# WW2 Bsa Paratrooper Bike



## Jbeer1212 (Mar 8, 2020)

Here is a pretty complete and original BSA Para-bike.  I think the paint is original too.  The only things off are the grips and the seat from what I can tell.
I wonder what the reflective tape is designating, has anyone seen this before?
I am helping a friend sell it so I intend to list it, but first thought I'd see what opinions folks had.


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## Jbeer1212 (Mar 8, 2020)

Just a few more.


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## ChadC (Mar 8, 2020)

Can't help with the tape, but a beautiful bike!


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## Land O' Aches (Mar 8, 2020)

Sometimes tape is just tape - as in “don’t run me over” tape. The seats wrong, that’s gonna be a bitch to find. Handlebar grips, same deal, but worth the struggle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Robertriley (Mar 8, 2020)

Repop grips are out there.  About $60 a pop


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## Jbeer1212 (Mar 9, 2020)

ChadC said:


> Can't help with the tape, but a beautiful bike!



Thanks!  I wish she was mine.


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## Jbeer1212 (Mar 9, 2020)

Land O' Aches said:


> Sometimes tape is just tape - as in “don’t run me over” tape. The seats wrong, that’s gonna be a bitch to find. Handlebar grips, same deal, but worth the struggle.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Yeah... I think I will leave the seat and grips to the purchaser.  If I owned it I would definitely find the seat, grips, and ideally tool kit and keeping it.  As for the tape I thought maybe the E related to company or something.


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## ChadC (Mar 9, 2020)

Ha. Lol. Not unusual for me  GLWS!!


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## Mercian (Mar 9, 2020)

Nice bike, more complete than most that turn up. Really only the saddle is the difficult bit, assuming the tape can be removed without damaging the paint.

As to the tape, some clue to it's origin could be when and where your friend got it. If it was from the Sears catalogue in the 1950's then it's likely to be a civilian addition. If he bought it fairly recently, it may be ex-Danish Army, who used them until recently, alongside thier own copies of it.






						BSA Airborne Parabikes
					

VeloSolo disc hub mount cogs and parts and accessories for singlespeed and fixed wheel bikes.  BSA Airborne Parabikes.



					www.velosolo.co.uk
				




Best Regards,

Adrian


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## Jbeer1212 (Mar 9, 2020)

Mercian said:


> Nice bike, more complete than most that turn up. Really only the saddle is the difficult bit, assuming the tape can be removed without damaging the paint.
> 
> As to the tape, some clue to it's origin could be when and where your friend got it. If it was from the Sears catalogue in the 1950's then it's likely to be a civilian addition. If he bought it fairly recently, it may be ex-Danish Army, who used them until recently, alongside thier own copies of it.
> 
> ...




Would a Danish model or Sears model have the BSA markings?   
The man he got it from, said his father brought it back from the war.  
 And as far as the tape is concerned 3M was producing a reflective tape as early as 1938 or 39 from what I understand.


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## Mercian (Mar 9, 2020)

Hi,

The Danish made ones, no, they are not marked BSA. But it sounds like this bike was obtained before they disposed of them, so it's unlikely to come from that source.

The vast majority of folding wartime BSA bikes are in the US, because they were imported post war, and sold through Sears. These did retain their BSA markings.

I agree the E seems to indicate that the tape is there for a purpose more than just highlighting an otherwise drab bike at night, but that history now seems lost.

Best Regards,

Adrian


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