Found in Germany
In 2010 these remains of a KM21 appeared on eBay Germany. The brass plate on the toolbox immediately drew our attention: it indicated that the motorcycle had once belonged to the Dutch Army. It looked like a very interesting machine with possible Dutch history, and one that would be worth bringing back to the Netherlands.
To our surprise, we had the winning bid. The motorcycle was collected near the Czech border in Germany.
The toolbox plate
The brass plate is in Dutch. At the bottom it reads “Eigenaar: DvD” — “eigenaar” means owner. We think DvD may stand for “Departement van Defensie”, but this has not been confirmed. Similar ownership plates exist, supporting the identification as a Dutch Army motorcycle.
Non-standard details
The original engine was still fitted, but several details were not standard BSA. A large steel timing plug replaced the usual aluminium one, the oil-sump cover had been machined from solid steel rather than pressed, and a neatly machined plate sat on the magneto platform, perhaps to accept a Bosch magneto.
These parts appear professionally made. Our working theory is that they may have been produced for German service after the motorcycle was captured in May 1940. Further evidence is still needed.
