A newbie to vintage bikes

[iansoady]

The gearbox is fine, it's the clevis pins in the linkage that wear and they're easily replaced. That box was used on Inters and Manxes right up to the Featherbed ( as were the "undersized" 5/8 x 1/4 chains) so can't be too bad....

But I agree with the rest of what mini-me said.

[mini-me]

.......and those lugs on the top that wear and break?

[iansoady]

That is true. But not if the top and bottom bolts are kept tight.

I also agree about the re-enactors. We had the misfortune to travel to France via Brittany Ferries a week before the D day anniversary and the ship was infested with them swaggering about in their fake uniforms. I suspect the few remaining real veterans of that conflict view them with some disfavour...

[Baker_boy]

Believe me Iv tried and tried. Thing is it’s an untold thing in my family that my grandad who is unfortunately no longer with us was the last person to ride it before he passed and dad hasn’t taken it out since so there’s a lot of family attachment with it which I understand so I don’t push it. Dad does also have a 66 650 lightning but that currently has a few issues which I could possibly pry off of him but the thing is the girder forked bikes really get me going 😂 I think there’s just something about the look of them that I find so attractive. Hence why I want one so much.

  Thank you everyone for all the tips so far. This is why I joined this forum because you guys seem to have a lot of experience riding different bikes and that’s what I’m looking for. As I havnt ridden any early bike as of yet I just don’t know how fast/slow they are. How they behave. I’ll sure as he’ll know when I buy one but I just want to get a good mix of opinions and thoughts so I can work out myself what could be good or bad. Obviously I’ll try before I actually buy but hearing from you guys your experiences and Thought is brilliant so keep them coming! I really do appreciate it. This is a new scene for me so trying to learn and research as much as I can. I’m only 30 so I have a lot to learn when to comes to these old steeds.

My dad has a lovely 1939 RE that he restored about 40 years ago. Is lovely but unfortunately never sees the light of day.

There's your answer, work on him for a 'special rate' for family members !
Its likely to need recommissioning from standing so long, beat him down with this !
Hereabouts old Enfields don't have a very high resale value, given that you can buy a brand new one for not a vast amount of shekels.
And only the 30's 4 valve or compy or bronze head ones were anything special.

16H's are lovely old chuffers, and sorta representative of what old sidevalve bangers are all about.
But with a top speed absolutely wrung out of about 60 miles per give or take 1 or 2,  if in as brand new condition,
it isn't going to burn up the motorway.  In fact, should be kept right away from motorways.

[Baker_boy]

And this is especially why I joined so I know these kind of details. . Thanks for the advice John.k,
33d6 - maybe that’s what I want  she won’t want to come out on it again then 😂 ‘what a shame’

What’s your opinion on 16hs then? They not much good?

A dog of a bike, heavy, slow, that gearbox is prone to so much wear, undersize chains, well over priced because of the Norton badge and the military blokes pushing the prices up.

still, if you want one, its your money.

[mini-me]

30? still in nappies then......

I'm 72, been into vintage/post vintage  bikes since I was 16, still got one I bought in 1967, but then I'm odd any, why? its indefineable, something about ancient mechanics is fascinating.

just don’t know how fast/slow they are.

They are just slow, a modern 125 will see most of them off.

How they behave.

They don't they misbehave, live with it.  travel with tools and spare cables and plug, and the phone numbe rof a recovery service.


They are a steep learning curve, you need to learn to ride a whole new way, don't even think about keeping up with modern traffic, just let it go past you, you'll catch it all up soon enough.

To sum up, I have a bike from the 1920s, another from the 1930s, and one from 1950s I would not trade any of them for a brand new modern bike.

[cardan]

The 1931 Sunbeam on ebay seems quite lovely, and the seller has a plausible story. Better to buy from an owner/rider than a dealer? The Marston Sunbeam Cub and Register seems like a really great club, with lots of events and interest in the bikes themselves. Their magazine is superb - I read every copy cover to cover even though I am not a member and I don't own a Sunbeam.
I'd gladly have the bike in my shed, and I think it would be an ideal way for a "newbie" to enter the "vintage" movement, despite the slightly non-vintage build date. I'm sure the current owner could advise on joining the club and getting involved in the events.

Cheers

Leon