M20.... to be or not to be...

[maddogmargetts@yahoo.co.u]

I bought an M21 last March and have run into all sorts of confusion as to what parts are what. With mine there may well be a mismatch of bits, ie a 1958 bearing and bottom end with an older cylinder and barrel. I am in the process of asking the "wise old ones" on this site how to sort out this muddle - they invariably know these things but it takes me some sorting out the confusion because i am only not an expert. So, don't expect things to be straight forward. After all you don't know what was done to it in the distant past. When I was a kid, we used to mess around with bikes with gay abandon, mixing up heads, barrels, gearboxes, exhaust pipes, etc. Often with disastrous results, but the problem for us today is that we don't have that history to refer to, so unless your an expert on the M21 or M21 I would bear this in mind. There is often no problem getting a bike that is a mismatch but we need to know so that we know what new parts to fit. I have already wasted money getting the wrong bits, innocently thinking that the bike I was sold - a 1958 M21 - was ALL 1958 M21. It turns out that it isn't as simple as that but I don't know enough about them to distinguish say, a 1949 valve spring from a 1958 one. I pass this experience on, not to discourage you, but just to help you bear this in mind when you come to rebuilding.

[Mr Jones]

Thanks for that John.

Aye, totally aware of all those pit falls and have experienced a fair bit of it already. This is a 1948 M33 with rigid frame and girder forks. I believe it was in production for less than a year in this form (B33 engine in a girder M20 frame), until they had used up a bunch of left over parts from the M20/M21 war machines. I'm fairly comfortable that the engine is all B33 but it's a bit of a lottery when it comes to hubs, rims, headlight (rare MU142 with parts very hard to come by - still struggling to find the replacement lens/reflector seal!).

Ive left the engine and gearbox to the experts (JMC Classics), so very confident they can sort all that out. Will take time but will get there in the end!

[maddogmargetts@yahoo.co.u]

looking at the photo and comparing it with the M21 I bought nearly a year ago, i can see why they are asking £5000. It really is an absolute beauty. Mine was £4250 from a retailer who does charge on the high side but just from your photo I can see why mine would be cheaper as it was missing things like tool box, well polished engine, good quality paint job, nice chrome, etc. If the insides are as good as the outsides I think you have a very fine motorbike there.

[Mr Jones]

Hi John,

Sorry, but think you read the thread wrong. I ended up buying the M33 basket case that's in my profile picture. Completely the other end of the scale!