoodwin2450]

What a beautiful old machine,what I wouldn’t give to have one like that,with the sidecar of course

[@sgch101]

Thanks for the comments - glad you enjoyed the film!

[@philipd4863]

Wonderful. ! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[@jeremyatkinson4976]

It couldn't be in better hands. A lot more fortunate than my M21......

[@Rapidfireblade]

I have just restored a 1943 wdm20, I absolutely love it. Although haven’t mastered starting it from hot yet.

[@sgch101]

Good to hear! Our M20 has a thick (28mm) phenolic spacer between the barrel and the carburettor which seems to help. Also, a few kicks with the valve lifter deployed, sometimes helps. Perhaps it ensures that there’s plenty of fuel vapour in the engine, when you finally let go of the valve lifter and give the bike a swinging kick. If none of this helps, check that the magneto is not beginning to fail. Poor hot starting might be a symptom of this - never a dull moment with old bikes!

[@johnmartin7158]

@@sgch101 Hi Simon, my young friend in NZ recently bought a 1938 BSA M20 army green. And I also witnessed him struggling to start it when hot. Most commentators seem to point to Magneto. Cheers NZ.

[@sgch101]

@@johnmartin7158 Hi, Yes, that’s definitely correct! For poor hot starting, when the magneto’s condition is unknown, it would be the first thing to check. I had the same problem when I first acquired this bike. It wouldn’t start, one day, when I stopped in the middle of nowhere. After leaving it for an hour, it still wouldn’t go and I ended up pushing it (on the level) to the start of a long downhill stretch. It took about half a mile of downhill coasting before it would bump start - aargh! The magneto was overhauled after that and it’s been fine for over a decade now. Hope your pal can get his bike sorted out okay.

[@TrapShooter68]

Welcome back! You have been missed!!

[@sgch101]

Many thanks - this one took a bit longer than anticipated to finish off!

[@PantherOwnersClub1]

A delightful video Simon. Thanks for sharing your M20 and BSA sidecar's year.

[@sgch101]

Many thanks. I've just found your POC films. They're great. The "M100 in the wet" was a rollercoaster of a reminder of incidents we've all had at some time or other! Interesting to see the outfit's effect on a horse too. Many seem to become very unpredictable when they see an outfit.

[@PantherOwnersClub1]

I am excited by the opportunities which KZbin offers for exploring and sharing our specialist interests (obsessions!) As a beginner at video creation I will certainly be borrowing some ideas from you and look forward to seeing more from your camera in the future.

[@carlholm5558]

What a relaxing video!

[@jackmadasa]

Brilliant. Thank you

[@nickjaxe]

What a nice film...many thanks.

[@sgch101]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@brianpill6837]

Brilliant video Simon. Hope to catch up with you one of these days. Happy retirement.

[@NickRatnieks]

I always stick my hand over the carb to stop my M20. I never use the valve lifter- it may not even work but it probably does!

[@johniksushibar165]

i had one of them (1947 vintage) in my mispent youth complete with original lodge spark plug you could take to pieces to clean, typical Lucas lectrics ment it was pretty much day time riding only ;-)

[@sgch101]

Thanks for the interesting comments! That spark plug sounds handy.

[@Realrandomman]

Superb, nearly as good as the CG125 film!

[@vfrexup]

Excellent ! - really enjoyed the video. You have a new Sub.

[@sgch101]

We’ve finally started on our next film. It features is a 1960 BSA A10 and should be complete by mid-August 2020.

[@olivercromwell3575]

My dad took us on holidays travelling on a BSA M21 combination. He had his BSA attached to a Steib side car. We travelled in a moving marrow or zeppelin. He now blames me for this. My mother told him that he had to buy me a pram rather than the Brough Superior combination. He just bought the sidecar.

[@sgch101]

Great story - thanks for sharing!

[@YogeshwarVaithyanathan99]

Those people that overtook the BSA won't understand the feeling of cruising on a classic motorcycle.

[@sgch101]

I'm sure you are correct on that!

[@jareksgarage]

Nice video, see you on the street ....

[@BintonSukses]

Nice 👍👍

[@ianbanhamamprepair9457]

Brilliant!!

[@sgch101]

Glad you liked it!

[@ginokerekes1181]

Great video! A question about your bike. I noticed it has a concentric carburettor, how does it perform? I currently have a 1947 M20 which has been fitted with a monoblock which I think is beyond economical repair, I'm considering the various options. Thanks in advance!

[@sgch101]

It works very well with the concentric, which had been fitted before I bought the bike in 2011. I subsequently fitted a concentric to my 1947 B31 after trying to get it to run well with a new Amal 276. I just couldn’t get it running without pinking at certain revs. Maybe there was something wrong with the 276 but I couldn’t work out what it was. After fitting the concentric to the B31, it has run perfectly ever since!

[@arnabkumardey6604]

love from West Bengal India. For many years I am seekeng this bike. My friend tells to me purchase royal enfield electra. But I have lack of interest on Royal enfield. Please tell me how I can purchase this bike from your place?. Better than todays enfield in India.

[@sgch101]

Best buy a bike from a UK or Dutch classic bike dealer who will export the bike to you. e.g. www.andybuysbikes.com/bikes.htm or www.dutch-lion-motorbikes.com/en/search?q=bsa&submit=Search

[@arnabkumardey6604]

Simon Hadden ok sir

[@henrygiovanni6514]

I could be mistaken but I believe you have an M-21, not an M-20. The 600 cc M-21s were made for sidecars, with fittings on the frame; the 500 cc M-20s were general messenger bikes (without sidecar fittings). I've had my 1947 M-21 for 41+ yrs. It is roughly 95% original (with some new non-NOS parts, ie- pistons, rings, bearings, etc). No sidecar. Despite contrary claims of low speed, I've had mine up to 69 mph (111 kph) on the freeways of Southern CA back when the limit was only 55 mph. But it IS a slow motorcycle. For the gentleman who was had a carb going south, there is a place in UK that sells new carbs and parts kits: burlen.co.uk/carburettor-service-kit.html I used them last year with good result. For other parts I use Russell Motors on Falcon Road in London. Les knows his old bikes: www.russellmotors.co.uk/ I DO NOT recommend using ANY parts made in India. Also, nice video. These bikes are a real treat to ride.

[@sgch101]

Hi Henry, I thought the same when I bought it in 2011 but, on checking, it was built as an M20. I checked with the factory records and it still has its original engine, which is numbered in the M20 (rather than M21) series. Interestingly, however, at some point the original M20 engine was given a new crank, to convert it to 600cc (i.e. an M21!). So now I'm not really sure whether to call it an M20 or M21! After World War 2, you could buy a new (civilian) M20 , with or without the sidecar lugs. It was most likely a way to use up the stocks of military M20 frames (which had no sidecar lugs). After 1947, all M20 machines had the sidecar lugs apparently. By the way, mine has a "sidecar" engine sprocket with 19 teeth, so it's even slower than the standard solo with 20 teeth. Glad you liked the film and thanks for the feedback! Best Wishes, Simon

[@henrygiovanni6514]

@@sgch101 Hi Simon, My 1947 M-21 also has the "XM20" serial number starter, but it's an M-21. It came out of the factory on March 14, 1947. The M-21 piston has three rings and is shorter in length than the four-ringed M-20 piston. Both are the same diameter. However, BSA made things to fit across types whenever they could get away with it, so I am using an M-20 barrel and head at present. I believe that there are only three parts that won't change straight over from M-20-M-21 (and vice-versa) between at least 1940 and 1947 (and maybe including 1939), which are the piston, con-rod, and crank. But it's possible that the crank may be the same, with just a longer or shorter con-rod and piston assembly. The M-21 has the longer stroke. I bought the top-end used, with piston that I had to sell because it would have crashed into the head and ruined my rod and crank, and maybe the cases. So next time you're in there, check for 3-rings vs 4-rings on the piston. That will tell you for certain (unless someone put a short M-21 piston into the M-20, which would work, I suppose, but would alter the compression considerably and, presumably, make it far slower). That said, I do see some 'variations' in minor add-on-type parts (ie-back rack and rear seat, most noticeably, plus handlebar fittings and levers) on other M-20s and M-21s online. I could never find a rear-seat mount, and so finally (2019) made my own mount, which is definitely not original, though the seat itself is original. I mounted it onto the back rack with modifications that would allow me to change it off and put on a tool box or whatever, said change taking not more than 20 minutes (four bolts). If you can get your hands on an original copy of Ian Fleming's James Bond novel "From a View to a Kill", the assassin is riding a BSA M-20 and doing 70 mph! According to the novel the M-20 had had work done on the valves and lifters and etc (as I recall). Try as I might, I could not crack 70 mph on mine, only reaching 69 mph at its best. That was with an original Smith's Chronometric (which later broke off one dark night back in CA). Regardless of speed, they are truly fun bikes to ride. Mine just sings at 45-50 mph, and I'm old enough to not need to go any faster anymore. Mine is the North African campaign version, with the cut-away tank and long desert side-stand, and also has the girder front-end. I can't speak about the 1948 and later versions. Maybe that assassin in James Bond had a later model that went faster? Who knows? Ian Fleming "Bonded Fleming; a James Bond Omnibus", copyright by Glidrose Productions Ltd., 1959, published by The Viking Press Inc, NY, 1965. So maybe a faster model, but only by 1 mph!!! Cheers!

[@sgch101]

Hi Henry, Thanks for the info. I’ll have to hunt out a copy of the James Bond novel as I didn’t realise it mentioned an M20. It’s worth having just for that! I can imagine that at 69 or 70 mph the ride is lively! Best regards, Simon

[@thevoxofreason8468]

A Yank here looking for info from someone in the know. Did the British Army allow manufacturers to clearly mark their name on vehicles (i.e. , an M20 with "BSA" on the tank)? I don't believe the US allowed it. Just curious because I see many old British military machines marked in that manner.

[@sgch101]

Yes, I think the manufacturer's were allowed to put their name on the vehicles. There seem to be plenty of old pictures of M20s all over the place with BSA clearly visible on the tank. The Matchless badge was also prominent on the British Army's G3 bikes. There are some photos showing wartime bikes with manufacturers' names displayed at: oldthumpers.wordpress.com/war-deparment-bike-pictures/

[@thevoxofreason8468]

Simon Hadden, fantastic. Thanks for the information. The US was always very strict about not allowing any manufacturers to mark their vehicles in government service. Harley and Indian played by the rules, but Ford tried to get around the rule by marking all parts they manufactured for the Jeep with an "f". I've always found that humorous

[@1961kickboxer]

The tortoise and the hare.

[@sgch101]

Yes, it’s certainly a tortoise but has proved to be reliable even over long distances. It’s a bit like a road-going narrowboat. Once you’ve adjusted to its (very) slow speed, it’s good fun.

[@1961kickboxer]

Simon Hadden , I had a Gardner engine in a boat it was a plodder but the hp was measured in shire horse power I love all the big singles so much grunt well done on the videos Steve.

[@paulpaul5606]

I wish my one Run like yours. I can not get my one to run right

[@sgch101]

Let me know more - when do you get the poor running?

[@paulpaul5606]

Simon Hadden got the bike in box s. Everything is new in engine. Starts first or second kick. The problem is in top gear. And cruising it chugs. Thank for any help.

[@sgch101]

Re chugging: Forgive me if this sounds obvious, but do you set the ignition to fully advanced once the bike is travelling along? Also, do you open the choke when the engine is warm? There are two possible causes of chugging but there are many more so I need more info to help!

[@paulpaul5606]

Simon Hadden Thank you for your help. I do run at full advance. But will try choke . 👍

[@sgch101]

If the temperature is about 20 deg C you should only need the choke for starting. On a cold day with temperature about 5 deg C, you may need to ride for 3 to 5 minutes before you can stop using the choke (I.e after 3 to 5 minutes, you can pull the choke lever towards you). Check also that the choke lever will remain in the “off” position, pulled towards you. If the lever is not correctly adjusted, the lever might move and the choke is applied again, by accident.

[@wckoek]

Is this bike practical to tour? Is it difficult to kick start? I am asking this because I am a light weight person.

[@sgch101]

It is practical and reliable but slow. Good on quieter roads but no good on motorways. Maximum speed in solo form (without sidecar) is about 50mph / 80km/h. It is easy to kickstart but needs thinner oil (SAE30 say) in winter, to make starting easy on cold winter days when temperature is less than about 5 deg C.

[@wckoek]

@@sgch101 I see, I'll go to look at a WWII era example, it would be nice if the bike is practical to use today.