Orkney Image Library

There was a Velocette about belonging to your dad, but don't know if this is it, I have this pic somewhere too.. any pics of the dog with a cap on and a pair of glasses and maybe even a pipe in its mouth, there was one about somewhere..thinking this bike might not be the Velocette, near sure it had a Fishtail exhaust...

Hi June, I think it is a 1939 Matchless G2M/G2L probibally ex-military, but I might be wrong. There would have been a few left in Orkney after the war.

I would say it is a BSA. It is either a 250cc Model C10, which was made in 1939, 1939 and 1940 or 350 Model C12 which I think was only made in 1940. Both have side valve engines and although a similar C10 was made with girder forks in 1945/46 it had a separate oil tank rather than a oil compartment in the petrol tank as I think this one has. Also the type of tail lamp on this one was I think only made just before the war. They had col ignition and the small "distributor" which housed the points can be seen at the front of the engine.
There again!

After a bit more thought, think this is a BSA, all three brothers had bikes, and I remember a Velocette, a Rudge, and a BSA, think it will be this one

Looks like a BSA, definitely a side valve engine.

I think you will find that the m/cycle is a BSA m20 or 21 500cc or 600cc side valve . This is the m/cycle of choice for the Army etc if you couldn,t find a Vello, Norton or Matchbox. There tons sold as army surplus post war, but Beeza also still made civy ones into the 50,s. A vehicle definatly built not for speed.

M20 and M21 have much bigger bigger brake drums and rear one is on near side integral with rear sprocket. The C10 and C12 have separate drum on offside and lighter front forks as in one depicted here. The small coil ignition points unit is also visible here at the front of the engine, that was not used on the M20 as it had a magdyno.