"WEST" stamped on Head?

I was looking at my 71 project bike and it has WEST stamped on the center of the head right where the head steady goes. I know Commando's had C and I have a 73 head that is an rh6 in the same location but this one has me puzzled. Engine is clearly a 71 by serial number. The stamping is very neat, almost too neat to be factory. Any thoughts?

Previous owners surname stamped on in case of theft ?

Name of Dealer ?

i have an rh4 head from a norton wasp this has DOW 1 stamped on it no idea why??

Westlake, maybe not

I've seen that kind of stamping on 750 head with big inlet valve conversion. I suppose they stamped the name of the customer or dealer.

Isn't 'gone west' a British term for someone being killed in action? At least that is what I have read in WWI history books. So possibly that head came from an engine that had gone WEST while being used in anger?

Or, W.E.S.T. is an acronym for something? So maybe someone at the factory stamped this possibly meaning: We Encourage Straightforward Technology?

I'm with johntickle on this one. In the same way crank balancers stamp their name or insignia and a serial number on a crank they've done so they can identify it again and look up the details in their records at a later date it is feasible a shop id'd a customer's name to the head so in future they can reference a file as to what was done by them. Maybe it has an oversize valve guide, specific valve springs, needs shortened push rods.... you get the idea.

Now, to find out which shop that was...

Yeah, that is what I'm thinking, either the rebuilders or customers name. It's way too neatly done to have come from the factory. Even the letters are lined up and equally spaced. Now the question. When I get around to working on this bike, do I strip the engine or not? It has really good compression and turns over smoothly. Everything on the outside points to it being in good shape. This bike is a bit of a puzzle. The frame has obviously been repainted so apparently it has been apart at some point. When I got it, it was missing it's gearbox internals and there were bits of teeth in the bottom of the shell. My theory is someone restored it, the gearbox fragged (layshaft bearing?) and they pulled the box apart and lost interest or funds and the bike sat. If only these old things could tell their story.

My 2 cents, pull the motor down!

If you don't it will be hard to sleep at night.

No one knows what the PO has been up to.

htown16 said:

I was looking at my 71 project bike and it has WEST stamped on the center of the head right where the head steady goes. I know Commando's had C and I have a 73 head that is an rh6 in the same location but this one has me puzzled. Engine is clearly a 71 by serial number. The stamping is very neat, almost too neat to be factory. Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

Combats only have the "C" stamp.

Pretty sure west stands for Adam West, a.k.a. Batman. It's a well known fact that Batman rode a black commando, while his side kick Robin rode a red BSA. I think the Joker probably rode a Trident... :?