Trying to identify the year of this scout?

[moto1969]

The serial number on the engine is: GDO1096

Pre-1941-42 no rear shocks, full front and rear fenders. Curve on the center tube to accommodate larger cylinders and on rear frame section vertical support. Please see photos. Can someone help identify the year of this scout? Thanks in advance.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18505

[Tom Lovejoy]

40 I think

[gsottl]

looks like a 1940 Sport Scout (one year only with skirted fenders and no rear suspension. Maybe the number is a restamp or stamp in a new case as the numbers for the Sport Scout should be FD0***

[Jerry Wieland]

I thought GD0 was a 1940 Pony Scout but the bike appears to be a Sport Scout. Jerry

[Yellow53Chief]

Hi,
The frame, fork, and much of the rest of the machine appears to be a 1940 Sport Scout. The engine has one strong clue - the timing plug below the carburetor. The engine is probably a 741 Scout transplant. The normal 741 engine starts with 'GDA', but of all the unstamped engines that have been out there; 741 engines win the prize. A 1940 Junior Scout engine was 'EDO', and there would not have been a timing plug. How did GDO1096 get on the engine? I'm guessing that somebody had GDO1096 paperwork, and stamped the engine to match it - maybe not knowing that a 'GDO' engine never existed, and that the paperwork contained a clerical error. Maybe somebody picked a number out of the air that nobody else could possibly have. It is likely that the true story will never be known. It is true that 1940 Sport Scouts were 'FDO', but they didn't have a timing plug either.
741 engines are so plentiful, that they are often chosen for a machine. Below are two photos of a 1940 Sport Scout with frame 6404321 with 741 engine GDA28283. This particular machine was built using open fenders, like those on a 1939 Scout. Iron Horse Corral now makes skirted fenders for 741 Scouts, so a wide variety of 'custom' machines can be seen using the 741 Scout powerplant.

1940 Sport Scout 6404321 GDA28283.jpg1940 Sport Scout 6404321 GDA28283 also.jpg

[pisten-bully]

... and doesn't the GDO1096 look to be lined up a little too perfectly? Like someone wasn't in a hurry when they did it and took care to space and line them up neatly. Far cry from the numbers on my engine.... some are centered on the pad while others are higher or lower on the pad, like they were done by a guy in hurry or tired from stamping numbers all day!

[moto1969]

Another data point to look for is the amount of fins on the barrels, 9 vs 11 fins? A scout will have 11 fins vs 9 on its barrels. I am still at a loss with the stamped engine serial number? The owner added that it had Bonnievlle heads? What does this mean? How I verify? Thanks to all who contributed to the tread so far. I appreciate all input from our members.