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LOT 252

c.1942 James 125cc Military Lightweight Motorcycle Registration no. HKA 235 Frame no. 5510 Engine no. AAA.24628A

Sold for £1,265 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 252

c.1942 James 125cc Military Lightweight Motorcycle
Registration no. HKA 235 Frame no. 5510 Engine no. AAA.24628A

c.1942 James 125cc Military Lightweight Motorcycle
Registration no. HKA 235
Frame no. 5510
Engine no. AAA.24628A

Intended for use by the British Army's airborne forces during WW2, James's famous Military Lightweight - it weighed around 150lb and was known as the 'Clockwork Mouse' - continued post-war as the civilian ML. James's factory at Greet in Birmingham was destroyed in an air raid in 1940 but was back in production by 1942 and had delivered a total of 6,040 ML models by the war's end. In military specification the ML featured a rear luggage rack, masked lighting, folding handlebars and footrests, and service livery.
Powered by a Villiers 9D single-cylinder two-stroke engine, the ML employed a rigid frame with bolted-on rear section and blade-type girder forks with central spring. The gearbox was a Villiers three-speeder with tank-mounted hand 'change, while a single sprung saddle and rear luggage carrier were standard equipment also. The model was superseded by the James Comet at the end of 1948.

First registered in August 1946, this military-liveried ML is offered with an old-style V5 registration document. It should be noted that the registration number is not in the HPI database.

Footnotes

As with all Lots in the Sale, this Lot is sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding.

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  • 19 October 2019, 09:00 - 17:00 BST
  • 20 October 2019, 09:00 - 17:00 BST

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