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MAN AND MACHINE
The charge of the light brigade
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Rajesh's 1961 BSA M21 Alternator was once a machine that lent power to stranded bikes
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IN CHARGE The presence of an extra-powerful alternator made this 1961 BSA M21 the valuable sidekick of the AA
The steady chomp of his jaw would pound countless Wrigleys. And Rajesh sat patiently hunched over the constituents of a 1961 BSA 600cc sidevalve M21 Alternator, which lay in front of him scattered like the Galapagos Islands. For the whole of one summer, he was consumed by an almost manic obsession with a single idea — putting this bike together. Rajesh's single-mindedness even stimulated one of his friends, based in London, to scout for the original, official `Stacked Arms' badge designed to adorn six BSA models — B31, B33, C11, Golden Flash, M20 and M21. After futile visits to Druid Street and the New Park Industrial Estate on Kenninghall Road, he discovered the source for original monograms of vintage and classic British bikes — www.classicbadges.com!
"They are considered leaders in what they do because they use the same tools which were once employed in the making of monograms for (vintage and classic British) bikes when they were still in production," says Rajesh.
The M21's glossy, new monogram, overall nifty appearance and the steady and impressive monotone of its engine justify the tremendous effort that had gone into its restoration.
Rajesh went the extra mile probably because from the very beginning he was aware of the bike's history. The M21 Alternator was one of the special offerings from the Birmingham Small Arms company during its centenary year. To probably have the bike and the occasion etched in memory, BSA gave almost all the M21 Alternator machines it made to the country's Automobile Association (AA). Since this special M21 model went beyond a magneto-dynamo and came `stocked' with an alternator, AA patrolmen found it easy to `rescue' vehicles that had stalled for want of power in their batteries. Actually, the M21-composite contained a sidecar as well. The huge appendage lent the bike girth and also an air of command, even of a calm that seemed to say, "Don't worry, sir. My partner and I are in total control".
Ten years ago, when Rajesh's father, Nataraj picked up the Alternator, there was no sign of the sidecar and even the `main piece of metal' was riddled with holes ("The tinkering man who worked on this bike bought himself a television set with the fee"). With stiff competition keeping Nataraj (who runs a two-wheeler engine rebuilding unit) on his toes, junior had to nurse the Alternator back to health.
Now, whenever Rajesh reflects smugly on all the good fortune he has had over the years and the merry past unfolds in an almost film-like sequence, the M21 Alternator swishes into one of the frames.
PRINCE FREDERICK
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