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Motorcycle Discussions => British Bikes => Topic started by: wetdog on January 07, 2011, 01:45:12 PM

Title: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: wetdog on January 07, 2011, 01:45:12 PM

I have a villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ? the radiator is solidly mounted off the head ( not a rubber hose ) any ideas what model its for , or has somone made it

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: yebbut on January 07, 2011, 03:17:24 PM

sounds like SOS?
I have seen pics of one with rad on the head as you describe

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: Rex on January 07, 2011, 04:00:15 PM

Yep, I'd say SOS too.
Excels were cracking bikes (at least the four-strokes were ;) ) but don't recall a w/c one.

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: 33d6 on January 08, 2011, 05:39:12 AM

Yes, thats right. Excelsior were but one of the manufacturers who used the watercooled Villiers 250 engine in their range. I have the relevant sales catalogue somewhere.
Off the top of my head SOS, Excelsior and Vincent all spring to mind as users. I'd like any one of them but I confess the thought of turning up at a Vincent rally on a Villiers powered Vincent is high on my bucket list.
I've been told Vincent made half a dozen Villiers powered machines. The first had the standard aircooled 250 fitted but they were unhappy with it. In his autobiography Phil Irving describes how they found this engine didn't have the required stamina and when ridden hard would go off song but the watercooled version did not and was a tireless performer. Times were hard, they were desperate for sales so they made a batch to keep the factory ticking over. Times improved so no more were made.
Cheers,
 

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: geoffus on January 08, 2011, 08:17:50 AM

 :) 33d6 is spot on with his comments I have seen many years long ago one Excelsior working but at the time it was raining hard and I was not in a position to follow and I don't think any of the water cooled two strokes really were the any good
regards the geoffus

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: 33d6 on January 09, 2011, 11:29:50 AM

Checked out my Excelsior stuff and found they made the watercooled Villiers 250 from 1933 to 1935 inclusive and in my 1933 catalogue they brag about how solidly they mounted the radiator without using any form of rubber connection.
Villiers even gave the Excelsior version its own engine number prefix. It should be RYE. It should have standard Mk 14A internals.
Excelsior made an interesting range of bikes in the 1930's. They were really up there with the big boys.
Cheers, 

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: wetdog on October 01, 2011, 08:12:46 AM

this is my villiers motor    photo 3
http://s1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb429/1wetdog/?action=view&current=panther044.jpg#!oZZ3QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1205.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fbb429%2F1wetdog%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3Dengineexcel.jpg

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: Martin_UK on October 01, 2011, 01:01:41 PM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28332634@N04/6041038625/in/set-72157627429588318 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/28332634@N04/6041038625/in/set-72157627429588318)

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: wetdog on October 01, 2011, 03:37:45 PM

very nice but i only have the engine , i have just bought a light weight cotton frame forks tank etc @ 1930s /40s so i may try the engine in this just to hear it run

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: vintage honda on October 19, 2011, 09:17:42 AM

hi, that engine will make a nice project, i have had a few of those, also 14 sos bike's over the years, here's a pic of one of my watercooled sos. alan

http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/nn207/sevenup_photos/SOS%20SUPERB%20250%201938/?action=view&current=SOSSUPERB001.jpg

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: wetdog on October 21, 2011, 06:08:30 PM

alan curtis ?

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: vintage honda on October 22, 2011, 07:57:54 PM

yes, u.r

Title: Re: villiers engine out of a excelsior but its water cooled ?
Post by: wetdog on October 25, 2011, 09:55:16 PM

p tuxworth i used to see your adds in the vmcc mag some years ago