classic motorcycle forum

is there an email adress for any knowledgeble person to enable me to forward pictures of my bike ?

Forums are to share information. Frame U2447 is from a 1926 4.98 HP DeLuxe. Are you sure the engine number is M17891? This dates to late 1928, but M7891 would be a 1926 number.

Leon
Extremely knowledgeable person

I'm in Portugal

I hope nowhere near the terrible fires.

Rex has good advice: sacrifice a big old screwdriver by grinding a gap in the middle to clear the stud.

Cheers

Leon

Yes I think there are interesting organisation/industry links. You mention Navy, but one I've found is firearms. In the smaller sizes, FN (full name Fabrique Nationale des Armes de Guerre - National Manufacturer of Arms of War, and makers of the Browning pistols and other armaments) used 3/16-30. Another unlisted one, but you can still find them today as the screws that hold the grip on a Luger pistol.

In 1/8, FN use 1/8-40. That BSW is 1/8-40 is, I'm sure, just a coincidence.

The machine I've been working on today is a tiller-steered three-wheeled car, with a 600cc motor above the single front wheel, built in Berlin c1907. The most common thread on the car is 10mm-16tpi. I kid you not! BSW is 3/8-16 which is close (3/8"=9.52mm), as is M10-1.5 (16 tpi is 1.6mm pitch), but these threads are really, genuinely 10mm-16tpi. As I said, nothing surprises me - in fact I love it.

Cheers

Leon

Nice photo. The bike is a Model K four-cylinder Henderson, made in the USA. The model ran from 1920 to 1927 with a number of changes, but it's hard to date it from the front-on view.

Does this fit with your expectations?

Cheers

Leon

1929 was the last year for the Amateur Races on the IOM, replaced by the Manx GP for 1930. Quite different from the TT Races run earlier in the year when the big boys came out on their factory racers.

Leon

Very nice. Probably a 1927 Special, or maybe even the 80-mph Sports. The cooking model, called the Standard, had the muffler across the frame in front of the engine right up until 1928.

Although it looks like no brakes are fitted, there are rim brakes front and rear with the brake rim fixed to the wheel rim, with flat shoes pressing on them. They were even coupled, so applying the foot brake applied front and rear brakes simultaneously. Famously Rudge introduced their 8" drum brakes for the 1928 season, which corresponded with their rise to the top of the racing tree. In 1930 Rudge were so dominant in racing that they filled 5 of the 6 podium places in the Junior and Senior Isle of Man TT races.

The original owner chose to decline the electric option, going instead for the ML magneto and carbide lights.

Cheers

Leon

Oh I'm a sucker, and I'll read anything. The Villiers history is an interesting one.

The fourth link should be http://www.hulsmannmotor.nl/Villiers_Motornummers.html (all post war I think) but the third (the Ron Wiley reference) I can't navigate to, but would like to.

Cheers

Leon

Hi Paul,

I'll bet it's been done and I bet 33d6 knows all about it! No doubt he'll tell us presently. I don't know too much about Villiers engines, but it's a coincidence that this week I've been working on one of the earliest models - prefix O - for a friend. Pre-flywheel-magneto of course, but a simple and nicely made motor. 269cc and around 1913-15 I think. I've ridden a hundred km or so on a similar O-series-powered bike, and they run very well.

Have fun with your research!

Leon