Trying to Identify the bike my Gran used to have back in the 40's

[Sandscorcher]

I'd like to work out what bike my gran had back aroing the 1940's

[kitcrazy]

could be a HRD or a matchless silver arrow both had gear selectors like that.

[caretaker]

i'm guessing raleigh because of the use of inverted levers and the top mount for the front mudguard.

[mickvp]

id say a raleigh as well. looks like a raleigh 500?

[kitcrazy]

so did the OK-supreme road knight think that had a jap engine

[chaz]

Looks like it may be a twin or twinport twostroke as the exhaust looks to be in the barrel?  as the others have said might be a Raleigh, I was looking at a 250 twinport twostroke at the classic bike show? at Goole last Sunday.

You could spend a few hours on Google images looking?  you might find a match...... hand gear change.. lever.... etc. but there were dozens of bike makers back then, good look................

[adeejaysdelight]

You gran is a legend mate  :thumbup

[darrsi]

As above, looks pretty damn close to me!

[Dave48]

Saddle tank, hand gearchange, inverted levers, girder forks- deffo a pre-war bike,- but that hardly narrows the field as we had a booming bike industry back then. No civilian bikes built after about 1941-apart from low powered autocycles for essential users. Nice pic-shame there aren't any more showing side view of machine but I guess the photographer was trying to capture your gran rather than the bike! At a guess Id say 1930s as flat tanks were mostly gone by then & electric lighting had replaced acetylene lamps. Do you know whether your Gran rode much?

[fazersharp]

Had a go at enhancing if for you

[kitcrazy]

could be?

[caretaker]

i used to be into the vintage thing years ago and had a 39 panther 250. i used to buy 'classic motorcycle' magazine and you would get photos sent in with very little detail, and the editor at the time, the late great bob currie would almost always identify the bike. happy times.

[snapper]

caretaker ! pics please pretty please !

[caretaker]

not much in the way of pics i'm afraid. the panther had to go as an unfinished project due to my son's education costs.

then we had to finance his uni costs which meant getting rid of these two


i hope he'll pay me back some day.

[Sandscorcher]

Thanks for the replies,
As far as I can see from a google image search it seems more likely to be a Raleigh.
Dad tels me that gran quite liked her bikes so guess she did a good bit of riding around Northumberland.

[kitcrazy]

thats one cool lady :thumbup

[snapper]

sorry people not trying to hijack the thread but , Caretaker are you on face book ? if so
https://www.facebook.com/tony.hasler.50?...553580477/

[Deefer666]

That is a 1935 Triumph 5/4 500 OHV 2 Port

[Dave48]

If the registration letters are "CN" her bike was registered in Gateshead.

[caretaker]

snapper, i'm not on facebook but i still follow the antics of the panther boys.