classic motorcycle forum

Motorcycle Discussions => Identify these bikes! => Topic started by: sadbrewer on August 13, 2018, 12:46:52 AM

Title: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: sadbrewer on August 13, 2018, 12:46:52 AM: Hi all...I'm wondering if anyone can ID this bike from a poor photo, I appreciate it's hard to make out but on looking at it for hours it appears to have an acetylene headlight, hand change on the tank and possibly a single pushrod engine... JAP?
Any thoughts or clues would be appreciated.
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: Bear640 on August 13, 2018, 05:52:12 AM: I,d put $20 on it that’s it’s an AJS? Dunno...
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: R on August 13, 2018, 09:48:46 AM: Well thats an interesting one, nothing very common I suspect.

Front lower mounted magneto and a front brake can only make it mid to later 1920s,
and what looks to be either both pushrods in a single tube, or maybe even ohc make it one of a very select field.
Which I can't quite put a name to at this stage, although it looks familiar.

Calthorpe ?
Certainly the engine could be in the same family, although the details are not entirely a good match ?
(https://cybermotorcycle.com/gallery/calthorpe/images/Calthorpe-1925-D5A-1.jpg)

We will see if it jumps out at someone...
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: mini-me on August 13, 2018, 11:43:13 AM: WU reg april 1926 to feb 1927 which narrows it age a bit

Yorkshire reg office
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: JimD on August 14, 2018, 02:21:25 AM: I think its a Calthorpe.

Cheers
Jim
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: sprocket-in-my-socket on August 16, 2018, 06:33:33 PM: Front end (fork, brake, tank, etc.) looks somehow like New Hudson of about 1927.
That would match with registration info also, if new Hudson would be the chassis.
Maybe a customized New Hudson with Calthorpe engine ?

Regards,
Helmut
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: sprocket-in-my-socket on August 16, 2018, 10:47:04 PM: see New Hudson from 1927 catalogue for comparison:
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: cardan on August 17, 2018, 01:06:10 AM: Quote from: sprocket-in-my-socket on August 16, 2018, 06:33:33 PM
Maybe a customized New Hudson with Calthorpe engine ?

Which had to be canted slightly forward to fit in the frame?

My immediate thoughts on this bike were "Calthorpe", but when I looked at the model range I could make no sense of it. New Hudson (or similar) with Calthorpe motor is not a bad guess. The depression was a time for making do with what was about.

Cheers

Leon
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: JimD on August 17, 2018, 02:11:01 AM: I dont think the frame is New Hudson, the top tank rail is in different to a New Hudson.

Cheers
Jim
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: sprocket-in-my-socket on August 17, 2018, 07:02:04 AM: Hello Jim,
at Uncle Ben´s bike on photo above it is quite hard for me to see much details about frame shape.
Your shown frame seems also a bit older than 1927th frame style of New Hudson, like shown above from catalogue.
And it looks also different in details.
I don´t think that all New Hudson frames look identical.
Of course, it could be also another make than New Hudson. It was just an idea that it could be an New Hudson.

Regards,
Helmut
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: R on August 17, 2018, 10:06:36 AM: Did Calthorpe supply engines to other makers ?
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: cardan on August 17, 2018, 10:35:06 AM: Quote from: R on August 17, 2018, 10:06:36 AM
Did Calthorpe supply engines to other makers ?

I don't think so.

Leon
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: Rex on August 17, 2018, 04:16:47 PM: I don't know what make Uncle Ben's bike is, but at least it's not a rice-burner. 8)
Title: Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
Post by: murdo on August 18, 2018, 09:50:07 AM: https://www.google.com.au/search?q=rice+burner+motorcycle+jokes&tbm=isch&tbs=simg:CAQSmQEJ1HhwHEFnb0AajQELEKjU2AQaBggUCAMICgwLELCMpwgaYgpgCAMSKIIU-Qn4CZ4D-gmtCK4I8gOBFJ0GnzS4Pc89xCeJM_1U9uT-6P5g19zMaMGEAua5bzpZn6RypTYM-hGx7jcbAQonO1iSQWpHQkWt5Qmltyjbqlf9PlIu5QZAQLiAEDAsQjq7-CBoKCggIARIECKJAzQw&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXzL__m_bcAhXEdt4KHf30D1QQwg4IJCgA&biw=911&bih=421