Help dating a (very) old BSA

[stuartp]

Hello all,

Thanks for accepting me.

My wife bought this vintage BSA years ago, and we have kept it going since.
We think it’s from the ‘20s but that is based purely on guess work, is there a more accurate way to date it from the frame number or markings.

Oh and apologise in advance for the bag & basket, but what can you do…

TIA,

Stuart.

 

[Jonny69]

Hi, it’s not 20s. BSA and many others made town bikes like these with stirrup brakes pretty much identically from the late 30s right into the 70s. Raleigh swallowed up a lot of brands like BSA in the late 50s. I had a late 70s Triumph built by the Raleigh group which looked almost identical.

I’m not an expert on these but I’m tempted to say it’s not 1940s or earlier because it’s got an open chaincase. The frame number on the seat clamp sort of looks like a Raleigh number and the W would suggest it was built at the Worksop factory. If it’s a Raleigh number, it’ll be after 1957. The BSA logo on the bottom bracket shell also looks later, but again I’m not an expert. Someone else would have to confirm.

Has it got a Sturmey Archer at the back? They have a date code and it’s usually the quickest way to put a date on it.