Pre-WW2 BSA, something of a diamond in the rough I believe

[Mark Manley]

Lovely bike
The saddle is making my eyes water

Horrible isn't it? The seller had listed a Brooks Saddle as a feature but it should have a B17 not that one from the 1970s.

 

[Mark Manley]

A nice find Mark, I'm scrabbling the find the two mid 1930s BSA and Raleigh catalogues. Bear with me.
A Golden Vase is another possible.

Thank you, the Gold Vase is almost identical but the rear mudguard stays went down to the rear dropouts on that model.

 

[Mark Manley]

The decals seem to be the same across the years with the head tube and seat post tube ones being available from Lloyds. I will try and remove some of the brushed on paint and see if any of the originals are there.

 

[Jonny69]

Link to the 1938 BSA catalogue if you haven’t seen it: https://oldbike.wordpress.com/1938-bsa-catalogue/

You’re right that yours is earlier than this. The head clip headset is the giveaway, as by 1938 they had threaded headsets. However, that catalogue has all the models.

Good spot with the raised mudgard mount positions - that will definitely help identify the model.

Do your Lauterwasser bars have chrome under the black paint? If not, they might be off a later bike. I’m pretty sure the earlier ones were chromed. If it’s an Opperman, I don’t think those bars belong with it anyway. Lauterwasser bars came on the Sports models.

Have you got a better close-up picture of the head tube and lugs?

 

[Mark Manley]

I am an early riser but this morning I was like a kid on Christmas day unwrapping presents but stripping a bike instead, it all came apart surprisingly easy although most thing had been soaking in plus gas overnight. The first thing I did was weigh the frame with the usual balance I use for bikes, the second was to put it on some scales as I thought the balance was faulty but they agreed at just over 1.7 KG which is incredible for a 90 year old bike and I am sure lighter than the RRA frame I had which was the same size.

 

[Mark Manley]

Link to the 1938 BSA catalogue if you haven’t seen it: https://oldbike.wordpress.com/1938-bsa-catalogue/

You’re right that yours is earlier than this. The head clip headset is the giveaway, as by 1938 they had threaded headsets. However, that catalogue has all the models.

Good spot with the raised mudgard mount positions - that will definitely help identify the model.

Do your Lauterwasser bars have chrome under the black paint? If not, they might be off a later bike. I’m pretty sure the earlier ones were chromed. If it’s an Opperman, I don’t think those bars belong with it anyway. Lauterwasser bars came on the Sports models.

Have you got a better close-up picture of the head tube and lugs?

I don't think they were ever chromed but had been powder coated at some point, the stem and seat post are also steel.

The forks, rear dropouts are chromed and the original buyer also paid the extra 10 bob to have the head tube lugs chromed.

I have stripped back the paint on the BB, top of the seat post tube and rear dropout and no sign of a frame number or one having been removed.

I see tweed in my future.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

I don't think they were ever chromed but had been powder coated at some point, the stem and seat post are also steel.

The forks, rear dropouts are chromed and the original buyer also paid the extra 10 bob to have the head tube lugs chromed.

I have stripped back the paint on the BB, top of the seat post tube and rear dropout and no sign of a frame number or one having been removed.

I see tweed in my future.

View attachment 985332

Is it on the seat lug? Edit, your fork crown seems to match the above picture, but looks different to the Oppy model in the earlier link. Either way it's lovely. It would be interesting to see if your steerer was marked A&P, Accles and Pollock.

 

[bikeworkshop]

I don't think they were ever chromed but had been powder coated at some point, the stem and seat post are also steel.

The forks, rear dropouts are chromed and the original buyer also paid the extra 10 bob to have the head tube lugs chromed.

I have stripped back the paint on the BB, top of the seat post tube and rear dropout and no sign of a frame number or one having been removed.

I see tweed in my future.

View attachment 985332

I trust you have the appropriate Mamit* outfit?

*middle aged man in tweed

 

[Mark Manley]

Is it on the seat lug? Edit, your fork crown seems to match the above picture, but looks different to the Oppy model in the earlier link. Either way it's lovely. It would be interesting to see if your steerer was marked A&P, Accles and Pollock.

There seem to be several variations, I have collected every photo I can find and have seen three different fork crowns and pump positions and two different lugs used. There are just three numbers 480 on the steering stem.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

There seem to be several variations, I have collected every photo I can find and have seen three different fork crowns and pump positions and two different lugs used. There are just three numbers 480 on the steering stem.

Be nice if 480 turns up somewhere on the frame.