Some Raleigh doubts (now with serials)

[Paulo Fonseca]

Hi,

I need your help to identify a Raleigh model and year.
At this momment I don't have many pictures, but I bellive this one from the tank could help.
The bike look's like a Raleigh 250 model 15 deluxe, from 1928, but the Lettering is diferent from what I see in other bikes. The first and last letter in my tank are bigger than the others.
The bike as two separate tanks and each other has two "holes".
It has sturmey archer gears.
I hope the original logo can help to figure its age.

Thanks,
Paulo

[33d6]

The engine and frame number are what we need Paulo.
Cheers,

[Paulo Fonseca]

Serial numbers

Engine: MM14175
Frame: L5304

[R]

Any relation ?

http://cybermotorcycle.com/gallery/raleigh-1927/images/Raleigh-1927-Malaysia.jpg

[Paulo Fonseca]

I would say that its more like the one above, but there are some diferences, and look at the diferences on the tank logo



more here: http://buyvintage1.wordpress.com/page-189-1928-raleigh-model-15-deluxe-250cc-sidevalve/

[33d6]

I can see why you're puzzled Paulo.
I have in front of me a pile of Raleigh stuff I've accumulated over the years. Somehow your machine seems to be a bit of lost soul in it all.
Hunting through all this stuff seems to show the engine prefix, MM, identifies a 198cc (60x70 bore & stroke) inside flywheel side valve engine with total loss oiling by bolt on Pilgrim Pump. Does this match what you have? I've only heard mention of one of these out in Australia but I never saw it.
The L prefix for the frame just doesn't show up at all but sort of fits in the Raleigh frame number sequence. The 250cc SV frame prefix was J in the 1925-29 era and the 300cc SV  frame prefix was O a little later. A late 20's 198cc Raleigh with an L prefix is not out of place is it.
The Raleigh saddle tank (really two panniers as you have) was introduced in 1928 and Raleigh started to add a year number suffix to the engine number from 1930-31 so all the clues seem to point to you having a 198 built somewhere in the late vintage period 1928-30.
My suggestion would be that the VMCC Raleigh Marque Specialist could sort all this out and the VMCC Library would have all the info there was available on the bike.
I'd like to know what you find out.
Cheers,

[Paulo Fonseca]

Hi,
The bike is from my uncle, and he gave me the info by phone, so I've made a mistake on the engine serial number, the ENGINE serial is M1471 and the FRAME serial is L5504 and not L5304
I bellive the engine its a 250cm3, and the bike its from 28/29
Here goes some pictures I've taken today:

[R]

That crankshaft was almost certainly intended for an outside flywheel.
Not enough flywheel weight to get over compression otherwise...

[33d6]

Hi Paul,
The revised numbers don't really help that much except the single 'M' engine prefix definitely denotes a 250cc side valve engine as shown and as with the 'J' frame number prefix the M engine prefix was used from 1925 to 1929. The lowest engine number in the VMCC Register is M760 in 1925 and the highest M18823 in 1929 so M1471 would be fairly early in the piece and as 'R' says is probably an outside flywheel version.

Reading through what literature I do have shows 1928 to be a changeover year with the introduction of saddle tank but not on all 250 side valves. It was fitted to the de luxe version but not the standard. There is also hints that there was a changeover period when both outside flywheel and inside flywheel models were sold side by side.

I still have no idea about the 'L' frame number prefix.

As I said last time, this looks like a job for the VMCC Marque Specialist who should know all the twists and turns.

Cheers,

 

[Paulo Fonseca]

I've contacted VMCC asking to buy some Excelsior catalogues some weeks ago, but I didn't receive any answer until now...

Until now, I only have found one raleigh with the logo like "mine" with R ...H bigger than the other letters.

The bike seems to have a green original paint... was that color usual?

Thank you all.
Paulo

[33d6]

There have been some staff changes at the VMCC Library. The previous Librarian left in May and I don't know what the new arrangements are but meanwhile until the new crew settle in I'm not surprised they were slow to answer.

Can I ask what Excelsior you have? I've run a 1929-30 Model 1 Excelsior for some time now and have had a lot of fun with it. I never knew a 150cc lightweight could be so entertaining.

Cheers,

[Paulo Fonseca]

There have been some staff changes at the VMCC Library. The previous Librarian left in May and I don't know what the new arrangements are but meanwhile until the new crew settle in I'm not surprised they were slow to answer.

Can I ask what Excelsior you have? I've run a 1929-30 Model 1 Excelsior for some time now and have had a lot of fun with it. I never knew a 150cc lightweight could be so entertaining.

Cheers,

I've forward the email to other email account, let's wait for the answer.

Yes you can ask... you've been a great help to identify that Excelsior to »» http://www.classicmotorcycleforum.com/index.php?topic=4897.0

My uncle, the Raleigh oewner gave me this Excelsior... will be my first motorcycle restauration.
My restauration passion began with some vintage english bicycles (sunbeam, raleigh, bsa, etc..), now I'm going to my first English motorcycle, this "light weight" Excelsior