Is this an A7 or C model bike

[RichardL]

Well, I think it is established, via Brian, that it is a great deal of C11, if not a great deal. Maybe, once you get it, you'll find the engine to be some rare thing that might bring a fair return. From the bit of browsing I've done, maybe it's a bastardized Villiers older than the frame and with a.bunch of broken fins. It's really hard to explain those fins if they are not broken (but, as in so many things, I'm no expert in Villiers)
.
If the engine is not valuable, and the bike can't transmorgrify to an A7, maybe it will start with minor work and you have a rat rod.to play around on. I'm finding it hard to imagine spending the time and money to restore it to a really nice C11, but others may know better and say it's a good idea.

Sorry, if I've over-chatted on this with ideas you've long-since had yourself.

Richard L.

[rocket man]

200 pounds is not a lot , i think it will cast you a lot more in the long run to put right you could always dismantle it and sell the parts as spares that way you could get your money back and maybe a bit more good luck with it eanyway i dont think you could pick up a good bike for that,i suppose we all have to start someware.

[beezalex]

Looks to me like a C11G with the front downtubes modified to accommodate the central exhaust port on the 2-smoke motor.  Looks like the entire chassis is C11G save the frame modifications as well as the gearbox.  The motor looks like an early villiers unit with some bizzarr-o top end on it.

[Brian]

I find it quite distressing that someone could even think about putting a Villiers motor in a BSA. I think we should find who did this and lynch them ! I have a particular hatred for Villiers products that goes back to when I was 12 years old and to this day ( 40 years later ) I refuse to have anything made by Villiers in my shed !!!!

[tombeau]

Brian. When you're ready to share we'll all be here for you.

It's a "special" made from the finest components available.
We shouldn't be so dismissive, remember there was a time when these things were completely worthless
I like the cylinder fins, they remind me of a stack of pancakes in a Richard Scarry book.
Cheers,
Iain

[olev]

Brian,
I own a cotton vulcan sports with a villiers 9e engine. It is my favourite motorcycle. (This may change when the star twin is finished). I have a greater afinity with this little bike than the A65 or the string of matchless' or even the velo venom I used to own. It is literally bursting with character and charm. Having said all that it has an alpha bottom end, a greeves head and barrel, a yamaha it175 alternator (rewound for 12v) cd ignition and a mikuni carburettor. at least the cases and covers are original. I must remember not to park it anywhere near you or your fisher friends.
wrt Jayce's bike, I'm not sure the motor is villiers. The only villiers after market kit with full horizontal fins, that I'm aware of, was an ajax and like most villiers engines had an angled exhaust which missed a single down tube frame. If its a villiers it will be unique unless its out of an outboard. mz also made one but it didn't look like this.
cheers
ps: maybe you are right - the engine is out of the cotton at present?

[tombeau]

Its got to be worth it as a conversation piesce.
Look how much mileage we've got out of it.
Cheers,
Iain

[Jayce Lane]

Well gentlemen

Most of the recent comments have been entertaining... some have been disheartening.  Seeing that this was going to be my first restore, there would have been two reasons for me doing it:

1. Just for the enjoyment of taking something totally delapidated and turning it into something new
2. Restore it so I could resell it for a profit

Luckily for the sake of my sanity going forward, I am doing it for the first reason. Furthermore, I feel classics should be ridden and seen so this was never going to be a concourse restore. To be honest, seeing that it would be my first restore, I would be completely sentimental and will most probably not sell it at all once done.  If the downtube is the only thing to worry about, then I am sure that today's welding techniques are somewhat further advanced than what they were 60 years ago and the quality of materials better.  So if it is mainly a C11G and this is confirmed by the frame numbers and no other evidence to the contrary arises, removing two downtubes should not be such a chore and I can find the rest of the missing bits.

As in a good murder mystery all will be revealed in good time and the plot will only thicken once I get my first look at it tomorrow night. 

I have no misconceptions on how long this will take and I am not in a rush, so I will bide my time and snatch up the bargain bits when they come along. 

So maybe I will end up with a C11G, maybe an A7 has a I have a swingarm frame with out the swingarm back home, or maybe some bizarre BSA combo cafe racer (courtesy Richard L)...  At the end of the day it will look good, I will ride it and I know the pure joy that I will experience when I take it for its first trundle down the road.

So gents thank you for your assistance to date, the activity of the forum and number of responses I always enjoy. 

Regards JAYCE

[rocket man]

its like a frankenstine film without the blood  where do you start in your case at the end  bit by bit it will be put to life again a rolling mystery ove engineering what will you call it when its finished a bsabittsa only joking good luck with it and may it bring a lot ove enjoyment to you

[beezalex]

Well...good on ya for doing this for the right reasons.  I pity the fool who tries to make money restoring C11's...

[Jayce Lane]

Dear All

It is a official.  I can now claim to be the proud owner of a 1955 C11g, with some modifications.  The frame number is a BC11S - 4965.  I can see where the centre downtube was cut off, two tubes welded along side, brought down to the bottom and welded onto the side of the engine mountings at the bottom.

Nothing that a little angle grinding can sort out.  First step is to weld a new centre down tube in place.  The engine, actually appears to be a home made job, castings and all and doubt worth anything.

Anyway looking forward to spending hours in the garage.  Got a thrill just sitting on the machine. :) l  Hopefully the enthusiasm will be maintained over the next 18 to 24 months.  Thank you once again for all your assistance.  Will continue posting on the C model forums, until I own a BSA A7 or A10 one day.

Regards

Jayce

[rocket man]

go for it mate enjoy getting your hands dirty