Looking for 1939T100

[4starbike]

Anyone know where I can get a freshly restored 39 T100 with the brobze head option that was used in competition

[Martin_UK]

You won't get a bronze head version for love nor money.......most of the original bronze heads cracked between the valve seats and the holding down bolts because the co-efficients of expansion weren't fully understood when they made them back in the 30's. Bronze head bikes for competition didn't have a long life expectancy as the engines were only used for a few races at most before being rebuilt or scrapped.

The number of Pre-war twins is realtively small in comparison to their original production quantities, because lots have been chopped/modified or just raced to destruction.

For a really good Pre-War T100 don't expect change from £12,000-14,000

Smarty

1939 5T Speed Twin
1939 T100  http://groups.msn.com/VintageBikeSearch/martinsbikes.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=927

[VintageBike]

Martin,
just taken a look at the photo of your bike on that link.  Looks like a real beauty.  Have you owned it long?  I would love a bike of that era.  I've never gone pre-1940's before - but this year could be my year...  Not sure I'd stretch to 12-14K though!
Nigel.

[Martin_UK]

Hello Nigel,

I've owned it coming up for 7 years. Bought it as a "restored bike" but after stripping it down to check it over ended up re-restoring it !! luckily bought it at the right price at the tiume so the sum of the parts was equal to the value I paid otherwise I would heve been upset.

The prewar twins are great to ride,  have just as much power as the post war ones, and quite good brakes too. In a road test Classic Bike carried out a few years ago they compared all the various version of the 5T Speed Twin at the same time, the lower weight of the earlier twins means they have a greater power to weight ratio than the later 5T's and 5TA's built.  The Tiger 100 is even different to ride than the 5T because the fork rake angle is sharper and the larger tank means a slightly different riding position.

Not sure I'd stretch to £12K-14K though now, but it appears these are the prices being asked for by the dealers out there, they are even advertising early 60's  unit Bonnevilles for £8-10 K now I've seen. I only hope the prices stabilise and these dealers take a reality check sometime (when they have showrooms full of unshifted stock).

Keep up the good work with the site Nigel.

Martin

PS Did you go to the Bristol Show this year ?

[VintageBike]

Hi Martin,
I was going to go to the Bristol show, but as I've been every year for the last few, I decided to try something different.  I went (today) to the Newbury show.  Sadly, there were only 20 bikes there so it was a bit of a disappointment.  Got to meet Frank and Rowena from Real Classic though, so the trip wasn't a waste.  Did you go?  I heard that it wasn't quite as good as usual...

Nigel.

[Martin_UK]

Nigel,

you didn't miss much at Bristol, the traffic control was worse than last year, the car parking wasn't much better, the autojumble was poor, there weren't that many good bikes on show either.

Won't go again and alot of people from the VMCC sections I belong to said it was poor and they would give it a miss also. Seems that too many of these shows and autojumbles have saturated the market and the quality is suffering.

Regards,

Martin

[VintageBike]

Have you tried the Malvern show?  The guys from Real Classic reckoned it was good (but they would wouldn't they...).  I'll give it a go this year and get some pictures.
Nigel.

[Martin_UK]

Hello Nigel,

Haven't done Malvern, hopefully trying to make Stafford this year as well as Founders Day in July and possibly going to the US in September for their Davenport Autojumble (well the other half thinks we're going for a holiday!!).

Regards,

Martin