The Coventry firm of Francis- Barnett was started in 1919 by two former Army officers to make motor cycles with their unique ‘Built like a Bridge’ modular frame using contemporary proprietary engines. In the years up to WW2 their firm gained a justified reputation for good design and excellent build quality, culminating in the enclosed ‘Cruiser’ model of 1936 that set the style for their post-war machines. In 1959 Francis- Barnett was taken over by the AMC group, which later re-located them to the factory of their competitors, James, in Birmingham. This ‘Falcon 87’ is a product of that period, using the then new AMC engine that had replaced the traditional Villiers. 435 BUE, an original and complete machine, has recently been well-restored, comprehensively and expensively, costing more than the figure suggested here. The original leg-shields come with the bike. It is running well and has an MOT until July 2006 as well as a V5.