BSA Racing Bicycle with Wood Rims, I could use your educated help, please.

[corbettclassics]

And now it's on eBay …...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-1900s...625?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f42aba069

 

[Freqman1]

I own an antique store, but bicycles is not where most of my knowledge lies. I was picking a gentlemans home who has one of the nicest collections of classic cars, motorcycles and toys you will ever see. While there I stumbled on this wonderful bicycle. It is for sales as soon as I determine a fair market value . I will appreciate all the feedback I can receive. I will also post it here first for users of this site to have first opportunity to purchase. Thanks for the input.

Uuuhh ok???? Didn't see it posted here before it hit Ebay though?

 

[bass4cash]

Upon closer examination I also agree with the others - I think you can see the slight differences based on the pictures below. Best of luck to you! BSA Parts are still fairly easy to obtain here.

View attachment 183929

Another Cabe link to a 1927 BSA special racer

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?29829-1928-BSA-Special-Road-Racer

1920/21 BSA Cat.
http://oldbike.wordpress.com/12-19201921-bsa-brochure/

More info

https://bsaownermuseum.wordpress.com/bsa-sersan-mayor/

I really appreciate this picture. If you put the picture of my bicycle side by side with the pictured provided in this link, they appear identical, minus the handlebars. Could those be a style of a different year model or an add-on to their bikes?

 

[bass4cash]

Uuuhh ok???? Didn't see it posted here before it hit Ebay though?

I have been responding directly to the people that have expressed an interest in the bicycle, sir, but you are correct, I have not posted it here as of yet. I have offered it to people on this site for less than what the price is on Ebay because of the help that has been provided. Thanks for noticing

 

[Freqman1]

I have been responding directly to the people that have expressed an interest in the bicycle, sir, but you are correct, I have not posted it here as of yet. I have offered it to people on this site for less than what the price is on Ebay because of the help that has been provided. Thanks for noticing

Sorry if I came across as snide but more than a few times folks have come to the site and after they had mined all the info they needed they didn't even give the people that helped them a chance. Glad to hear that you honored your word and good luck with the sale. V/r Shawn

 

[bass4cash]

Sorry if I came across as snide but more than a few times folks have come to the site and after they had mined all the info they needed they didn't even give the people that helped them a chance. Glad to hear that you honored your word and good luck with the sale. V/r Shawn

Not a problem at all. I am honoring my word. I was posting quite a few pieces on Ebay today and I included the bicycle while I was at it. I am currently working on the post for this site and I do truly appreciate the input from it's members.

 

[corbettclassics]

I really appreciate this picture. If you put the picture of my bicycle side by side with the pictured provided in this link, they appear identical, minus the handlebars. Could those be a style of a different year model or an add-on to their bikes?View attachment 183991View attachment 183992

For me, the yellow bike looks nothing like bike in the picture. I think there is an illusion because it appears
to have the same sort of angles. So, I can see why you might think it looks identical .. BUT >

> The bike in the picture has a fork crown and the yellow bike doesn't.

> The bike in the picture has lugs and the yellow bike doesn't.

> The bike in the picture has a separate seat cluster bolt off the seat stay lug and the yellow bike doesn't.

For me - totally different bike and the yellow bike doesn't resemble it in any way.

Here is my old BSA (?) that looks more like the picture - lugs, fork crown etc ( same sort of angles too )

 

[bass4cash]

For me, the yellow bike looks nothing like bike in the picture. I think there is an illusion because it appears
to have the same sort of angles. So, I can see why you might think it looks identical .. BUT >

> The bike in the picture has a fork crown and the yellow bike doesn't.

> The bike in the picture has lugs and the yellow bike doesn't.

> The bike in the picture has a separate seat cluster bolt off the seat stay lug and the yellow bike doesn't.

For me - totally different bike and the yellow bike doesn't resemble it in any way.

Here is my old BSA (?) that looks more like the picture - lugs, fork crown etc ( same sort of angles too )

View attachment 184014

View attachment 184015

Looks like we have the same handlebars. Any chance that there were different models or design changes throughout the years? Quite a bit of similarities. The seat is one thing I do not think is original to the bike. But I am certainly realizing that there are lots of little nuances in bikes that someone like me would not notice. Thanks again.

 

[Gordon]

and Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/listing/214577...cycle&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

 

[barracuda]

I'm glad this thread came to be. "Is it a BSA?" is a question that arises often in terms of vintage track bikes, and I have yet to see conclusive answers, at least in terms of definitive production characteristics which could be used as identifiers. It has been my assumption that virtually all BSA pre wars are lugged in one way or another. I know that the bottom brackets often carried raised lettering:

... but I couldn't put a time period on the use of this marking. And didn't BSA produce and sell lugging to independent frame builders, along with their ubiquitous componentry?

I think the OP's bike is a great looking racer. I don't think I've ever seen a racing number affixed in that manner. I just wish there was a decent set of catalogues or year-by-year compendium of BSA's racing output, but as with many aspects of racing bicycle history, the vast majority of these bikes were made by small craftsmen as customs or one-offs without much in the way of provenance to help us.