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31
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« Last post by Rex on July 31, 2026, 10:00:06 AM »
That bog at Bracklesham is a throw-back from the 1950s which is probably the last time it was deep-cleaned. How long can you hold your breath?
I like the bendy road back to the A27 though.
32
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« Last post by Rockburner on July 30, 2026, 09:26:16 PM »
More Thursday afternoon Shenanigans!

Frist I tightened up the pumps, we'll see if that makes any difference whatsoever (I doubt it)


I checked the level in the oil, it was showing exactly 4cm (which is a bit odd because I could have sworn it was a 4.2cm when I returned from the  ride on Sunday, maybe the oil shrank in volume as it cooled? Either that or there's actually a leak somewhere.... which I doubt...)
I then added another 500ml... and the depth went up to 6cm.
So... 500ml is APPROXIMATELY (the tank isn't a uniform cubic shape...) 2cm...  Interesting.  6cm is roughly half-full.



I was then just going around the bike checking things and realised the bloody tank strap was coming apart.
So I pulled the thing off (easier said than done, natch...), punched a couple of new holes a bit futher in, and refitted the end piece


I moved the attachment point to the forward of the two holes and redid the pretty wire... :D


To be honest, I really don't like that tank fitting.... I am going to think about improving it somehow.  (more on the tank later....)

Tacho don't work.


(but the rest I think is reasonably accurate)

I pulled the plug which I hadn't done after the last ride on Sunday.


Black and sooty.... to be honest, I'm completely unsurprised.  The ride home was at snails pace and the engine was not happy at low throttle settings.


I gave the plug a quick Millyarding




And chucked it back in...
Note to self.. FIND A BETTER PLUG-SPANNER  I hate this cheap piece of tat.


I checked the engine was still running ok, fired it up and it was fine, so I tweaked the oil slightly, and the idle speed (REALLY easy to do that with the extended adjuster screws! :D )
Even just idling in the shed there was some oil coming out of the push-rod tubes, but the crank case breather was working well, and was surprisingly dry.


So, I took it out for a spin. :D
Selsey Beach.  I actually had an ulterior motive... I need to talk to the local JAP expert in Selsey about the engine so went down to see if he was around, he wasn't, so I took the opportunity to get a photo or two at Selsey Head.



I then fancied an ice-cream so wended my way slowly over to Bracklesham (the next village west along the coast).
Even taking the back roads I was baulked by traffic virtually everywhere...


I did assuage the frustration by overtaking a few cars and trucks though - maybe not much to brag about, but it felt good given the bike I was on. :D

The engine breather, I think, has actually helped the engine run a tiny tad better, it seemed a touch more eager today.

One thing it DEFINITELY does NOT like is pootling along.... it's quite positively happier at 3/4 to full throttle and when it's pulling.  It does NOT like trundling along at 30-40 on a constant throttle... I had to adopt a sort of "hyper-miling" technique of dropping back at idle, or with the clutch pulled, then letting the engine pull up to the car in front before dropping back again.  I'll have to look at the tuning guides and see which part of the carb is effective in that range - I "think" it's needle height, so that may need some fiddling with.

I then took a slightly longer route home (to avoid having to turn right into the driveway... :roll: ) and got a run through the local tight bends - the bike suspension may be somewhat hard and jarring, but it handles beautifully, holds a line and tracks very nicely, I can't wait to get it out on some open sweepers. :D :D

Oh yeah - I also tweaked the side-stand round a bit on the frame tube, and the bike sits up a bit straighter now, which I much prefer. :)

There's still a way to go yet though: things that need a good looking at:
- carb tuning
- oil leaking (hopefully some RTV on the push-rod tubes will contain most of it).  I have a nasty feeling there's a couple more areas though. The oil return feed line leaks where it goes into the tank, which confuses the hell out of me because there's absolutely no reason for it to do so - I even trimmed a cm off the end because it was looking a bit tired and it's made no difference. Hmm....
- the tank, yeah... it's rubbing against the steering head (well, the rhs downtube actually) and it doesn't sit centrally on the frame pads.  So - I need to make up a boss or something to hold it centrally... hmmm... I just remembered I have something that might do the trick... <makes mental note>
- LHS fork needs a new seal, and I may as well rebuild it (I hate rebuilding forks...),  On Sunday the seal seemed fine, but it was weeping today, it needs doing.
- Tacho - I suspect the speedo is just some old thing Dad bought at Kempton, so that may be a winter project to see why the Tacho isn't working.


It ain't over folks! :D
33
Identify these bikes! / Re: L'il Villiers
« Last post by cardan on July 30, 2026, 05:01:46 AM »
Brilliant - very interesting indeed.

I spent last night reading military vehicle forums about the ML James. Incredibly well documented due to the military contracts that governed their production and delivery.

Of interest to us is that MLs were delivered between 1943 and 1945, with frame numbers up to ML8500 - there were contracts to supply 10,000 but the last 1500 were not delivered to the military. ML numbers beyond 8500 ended up (mostly) on the postwar civilian market.

Now here's the interesting bit: All the ML engines (Villiers 9D) were all AAAxxxxA numbers, with xxxxx mostly between about 20000 and about 28000.

The experts there agree about the A suffix on the 9D engines: "Unfortunately records of Villiers 9D engine numbers do not appear to have been retained but it is thought that they were fitted to WD James ML's at random without any particular sequence. The suffix "A" after the engine number was a mark applied by Villiers to signify a post-1939 9D engine with the revised crankcase sealing method (the "gland" seal on the driving side), the "A" signifying "amended"."

They also suggest that, unlike the ML frame numbers, the Villiers engine numbers don't seem to appear in strict order. Nevertheless, the Waratah engine number AAA24024A is right in the middle of the 8000+ engines that went into MLs for the military, do it's likely well into wartime: 1942, 1943 or even 1944?

So, what date for the Waratah?

I've been back and searched wartime newspapers. New Waratah adverts petered out towards the end of 1941 (ignoring Ted Bailey's unchanged long-running advert in "The Propeller" claiming to have New Waratahs on hand), but there was a surprise advert from P&R Williams offering "a few New Waratah Motor Cycles" in December 1942. No mention of the model, but let's guess 9D engines.

The post war, I found an announcement of "limited quantities" of 1945-model Waratahs in September 1945 (all 9D). The "Brand New 1946 Model Waratahs" landed in July 1946.

As I see it, the Waratah for sale could be either a "1942 surprise shipment" landed in December 1942 or a "1945 model" landed in September 1945. I'd guess bikes in both shipments might look pretty prewar, with the "1946 model" having what we call postwar features - new frame, gear change through the tank, etc.

I'll try again for frame number.

Leon
34
Identify these bikes! / Re: L'il Villiers
« Last post by 33d6 on July 30, 2026, 03:16:59 AM »
From what you have given me I think very early postwar. It all seems to point that way. As it happens my Excelsior equivalent is a 1940 model so more or less last gasp prewar and very handy for comparison.
Supposedly Villiers did their final 9D upgrade in 1939 but when in 1939? War was declared in September which is also around the time the whole motorcycle industry including Villiers started announcing next years ranges and anything new. I'm still ploughing through 'MotorCycling" at the State Library and haven't got to 1939 so haven't an exact date yet but will in due course. 1940 was going to be a big year for Villiers. Lots of changes and upgrades that came and went between the declaration of war in September and the halt of civilian production in April 1940. Hopefully the State Library will clarify a lot of questions.
My Excelsior has the AAA prefix only and the number, 18330 is in the expected prewar position. The frame number is 1073 with the correct prefix for a 1940 Model 0. It is on a flat boss on the left side of the steering head lug just above the down tube. The frame number is always on the special raised boss provided for it. Your auctioneer isn't trying too hard if he can't find it.
The first batch of postwar Excelsior to arrive in Victoria all have AAA****A engine numbering system in the vertical style. We know this from the AOMC engine number cards as they all contain the date of first registration which leads me to believe its the original fitment with the auction bike.
We also know from past investigation that a Waratah /Excelsior was not quite the same as the current model Excelsior . All Excelsior but not quite identical, usually with the odd part from previous years models. I think that is what has happened here, in an effort to start selling bikes again in the early days of peace Excelsior cleaned out their stores and made up a batch of Waratah from what they could find. As I mentioned before, that bike has a prewar frame and forks that were used on other model Excelsior. The frame number would reveal a lot. I think it's genuine and very early postwar. 
35
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« Last post by Rockburner on July 29, 2026, 09:25:27 PM »
Have been in and out so trying to keep up to date with everything....

Yesterday I spent an inordinate amount of time looking for anything that was 7/16" in diameter in order to make up a new breather insert for the timing case, then eventually I found the remains of the stud I used to make the grub screws for the holes in the cases. I thought I'd thrown it away, which is not like me, but eventually it turned up in the Imperial taps & dies toolbox!

I also found the remnants of the tubing I'd used for the push rods, which is 7/16s as well.

I first tried making fitting from the old push rod tube


But the die got away from me somewhat.... :(

So I tried to make something up from the stud.
But I only got so far...


Unfortunately when I tried to drill the hole down the axis of the stud... The bloody drill bit snapped.


So that was plan B down the shitter.

I had another, more successful go at Plan A, with the other bit of tube from the new push rods


But to get to that stage... I had to get the grub screw out first.

Which was a struggle.

I used an impact driver, heat, a dugga dugga, more heat, the impact driver again, more heat, hammering one end of the slot with a screwdriver, more heat, more dugga dugga...

And EVENTUALLY the !"£%^% came loose!

I mildly mullered the thing, so today I started by cleaning up the grub screw in case I need it again, and cutting the slot a lot deeper!


Some more parts also arrived today.

These are extended adjuster screws for the Concentric.


Compare to the old ones


And fitted to the carb


The main benefit, as far as I'm concerned, is that I can tweak the screws without a screwdriver.... :D

I then rummaged through the filthy bag of filthy hoses again and found something vaguely appropriate for the breather and fitted it.


It vents directly into the catch tank


Hopefully that will reduce the amount of oil being blown out of the push rod tubes, and if so, I'll have a go at sealing them with RTV, but I'm hoping to have time for a quick test ride tomorrow....

Maybe.

Because the other thing I did tonight was whip the Pilgrim pump off the timing case. Still not sure why I did that... But hopefully it was worth it.

Well, in wanted to see if the continued oil weeps that end up dripping off the bottom of the pump were actually coming from the pump.


This is a "spare" I have, which I got out to peruse and ruminate on, because I wasn't sure exactly which bolts were holding the pump on.


This is the driven side.


The pump is only held on by 2 bolts.

So I undid and drained all the hoses, and removed the fitted pump
The gasket came off easily with a sharp knife, it was shagged.


This is where the pump fits:
Top to bottom: fastening hole, drive aperture, fastening hole, oil feed oil.


(No wonder they leak...)

I was actually pressed for time, so I hurriedly made up a new paper gasket using the original as a pattern


Then got the 3bond out again and applied it "sparingly"


Placed the gasket


More 3bond on the outer face of the gasket, then refitted the pump, remembering, thankfully, to replace the drive thimble first!


The primary and secondary pumps are both held on by the 2 bolts... But nothing is holding them together. Well, I think there's some silicon sealant or something, but no visible bolts/screws or anything! I also have a nasty feeling that silicon bond might be compromised....


I did the bolts up "finger-tight" to let the silicon 3bond go off with a little bit of expansion, then I'll do them up properly tight tomorrow, and pray that the grey goop didn't get into the feed hole!
36
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« Last post by Rex on July 29, 2026, 09:21:30 AM »
Yep, there was the Old Fossils Run at Waterlooville, and another classic meet near Guildford on the same day.
37
Identify these bikes! / Re: L'il Villiers
« Last post by cardan on July 29, 2026, 09:09:21 AM »
Forget the ISDT, here's the 125 Waratah on the home sporting trial front, prewar.

Leon
38
Identify these bikes! / Re: L'il Villiers
« Last post by cardan on July 29, 2026, 07:49:46 AM »
From the auctioneers: " The engine number is AAA24024A was located running vertically down centre of the gearbox. Will add the photo later.
Frame number is not visible, will send a photo of the steering head casting."

What do you think 33d6? Are we very-late-pre-war, wartime, or very-early-post-war? I don't think I'd argue if someone said "1940", but I don't know the significance of the suffix "A" on the already "AAA" engine number.

The flat-back VEC headlamp (Acme progressed bullet shaped VEC headlamps on at least some 1940 models) and the fact that new Waratahs weren't landed until July 1946 (but which time we might expect post war numbers?)... yes just pre war maybe?

Re the frame number, I told them, "The frame number is usually on the left side of the steering head casting." Anywhere else it might be? A photo would be good.

Cheers

Leon
39
Identify these bikes! / Re: L'il Villiers
« Last post by 33d6 on July 29, 2026, 07:42:44 AM »
The 8D/9D engine did much better in the ISDT than you think R. The Dutch make Eysink, were the other user besides Excelsior and the record is 1937, three Eysink entered winning two bronze and the other retiring with a frame breakage. 1938 saw one Eysink and the Excelsior entered, both winning bronze. 1939 was the ISDT run on the verge of WWII where the entire British contingent left before the event was over. The Excelsior owner "retired" on the second day but we don't know whether he actually retired or left when told as no one really reported on the activities of private entries. It was all about the official teams. Those representing the country, the Army teams, Club teams and the like, private entries rarely got mentioned much and rarely photographed. Usually they just turn up as background in the odd photo. No Eysink were entered for 1939. Finally Eysink had three 9D  powered entries in the first postwar ISDT and won a Gold and two Silvers.
Not a bad effort all up for a 125cc Villiers.

I look forward to any reply from the auctioneer. It'll make interesting reading.
40
Identify these bikes! / Re: L'il Villiers
« Last post by cardan on July 28, 2026, 02:23:00 PM »
Quote from: R on July 28, 2026, 02:55:51 AM
However, the 1939 Excelsior brochure shows high level exhausts as std fittings on the 125cc Universal, 
so you'd expect the Waratah here to be the same ...

I have a pretty poor illustration of a 125cc (8D presumably) Waratah in December 1937 and it certainly has high level pipes like the GO Universal Excelsior.

I've emailed the auctioneer re engine/frame numbers for the Waratah.

Leon
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