Hi All,
Another serial number oddity.
I have a BSA Parabike frame to restore.
The oddity is the serial number. I've always read and been told that they start with an R. Recently I carried out a survey of 150 known serial numbers for these bikes, and 149 of them do start with an R.
This one does not, it starts with a T. It's plain from the photo and comparison with my other bikes that this is not a light or mis-stamping of an R.
Here is one from only 1500 frames later, where the number is the standard R type.
I've asked around, and no-one seems to know why. (if you do, please let me know).
So, I'll float a theory for you to shoot at.
Bicycle manufacturers commonly used the frame code to date their bicycle to year or even month of production.
The serial number system for BSA bicycles is not currently known, and I cannot find enough known date examples to start to decode it. However, it is known that 'Parabikes' started manufacture in 1942, probably at R1000, and just counted upwards into the R70000's by end of production in 1943.
Using letters for date codes, it is common to omit I, O and S, since they resemble the numbers 1, 0 and 5 (Seiko cleverly date their watches by month 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0,N,D, so the 0 is for October!). Perhaps in January 1943, the person stamping the frames realised that, since it was a new year, it was normal to start a new letter block for frames, not S, the natural follow on from R, for the reason of possible confusion given, but T. They then continued stamping frames for a short time until someone confirmed that there should be no letter change for bikes on this contract, so reverted to R.
Sounds far fetched? I agree I will probably never know, but here is a supporting piece of information. The US Military Westfield Columbia G519 bicycles were were produced from late 1941 to early 1944. In 41 the year code was F and in 42, G. 43 and 44 should have been H and I or J. In fact all army military contract bikes remained as G for 42-43 (with an M stamped in front). When normal production resumed in 45, bikes were coded J.
If you've got this far, thanks for persevering. I would be interested in other ideas, or other BSA parabikes stamped T. If the idea was correct, it would show us where production was at the end of 42, not currently known.
Or perhaps it's just a mistake (-:
Best Regards,
Adrian