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American Bikes / Re: Crocker V Twin
« on: July 16, 2024, 09:21:55 AM »
Bigsby later designed the Bigsby Bear Trap as used on electric guitars.
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British Bikes / Re: Dunelt and Barnstormers
« on: July 06, 2024, 05:57:25 PM »
Don't know about in the colonies but in the UK prices for all bikes have slipped. A lot.
Where a good DBD34 could've made maybe £15/16K you'd get £9k on a good day. A7/10's were fetching £7-8k some years back but they'd struggle to achieve £5k now.
It's a harsh reality that those who like codger bikes are dying out, and their grieving families are dumping the bike collections onto an already flooded market, hence the price crash.
I reckon £2k would buy a top-notch Bantam now.
Where a good DBD34 could've made maybe £15/16K you'd get £9k on a good day. A7/10's were fetching £7-8k some years back but they'd struggle to achieve £5k now.
It's a harsh reality that those who like codger bikes are dying out, and their grieving families are dumping the bike collections onto an already flooded market, hence the price crash.
I reckon £2k would buy a top-notch Bantam now.
3
British Bikes / Re: Tool collectors
« on: June 21, 2024, 08:24:52 AM »
Yep, to get precise and universal settings on production lines etc rather to stop "pommies" breaking bits off Nortons and blaming the spanners.
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British Bikes / Re: Tool collectors
« on: June 12, 2024, 09:35:40 PM »
I wasn't contradicting you, just mentioning that in later years Meriden found a solution to that particular problem
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British Bikes / Re: Tool collectors
« on: June 11, 2024, 07:04:05 PM »
As with most things, there are times when some designs are an advantage, but as said, with this type of spanner you need two sets or one set and a socket set to undo nuts and bolts.
I used (and still have) a ground down O/E spanner for those tricky nuts, although didn't they change to bi-hex nuts in later years?
I used (and still have) a ground down O/E spanner for those tricky nuts, although didn't they change to bi-hex nuts in later years?
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British Bikes / Re: Tool collectors
« on: June 11, 2024, 11:19:57 AM »
Pre-war BSA (for instance) was part of a huge industrial conglomerate, and when odd-sized hexagon nuts turned up on BSA bikes it was because someone somewhere had ordered too much of a certain hex bar, and the accountants then wanted to make sure it was used.
People were more clever in those days; they just gone on with any repairs and didn't take to social media to complain that it took more than three spanners to work on their bikes.
People were more clever in those days; they just gone on with any repairs and didn't take to social media to complain that it took more than three spanners to work on their bikes.
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British Bikes / Re: Tool collectors
« on: June 10, 2024, 09:31:32 AM »
Don't know about the collectability of Sidchrome stuff, but when I started out as an apprentice about 100 years ago the older fitters would take the piss mercilessly for anyone turning up with combo spanners.
"Where you been shopping the weekend boy, B&Q?" and other similar references to DiYers for combos being for weekend mechanics.
To this day I prefer a range of O/E's and a similar range of deep off-set rings to be able to do most jobs.
"Where you been shopping the weekend boy, B&Q?" and other similar references to DiYers for combos being for weekend mechanics.
To this day I prefer a range of O/E's and a similar range of deep off-set rings to be able to do most jobs.
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British Bikes / Re: Tool collectors
« on: June 09, 2024, 04:25:26 PM »
Maybe people would have more luck finding stuff if they used the correct terminology, ie "Imperial" rather than "Whitworth".
Whitworth, as any fule no, is a threadform not a type of spanner.
These Imperial spanners are sold at UK swapmeets/autojumbles for a quid a time as there's no call for them. It's worth rooting through the boxes of tools just to get a range of spanners to keep with each bike.
Whitworth, as any fule no, is a threadform not a type of spanner.
These Imperial spanners are sold at UK swapmeets/autojumbles for a quid a time as there's no call for them. It's worth rooting through the boxes of tools just to get a range of spanners to keep with each bike.
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British Bikes / Re: Waratah speedo
« on: May 14, 2024, 09:05:39 AM »
Very effective, but so incongruous on old bikes.
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British Bikes / Re: Waratah speedo
« on: May 13, 2024, 09:06:34 AM »
I don't recall ever seeing a post-war Villiers-powered lightweight with a front wheel-driven speedo, but then as I also don't recall ever seeing a Villiers unit with a gearbox speedo connection, then it must have been from the rear wheel.
Maybe a Bantam (or similar) speedo drive would do the job?
Maybe a Bantam (or similar) speedo drive would do the job?
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British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: May 09, 2024, 04:12:24 PM »
Way back when these were just old bikes and things were done to eke out a little more life from them, the fix of drilling along the spline/kick starter interface and fitting a bolt, screw, roll pin whatever often featured in the "ten bob tips" columns.
Don't know that I'd want to damage old parts in this way now though.
Don't know that I'd want to damage old parts in this way now though.
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British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: May 08, 2024, 09:45:12 PM »
Looking again I'm sure you're right. I thought it was a poor pic of a perished tyre wall.
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British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: May 08, 2024, 11:06:21 AM »
Tread recutters were a common tool way back when, but in those days the tyre carcase was so stiff the bike stood up and rode with a flat tyre. Modern rubber is much more pliable but seems to rot quicker, as the three year old tyres on my car will attest.
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Identify these bikes! / Re: Please identify this motorbike
« on: April 25, 2024, 10:47:21 PM »
£20G's for that? It might be a rare bike but it's scrappy resto job at best.
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British Bikes / Re: Triumph Bonneville
« on: April 13, 2024, 09:55:15 PM »
Door, arse, hit.
Normal service can now be resumed.
Normal service can now be resumed.