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Messages - R

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1
British Bikes / Enfield tank panel colour ?
« on: January 20, 2026, 07:39:30 AM »
Has anyone faced the task of doing the tank panels on a prewar Enfield.
What colour did you use ?



The brochure describes it as 'chrome tank with silver tank panels'.
But plain ole silver paint seems not right, its got a white look to it ?
And its pre-metallic paint, so no answers in that direction...

2
British Bikes / Re: Royal Enfield HiFi Blue ?
« on: January 07, 2026, 09:14:46 PM »
Thanks for the comments folks.
Yes, experienced painters recommend painting a bikes topcoat all from the one can, if possible.
'Cause that 2nd can they supplied may not be exactly the same shade.
And I have seen this myself.
Mixing it up in a larger can then splitting into 2 smaller ones helps prevent this.



This, and other pics, should be good enough to get a match from.
Seems it was a single stage enamel pearl, in common with the numerous other shades of
polychromatic enamels Enfields used  over the decades.

Curiously, HD also used a pearl type shade they called HiFi blue. You can still buy it over the parts counter. ?
A stronger shade of blue though, it would be a mistake to assume it was the same.

3
British Bikes / Royal Enfield HiFi Blue ?
« on: January 07, 2026, 03:17:16 AM »
Someone here is looking to paint their 60s Enfield twin in the HiFi Blue listed then.
Anyone know if this a metallic colour, a candy apple colour or a pearl type paint ?

We see that RS Bikepaints lists it as Polychromatic HiFi Blue
- which would make it a single stage pearl type paint.
A more modern version may use a clear topcoat.

I recall seeing a nice example in Wales, done entirely using spraycans !
And a LOT of manhours....

A sample, selected at random.

4
British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« on: December 17, 2025, 08:42:34 PM »
Interesting. Does this mean you can't just swap flywheels between different models of engines,
or that you can't even swap the whole kit & caboodle between engines ?

I merely pondered swapping from a 2 coil set to a 6 coil set, without any serious intent...

5
British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« on: December 17, 2025, 02:42:46 AM »
Quote from: 33d6 on December 17, 2025, 01:37:07 AM
I enjoy playing with my Villiers stuff but I have no illusions     

Aye ! 
As soon as the march of history is trotted out, I compare my lil Villiers 125cc at 3 bhp with the last of the KTM 125cc GP bikes.
At 55 BHP, thats 440 BHP/Litre    Now thats a full Grand Prix race spec engine, but still ......

Thanks for your comments. I do have the Villiers book, but not read through it lately. Or even found it recently !.
I don't remember it giving a really detailed account of the electrics, just the bare basics. ?
I'd be curious what form that long resistance wire took in the later 1950s models, if it had to deal with a full 30w output.
That'd be a bit of heat to shed .....


6
Identify these bikes! / Re: Strange JAP cylinder
« on: December 12, 2025, 09:46:04 PM »
Ditto.

Rob Saward has written a little booklet about dating JAP engines,
additional to all the pneumatic palava, as research into aussie built versions.
He'd be the chap to ask, although his health may not assist here.

7
British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« on: December 03, 2025, 10:00:40 PM »
Yes, I would regard a working (and visible) brake light in particular as essential in modern traffic.

Funny you should mention replica lamps. I've just taken delivery of several, and apart from no Lucas logos
or numbering they seem almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Sure beats an empty space, at least ...
Even the paintwork has improved lately ? 
We will see if they still work in 70+ years ?!

8
British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« on: December 02, 2025, 09:10:15 AM »
So where does this wee beastie get all the juice to power that big headlamp.
Not knowing lil RE's in the slightest ...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/146989249719

Edit. Specs say it has Villiers direct (AC) lighting
And were new for 1933 ?



9
British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« on: November 28, 2025, 03:36:40 AM »
Miller dip switches - as a genuine copy - are fiercely expensive.
So I improvised - a coat of black (left) on a knockoff pattern.
And it has a horn press.

https://i.postimg.cc/QMQZcQxx/Miller-copy.jpg


Might work on the lighthouse 3-d molding for the top....

If only they made the supplied wires a shade longer.

10
British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« on: November 23, 2025, 02:11:32 AM »
Quote from: R on November 22, 2025, 02:06:27 AM
Hmmm, the Owners Manual for a later model refers to a 30w generator.

A wiring diagram for such a FB shows still no voltage  control.
But a large resistance wire - centre to the top - connected to the light switch.
To soak up unneeded power ?
When the lights are not in use ??

https://cybermotorcycle.com/gallery/francis-barnett-falcon-87/images/Francis-Barnett-1965c-Falcon-87-Wiring-Diagram.jpg

Be more sensible (these days) to have a lamp there as a running light. ?
Curious and curiouser ...


11
British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« on: November 22, 2025, 02:06:27 AM »
Hmmm, the Owners Manual for a later model refers to a 30w generator.
Must be with more lighting coils than this has ...

12
British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« on: November 21, 2025, 09:33:38 PM »
Interesting point.
This looking like less of a trickle charge, and more of a dribble charge ...

13
British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« on: November 21, 2025, 05:03:41 AM »
Indeed.
The local advertising for these was something like "a penny a mile"
so you couldn't get more economy oriented than that.

That said, you'd hope the engineering was at least in the ballpark,
And spares and a handbook gave you a chance of keeping it running ...

Now, to find a suitable Miller headlamp switch, for the best ! of all worlds
4 position, Direct as the 4th position.

14
British Bikes / Re: Villiers battery charging system ?
« on: November 20, 2025, 02:21:33 PM »
Reading about, it seems that Villiers engines came with 2, 4 or 6 lighting coils.
Mine has 2,  being early postwar.

And the correct bulbs are listed as 1 amp and .75 amp
So the total max lighting output AC  is ~10 w  ?
And a half wave rectifier acting on that would be 5 watts DC for the battery. ?
So literally just a trickle charge.

The plan to just use a 6v battery and charge it occasionally at home seems solid,
its unlikely to get much (ever ?) nighttime use ...

15
British Bikes / Villiers battery charging system ?
« on: November 19, 2025, 09:46:07 PM »
In the late 40s early 1950s, you could buy a basic little Villiers powered bike with direct AC lighting only.
Or, the upmarket version with 6v battery and charging system.
And the direct AC lighting was still available, selectable on the (special) Miller 4 pole headlamp switch.

I was somewhat bemused to see the battery charging system seemingly has no voltage control (?)
Or have I missed something ?   How did they get away with this ?
Does the half-wave rectified 6v output only constitute a trickle charge to the battery maybe  ?

Does the base model Villiers have the same number of lighting coils for the flywheel as the battery model ?

Jist curious, at this stage ...


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