classic motorcycle forum

The original 7 Zetland Rd house is long gone unfortunately. For a moment I was hoping it could be our house as I’ve been told our garage housed a Minerva during WWll and as a boy a local VVMCC member remembered the owner carefully cranking it over to keep the sleeves free. It wasn’t much of a leap to hope he was the local sleeve valve nut and he started out building his own cycle car. No such luck though.
I have found out the Davies were the local estate agents. I’ll keep digging.
Cheers,

And we have yet to hear from 'barramundi'. We haven't had an answer to the original question yet. Do you think we've scared him off? The poor bloke probably wonders what sort of nutters has he stirred up.

Can you explain a little more? Do want to source them because they are missing or worn out? Lubrication on thé V2 was rather basic and the cam followers seize up and wear out rather quickly. Rebuilding them isn’t that hard.

Hi Barny,
You're not going to get far until you have an accurate frame number so start there. Getting it on the road legally and dating it accurately revolves around the frame number so that comes first. When you have the correct frame number the obvious place to go is the Vintage Motor Cycle Club. They have marque specialists who have a good knowledge of all the minute trivia necessary to tell you what you have. You must be a member of the VMCC to access these marque specialists. They cannot and will not give out the private details of their members to anyone who asks. You must be a fellow member. You can then approach the Sun marque specialist for advice. As I said earlier, my first impression says it is a Sun frame. Remember, in the end it is the date of the frame that dates the whole bike so it is the most important bit to get right.

I'm sure John H told you your engine is also a bitza  with a Super Sport top end on a 1E crankcase. The 1E was the cooking version of the Super Sport with fixed head and cast iron piston. Both the 1E and Super Sport more or less share the same bottom half so popping a Super Sport top end on a 1E is no big deal. It just leaves you with a glaringly wrong engine number when you say it's a Super Sport engine even though it has all the right parts. With that engine number you have an improved 1E, not a Super Sport.

Don't be downhearted, you have the foundations of a happy little fun bike. Accurate dating of the frame may place you just within the vintage period which expands the horizons a bit. Both the 1E and 196 Super Sport were introduced in 1929 and that Sturmey Archer FW gear box dates from 1925-30, so you may have yourself a nice little vintage bitsa and people will be happy to see it on the road.

You're right Barny. 1930-ish Excelsior it ain't. I have the 1930-ish Excelsior yours is meant to be and the only thing in common between the two bikes is they both have two wheels and an Excelsior tank transfer. Sun used that style of double top tube frame frame and also sold frame fittings to other manufacturers so it's not at all that unusual but forget 1930-ish Excelsior.
I think your frame number 197SS is a recent stamping with someone playing games. I'd have a good hunt around for the original number. You'll have fun trying to get it past DVLA as is.
Can you give the engine number? We can then identify it for you. Villiers made a 196cc Super Sport engine which has a different bore and stroke to their later 197cc engines and I can see your engine has an incomplete carb from a later 197cc 6E fitted plus it appears to have electrics from a 6E fitted also.
To my mind you have a complete bitza made by someone who had a fair idea of what they wanted but didn't quite know enough or have skill enough to do it properly. It won't take much to get it well sorted and then you will have a fun riding bike that you can steadily work on to get really schmicko.
Looking forward to more info.
Cheers,

I used an old bed sheet when disassembling my effort. I wrapped it around the whole shebang several times until it looked like a mummy and then gently tapped away. It caught everything comfortably. Nothing shot off anywhere.

For reassembly I made the clamp as shown in the earlier photo. I first assembled everything on the bearer rod which lined everything up. Then clamped it all up tight with the bearer rod still in place. The it was just a matter of removing the bearer rod, popping the unit in the frame and slipping the bearer rod back in. As everything was new, straight and well greased it was surprisingly easy.

The only fussy bit was not scratching the new paint on the spring covers. You can see the thin card protectors between the clamp and the covers..

I think you've done the hard bit Ian. It's all cruising from now on.   

Whilst serving in WWI Norm Maplestone met and married the daughter of FE Baker, the manufacturer of Precision engines pre WWI, the Beardmore Precision afterwards and finally the Villiers powered Baker.
Mr Maplestone came home with new wife plus a couple of Barr & Stroud sleeve valve engines. JFerg can give chapter and verse on this and I believe has even been bailed up by a Maplestone descendant trying to do a family history.
It's all go in the early motorcycle world isn't it. Far more fun than just riding a clean, reliable and utterly boring modern bike that you can only polish.

Cheers,