serial # registry

[Brandis]

I never quite got an answer before.  Someone mentioned that XA7 280 matching numbers would be one of the earliest survivors.  Got me thinking.  Is there a place I can go to find out who's older? Does the museum in Birmingham do that?

[CheeserBeezer]

The VMCC at Allen House have the original despatch books and should be able to provide full details of any BSA leaving Armoury Road.

[JulianS]

I am not aware of anyone who currently maintains a register of surviving XA7 series bikes. So perhaps an opening for a enthusiastic owner? The UK DVLA publish a load of statistics for UK registered machines but they would not distinguish between a500cc A7 from any other 500cc BSA model.

The factory despatch records for the XA7 series list the machines engine number first in ascending order. Frame number the engine was fitted into comes second but not in a strict ascending order and not reading the same as the engine number except for the XA7 prefix. The dates the macines left BSA is in the final column and the machines did not leave the factory in strict ascending order.

The first XA7 bikes left BSA in November 1946.

There are a lot of gaps in the record - of the first 500 XA7 engines around 120 are not shown fitted into a bike. Either for some reason they were not recorded or did not make it to the production line.

[Brandis]

Silly me.  I expected a simple answer. 
I can imagine that the first engines were not fitted, given the fact that BSA knew there were lube problems.  My engine, at 1200 miles had the 2 exhaust valve guides removed which says a lot.
And most of the 'innards' were gone.  So if the first 120 were never fitted, and numbering starts at 101, is my bike the 59th complete bike out of the factory? 
I can post a photo of the frame # but it is clearly 280 to match the engine. And it has the 'pogo stick' center stand that was (wisely) discontinued after # 300.
Well, maybe mysteries are more fun than answers.   
And, thanks again for everyone, for talking through the rebuilt.

[JulianS]

No I did not say that. I said "of the first 500 XA7 engines around 120 are not shown fitted into a bike". Around 120 in the first 500, not the first 120. I also said that the bikes did not leave the factory in strict ascending order.

If you want to know more about the bike, including when,and to where it was despatched you could apply for a dating certificate from the BSAOC.

[Rex]

BSA could be lax it seems. I have a 1951 Goldie which has a frame number in the middle of the run of frames for that year, but no record of where it went etc in the factory ledgers.