New Comet marque

[mark2]

there where a few gearboxes about by @1913 all chain and ariel where one and would have been close to them being in selly oak , did they make there own gearbox ? or buy in maybe Bowden

[P.V. Motorcycles]

There were - a few 'early adopters' had them by then, but the info I have from the time indicates that the first Regal and New Comet gearbox models used the Jardine gearbox, made in Nottingham, which was an early 'accessory' countershaft box.

Anyway, the rear stays on mine are set up for a hub gear (dropouts are described as being for 'change-speed hubs', and the 'eye' casting with the eccentric accommodates a pedal crank and small chainwheel which connects with the freewheel on the end of a hub.

I shall have to keep looking out for any New Comet images, to try and spot a match.

[cardan]

I have funny Jardine stories... I have a 1915 Australian bike with a 4-speed Jardine which has been a bundle of laughs.

Jardine were unusual in that they supplied a lug to suit the particular bike to which the box was to be fitted.

Australian bikes often used the starter handle for the hub gear mounted on the off-side chain stay. I'll take a photo in the morning.

Leon

[P.V. Motorcycles]

Jardine seemed to be leaders in the field of countershaft boxes, and then to fade from the market.
Too expensive? Too complex?

Lots of folks used a 'starter' involving a short run of chain - but as with just about anything at the time which was a 'fad', there's a myriad of different ways of doing it - lugs under the chainstay, lugs above the chainstay, a few with the starter on the saddle stay, bolt-on apparatus rather than braze-on lugs (presumably to 'update' an existing design with the minimum of effort).
There was even an article in the Blue 'Un about them, with the usual line drawings - it seemed to be the next step on from the conventional bottom-bracket pedals, and another step away from the cycle heritage. By 1915, stuff without a proper gearbox was starting to look a bit 'old hat' though.

The only machines I've seen the 'eye' casting on are a very nice 1914 Precision v-twin, and a Sun-Precision, which places it forward of the brake lug, for a longer chain run. edit: and the Regal ladies model outfit for 1914...

[mark2]

you might find this interesting , but I am bias being from the area http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/Museum/Transport/Motorcycles/mc.htm#RtoZ