Help identify Coventry Eagle, 1928 or 1929?

[Micke]

Ohoy,
28 year old cub here, completely new on this forum but indeed passionate for the hobby.

I’ve found myself a Coventry Eagle with frame number 42529 on the typical CE "bridge" between the front and rear of the frame. Reportedly it is a 1929 with JAP ohv 350cc. The engine that came with it is a 2 port 350 OHV from 1929, marked S.

I’m having a real hard time finding what the 1929 350 ohv looked like. Some literature say it looked like the 1930 and some more like the 1928. I’ve read that 1929 was the first year with Webb's fork and JAP 350 ohv 2-port but I’ve seen the fork on 1928s. All and all the literature I’ve found so far is scanty and I would love pictures of similar bikes and ofc getting in contact with other CE owners so that I can restore it correctly.

Help me find out what this bike looked like and if I have an engine with one exhaust pipe too much. Pictures below (The gas tank on the pictures is from a Montgomery and has nothing to do with the bike).

Greetings from Stockholm
Michael

[R]

I know its probably stating the obvious, but have you had a look at the reproduction sales stuff ?
e.g.

http://www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk/product/coventry-eagle-1929-abridged-sales-catalogue-all-models/

A lot of folks might say to just restore what you have, and then defend it from all the "experts" ?!

That looks like a dommie crankshaft rolling around there... ?

[Micke]

I know its probably stating the obvious, but have you had a look at the reproduction sales stuff ?
e.g.

http://www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk/product/coventry-eagle-1929-abridged-sales-catalogue-all-models/

A lot of folks might say to just restore what you have, and then defend it from all the "experts" ?!

That looks like a dommie crankshaft rolling around there... ?

Thank you, sir! I just ordered the 1928 and 1929 catalogue. As I wrote I’m a rookie so you stating the obvious was very helpful. I will look there next time

Yeah it might be, it is not my workshop. The label says M7 so perhaps you are right. That and alot of other stuff is probably for sale.

Thanks again!

Cheers
/Michael

[cardan]

Hi Michael,

Nice project.

We seem to talk about Coventry Eagles quite a lot here: use the search box at the top to have a look at older discussions. For example have a look at http://classicmotorcycleforum.com/index.php?topic=5610 where we discussed 1928-29-30 models.

42529 as a Coventry Eagle frame number seems to be more 1928 than 1929, and your frame is of the earlier type with the gearbox mounted from the top, and bolt-on stays from the bottom of the gearbox plates to the lugs dangling down from the frame near the rear axle.

The 1928 models at the Olympia Show in October 1927 included a sports 350 to this spec. The attached illustration from The Motor Cycle shows the 500 - a bit different from your bike with curved front down tube and Brampton (?) fork. But note comments in earlier discussions about Cov Eagle - small firm with varying specification that depended on what old stuff was lying around the factory at the time.

Cheers

Leon

[cardan]

The image in the post above comes from The Motor Cycle, 27 Oct 1927 - "First Special Show Number". I had a flip through the following week's issue (you guessed it - "Second Special Show Number") and there is another description of the Coventry Eagle range, which included "LAST YEAR'S MODEL" of the "FLYING 500". So it's likely that image of the 500 from the previous week shows it in 1927 trim, and re-iterates earlier comments about Cov Eagle offering last year's model while they were still available. Based on all this, it wouldn't surprise me if a 1928-numbered Coventry Eagle left the factory in later 1928 or early 1929 with a 1929 JAP motor.

Cheers

Leon

[Micke]

Hi Michael,

Nice project.

We seem to talk about Coventry Eagles quite a lot here: use the search box at the top to have a look at older discussions. For example have a look at http://classicmotorcycleforum.com/index.php?topic=5610 where we discussed 1928-29-30 models.

42529 as a Coventry Eagle frame number seems to be more 1928 than 1929, and your frame is of the earlier type with the gearbox mounted from the top, and bolt-on stays from the bottom of the gearbox plates to the lugs dangling down from the frame near the rear axle.

The 1928 models at the Olympia Show in October 1927 included a sports 350 to this spec. The attached illustration from The Motor Cycle shows the 500 - a bit different from your bike with curved front down tube and Brampton (?) fork. But note comments in earlier discussions about Cov Eagle - small firm with varying specification that depended on what old stuff was lying around the factory at the time.

Cheers

Leon

Thanks alot for this info and the picture! I’ve read the older thread (and I will try the search function next time). I’ve spent some time studying the frame and I’m pretty sure its a 1928, model D, I have. The model E or 1929 seems to be the first bike with the 30’s look. The frame differs alot in angle between the lower and upper frame pipes near the rear wheel. There is also a second headstock support tube from the lower part of the headstock casting back horizontally to the upper main tube (under the tank) on model F or 1930. I’m not sure if the 1929 had this.
So, my engine is perhaps too new for this bike so if anyone is selling a top without the rocker cover, I’m buying it 

Is ”The Motor cycle” anywhere on the internet?

Cheers!
/Michael

[chaterlea25]

Hi Micke,

if anyone is selling a top without the rocker cover, I’m buying it

I think you mean the "dog ear" type head ?
They are rare and very expensive
Pete's bike's had a complete engine at Stafford in April.  http://www.petesbikes.co.uk/

I would not it it worry me about the engine date, the J.A.P 1929 year production started in August /September 1928
Who knows what CE threw together for export

John

[Micke]

Hi Micke,

if anyone is selling a top without the rocker cover, I’m buying it

I think you mean the "dog ear" type head ?
They are rare and very expensive
Pete's bike's had a complete engine at Stafford in April.  http://www.petesbikes.co.uk/

I would not it it worry me about the engine date, the J.A.P 1929 year production started in August /September 1928
Who knows what CE threw together for export

John

Thanks John. No not the dog ear engine. Just a pre 1929 350 ohv cylinder head without the rocker cover plate and 1 port, should look something like the one in the attached pic!

Cheers!

[chaterlea25]

Hi Micke,
I know the big v twins with the external plates bolted to the cast in rocker pillars are referreed to as "dog ear"
But I would have always considered the engine in the linked pic as a dog ear,
Anyway what I wrote earlier still stands, mucho £,$,€, SEK  !!!
That is the type of engine for sale in the link I gave you, (not sure id single port?)
I have not seen another one for sale in 30 years!!!

Some years ago I found such a head and remembered that there was someone on this forum looking for one
I put it with the rest of an early 30's 350 engine and sold it to the advertiser

You need to source a lot more parts for the project bike, do not get hung up on finding the engine parts, but work with what you have and get the bike completed, blank off the left exhaust port if you only want to fit a single pipe.
There is no point is chasing an image in a photo of someone else's bike, without strong proof how do you know what was supplied 90 years ago
Catalogs were only a guide, production by small manufacturers (especially)varied quite a lot from the catalog images

John

[Rex]

At the other end of the C-E scale my dad used to talk about a Silent Superb he had before the war, and on which him and his mate used to ride to railway breakdowns on the IOW.
He said that it wasn't uncommon for the cylinder and pipe to glow red on a night run but the little feller never let them down.
Clearing stuff after he died the old RF60 log book turned up. Sadly the bike was long gone..

[Micke]

Some feedback to all of you.

My swedish papers says my motorcycle is a 1929 and the engine number on the papers correspond with that. In Coventry Eagle terms the letter "E" means 1929.
Regarding the frame numbers, 40000-43000 should be from something like 1928-1930. For example, on Bonham's, a 1928 "Flying 8" has been sold with frame number 40200 and a 1929 with frame number "41507".
 
My model is by all likelihood a "E44 Sports Model" from 1929 with a twin port 350 JAP OHV without the rocker cover. That means my engine is correct aside from the cylinder head which would've been correct for a "Flying 350" or "Model E46".
The model specification from the 1929 Olympia Show - abridged sales catalogue confirms that the single tubular frame was used for this model and it also tells us that 1929 is the year when the "triangulated tubular frame" arrives for the "Flying 350" If I'm not wrong, that frame was later on used on all the four stroke models until 1937.
I've also learned that 1929 was the first year with the shorter and more cluttered tank and that was coated in black, carmine and cream in between (yummy!)

I will post the pictures below of the two models (E44 and E46).


Thanks alot to everyone for being kind and helping me out and greetings from Swedenland!
/Michael