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Old 14th December 2012, 12:26   #1
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Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

"Biker Born - Biker bred...when i die I'll be Biker dead"

Once a biker - Always a biker. No matter how much comfort one gets in the car nothing beats the feeling of the air in your face, the feeling of freedom, the feeling of independence that a bike gives you.

I am starting this thread for a very very dear friend of mine who has just acquired a BSA M 20 - 500 CC Side valve bike. The bike is in complete condition but we are sure that we will be able to bring her back to life some day.

I will be posting detailed pics of the restoration on this thread as we progress.

Till then, a teaser
Attached Thumbnails
Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-12045_451604754900648_827848475_n.jpg  

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Old 14th December 2012, 15:00   #2
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Re: Bringing Back to life - BSA M20 - 500 CC SV

Okay so since teambhp does not allow teaser threads i am now posting whatever little information I have about the bike:

PART 1

A little background of this bike:

Once upon a time there was a doctor in British India Army who got posted in Deolali camp (Artillery Center) in Nasik. One day through army quota he purchased one new brand BSA M 20, rigid frame motorcycle.

He used to visit his patients and roam around in and around Nasik on that vehicle. After Independence, he started his own practice and started visiting nearby talukas and village places to cure patients.

After few years he got tired of everything and moved to his native place in Uttar Pradesh. Before moving out, he sold the bike to one farmer cum mechanic for Rs. 350 (that is around 1965).

After taking the bike at home, the mechanic started using it on daily basis. Due to increased petrol prices & crunch of original parts and hiked cost of parts, alterations started coming to the bike.

The original petrol engine was removed and diesel engine was fitted to lower the cost of running the bike daily.

PART II

Now the bike is in proper hands.

While purchasing, the original petrol engine was lying in a corner of a workshop, covered with mud and dust. But overall it was in a good shape. The chassis was kept separately with gearbox mounted on it, with altered sprockets.

Now the real exam has started to fit all the parts together, remove the alterations and start the bike.

The hearts are thumping and ears are eager to hear the sound of the 500 cc engine.

BSA M 20 500 CC Side Valve Engine, once the beast was ruling the roads, now again roads are waiting for it.

Last edited by 350biker : 14th December 2012 at 15:09.
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Old 17th December 2012, 16:22   #3
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Re: Bringing Back to life - BSA M20 - 500 CC SV

Once the bike was in our custody, we have planned to give her a proper diesel wash and first of all get rid of the Bullet parts fitted to the bike.

Posting some pics of the bike in her current avatar.

I am sure most of the readers will try to find a BSA hidden in the avatar of a bullet (Just the way i did for the 1st time)
Attached Thumbnails
Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-67624_449888108405646_522105144_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-319627_449889998405457_183320514_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-483553_451603338234123_1446738356_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-487052_451604248234032_1979047478_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-424819_449890411738749_98089736_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-68900_451605008233956_1480056895_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-302760_451604014900722_160061899_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-578018_451604668233990_1532174527_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-424896_451604071567383_938978238_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-530408_451604844900639_1149904993_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-65006_451604298234027_1740982478_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-432246_449890248405432_2121291294_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-12045_451604754900648_827848475_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-484272_451605354900588_36349563_n.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-197989_451605391567251_1499956703_n.jpg  

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Old 18th December 2012, 14:08   #4
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Classics Section. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 18th December 2012, 14:45   #5
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

Nice find! Congrats to your friend on the acquisition!

Could you post some more pictures, especially of the front? It looks like a modified Royal Enfield frame to my untrained eye. The M20 carried plunger rear suspension from 1951 to their end in 1956, according to this. Can you provide the numbers (chassis, engine & gearbox) here? This dates your engine at 1946-47, as we see it marked XM20-237 in your photograph.

The history of the M20 is very widely documented on the www, so it should be easily identifiable.

All the best with your restoration, and do keep us posted!

Cheers,
Rahul

Last edited by voodoochild : 18th December 2012 at 14:47.
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Old 18th December 2012, 16:31   #6
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

Hello,

Congratulations on the New M20. Good to know that another classic is being brought back to life. I did acquire a M20 in more or less the same condition. The rear rigid frame was modified to a swing arm and the tank was cut into 2 so that it was petrol for starting and kerosene for running.
It took me 2 years to make this run and is still ongoing.
It is definitely difficult to restore but not impossible. Please do let me know if I can be of any help.
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Old 18th December 2012, 18:44   #7
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

That is almost certainly a WD model and could be from 1945 up to 1949. These came with girder forks.You can get it back to original specs [with difficulty where it comes to the Girder forks, now rarer than hens teeth]
Engine ,GB,Clutch wont be too hard. Nasikwala in Mumbai still has some spares as does Babulal in Coimbatore. The hardest will be the clutch cover. If you are not able to source one let me know and I can frabicate a copy from the one I have.
I will be following your posts with interest. Best of luck!!
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Old 19th December 2012, 17:22   #8
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

Hello, here are a few pics of the M20 when I picked.
Attached Thumbnails
Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-100_3881.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-100_1247.jpg  

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Old 20th December 2012, 08:55   #9
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

Sweet! I was just in a painter's garage yesterday and saw his nicely maintained/restored BSA. I didn't get the model but will try to take a few snaps next time I'm around his place. I did notice that his BSA had an external mounted Lucas speedo; was very cool.
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Old 30th December 2012, 19:58   #10
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

Quote:
Originally Posted by lockheed View Post
Hello,

Congratulations on the New M20. Good to know that another classic is being brought back to life. I did acquire a M20 in more or less the same condition. The rear rigid frame was modified to a swing arm and the tank was cut into 2 so that it was petrol for starting and kerosene for running.
It took me 2 years to make this run and is still ongoing.
It is definitely difficult to restore but not impossible. Please do let me know if I can be of any help.
Thanks !! As you can see from the above posted pics, the frame is "completely" modified to a bullet one. The worst part is that the bike was having a diesel engine when we rescued her. Hence most of the modifications to the frame have been made keeping in mind that the bullet had a diesel engine.

As you mentioned it is definitely difficult to restore but not impossible. Currently we are in the process of stripping down the bike and making an audit as to what parts of the original BSA are left with us. Since most of the parts have already been converted to a bullet.

I would request you to kindly help us out with any diagrams / reference pics if possible so that we too can makeout what is BSA and what is Bullet.

Thanks in advance for the help.
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Old 30th December 2012, 20:34   #11
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

Quote:
Originally Posted by Collector View Post
That is almost certainly a WD model and could be from 1945 up to 1949. These came with girder forks.You can get it back to original specs [with difficulty where it comes to the Girder forks, now rarer than hens teeth]
Engine ,GB,Clutch wont be too hard. Nasikwala in Mumbai still has some spares as does Babulal in Coimbatore. The hardest will be the clutch cover. If you are not able to source one let me know and I can frabicate a copy from the one I have.
I will be following your posts with interest. Best of luck!!
You are bang on !! These came with girder forks and unfortunately our bike doesn't have any.

All I can say is that the engine is untouched and some other parts on the bike are still BSA. Could you please provide us with any contact details of Nasikwala in Mumbai? Right now we are making a list of items that we need to source for the bike.

Also, any idea where we could get any chassis design and other such designs of the bike?
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Old 31st December 2012, 10:57   #12
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

I do not have any contact for Nasikwalla but I am sure any mechanic in Mumbai would be able to direct you.If you send me your e mail I will scan and send you a workshop manual for the M20.You will be able to source a complete or even a half frame from Hyderabad. I will be going there in january and will make some inquiries and pass on any useful contact details I can get.
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Old 4th January 2013, 07:28   #13
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

Update as on New year 2013:

The bike is now further dismantled and is now sitting duck on the ground.

The wheels have been removed and we managed to open the engine upto some extent.

Posting pictures of the current avatar of the bike.
Attached Thumbnails
Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-img01566201212301536.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-img01567201212301540.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-img01565201212301536.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-img01568201212301541.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-img01564201212301535.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-img01513201212211711.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-img01512201212211710.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-img01520201212211758.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-img01521201212211758.jpg  

Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV-img01516201212211726.jpg  

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Old 4th January 2013, 13:02   #14
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

Are those mechanics in the second pic?? And are they trying to pry apart the Magneto with screwdrivers before removing the points and the advance/retard control and the screws?? Believe me if these guys are your "mechanics" then you are in for a lot of dissapointment.
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Old 7th January 2013, 10:06   #15
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Re: Bringing Back to Life : BSA M20 - 500cc SV

Quote:
Originally Posted by 350biker View Post
Update as on New year 2013:
Oh no no no! Screwdriver as prise/lever and pliers as mallet! This will go very wrong very soon!

You need to tear this bike down part by part with proper tools! Most parts will be carefully salvaged for re-assembly, so putting monkey-mechanics on the job is not the way to go about it! Please do stop and reassess the situation.
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