1951 BSA Safety Shopping Bike with Trojan Minimotor
V5C. Long MOT and Tax.
BSA Shopping Bicycle: Interesting Modifications – Spring Forks, Convertible Crossbar, Rear Stand.
Eccentric Style. Runs Well!
This Minimotor has been fitted to a BSA Safety Shopping Bicycle. The BSA ‘Shopper’ was an interesting postwar BSA innovation designed – in that austere era when new vehicles were unavailable in Britain – specifically for mums to use for visiting the grocer’s shop and market. Its selling point was an easily detachable basket on the front rack.
These bikes have super styling, with BSA badges and labels all over them. With the BSA name cast into the chainwheel, it reminds me of the famous BSA Airborne Paratrooper Bike.
And spares are easy to find too. So this is a very practical bike on which to mount a Minimotor. I particularly like the way this one has been personalized, with modifications that have resulted in a completely unique machine.
…Of course, that’s why we love cycle attachment engines: you can match them to a bicycle of your choice – as they did back in the early fifties – and create authentic ‘customized’ vintage motorcycles for only a moderate outlay.
Further down the page I’ll show the modifications in detail.
***************************
THE TROJAN MINIMOTOR
The Mini Motor was one of the best-known of the British clip-on engines, and was introduced in Great Britain in 1949. Though rarely referred to as such, the Instruction Book for the Mk 5 model (the last of them) describes it as a ‘Gearless Cycle Outboard.’
The Trojan Minimotor was originally designed by Vincent Piatti in 1946 as a unit to power portable lathes; he saw its advantages as a cycle-attachment and introduced it in Italy as the ‘Mini Motore.’
Five models were produced in Britain at Trojan’s Croydon factory, from the Mark I in 1949 to the Mark V in 1955. The improvement for 1951 was a decompressor added to the cylinder head to aid both starting and stopping.
The engine sat above the bicycle rear wheel, which it drove with a friction-roller on the left-hand end of the crankshaft. On the right, there was a Wipac flywheel magneto, and between this and the roller, a crankcase with bobweight flywheel and a horizontal iron barrel. An alloy head closed this, and the capacity was 49.9 cc for the conventional two stroke unit. The petrol tank went over the engine with the number plate fitted behind it. A means of lifting the roller clear of the tyre was provided .
The unit could drive a bicycle at 30 mph, which was probably as fast as you’d want to go on a normal cycle under normal road conditions. In a postwar Britain with a shortage of new vehicles, motorists found them ideal for short trips, commuting to the station or the office, or to the shops to fill up the front basket. Some were even fitted to tandems, where they proved equal to the task of hauling two people along at 20mph.
Text from the Cyclemaster Museum –
http://cyclemaster.wordpress.com/page-13-the-minimotor/
***************************
The Minimotor is correctly mounted with all the hard-to-find mounting parts, and is fully functional.
****************
FRONT FORKS
****************
CONVERTIBLE CROSSBAR
James Cycle Co patented the convertible crossbar over 100 years ago. Humber Beeston Tricycles used them too. It’s a very good idea for converting a Lady’s Bicycle into a Gent’s rather than having two separate machines.
If you want to see original examples, visit the Bicycle Museum website http://www.Oldbike.eu and scroll down to:
1901 Beeston Humber No 27 Convertible Tricycle
1924 James Tricycle Model 28 Convertible
****************
REAR STAND
Fitting a cycle attachment engine over the front or rear wheel of a bicycle adds considerable weight. A good side stand or rear stand becomes an essential accessory.
They were sold as an accessory in Great Britain. But Pre-WW2 American bicycles fitted rear stands as standard. Unfortunately, they require a wider rear axle so require some modifications to fit to British machines. If you want to examine the American version, compare the 1932 Schwinn ‘The World’ (below) at Oldbike.eu – PLEASE CLICK HERE
*****************
It’s fitted with a three-speed hub and you can ride it as an ordinary bicycle.
*****************
This is the most radical BSA Safety Shopping Bicycle I’ve ever seen!
To see an original Safety Shopper at the Online BSA Museum –
*****************
*********************************************************************************
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE BIDDING
OWNER: BuyVintage Online Auctions
LOCATION: Brighton, E.Sussex, United Kingdom
***********
DELIVERY is not included in this auction.
This means that it is not my responsibility,
BUT I can put you in touch with a delivery chap and organize collection;
you liaise with them direct re delivery and pay them separately.
Great Britain – delivery is ONLY £60 for this cyclemotor to main parts of England;
extra to extremities such as Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, etc (and may take longer to arrive)
(Please email your postcode if you want to confirm price).
THIS BARGAIN PRICE DELIVERY IS ON A PART-LOAD BASIS.
(Collection when they’re in my area; delivery when in yours).
LOCAL DELIVERY FREE
If you want it fast, please organize your own collection.
***********
Ireland & N. Ireland – I’ll recommend some companies, but you’ll have to organize it yourself.
Europe – delivery is probably around €400 to Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, etc. I can recommend two companies.
North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, etc – I’ll organize all the crating and shipping for you.
PAYMENT: Paypal is okay for cheap items; otherwise deposit only on paypal please.
INTERNATIONAL PURCHASERS:
You must communicate with me before the end of the auction to discuss payment and shipping options.
***********
AFTER PURCHASE: Please email me your phone numbers; I prefer to speak to all purchasers personally.
I do everything I can to make your purchase a pleasurable experience.
I’ve been selling obscure vintage vehicles on ebay since 2002.
Sharing similar interests, I’ve become good friends with many of my customers.
Please feel free to email or phone with any comments or questions…
***********
VEHICLE CONDITION: Vintage vehicles are wonderful beasts
– but each has an individual personality and they sometimes have bad days just like you and me.
You will need basic mechanical skills (or a local mechanic) to use one on a regular basis.
Two-strokes invariably need basic servicing before starting them, if they’ve been left to stand for more than 3 weeks or so.
These are rare vehicles whose values are not necessarily based on running order.
IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE ABOVE, PLEASE DO NOT BID
********************************************************************************************
If you have any questions about this (or any other vehicle in these BuyVintage Online Auctions),
you can contact Colin in our Customer Service Department between 9am and 7pm daily:
By Phone – (UK 0044) 07866-126469
By email – Buyvintage@mac.com
The Auction Catalogue is our website –
*************************
to see what’s currently being sold
PLEASE CLICK HERE – http://buyvintage.co.uk/
2nd BuyVintage Online Auction: 2015 Onwards 
