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Messages - R

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1
Identify these bikes! / Re: Great Uncle Ben's 1920's bike...any ideas?
« 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 ?


We will see if it jumps out at someone...



2
British Bikes / Re: Villiers engine
« on: August 09, 2018, 11:27:35 PM »
Bit small, but pics don't seem to come readily to hand...


3
British Bikes / Re: ES2 progress
« on: August 09, 2018, 11:11:20 PM »
Quote from: iansoady on August 09, 2018, 02:41:13 PM
Yes, and even so it's quite loud!

I've obtained what seems to be an oem muffler of that type,
with quite complicated looking internals (gazing into it).
I'm keen to get this show on the road, to try it out).

Someone here has had some early dommie mufflers remade with the original type internals replicated,
and the difference is like chalk and cheese.  So is the price though !

btw, I've also obtained the current Enfield quiet type muffler, and its even longer...
(as a discard, so the list price won't cause any fainting spells).


4
British Bikes / Re: Villiers engine
« on: August 09, 2018, 11:04:01 PM »
Your Villiers is a 9D, a unit construction usually 125cc (they can be 100cc ?)
starting in the mid/late 1930s, and continuing on after the war.


Previous discussion here sez that 580 signifies it was fitted to an Excelsior.
http://classicmotorcycleforum.com/index.php?topic=4897.0


5
Identify these bikes! / Re: Help identify Coventry Eagle, 1928 or 1929?
« on: August 02, 2018, 09:28:33 PM »
I know its probably stating the obvious, but have you had a look at the reproduction sales stuff ?
e.g.

http://www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk/product/coventry-eagle-1929-abridged-sales-catalogue-all-models/

A lot of folks might say to just restore what you have, and then defend it from all the "experts" ?!

That looks like a dommie crankshaft rolling around there... ?

6
British Bikes / Re: 1952 Norton ES2 spark plug
« on: July 20, 2018, 06:57:54 AM »
The Owners Handbook says 5/8" for the ES2 and Model 18,
(and 7/16" for the 16H and Big4) 1948-54.

I'd say to set it there, you can always back it off a shade if it doesn't like it or runs hot.
If you run it retarded though, it will likely run hot(ter), and if you can't advance it any more,
it may not be good...

I also have a prewar ES2, and it has a short reach 18mm plug in a short reach spark plug hole,
so Nortons seem to have known what they were doing then, no deep dark holes then.
It hasn't done any miles yet either though, so we will see.

7
British Bikes / Re: 1952 Norton ES2 spark plug
« on: July 18, 2018, 11:03:34 PM »
Yes, all the books are wrong ? on the ES2 sparkplug from that era, even the handbook supplied with each new machine back then. It takes a long reach plug, like you say.  There doesn't seem to be any reason why the quoted plug is down a deep dark hole, although it works better than you think it should, it seems.

This has been discussed all over the place, and I found this out again just recently when a shop that has been in business for many a year supplied me a plug for a 48 ES2, without any numbers actually being quoted. When I commented that I was expecting a long reach plug, I was advised that thats what they have been supplying off their chart ever since these bikes were new !!
Hmmm.

8
British Bikes / Re: Tank identity ??
« on: June 21, 2018, 10:23:13 AM »
It was the fact that the plunger suspension units were slanted slightly forwards that got me wondering. Its tough to marry that up to a postwar Indian Scout frame. ?

http://www.classicmotorcycleconsignments.com/motorcycles/Indian/images/1949%20Indian%20Scout/1949%20Indian%20Scout-BJulian-1.jpg

https://silodrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/1948-Norton-490cc-ES2.jpg

I've got a few Norton plunger models, and they are quite distinctive in the suspension dept.  Which is not to say this bikes parentage is all purebred (?), builders of 'bitzers' are a gifted lot at grafting on stray and assorted bits - hence the BSA oil tank etc.
Are there any other pics of this Crocker to view, we wonder ?

9
British Bikes / Re: Tank identity ??
« on: June 21, 2018, 10:19:03 AM »
Quote from: john.k on June 21, 2018, 09:59:47 AM
Oh,and the oil tank is a Mk1 Sq4.say 1950

Too angular and parallel ?

Thats quite a big pic, can zoom in.

http://ironhorsespares.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Ariel-Mk1-Square-4-Timing-Side.jpg



10
British Bikes / Re: Tank identity ??
« on: June 20, 2018, 12:02:56 PM »
That chrome oil tank on the crocker scout looks to be BSA, widely used 1939 into the 60s.
Surprisingly tough to find a good view of one.


You know, I have half a suspicion that frame might be norton.
The plunger units look to be slightly slanted forward, and the central axle mounts look to be alloy,
and the frame tube meeting the plunger casting is higher up, and the plunger business is not waisted in the middle, and the muffler mounting point just ahead of the alloy part are all more Norton than Scout ?

Even the centre of the chrome back rim is painted black, ala 40s Norton ?
That might make the tank Norton too ?  Not impossible, its tough to see the tank cap clearly though, that would make it hinged...

Hopethishelps !


11
Identify these bikes! / Re: Unknown British (?) lightweight, mid 30's. can anyone help?
« on: June 12, 2018, 08:53:24 AM »
P.S. We have had a Montgomery here before
http://classicmotorcycleforum.com/index.php?topic=3068.0
Most aspects have carried forward to 1940
------------------


Online pics of Montgomeries are a little thin on the ground.
All I could quickly find was a bigger banger, a 350cc Deluxe, said to be 1934

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Montgomery_De_Luxe_350_KK_JAP_1934_links.jpg

You can however see that distinctive frame downtube setup under the seat,
definitely a match.  Well done that man...
Its interesting they offered those pressed steel forks as an economy model,
and tubular forks as a more expense option (as did other makers)

12
British Bikes / Re: 1932 BSA side valve starting problem
« on: June 11, 2018, 11:28:11 PM »
As said above, engines are  always (almost always ?) set so the spark timing is a certain number of degrees or fractions of an inch (or mm) before tdc fully advanced - and the retarded value will take care of itself.
So that is/was most of your real problem all along... ?

You need to research this further, it would be odd if BSA had suddenly discarded decades of experience in quoting this value ?

My bikes - not W32-6 though - will not start if fully fully retarded, the spark has faded a bit by then.
So your spark may be a bit weak by the time its fully advanced ?
You likely won't find this out until conditions (inside t'engine) are tougher...

13
British Bikes / Re: what is the purple oil in my BSA RGS
« on: June 10, 2018, 10:23:51 PM »
Designer clothes, designer handbags, designer oils.
Good excuse to bump the prices up... ?

That said, they do seem to have better additive packages.
And the oil may be a squidgy bit better too (?)

14
British Bikes / Re: 1932 BSA side valve starting problem
« on: June 10, 2018, 10:17:49 PM »
Likewise, have you tried a new plug since this non-starting business arose.

15
British Bikes / Re: 1932 BSA side valve starting problem
« on: June 09, 2018, 10:48:35 PM »
Changing the spark plug (temporarily) for something new and clean may also be a good move, test wise.  Although it does sound more like the timing or spark has gone awol.

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