Tom Allen outside No 21 Achnamara

Date Added: 13 May 2020 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1957 Picture No: 4710

The photograph is courtesy of Thomas Allen with assistance from Fiona Green and Patricia Russell.

Tom is on his brother’s motorcycle outside his parent’s home at No 21 Achnamara.

Perhaps someone will provide details of make and model for the motorcycle?

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Groups: Buildings in Forests, Forestry Areas

6 Comments

My brother Davy, who borrowed the bike from my brother Matthew thinks it was a Royal Enfield 350cc. Possible year built around 1950. I can't ask Matthew as he passed away several years ago. Matthew was a forestry worker for a time in Achnamara before moving to Lochgilphead with his friend Davy Dunbar to train as male nurses. Comment left on 18 May 2020 at 00:28 by Tommy Allen

Back in the early 1960s I owned a Royal Enfield 500cc silver bullet, alas it was plagued with a savage kick back when trying to start it, it was near impossible to get the timing exact. This was done by moving cogs around inside the engine casing - many tried and failed. Comment left on 18 May 2020 at 11:19 by leslie phillip

The Bike in the picture is a BSA B31 or BSA B33 of late forties early fifties vintage,
The B31 was a 350 cc and the B33 was a 500cc. Comment left on 18 May 2020 at 19:36 by David McQuillan

I agree with David McQuillan. Definitely BSA and because of the 'L' plate and the size of the cylinder and cylinder head, I would think it a B31 350cc, rather than a B33 500cc engine. The machine appears to be in nice clean condition and with the rigid back end and telescopic front forks it indicates that it was built between 1945, first year of production and 1948. In 1949 a plunger suspension was added to the rear of the bike for added comfort. With wear to the plungers, the handling becomes 'interesting'! The registration number indicates that the machine was originally registered in Nottinghamshire and the current DVLA database does not include the registration number shown in the image on the machine. It has likely been broken for spares/scrapped long ago. I would much rather own and ride one of these now than the current Indian Royal Enfield machines. Regards, Bill Comment left on 18 May 2020 at 23:10 by Bill Rayner

My brother Davy has confirmed that you are both correct - it was a BSA B31 350cc. Well, it was fun doing the research. Comment left on 19 May 2020 at 01:01 by Tommy Allen

I was one of the summer blow-ins at the residential school in the 60's. We came from Glasgow to sail every July and it was paradise. I remember we found a motorbike frame with wheels, but sans engine, and played at running down the drive onto the main road. Could it be the same one?
Still have a motorbike but sadly no boat!
Loving these stories. Fond memories of the "trading post". Comment left on 04 August 2020 at 15:04 by david hanley

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