1
British Bikes / Re: Waratah article
« on: March 21, 2026, 01:07:24 AM »
Thanks - satisfying to read to the end.
Leon
Leon
News:
Have you noticed we've moved..? We are now on www.classicmotorcycleforum.com. Don't forget to bookmark it!
Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
2
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: March 21, 2026, 01:04:18 AM »
Looking good. I notice there's not too many fins on that cylinder head. Was your dad running it on petrol?
Leon
Leon
3
British Bikes / Re: “Star” motorcycles
« on: March 11, 2026, 10:20:56 PM »
Now I am NOT going down the "Villiers Inustrial Engines" rabbit hole, but I will admit there is one! As Reg says in his memoir, P&R Williams were a big part of the Australian end of the business, in the 1930s, with a gap for the war, then 1946 into the early 1950s.
I suppose the 98cc Villiers Midget in the Ransome lawnmower is akin to the engine in the 98cc Waratah of the time? On second thoughts, don't answer that!
Leon
I suppose the 98cc Villiers Midget in the Ransome lawnmower is akin to the engine in the 98cc Waratah of the time? On second thoughts, don't answer that!
Leon
4
British Bikes / Re: “Star” motorcycles
« on: March 10, 2026, 03:18:23 AM »
33d6 - I sent you the text version of the article by PM.
I love that the Williams boys were "half cousins" with S. L. (Les) Bailey of Douglass: explains a lot!
Leon
I love that the Williams boys were "half cousins" with S. L. (Les) Bailey of Douglass: explains a lot!
Leon
5
British Bikes / Re: Malvern Star
« on: March 08, 2026, 09:32:29 AM »
Not for me, personally.
Elsewhere in the Malvern Star front, I recently came across two frames that I think might be Malvern Stars from the Tom Finnigan era - pre 1920! The bicycle guys have found that Tom Finnigan used the prefix TF on his bicycle frames, so when there are two surviving motorcycle frames (albeit rather different) with prefix TF1... fair guess that they're Malvern Stars? One frame is very AG Healing (Melbourne), and both frames are Aussie built.
Leon
Elsewhere in the Malvern Star front, I recently came across two frames that I think might be Malvern Stars from the Tom Finnigan era - pre 1920! The bicycle guys have found that Tom Finnigan used the prefix TF on his bicycle frames, so when there are two surviving motorcycle frames (albeit rather different) with prefix TF1... fair guess that they're Malvern Stars? One frame is very AG Healing (Melbourne), and both frames are Aussie built.
Leon
6
British Bikes / Re: “Star” motorcycles
« on: March 08, 2026, 09:16:13 AM »
Thanks - that's very interesting: memoirs like this from people who were actually there are rare, and give us an insight into the non-public goings-on in the industry. The downside is they are often written down late in life when the memory is not quite tip-top. But here Reg Williams gives it a red-hot go and paints an interesting picture. There are a few puzzling bits: in particular the reference to Wolf doesn't fit in with anything I've seen about Williams, but perhaps it's just a mis-remembering of Sun. (In the 1930s it was Bennett and Wood who, in Sydney, brought in Wolf bikes/sets, which they sold as the B&W Wasp and Hornet.)
Page 3 ends half way through a sentence - have you got the next page?
Cheers
Leon
Page 3 ends half way through a sentence - have you got the next page?
Cheers
Leon
7
British Bikes / Re: Waratah article
« on: March 05, 2026, 01:17:03 AM »Their proof reader is still on holiday.
So I spent my $15 to read the very sparse article on Waratahs, which would have benefited from a bit of googling https://classicmotorcycleforum.com/index.php?topic=6172.0
Proof reading. Mmm... I might have enjoyed the article about Phil Irving's exploits, but (in my copy of the mag, at least) instead of the last page of the article I scored another copy of the second page. I grew up reading Motorcycle Sport, which famously spread bits of an article all over the issue, but in this case the end of the article was nowhere to be found. I doubt I'll spend another $15 next month to get the end of it!
Leon
8
British Bikes / Re: Malvern Star
« on: March 05, 2026, 01:07:58 AM »
Wow, that's a big project for an auto cycle. I reckon you might buy a complete, running Malvern Star for maybe $2-3k, so a restoration like this would have to be a labour of love. Hope someone has fun.
Leon
Leon
9
British Bikes / Re: Waratah article
« on: February 27, 2026, 12:21:30 PM »
Holding my breath with excitement! Hope they read our musings on here...
I don't usually buy OBA, but I did buy the last issue when someone pointed me to an article about a particular Australian-made bike. Alternative reality is everywhere these days.
Leon
I don't usually buy OBA, but I did buy the last issue when someone pointed me to an article about a particular Australian-made bike. Alternative reality is everywhere these days.
Leon
10
British Bikes / Re: Villiers 196 super sports
« on: February 21, 2026, 07:10:45 AM »
... and deliver it to Melbourne for a cup of tea...
11
British Bikes / Re: Villiers 196 super sports
« on: February 21, 2026, 04:07:11 AM »
Mmm... a lot of bikes passed in (including the Wolf), some sold for much less than restoration cost ($2700 would have to be cheap for the "1936" Acme), and a couple of decent prices (who wouldn't be happy to get $19,000 for a late 1920s sv BSA?). We live in interesting times.
Make an offer for the Wolf, and I'll collect it for you. Then pass the restoration projects on.
Too hot in the shed this afternoon - it's crept up to 35C even though it's cloudy. Summer still with us.
Cheers
Leon
Make an offer for the Wolf, and I'll collect it for you. Then pass the restoration projects on.
Too hot in the shed this afternoon - it's crept up to 35C even though it's cloudy. Summer still with us.
Cheers
Leon
12
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: February 20, 2026, 04:50:24 AM »
Love the oiling concept and the link with your dad. Keep up the good work!
Leon
Leon
13
British Bikes / Re: Villiers 196 super sports
« on: February 20, 2026, 04:47:29 AM »
I suppose a "1936" Acme is likely to bring a higher price than a 1948 model?
The Wolf is cute. https://bid.adeyauctions.com/lots/view/5-28K76Z/wolf-motorcycle In 1932 they were being sold by Gard Bros in Adelaide (where the bikes in the auction are located), while across town Elliott were flogging Sun Villiers. Elliott scored the Wolf agency a year or two later, and sold Wolf-looking bikes as Elliott Villiers. Here's an advert from March 1935. I think we decided Wolf? Not sure if you can identify the fork from such a poor image.
33d6, yell if you buy the Wolf and I'll pick it up for you!
Cheers
Leon
The Wolf is cute. https://bid.adeyauctions.com/lots/view/5-28K76Z/wolf-motorcycle In 1932 they were being sold by Gard Bros in Adelaide (where the bikes in the auction are located), while across town Elliott were flogging Sun Villiers. Elliott scored the Wolf agency a year or two later, and sold Wolf-looking bikes as Elliott Villiers. Here's an advert from March 1935. I think we decided Wolf? Not sure if you can identify the fork from such a poor image.
33d6, yell if you buy the Wolf and I'll pick it up for you!
Cheers
Leon
14
British Bikes / Re: Villiers 196 super sports
« on: February 18, 2026, 12:45:06 AM »
Well you learn something everyday! I guess the olive compression fittings were born in some other industry - refrigeration perhaps - where air-tightness was required. Other than the Villiers oiling system I can't think of another motorcycle application. Some early car petrol tanks used air pressure to feed the petrol, so maybe olives feature there.
I've had a few two-stroke fantasies lately, but I'm going to resist this "1936" Acme: https://bid.adeyauctions.com/lots/view/5-28K76X/acme-motorcycle
I did tell them it was post-war, but what would I know?
Cheers
Leon
I've had a few two-stroke fantasies lately, but I'm going to resist this "1936" Acme: https://bid.adeyauctions.com/lots/view/5-28K76X/acme-motorcycle
I did tell them it was post-war, but what would I know?
Cheers
Leon
15
British Bikes / Re: Villiers 196 super sports
« on: February 14, 2026, 12:08:39 AM »
Hi Geoff,
Sorry I don't know about the threads, other than to say I've never encountered anything too weird on Villiers engines. I'd be surprised if the threads were anything other than the usual suspects: BSP or another of the BS threads.
The Villiers oil system is meant to be air tight (good luck with that) but in the 1920s I don't think olive compression fitting had been invented? So I suspect the original pipes would just be the usual brass tails soldered onto the pipe and held into the taper with the brass nut. Either way, careful plumbing is required.
Cheers
Leon
Sorry I don't know about the threads, other than to say I've never encountered anything too weird on Villiers engines. I'd be surprised if the threads were anything other than the usual suspects: BSP or another of the BS threads.
The Villiers oil system is meant to be air tight (good luck with that) but in the 1920s I don't think olive compression fitting had been invented? So I suspect the original pipes would just be the usual brass tails soldered onto the pipe and held into the taper with the brass nut. Either way, careful plumbing is required.
Cheers
Leon