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| Lot number | 211 |
|---|---|
| Hammer value | £1,100 |
| Description | Francis Barnett Plover 78 |
| Registration | UFD 987 |
| Year | 1957 |
| Colour | Green |
| Engine size | 147 cc |
| Chassis No. | Y5444 |
| Engine No. | 295B.22000 |
Registered in 1919, Francis and Barnett Ltd set up in part of the old Hillman factory which had been used for munitions manufacture during WW1 and had previously been the premises of Bayliss Thomas Excelsior, the first ever British production motorcycle.
The first products were JAP-engined lugged frame models, but by 1923 the famous "built like a bridge" triangulated frame, made from 23 straight bolt-together tubes was offered. From this time all subsequent models gained a number commencing with the model 1 in 1923, and running to the last model conceived by the factory in 1965, the model 96.
Francis and Barnett were one of the first factories to adopt a frame numbering sequence to denote year, model, engine size, suspension type and colour, commencing with the letter A in 1931, but omitting Q and X.
Post-war the FB factory manufactured light weight machines powered by firstly Villiers units, and latterly AMC two stroke engines. By the 1950s FB were working hand-in-hand with the James factory in Greet, Birmingham, so when the 125cc Merlin disappeared from the catalogue, they marketed the James 125cc and 150cc Cadet models, badge-engineered to be Francis Barnetts and offered in Barnetts colour schemes with only minor differences to exhaust, tank , toolboxes, badges and colour schemes.
The Francis Barnett offered here is one such machine, being a Plover 78, the re-working of the James Cadet L15, the frame letter coding Y signifies it as a 1957 model, the 295B prefix of the engine identifies it as a Villiers 30C 147cc engine.
Resplendent in Francis Barnett Arden Green, this machine has had one rider owner throughout its life. It has been restored to original condition, though not used recently, having been off the road since 1980. It comes with a current V5C and being pre-1960, no MOT is now required. Accompanying this machine, but not fitted, are a pair of the correct FB legshields.
AMENDMENT: This bike was owned by a father and son from new until 2012 and has had one keeper since.
