Kenilworth Motorcyclette or the joy of finding a worthy keeper

This little 1919 Kenilworth Motorcyclette is a wonderful thing and I had great plans for it. I also have great plans for several other machines but time is limited and sometimes the best thing to do is to move on and find a new keeper for stalled and long term pipe dreams. And sometimes, quite honestly, that new keeper can be so much more of a worthy one than oneself.

So it was the case with the Kenilworth: it was sitting on a shelf in my garage as a somewhat forlorn curiosity that, if I am honest with myself, was unlikely have been made roadworthy again for many years henceforth. Less than two years ago the right custodian came along and now the Kenilworth has been swiftly transformed from its previous incarnation as a mono-wheeled saw bench to being a roadworthy scooter once more. What is better still is that the restoration is a marvellous example of sympathetic preservation, the way it should be. It is just how I had hoped to one day refurbish the Kenilworth myself. See the pictures below for before and afters. Thank you David and Jane, great job!

1919 Kenilworth. Two years ago it was thus.

Now it is this. Original, authentic and roadworthy.

The business side of the Kenilworth previously.

And now. Lovely!

Kenilworth petrol tank cosmic alignment

Recently a Kenilworth scooter sans petrol tank wondered in to my garage and took up residence. Strangely I had seen a Kenilworth tank on offer at the Great Dorset Steam Fair just a couple of months before and I rued that I did not give in to my hunter gatherer urges felt towards that particular tank. After all it was a very nice tank in very nice condition. I didn't even kid myself that it would come in useful one day, it just seemed like something that you wouldn't see again and might make a pleasant enough ornament. After acquiring the tankless Kenilworth I felt that somehow the gods were playing with me and I was destined never to see the Steam Fair tank again.

And so it was: that particular Kenilworth petrol tank has vanished forever from my life, just a fleeting memory. However in its place, another Kenilworth tank. A very nice gentleman got in touch with me via the previous keeper of the Kenilworth and offered me the below tank for a very reasonable sum. Times like this give you some faith in humanity as I was clearly without Kenilworth tank and dearly in need of same.

Thus the previously incomplete, collect the missing bits, long term project is now fairly complete and has joined the queue of do-able projects vying for attention in my garage. Now if anyone has a spare rear wheel or just rim I would truly believe that miracles do happen....

Kenilworth Motorcyclette saw bench

Latest to take up residence in the shed is a 1919 Kenilworth that for a while gave service as a saw bench. The Kenilworth is one of the crop of scooters that appeared in the immediate aftermath of World War 1. The craze was short lived but produced some innovative and unusual designs. The earlier scooters of this craze were literally motorized scooters and were paddled off by the feet and ridden standing up. This Kenilworth is one such device, later models had the luxury of a saddle.

The Kenilworth is fitted with a sweet little ohv 143cc motor made by Norman which drives a countershaft by belt and then the final drive is by chain. There is no clutch. Controls are just a front brake, decompressor and throttle.

This one will be a fairly long term project, there's a few parts to find or make. The appeal lies in the quirkiness of the device and that I was able to bring it home in a swap for a bulkier basket case project thus clearing some space in my over crowded garage.

By strange coincidence I saw a petrol tank for sale at the Great Dorset Steam Fair back in August. I looked at it and thought, lovely tank but who out there needs one of those.... If you were the chap selling it and still have it then please do get in touch.

Kenilworth off-side view. Engine hangs on one side of the
foot boards, magneto the other and flywheel in the middle.
The main bulk of the chassis is a pair of large plates with slots
for the rear wheel and countershaft. Headstock is plain bearing
and joined to the chassis by straight bolted up tubes.

Near-side view of the Kenilworth.

Little 143cc ohv Norman motor. Curiously overhead valves
were commonplace on early scooters whilst very unusual on
motorcycles. Several of the scooters were designed by aero
engineers so this could explain why.

This Kenilworth was manufactured by Booth
Brothers of Coventry and there is a transfer
on the rear mudguard to this effect.