Another Bsa Thread With Questions...

[jonkuto]

Thanks in advance for everyone's input to this thread. After searching the web the last week and coming up with nothing, I thought I should post my questions here. I Purchased last weekend in Austria a 1940's BSA bicycle (the seller came from Italy). The bike has an identical frame to the ever popular BSA airborne folding bicycles with the main exception that it is not fold-able. The only bike that I found that resembles it, is the BSA paratroop Model 904ACP, but not that many similarities

https://bsamuseum.wordpress.com/1946-bsa-paratroop-model-904acp-american-export-model/

My bike does have holes where fenders would have been attached and also holes on the top left side of the frame where the brake cable would have ran through towards the rear wheel. I do know that most (all) of the parts on the bike are false - and I will be slowly trying to acquire all the correct parts - I started this thread to only approach the frame. The frame number is - R13244 and is located on the left rear dropout. If anyone needs more photos, please let me know. Thanks again in advance for any and all input! - Jon

 

[Wing Your Heel]

Jon, I've only ever come across the BSA 904ACP using the same frame in that era but being a non-folder. Your frame appears identical to it, painted green with random components.
If I remember next time i go to my storage I'll have a look for the frame number on the 904ACP. I forgot to look when i made the page that you've referenced. It would be interesting if they share the 'R' prefix, suggesting they could have been made at the same time, and that could be why they were the first bicycles to be available for sale by BSA when peacetime production resumed.
Colin

 

[jonkuto]

Thank you Colin! The seller thought the bike might have been used by a general - or a higher up - that wouldn't have needed the folding option. Your help is greatly appreciated! - jon

 

[jonkuto]

Here's a photo of the frame number for reference - and also some photos of some markings I found on the bottom bracket

 

[Wing Your Heel]

Here's the frame number of the BSA ACP. It has an 'E' prefix. So yours is different.
As yours does not fold, there's no reason why it would have been originally made with folding handlebar or sliding pedals. So the parts you have on it are as good as anything else you might put on it.
If it was made during WW2 for general use, it would most likely have been for the home front, eg airfield hack. The fact it was made before war's end makes it a prototype for what later became the 904 ACP.
Colin

 

[jonkuto]

Thank you for the photograph for comparison. Would that make this bike extremely rare? Any idea what the markings on the bottom bracket could be?

 

[Donald Rowe]

I have just rescued this bike today and it seems to be the same as the one you have not sure of its age or if it has value...its

not a parabike

 

[Mercian]

Hi Donald,

It's not the same as the first one in this thread, which is a wartime frame, but is a 1946 BSA 904 ACP, as in the link below:

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/bsa-paratrooper-model-904acp.125980/

What is the frame number (on the rear dropout), or tell us just the letter in fromt if you prefer.

Thanks,

Adrian

 

[Mercian]

@jonkuto Hi, did you ever finish this bike? It is close in frame number to one I'm working on at the moment, see here:

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/bsa-parabike-with-odd-t-frame-number.138868/

Best Regards,

Adrian

 

[Donald Rowe]

Hi Donald,

It's not the same as the first one in this thread, which is a wartime frame, but is a 1946 BSA 904 ACP, as in the link below:

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/bsa-paratrooper-model-904acp.125980/

What is the frame number (on the rear dropout), or tell us just the letter in fromt if you prefer.

Thanks,

Adrian

Hi Donald,

It's not the same as the first one in this thread, which is a wartime frame, but is a 1946 BSA 904 ACP, as in the link below:

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/bsa-paratrooper-model-904acp.125980/

What is the frame number (on the rear dropout), or tell us just the letter in fromt if you prefer.

Thanks,

Adrian