Army bikes
Hello Keith,
I hate to dissapoint you, but i would not bet my money on this particular bike being a wartime army bycicle.
BSA is a very well-know name in the "bike-scene" for their famous and much wanted folding bikes. So called "heavy duty" bycicles however have not been manufactured by BSA under their own brand name during the war. These where army types IV and V, and most common are New Hudson and Phillips. It must me noted though that BSA was the main suplier of hubs, wheels and other accesoiries.
Does your bike have any other BSA markings besides the main cranck wheel? This may have been added later.
A clear giveaway for HD bikes is the thick frame pipes, off-set luggage rack (for the Lee-Enfield) and unuseually long wheelbase, due to the steep inclination of the front fork.
The best place to find a clue about a possible wartime identity is on the onderside of the tube that houses the crank. New hudsons are useually marked there as such.
If i can help you with any specific identification let me know.
Martin.
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