Hello,
I'm new to this forum and I'm considering acquiring an M21 circa 1954 with a plunger frame. Perhaps it's lunacy but it's for nostalgic reasons. My first bike was an M21 which I bought when I was about fourteen and I'm now sixty nine. It had a sidecar frame with a wooden box and cost me £16. For a number of years it was used around our dairy farm as a general workhorse until we broke a valve lifter when doing some overdue maintenance. We didn't know where to get a replacement lifter from and so it was put in the back of the workshop. Various bits and pieces were subsequently robbed from it and eventually it went to the scrap man. How I regret that now!
My question is how available are parts for the M21 please?
My incomplete list is in no particular order:
Carburettor and fuel line
Exhaust
Headlight
Speedometer
Foot rests
Kick start lever
Front brake lever
Front brake cable
Tank badges
Oil tank cap
Battery cover?
Cover from other side to battery?
Primary chain case bolts and inspection cover
Possibly the engine drive sprocket
Rear light
Drive chain
Possible holes in the fuel tank
De-compresser lever and cable
Advance/retard lever and cable
Parts book
Owners hand book and/or workshop manual
I shall be most grateful for info or comments. Thank you.
That sounds like quite a challenging restoration project. The difficult item on the list for me would be the petrol tank - whether or not it is repairable would depend on what form the holes are (pin holes are not too difficult to deal with) and how much internal corrosion there is. Finding replacement petrol tanks has always been one of the biggest challenges I've faced :-\
Hello Spaceman,
What you say doesn't surprise me but thanks for "warning". I've yet to go and look at the bike but I'll be sure to pay lots of attention to the tank. Thanks.
Hi Callow Boy,
Most parts that you list can be found, although prices are always on the up for anything original. I'm building a 1940 WM21 from parts. It's taken two years to collect everything, but it's been a Covid lockdown distraction that's got me through. As has been said, parts like petrol tanks are hardest -or cost. I got mine on Ebay, but it's needed welding, the old lining stripping out, relining, etc, and must have cost the best part of £500...
If you've not done so already, do look at the WD BSA forum. It's for military machines, but it's a lively forum, there's tons of information and people will help, if you ask.
Plenty of online sellers for parts: Cornucopia, Draganfly, British Only Austria, De Groote BSA, Feked... Then Old Bike Mart and good old Ebay.
Good luck if you go for it.
Hello Dr Pinky,
Thanks very much for your response to my post. I'm embarrassed that I haven't seen it till just now as I haven't logged in for a while.
I much appreciate the advice and if, it's a big if, I do go ahead with buying the bike I'll certainly be referring to it I'm sure frequently.
Thanks again.
welcome back. I too return aged 63 and have thumped around on an M21 over 2 years. I always wanted one and even had the option of a couple for 100 quid in the 70's. Ex army probably the M20 500 but they are more or less the same. I have a headlight and headlight shell you can have if you like. just send postal address and you can have them.
At 69 you won't be wanting speed then? Top speed of mine never reached due to the rattling and low gearing, although the concentric speedo (like on Spitfires) may have touched 55mph. An
experience once tried on an M21, best never tried again.
might be a manual knocking about too. Which do you prefer : Haynes or the original with those lovely hand -drawn diagrams?