ID a possibly pre-war UK motorcycle

Factual Questions
1

I happened across a motorcycle meet of classic bikes at the weekend and took a couple of pictures.
I’d be grateful if anyone could maybe give the model and year of this old Francis Barnett bike, please.

2

I don’t know the model and year, but it has a Villiers two-stroke engine.

3

Thanks for the info, Jeff.

I came across this page, but I don’t know enough about bikes to narrow it down much.

4

Looks like a Francis Barnett Falcon, maybe 175cc.

The motor is definitely a two stroke, I’d say it was something from the 1950’s

There were quite a few of these types of bikes around, I think it was something to do with war confiscation of patents, this was a Czech engine - which the Germans nicked, and then everyone nicked it off them

5

Thanks, Casdave. I’ll update the info on Flickr.

Also seen there were this bike, and this one. And this guy!

6

If it is the Villiers engine, it’s nothing to do with Czech engines. Villiers was British:

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Villiers

They fitted AMc engines as well

7

I think casdave’s claim was that Villiers copied a Czech engine design, not that the engine was built by a Czech company.

8

Francis Barnett Merlin, postwar.
“1940 Following World War II, the company produced only two models - the Powerbike and the Merlin.”
Google images

casdave is the expert, but it looks like a typical a Fifties British bike. IIRC, telescoping forks weren’t rolled out until after the War, and swingarm rear suspension came along in the late Fifties.

9

F/B Falcon mod 54 picture here
http://www.cheffins.co.uk/lot/-1050938-vintage-0

10

I’m not an expert on Francis Barnett motorcycles but the linked photo in the OP looks like a 1949 or 1950 Francis Barnett Falcon.

The 1949 and 1950 “Fanny B” had a telescopic front fork and hardtail rearend. Rear suspension first appeared in 1952, as did the 2-up seat.
1950 Francis Barnett Merlin
Villiers merlin 2 stroke engine with a three speed gearbox.

http://classic-motorbikes.net/gallery~francis-barnett-classic-motorcycles

http://classic-motorbikes.net/images/gallery/1950_francis_barnett_merlin.jpg

Francis-Barnett Merlin Falcon 1950
Britain’s Leading Lightweight.
Villiers Engines.
Tri-Pressure Front Forks.
125cc Merlin or 200cc Falcon

Francis Barnett Merlin 53 125cc Motorcycle - 1950

1949 Francis-Barnett

In 1949 The range expanded and over the next few years all the motorcycles went over to telescopic forks.

In 1952 Pivoted-fork rear suspension first appeared, as did the firm’s first competition models.

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Francis-Barnett

1954 Francis-Barnett Falcon

http://classic-motorbikes.net/images/gallery/1954-francis-barnett-falcon.jpg

11

Wow; thanks for that research doorhinge.
So it’s almost certainly a Falcon, most likely from 1950, as I understand the various posts.

Thank you all.

Don’t think I’ve got any other pictures of bikes to show you, but here’s a Morgan sports car from 1971, and a photo Flickr auto-tagged as a motorcycle!