What Year Is It?
Engine and frame numbers
Until 1968, BSA used a numbering system with a distinctive prefix for each type of machine, so it is easy to see if the engine and frame are from the same model or not. They then turned to a system using a dating code which was common to all models. The engine and frame number of the first arrangement seldom match, but may in some cases, while they should match in the second. Some engines carry extra letters such as P for police and He for high compression. The bulk of the numbers given are for postwar machines, but those applying to the wartime M20 are included. These machines were built with matching engine and frame numbers but when they underwent a Inajor service there was no attempt made to keep them together, so they seldom match now. Some data on the system used in the 1930s is included and also the series used by the Ariel Huntmaster 646 cc twin, in case you find one in your BSA frame. Prewar models From 1932-35 BSA used a system based on numbering the annual model range from 1 upward, plus a prefix letter for the model type. The engines during this period used a combination of a year letter and the range number. Thus for 1933 the range number began at 1 for the 249 cc side-valve single and ran up to 13 for the 1000 cc vee-twin.
Please check engine and frame numbers!
The first was thus the B33-1 and the lastthe G33-13, having been the G32-10 the year before and becoming the G34-14 the following year, when the range size increased. For 1936 the year numbers were left out, and from 1937 the system was amended. From then the engine and frame used the year letter followed by the model type and the actual number. This followed through for all engines, but the frames differed a little as some were used for more than one model so the one prefix was common to several. Thus the 1937 M20 numbers began from engine HM20-101 and frame HMI9101 with the same frame also being used by four other models. The year letters were: 1932=Z,1933=A,1934=B,1935=E,1936=D, 1937=H, 1938=J, 1939=K and 1940=W. Wartime models The wartime M20 models have a letter W prefix as used for the few 1940 machines which were built between the works returning from their annual holiday and the outbreak of war. Approximate dates of production are as follows: 1939 101-9719 1940 9720-27039 1941 27040-50549 1942 50550-70000 1943 70001-90000 1944 90001-110000 1945 110001 on
What· Year Is It? Postwar models 1945-69 Bantam Year Model 1949
1951 1952 1953
D1 D1 D1 D1 D1 D1 D1
Year
Model
1950
1954 1955
• Year
D1 D3 D1 D3
Dl D1 Dl D1 Dl D1 Dl D1
Vear
Model
1964· 1965 1966
Engine
Rigid frame
Spring frame
YD1-101 YDl-20001 YDl-40001 YDl-64oo1 BD2-101
YD1S-20001 YD1S-40001 YD1S-64oo1 BD2S-101
Rigid frame
Spring frame
BD2-14600 BDZ-14600 BD2-3470l BD2-34701
BD2S-146oo B02S-146OO BD2S-34701 BD2S-34701
B.tttry
Dirtd/ competition B0-101 BD3-101 DO-l01 BD3-5138
Model
1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963
1956 19S7 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963
Engine I..CRS WiPA~ UYD-101 YD-101 UY0-2oo01 UYDL-101 YD-20001 YDL-101 YDLl-3OO1 YDl-40001 YDl-63001 YDLl-8oo1 BD2L-101 BDz-101
BDB-101 BD3B-101 DDB-l01 BD3B-5138 Engine
Dirtd DD-480l DOD0-8577 DD-i0812 DD-1250l DD-14S01 DO-lS48l DO-16129
Plunger frame
Botttry DDB-330l DDBDDB-7849 DDB-10628 DDB-12501 DDB-14S01 DDB-164l3 DDB-17606
BD2S-55OOl BDzSBD2S-6SOOI BD2S-6758l BD2S-70S01 BD2S-7370l BD2S-76680 BD2S-78746
Engine
Dimt
Botttry
D3 D3 DS D7 D7 D7 D7 D7 D7 (Police) D7A (USA) D7 (Trail) D7 D7 (USA) D7 (Trail) D7 D7 (de luxe)
BD3-10401 BD3ED5-l0l E07-101 ED7-lS0I' ED7-3OO1 ED7-4501 ED7-5505
BD3B-12801 BD3BED5B-101 ED7B-10l ED7B-7ool ED7B-15501 ED7B-23OOl ED7B-26904 ED7BP-26904 ED7BA-26904
D7 Silver
FD7-101
ED7A-5505 ED7-5505 ED7-6887 ED7A-6887 E07-6887 ED7-9001 FD7-101
FD7-101 FD7A-101 F07-3001 FD7-9076 FD7-10127
SWing arm frame CD3-l0l CD3FD5-l0l 07-101 D7-810l D7-l840l D7-27450 07-33Z68 D7-33268 D7-33268 D7-33268T D7-384oo D7-384oo D7-384oo D7-42878 D7-49855 to 51960; GD7-l0l to 8616 D7-51320 to 51960; GD7-l0l to 8616
What Year Is It? Bantam Year Model 196'.7 010 OIOS Sports OloB Bushman 1968 01414 Supreme 01414S Sports 01414B Bushman 01414 Supreme 01414S Sports 01414B Bushman
Engine 010-101 OIOA-IOI OIOA-IOI 013B-IOI to 780 013B-IOI to 780 013C-IOI to 780 014B-781· 014B-781 014C-781
Swing arm frame 010-101 OIOA-IOI BOIOA-IOI 013B-IOI 013B-IOlS 013C-IOIB 014B-781 014B-781S D.14C-781B
C range
CI0 and CI1
•
Year 1946-47
CIO engine XCIO-IOI
1948 1949 1950 1951
YClo-lOI YCll-101 ZCIO-IOI ZCll-IOI ZCI0-4001 ZCll-SOOI ZCIO-7001 ZCll-16001 With four-speed gearbox ZCIO-lOOOI ZCll-25001 With four-speed gearbox BClO-101 BCll-101 With four-speed gearbox
1952 1953
Cll engine XCll-IOI
Rigid frame XCloG-IOI Girders XCloT-101 Telescopics YCIO-IOI ZCIO-IOI ZCIO-lOOOI ZCIO-21001
Spring frame
ZClOS-IOI ZCIOS4-101 ZCIOS-2601 ZCIOS4-2001 BCIOS-101 BCloS4-101
ZCIO-29001 BCIO-IOI
CIOL, CnG and CIl Year 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958
Model C10l CllG CnG (4-speed) C10l CllG CllG (4-speed) Clol C12 CIOl Cl2 C12
Engine BC10l-101 BCllG-101 BCllG-101 . BC10l-4001 BCllG-1l501 BCllG-1l501 BC10l-7001 BCllG-23001
Rigid frame BCll-IOI BCnR4-101 BCn-SOI BCllR4-501
BC10lBCllGBCllG-40001
Spring frame BC10lS-101 BCllS-IOI BCllS4-101 BC10lS-4501 BCnS-4001 BCllS4-8001 DC10S-101 EC12-101 BCllS4-18001 DCIOSECI2EC12-16001
Brange 831 and 833 Year 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955
B31 engine XB31-101 XB31-101 YB31-101 ZB31-101 ZB31-9001 ZB31-1SOO1 ZB31-21001 BB31-101 BB31-6001 BB31-6001 BB31-15001 BB31-15001
833 engine XB33-101 YB33-101 ZB33-101 ZB33-4001 ZB33-7001 ZB33-11001 BB33-101 BB33-2001 BB33-2001 BB33-5001 BB33-5001
Rigid frame XB31-101 XB31-101 YB31-101 ZB31-101 ZB31-9001 ZB31-14001 ZB31-19001 BB31-101 BB31-1386
Spring frame
ZB31S-101 ZB3IS-5001 ZB31S-IOOOI ZB31S-17001 BB31S-101 BB31S-5895 CB31-101 BB31S-12001 CB31-6001
What Year Is It?
•
8 range B31A.dB33 Year 831 engine B33 engine Rigid frame Spring fraine 1956· BB3l-2200l BB33-730l EB3l-l0l 1957 BB3lBB33EB3l1958 GB3l-l0l GB33-l0l FB3l-l0l 1959 GB3l-l909 GB33-662 FB3l-2572 1960 GB33-l00l GB33-l0l B32 A.d B34 Year B31engine B34 engille Rigid frame Spring frame 1946 XB32-l0l XB3l-l0l 1947 XB32-l0l XB34-l0l XB3l-l0l YB32-l0l YB34-l0l 1948 YB3l-l0l ZB32-l0l ZB34-l0l ZB3l-l0l 1949 ZB32-300l ZB34-200l 1950 ZB3l-900l ZB3lS-500l Alloy ZB32A-300l ZB34A-200l ZB3l-900l ZB3lS-500l ZB32-400l 1951 ZB34-300l ZB3l-l400l ZB3lS-l000l Alloy ZB32A-400l ZB34A-300l ZB3l-l400l ZB3lS-l000l ZB32-500l ZB34-400l ZB3lS-l700l 1952 ZB3l-l900l ZB3lS-l700l Alloy ZB32A-500l ZB3l-l900l ZB34A-400l ZB3l-l900l Sand cast ZB3lS-l700l Diecast ZB3lS-l700l ZB34A-500l ZB3l-l900l 1953 BB32A-lOl BB34A-lOl BB3l-l0l BB3lS-l0l 1954 BB32A-20l BB34A-20l BB32R-12 CB3l-l0l BB34A-30l 1955 BB32A-25l BB32A-20l 1956 BB32A-30l BB34A-35l CB34-l0l 1957 BB32ABB34ACB34Gold Star 83l and 834 Year B31 engine B34 engine Rigid frame Spring frame 1949 ZB32GS-lOl ZB34GS-lOl ZB3l-l0l ZB32S-l0l 1950 ZB32GS-200l ZB34GS-200l ZB3l-900l ZB32S-200l ZB34GS-300l 1951 ZB32GS-300l ZB3l-l400l ZB32S-300l ZB32S-400l 1952 ZB32GS-400l ZB3l-l900l ZB32S-400l Clubman ZB32GS-600l ZB3l-l900l Sand cast ZB34GS-400l ZB32S-400l ZB3l-l900l ZB34GS-500l ZB32S-400l Diecast Z83l-l900l BB32GS-lOl BB34GS-lOl 1953 BB3l-l0l BB32S-l0l BB32GS-lOl BB32A-lOl (Swing arm) BB34GS-lOl 1954 BB32GS-lOOl BB34GS-lOOl CB32-l0l CB32GS-lOl CB34GS-lOl CB32-l0l Daytona BB34GSD-lOl CB32D-lOl 1955 BB32GS-200l BB34GS~2001 CB32-l50l CB32GS-50l CB34GS-50l CB32-l50l . DB34GS-lOl DB32GS-lOl CB32-400l 1956 DB34GS-50l BB32R-30l B31 engine B34 engine Year B34 DBD engine Spring frame 1956 DBnGS-50l DB34GS-50l DBD34GS-200l CB32-400l 1951 DB32GSDB34GSDBD34GS-2963 CB321958 DBD34GS-300l CB32-700l Year 831 engine B34 engine Spring frame Catalina frame 1959 DBnGS-150l DBD34GS-3753 CB32-7873 CB32C-lOl 1960 DB32GS-160l DBD34GS-460l CB32-8701 CB32C-35l 1961 DB32GS-174l DBD34GS-5684 CB32-l0l0l CB32C-60l 1962 DB32GS-1794 DBD34GS-6504 CB32-1100l CB32C-74l 1963 DBD34GS-688l CB32-1145l CB32C-857 Notr:: Catali ... moJtls ..sttI499 " engine on'y.
What Year Is It? Mrange Year M20 engine MZ1 engine M33 engine Rigid frame 1946-47 XM20-101 XM21-101 XM20-101 . 1948 YM20-101 YM21-101 YM33-101 YM20-101 1949 ZM20-101 ZM21-101 ZM33-101 ZM20-101 1950 ZM20-4oo1 ZM21-SOO1 ZM33-3001 ZM20-7oo1 1951 ZM20-6001 ZM21-8oo1 ZM33-4oo1 ZM20-10001 1952 ZM20-1OOOl ZM21-1OOOl ZM33-SOO1 ZM20-14oo1 1953 BM20-101 BM21-101 BM33-101 BM20-101 1954 BM20-1OO1 BM21-1601 BM33-501 BM20-1S02 1955 BM20-2501 BM21-4501 BM33-1301 BM20-4001 1956 BM21-7S01 BM33-2101 BM20-7oo1 1957 BM21BM33BM201958 BM21-11oo1 BM20-1OO01 1959 BM21-12033 BM20-10313 1960 BM21-12901 BM20-10451 1961 BM21-14301 1962 BM21-15453 1963 BM21-15588 N.t" F.r 1961-63 somt M21 t.gi ... h.d ••• lttrMt.r {iUtd. WheT< this .,.,d.... engine number prt/iz .
Spring frame
ZM20S-101 ZM20S-301 BM20S-101 BM205-1l92 BM205-4001 BM205-8oo1 BM205BM205-11oo1 BM205-12031 BM205-12031 BM20S-14201 BM205-15061 BM205-15159
'ttl" A.,., .ddtd t. tht
• CIS range CIS engine Year 1959 C15-101 1960 C15-11oo1 C15-21251 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965
C15-29839 C15-41807 C150-101 C15F-101
1966 1967
C15F-2089 C1SG-101
SS80engine
C1555-101 Cl555-1101 C1555-2705 Cl555-3633 C15F55-101
Frame C15-101 .C15-11101 C15-22oo1 C15-27644 C15-31801 C15-38035 C15-42211 C15-4S501
Sportsman engine C1SF55-2oo1 C15-49OO1 C15G-101 C155G-101 C1s5G-101
C15 c.mpetition rAnge YearClS5 engine 1959 C155-101 1960 C155-301 1961 C155-2112 1962 C155-3101 1963 1964 1965
C155-4oo1 C155-4373 C15F5-101
ClSTenglne C15T-101 C15T-301 C15T-1056 Cl5T-1451 C15T-2oo1 Cl5T-2116 C15FT-101
Frame C155-101 Cl55-501 C155-2701 C155-3601 C155-1OOOl C15C-101 C15C-853 C15C-1601
Other C15 model. Yeu 1963 1964 1965 1967
CIS USA engine C15B-409 C150B-101 C15FB-101
C15 police engine C15P-41807 Cl50P-101 C15FP-101 C15PG-101
Frame C15-38035 CI5-42211 C15-45501 C15PG-101
What Year Is It? Year 1963
Pastoral engine C15T-1602
1964 1965
C15T-2116 C15FT-lOl
Year 1963 1964 1965
CIS St....Hre C15-41807 . C15SR.-225 C1SFSR-101
CIS Racer
Frame C15A-137 C15S-4123 C15E-l01 C15E-136
C15R-10l
B40, C1S, B1S and Year 840 engine 1961 B40-101 1962 B40-3601 1963 B40-4506 1964 B40-5275 1965 B40F-101 1966 B40F-1l49 B4oG-101 1967 B4oG-201
Frame
CIS Trials Cat
ClSC-101 ClSC-8S3 C15C-1601
C15FT-101 844 ranges SS90engine B40BSS-l01 840SS-180 B40S5-426 B40FSS-I01
Frame B40-10l B40-3511 B40-5017 B40-6668 B40-7775 B40-9973 B40-9973 B4oG-201
Please check engine and frame numbers!
• Model B40 (USA) B40 (Police) B40 Super Star B40 Sportsman B40 Enduro Star B40 Rough Rider C25 B25 B44GP B44VE B44VR B44SS B44VS
Year 1963 1964 1965 1964 1965 1964 1965 1969 1967 1967 1968 1966 1967 1966 1967 1967 1968 1968
Engine B408-563 B40P-5275 B40FP-101 B40B-1088 B40F8-101 B40T-143 B40FE-101 HCB40-462M C25-101 C25-101 B25B"101 B44-101 B44-131 B44E-101 B44EA-101 B44R-101 B44B-101 B44B-101
Seml- and pre-unitlwlns Year A7 engine A7ST engine 1947 XA7-101 1948 YA7-101 1949 ZA7-101 ZA7S-101 1950 ZA7-7001 ZA7S-4001 AA7S-101 1951 AA7-101 1952 AA7-5001 AA75-1001 BA7S-101 1953 BA7-101 1954 BA7-200l BA7S-2001 1955 1956 1957
Frame B40-5017 B40-6668 B40-7775 B40-6668 B40-7775 C15C-853 C15C-1601 HCB40-462M C25-101 B25-101 B25B-101 B44-101 B44-267 C15C-3137 B44EA-101 B44R-101 B448-101SS B44B-101VS
AIOenglne
ZA10-101 ZA10-4001 ZA10-12001 BAIO-101 BAI0-7001 BAIo-11001 BA10-14001 BAIo-16036 (Last)
Rigid frame XA7-101 YA7-101 ZA7-101 ZA7-4001 ZA7-6001 ZA7-8001 BA7-101
Plunger frame ZA7S-101 ZA7S-6001 ZA7S-14001 ZA7S-26001 BA75-101 BA7S-89SO BA75-15001 BA7S-18001 BA7S-20289
What Year Is It? Swing arm A10 engine A10RR engine frame 19S4 CAIO-101 CAIOR-IOI CA7-101 CAIO-4S01 CAIOR-601 CA7-7001 - 19S5 19S6 CAIO-SOOI CA10R-2001 EA7-l01 19S7 CAIO- . CAIOREA719S5 DAI0-6S1 CAlOR-6001 FA7-101 19S9 DAIO-4616 CAIOR-SI93 FA7-SS22 1960 DAIO-7S01 DAIOR-IOI GA7-10l 1961 DAlO-l3201 DA10R-3001 GA7-11101 1962 DAIO-I71S1 DAIOR-S9SS GA7-21120 1963 DAIO-17727 DAlOR-SI97 GA7-23643 Nole: From 1961 some engines wert filltd with an alfmrllfor and tilt tngi"' number prqix wou.ld 11.," haw a Itll" A ..dtd I. il. From 19581htsporls AIO modtl was Iht AIOSR. Year
•
A7 engine CA7-101 CA7-IS01 CA7-2701 CA7CA7-S001 CA7-SS67 CA7-7101 CA7-SS0l CA7-9714
A7SS engine CA7SS-101 CA7SS-S01 CA7SS-2301 CA7SSCA7SS-4S01 CA7SS-S42S CA7SS-6701 CA7SS-800l CA7SS-9277
AlO Super Flash, Spitfire and RGS Year Engine SF frome 19S3 BAlOS-IOI BAIO-IOI BAIOS-701 BAIOS-701 1954 1959 CAIOSR-776 DAIOSR-IOI 1960 1961 DAIOSR-401 1962 DAIOR-5958 1963 DAIOR-8197 Last RGS DAIOR-I0388 Unit twins Model ASO ASO (Police) A6S A6S (Police)
1962 ASO-IOI
1963 ASO-S23
A6S-101
A6S-1947
A6SR A6SR (Rev-counter) A6ST/R
Model above frame Above rod brake Model below frame AsOC (USA) A6SLlR A6SSH ASOCC(USA) ASOCand ASOCC (UK) A6SL and A6SLC Model ASO Royal Star ASOWasp A6S Thunderbolt A6S Lightning A6S Hornet A6S Firebird A6S Spitfire Frame number
ASO-lOl AsoA-IOl
ASO-228S ASO-2701
Spitfire frame FA7A-IOI GA7A-IOI GA7A-401 GA7A-536 GA7A-748
1964 ASOA-IOI ASOAP-lOI A6SA-IOI A6SAP-lOI A6SB-IOI A6SC-lOl A6SB-IOI ASO-SSOI ASOB-IOI ASOB-lOl A6SD-IOI A6SE-IOI
1966 ASOR-lOl ASOW-IOI A6ST-IOI A6SL-lOl A6SH-lOl
1967 ASoRA-lOl AsOWA-lOl A6STA-lOI A6SLA-IOI A6SHA-IOI
A6SS-10l ASOC-lOI
A6SSA-IOI As engine
RGSframe
GAIO-IOI GAIO-390 GAIO-1914 1965 AsOA-686 AsoAP-121 A6SA-1134
A6SAP-267 A6SB-334 A6SC-IOS2 ASO-S437 AsoB-400l ASOD-IOI A6SD-1742 A6SE-701 ASOB-S07 AsoDC-10l A6SDC-2ISS
1968 ASORB-lOl ASOWB-lOl A6STB-lOl A6SLB-lOI
1969 AsoRC-lOl
A6SFB-IOI A6SSB-10l As engine
A6SFC-lOI
A6STC-lOl A6SLC-lOI
As engine
What Year Is It? 1969 and later From 1969 on, a new coding system was used with a two-letter prefix for the month and model season year, followed by the mOdel code and a serial number. This last began each year at 00101 and ran on irrespective of the machine it went on. The model season year ran from August to July. The first letter was the month and the code was: E May K September A January B February G June N October H July C March P November J August X December o April
•
The second letter was the model year and the code was: C August 1968 to July 1969 o August 1969 to July 1970 E August 1970 to July 1971 G August 1971 to July 1972 H August 1972 to July 1973 Model codes were: 1969-70 0175, 0175B, B255, B4455, B44V5,A50R,A65T,A65L,A65~A75
19710175,B2555,B25T,A65F5 1971-72 B5055, B50T, A65T, A65L, A75, A75V 1971-73 B50MX 1972 A70L
Scooters Vear Single engine
Twin engine
1959 W101 1960 S-101 W3201 1961 S-6720 W11790 1962 S-11407 W17800 1963 .5-12498 W18485 1964 5-13263 1965 S-13576 Nof" Eltefric sf.rt ITDi.. h.d ItlftT E .dd'" fo
Frame 1018 4001 188008 301408 31825B 336618 343008
,ngin,
number. Dandy and Beagle Vear Dandy engine 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962
OSE-101 OSE-ll001 OSE-14462 OSE-17901 OSE-21651 OSE-22164
Vear
Beagle engine
K1 c I01 . 1964 1965 . Kl-3507
Oandyframe OS-101 OS-11501 OS-15165 OS-18001 OS-21801 OS-22268
Beagle frame K1-101 KI-3315
Ariel Huntmaster Vear Engine prefix 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 Last
. PI LF MLF NLF 2858 CNLF 4230 CNLF 5838 CNLF 6073
Please check engine and frame numbers!
