Mystery motorcycle

This isn't a commercial vehicle, but the range of knowledge in this group could well cover this too.
It is a crop of a photo which I am using for the Hume Hwy history, in a different thread.
What is the make/model/year of the motorcycle?
Just a year or era will help with the dating.
What you see behind it is Hume Hwy, but possibly before being named.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[img]http://home.pacific.net.au/~railnewsv/Glenrowan-north end-HumeHwy-VRphoto-motorcycle.jpg[/img]

Rod,

It is nice to know you think the forum members are geniuses. Front tyre and headlight on a 100 year old bike!

Will be interesting to see what the bikers come up with.

Lang

Rod,closest I can get is possibly an INDIAN POWERPLUS C.1915 .Its got the floorboards ,not pegs .And supports to the handlebars.Interesting fact is that it is left hand drive,would have made interesting overtaking for the passenger.
(I had a LHD Opel inthe UK ,I would know it was safe to pass if the wife did not scream)
Cheers Lyn

Mmmmmmm, footboards, slim profile, on a sidecar, I would guess an early vtwin BSA.

But thats a rank guess

My faith in genius knowlege is justified: excellent information, and prompt.
I suspect that the Indian theory fits the clues best, using details which would have escaped me: notably, sidecar on the right. Passing doesn't seem to have been an issue on the highway in that era. I didn't get far with the clothing, which is often a key clue.

I went to www.bsansw.org.au/history.htm . It concentrates on later eras, particularly for the V twin: much more substantial machines. BSA was in the field from 1910 (with other engines), and 1919 (with its own engines). My father's first motorbike, purchased new in the early 1930s, was a BSA. We have one photo in the family album.

For the purpose for which I asked the question, this photo could well be c1920, before the highway was declared as one. I don't know when improvements ( surfacing/widening) commenced. I have feelers out through railway groups: when did wigwags or flashing lights replace hand-worked wooden gates at this important and busy crossing? The one south of Glenrowan was fitted at some stage after 1923.

Hopefully, the next Hume chapter will be up tomorrow.
Meanwhile, anything extra added to this thread will still be of interest for many.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Rod,if this comes out twice I appologise its my computer skills.
1st BSA two wheeled machine produced in1903(Minerva engined)
1st all BSA machine produced 7 years later.

To give this thread a commercial machine look I am adding a picture of an AA roadside assist mechanic in the 1950s

...the babe looks pretty....but what's with Mr Pumpkinhead?

not sure if any of these suit the bill.

Taken in Toodyay WA, Sept 2006









Trevor

You even spelled Toodyay correct SloSpeed.
I grew up there in the 70s.

Hi I think it is 1915and possibly not power plus , first power plus 1916. It has the solid linkages for throttle and advance and retard which 1917 was last year. Up to 1916 the front fork outer strut came to one bolt in middle and in 1917 went to two struts fixed to head brace. Up to 1915 they had inlet over exhaust valve arrangement and from 1916 went to double sidevalve.The sidecar appears to be genuine indian as it appears to have two paralel front conecting bars .Cheers