classic motorcycle forum

I’ve now cleaned up the Simplex engine number records and can answer the odd question about them but want to ask one of my own.
Simplex were sold by Turner Bros, 291 Elizabeth St, but in the back of my mind is that they had strong South Oz connections? That they were just a branch of a South Oz firm? That they also sold Levis that were imported through South Oz? Whatever the case, I mentally associate Turner Bros with South Oz.
If so, did they also sell Simplex there. Simplex numbers are low compared to the Utility. For the number involved it doesn’t seem worth the bother.

Found another 'Australian' motorcycle today.
It was the annual local VMCC swap meet and I saw this thing in the back of a ute (where else). It wasn't bad. Reasonably complete, fairly well painted, not concours, which to me is exactly how a cheap working bike should look but as usual unfinished and needing mechanical work done.  Why do people paint bikes before doing the necessary mechanical work?
Anyway, it was built to the usual 30's cheap bike formula. Villiers engine, Albion gearbox,Webb presssed steel forks, British Hub Co wheels and so on and named 'Star' on the petrol tank. On coming home I checked the usual suspects to find the Star was sold here in Victoria between 1931-34. No idea who by or anything else.
Tried to search Trove for adverts and the like but with no joy. There's a knack to Trove which I don't have.

So Leon, does the Star get a mention in Robs A-Z second edition or is it too late? Do you know anything about it?

Cheers,
 

I've been curious about the "supercharged"(note quotation marks) Dunelt for a long time. It's just another weirdo two-stroke but it seemed to last on the market a few years longer than most of the other oddities.

Their Model K had an extra attraction as it shares the same lightweight Sturmey Archer gearbox with my 1926 Matchless so not only an oddity but also a possible source of spares. Luckily those lightweight S/A boxes turn up fairly regularly so no longer a problem.

Anyway, the Barnstormers site in NZ, www.barnstormers.co.nz has just put up an illustrated copy of the Model K spare parts list so one can study the internal mysteries of a Dunelt style engine and work out why you don't see many restored examples. I don't think the one piece roller bearing crankshaft helps. Not many enthusiasts are willing to stump up to have a complete new crankshaft made when the big end needs renewal and as the top hat piston is utterly unique with no possibility of substituting a foreign make jobbie that just adds to the financial pain. Very few are willing to rebuild a 250cc two-stroke single when it will possibly cost as much as rebuilding a J.A.P. vee twin in a Brough. Strange about that.

Anyway it's been very quiet here lately and I thought others might be interested in having a nosy at how Dunelt did it.     

Hi Leon,
You asked about Utility motorcycles.
As in the old joke patter, "I haff good news und I haff bad news".
The good news is I have all the Utility engine number records sitting in front of me. The bad news is they are on 16mm microfilm and I don't have a reader. Even when I do get a reader I've been warned that most if not all are handwritten- in pencil- and were well faded before microfilming anyway. Apparently in the years before computerisation took hold the Motor Registration Branch as it was then had the bright idea of microfilming a lot of the early records. Nothing wrong with microfilming, it is still a sensible way of recording and archiving stuff but unless you take care the quality drops a bit. Poor quality originals become rather poorer microfilms.
I gather modern microfilm scanners can improve things but as I know absolutely nothing about reading old microfilms in 2021 I'm on a very steep learning curve starting from absolute zero. All advice carefully listened to.

Cheers,

I'm not quite sure why Paulb52 would ask a question on identifying an engine and then lock it so no one can reply but with my level of computer skills I know I could easily do the same and not know it so I can't sneer at anyone else.
Anyway I can tell Paul why no one can identify his Villiers engine and that's because it isn't Villiers. It is a Triumph Model X, a 174cc unit construction two-stroke with a 2-speed gear box built in. Made between 1930-32.
Triumph reduced the bore in 1932 to reduce engine capacity to 149cc for even cheaper road tax. They then called it the Model Z but it only lasted that year.
Times were tough, very tough, and factories were doing whatever they could to survive. These models are part of what Triumph did. They are worthy of preservation even if just to show how factories fought to stay afloat.
No reason why it shouldn't run quite well but the 2-speed box is the great limitation.
Cheers,

Netley Marsh is on in about six weeks. I'm coming over for it, and any hints on how to approach it would be welcome. The main aim is to find an Albion model HM gearbox for my 1929 Excelsior.
Cheers,

I've just returned from a month long holiday riding the Alpine passes in Italy and France.
It was fantastic and I was impressed at how many bike riders I saw but I was surprised at how few British riders were there. Out of the literally thousands of riders we shared the passes with we saw maybe a dozen bikes with British plates.
Am I missing something here?
Cheers,

This is an easy one Walter.
BMS sell a copy of the 1930 Excelsior catalogue so you can see exactly what your bike shold look like and you can find them at www.brucemainsmith.com.  
You can also browse the VMCC library on line and see what they have plus check what they have on the JAP engine and Burman gearbox.
The VMCC also have an excellent transfer service and have the correct transfers.
Excelsior was making a very good bike at this time and won the 1929 Isle of Man Lightweight TT with a racing version of your bike. You have a very good bike.
Cheers, Bob