classic motorcycle forum
Motorcycle Discussions => British Bikes => Topic started by: runesika on September 11, 2012, 08:43:17 PM
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Triumph Nacelle
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Very early drawing of Triumph Nacelle showing Edward Turner as the inventor .
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Interesting, were Triumph the first to use a Nacelle then, was the maroon Speed Twin?
Royal Enfield & BSA both widely used them.
Cheers
JBW
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Interesting, were Triumph the first to use a Nacelle then, was the maroon Speed Twin?
Royal Enfield & BSA both widely used them.
Cheers
JBW
Yes , Triumph were first with the 1949 Speed Twin and the 1950 Thunderbird . Once the pattern was given to triumph it lasts for ten years , others can use it but unless it's very different they would have to pay Triumph royalties .
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Enfields used a cast alloy nacelle, as part of the top fork yokes, where Triumph just used tin covers. So Enfields had neatly sidestepped Triumphs patent, and improved on it. (?). If you like the looks....
There were quite a lot of fully enclosed bikes over the years, including around the headlamp, so the concept goes way back into time... ?
The Wooler 'Flying Banana' of the early 1920s had a nacelle, sort of, before the headlamp was incorporated into it in later editions....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Autostadt_Wolfsburg_-_motorrad_ikonen_-_Wooler_Model_B_1919_1_-_Flickr_-_KlausNahr.jpg
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I thought they were hideous... but hey, 'it wouldn't do' to be all the same would it?
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From a practical point of view they made sense, you could put some of the electrical gubbins in there & in some there was room for gauges & in some Enfield's even little side-lights. Exposure to the British weather, could cause numerous electrical gremlins if you were not careful in your maintenance programme!
Belstaff, with pocketful of fuses & bulbs on a cold Winter's night, must bring back some memories...
Cheers
JBW