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OLD BIKES. . .we need another thread ( ! )


Phil Perry

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There must have been a few of the WD 350 Sidevalves about in Oz. I had a motor out of one given to me in the early 50's and my French Teacher recognised some parts of it when I took them to school so HE must have had one too at some time. Haven't seen a complete one ever I can get one in the UK for you Phil if you want it. Had the later OHV motor fitted and is complete and running. Not expensive. They don't get the prices they should. for Enfields. Nev

 

 

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There's 2 Kinds The American one Number 3 of the big makers which decided to cease production in 1931 rather than ride out the depression and the English one which made some excellent machines prior to the war (Marvel and Manxman) but after the war ended, mostly two strokes with Villiers engines . One twin called a Talisman wasn't a particular success but sold a few. They also made autobikes which are single speed with pedals to help up the hill. French Velomoteurs are a modern version of an autobike.. Motobecane etc

 

 

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1937 250cc .

 

I bought one at the Army junk sales (UK) loved it, but found out it was worth money.

 

The BSA agent offered me one thousand pound and any New bike in the shop, or his car.

 

My mother's boy friend took it to scrap dealer for ten bob!

 

spacesailor

 

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There must have been a few of the WD 350 Sidevalves about in Oz. I had a motor out of one given to me in the early 50's and my French Teacher recognised some parts of it when I took them to school so HE must have had one too at some time. Haven't seen a complete one ever I can get one in the UK for you Phil if you want it. Had the later OHV motor fitted and is complete and running. Not expensive. They don't get the prices they should. for Enfields. Nev

Thanks for the offer Nev,. . .but MY motorcycling days are well finished I was knocked off my VFR 750 for the fourth time by a stupid 'Tin Box' driver eight years back,. .. and decided that two wheeled transport was no longer viable on roads filled with numpties in cars, who spent more time looking at their mobile phones than out of the front windscreen. The last one who hit me was a young lady who only saved herself from a spell in pokey due to a very expensive lawyer. she was witnessed looking at her mobile phone when she ran into the back of my bike, which was stationary at traffic lights. . .. I'd be happy to ride again out in the country,. . .but otherwise, I've got too many aches and pains as it is. . .

 

 

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In Cairns is an amazing collection of racing motorcycles. Not open to the public, this private museum sometimes hosts group tours to aid charities. A few years ago I was privileged to be given a personal tour.

 

There were sections dedicated to great riders like Barry Sheen and Mick Doohan, with a couple of their actual race bikes, leathers, helmets and lots of other memorabilia.

 

Several brand new Italian muscle bikes still had tits on their tyres. The owner assured me they would never have fuel in their tanks.

 

The only race bike that didn't fit into the 50s to 80s was a British opposed-cylinder racer from the 30s. It had been raced by the owner's mother.

 

If you're ever in Cairns, from memory its upstairs behind Markell Marine.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here's a fairly rare NORTON 633cc SV 'Big 4' (with Luxury sidecar) My Uncle John had one of these in 1960.

 

( He remarked that it was a 'Barstard to start' if you didn't get the advance / retard timing lever in the right place, and would kick you over the handlebars head first if you got it badly wrong. . . )

 

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Promo advert from 1972. . .The tagline was. . .'Have you ever ridden one of these. . . .?'

 

Yeah I thought,. . . . loads of times when I waz a touring rock band guitarist. . . . . .dunno about the bike though. . . . .

 

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Naughty man, Phil!

 

For some reason I remember a candy apple Norton Commando with Vivien Neeves, wearing bugger all, draped over it.

 

 

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When I was a kid, my Dad scored a Manx Norton from a bloke who didn't want his son killing himself on it. The bike stood under a tree for ages. I don't think Mum wanted Dad to ride it, or else he had a suit and tie job, so couldn't ride it to work.

 

One day Dad came home and the bike was gone. Mum sold it for eighteen pounds to the local bike shop owner.

 

This is my first road legal bike

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
They call that type of person who rides with a helmet, but no protective clothing a "squid" - hard head, soft body.

And what he's riding does not conform to "old bikes", or bikes of any description at all. It's a Ski-doo in summer clothes.

Looking at the picture, it seems to have been snapped from the left hand side of the car, indicating LHD. . . on closer examination it also looks like some kind of Scooter, or maybe Trike. . .I have to say that the chimpanzee seems very well behaved though.

 

I have a lovely 'Coloured' B+W photo of my Mum-to-be. . . 19 years of age, in early 1949. . .sitting astride my Dad's Sunbeam Shaft drive bike. . .she admitted that she never had a licence, but was able to ride it anyway. . .I think Dad was a bit of a Lad,. . allowing her to do that. . . when I get my scanner working again, I'll scan and post that. I heard of a similar Sunbeam bike being bought recently by some Arab collector for around £20K. . . .Dad would be impressed to know that, as he flogged his not long after I came into being in June 1950. . I never saw it. . . .Sad that . Mum said that he sold it for less than ten quid. . .

 

 

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