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British Bikes / Re: Villiers engine in 1930s Waratah
« on: July 06, 2025, 08:58:13 AM »
First, thanks 33d6. Do we need to know more or do we know enough? Nah, I think we know enough.
My best advice to Waratah owners with Waratah painted on the tank is to not re-paint it, or if you have to at least document the original paint. If your bike has original paint, R, at least we know that that particular bike had a double pin stripe. My guess is the Powerhouse Museum example has been repainted. It may have had a single stripe originally, but without documentation, hard to say.
Finally the "1934" 250. Nice and tidy. I'd question the date, because the alloy-head (three bolt) sports model was "all new" to Waratah in August 1935. So hard to date the "Waratah" aspect of the bike before 1935. But what if it has numbers in keeping with a 1934 Excelsior??? I'm putting that in the "i don't need to know" category!!
Cheers
Leon
My best advice to Waratah owners with Waratah painted on the tank is to not re-paint it, or if you have to at least document the original paint. If your bike has original paint, R, at least we know that that particular bike had a double pin stripe. My guess is the Powerhouse Museum example has been repainted. It may have had a single stripe originally, but without documentation, hard to say.
Finally the "1934" 250. Nice and tidy. I'd question the date, because the alloy-head (three bolt) sports model was "all new" to Waratah in August 1935. So hard to date the "Waratah" aspect of the bike before 1935. But what if it has numbers in keeping with a 1934 Excelsior??? I'm putting that in the "i don't need to know" category!!
Cheers
Leon