classic motorcycle forum

Mystery solved.  The adjuster is metric, which ruled out a few ideas.  Transpires that it is a parking brake cable for a Moto Guzzi Convert.  The Convert wasn't an automatic, it was simply a torque converter on the back of a torquey engine.  There was a two speed "box" but the idea was to select high or low ratio before you set off.  High gave a top speed around 80MPH, but low was designed for police escort and convoy work, top speed nearer 45MPH.  Obviously, having a torque converter demands a parking brake or you can't leave the thing to idle.

cheers,

Can anyone identify this cable, which came with stuff believed to be late Norton, Commando era.  It's new, unused.  Distinguishing feature is the rubber boot mid cable, which conceals a spring.  No switch, just a spring, but a stiff spring, like a valve spring.  Half inch ID, 2 1/8" long, and won't compress at all under finger pressure.  There's also a natty little rubber concertina cover for the presumed pedal end.  Having the adjuster mid-cable is unusual, too

Sounds like a typical carb fault that will be traced to the magneto.  There's an open circuit in the HT winding that has generated a carbon track.  When cold, the resistance is low, but once it warms up, the resistance increases with heat until the spark weakens and the engine dies.  By the time you have pushed it home, it has cooled off again.....

BTH offered light sets for only a few years of the late twenties.  I have a bike fitted with a BTH "dyno-mag", and some years ago managed to acquire at great expense a correct headlight to match it.  That's the only BTH headlight I have ever seen!!  To describe them as uncommon is a sweeping understatement.   The BTH tail light is a generic bullet styled thing, and so I've given up on finding one.  Any sort of late twenties electrical kit is hard to find, and expensive if you do; I'd be using the Miller headlight on the basis that you have it.

Somewhere I think I have a BTH brochure and wiring diagram.  I'll see if I can find it and scan a copy to post.

cheers,
JFerg

Leon,
Just because I don't have a sales record for Grigg doesn't mean they didn't at least try engines.  My record is not 100% complete.  It's pretty good, but there are a few holes.  Also, Grigg may have obtained an engine from an intermediary.  DeLuxe/Motorities bought quite a few engines, and they'd sell anything at all to anyone who'd buy it.   Recently I've tracked three engines in the USA.  Reputedly these were purchased by Indian for trial, but they were all sold through Wallace Engineering, a Glasgow firm who built agricultural equipment and did not build motorcycles.  All things are possible.

JFerg

Wanted, anything related to Barr and Stroud single sleeve valve engines, or anyone who has one.
I have a couple of 500cc engines, but I have also been through the archives and have as complete a sales record of these engines as it is possible to get.  I can probably date any engines out there, and probably supply a copy of the original sales order in exchange for an engine number.

cheers,
JFerg

I'm interested, Jagnut.  Send me a private message.

cheers,
JFerg