A day out with Douglases

A pair of shiny Douglases (Dougli?!)  The front bike is very special, a 3.5hp ohv touring model with disc front brake. the first motorcycle to be fitted with a disc brake. Im not 100% certain but I put the year as 1921.

The owners are obviously well to do with these smart bikes and their stylish dress. Both bikes are fully accessorised with lighting kits, etc. Note the pillion backrest on the bike in the top photo, it was sometime around this period that female pillion passengers moved from sitting side saddle to straddling.

Harley Model J in Papua New Guinea

 

Bit beaten around this photo but it's a cracker. The bike is a Harley Model J which looks to have had every bit as hard a life as the photo itself. I genuinely would be at a total loss as for the location but for the fact that someone has written Kokopo, New Guinea April 1919 on the reverse.

Kokopo was part of 'German New Guinea' until the start of the First World War when in 1914 it quickly fell to Australian forces. Presumably these chaps in the photo are Aussie military.

Twenties group

So much going on in this photo. First bike on left is an AJS, next up a Triumph H (note the leather strap around the forks to mitigate against spring failure and the soft toy mole on the sidecar is cute!). I wish I could identify the next bike, it looks sporting, Druid forks and a very distinctive wide flat petrol tank shape. Final bike on the right side is another Triumph H.

Flat tank special

This one has me confused. At first I hoped it was an early Japanese machine but the closer I look the more it seems to be a homemade special that just happens to have some Japanese script on the tank.

My overall synopsis of it is that the bike is something of a death trap. A powerful JAP ohv 'dog eared' sports motor with Triumph twin barrel carb, wobbly Triumph 'rocking' front forks, no front brake, belt drive and just a drive rim brake on the rear. It's rather hard to put a date on the bike, the overall spec suggests around 1920 but the engine comes from somewhat later (mid to late twenties).

The gearbox is a Sturmey Archer and the overall appearance very sporting. Having had a look at early Japanese bikes the number plate could just be Japanese but equally it could be British - if it is indeed British it comes from Bradford. The logo on the tank is a mystery but the most likely explanation is that the bike was put together as a special by someone who had a knowledge of Kanji script, perhaps an impecunious student who built their own sporting mount? Putting the tank logo through google translate comes up with 'about three' - maybe it refers to the number of different bike brands in this particular mongrel?

Mystery Moussard engined machine - can anyone identify?

The new owner of this charming machine, Geert, has contacted to see if I could identify his new purchase. The short answer is no! So, over to you knowledgeable folks out there. Can anyone furnish any details as to marque, year or model?

Moussard engines were manufactured in the mid twenties and also went under the 'Madoz' and 'Moussard-Madoz' brand names.

This particular machine was once in the Oltimer Motoren Museum in Oudenburg which was situated in the late lamented Bikers Loft bar and hostel, Groenedijk, Belgium and funnily enough I took a picture of the bike and it featured on this blog way back in 2014.

The frame design is fairly distinctive with its curved downtube as is the toolbox. It's quite a basic machine being a single speeder but the lighting set is a lovely luxury feature. It must have been just the job for puttering along canalside tracks. Moussard engines were fitted to a number of marques from France, Belgium and Holland. Overall the machine looks fairly close to a 'Dé-Dé' but there are a number of key differences.

If you have any ideas as to identity please comment below or mail.

Advert for the Moussard 175 unit. Image found on
Sheldon's EMU.

And the bike when it was in the Oldtimer Motoren Museum.

VMCC Founders Day 2023

Founders day this year looked for a little while like it might be a complete washout. I had booked camping for the Saturday night and even fitted my Norton Dommi with a set of Craven panniers for the trip. Come Saturday morning I got up in eager anticipation of the ride ahead, looked out of the window and then spent the rest of the day moping around inside contemplating the wisdom of preparing to build an ark... Sunday morning and the rain had gone, a quick check of the VMCC website to make sure that Stanford Hall hadn't been washed away overnight and I set off on the long suffering Himalayan for a motorway flog up to the Midlands.

Arriving at Stanford Hall I was so glad that I hadn't given in to sloth and had made the effort, the field was dry, the sun almost shone and a great day was had by all. It's been a few years since I was last at a Founders Day and I had nearly forgotten what a wonderful event it is. A great autojumble where you can still find proper vintage parts, old friends and the camaraderie of a shared passion made for a perfect day out. There follows a selection of pictures of machinery that tickled this now not so young man's fancy...

Bonhams were hawking this rather nice Harley J
at a 'honey trap' estimate price.

This Matchless Model X will also feature in the
October Stafford auction.

The Royal Enfield stand featured the
1901 Quadricycle from the company collection.

The driving force behind the Enfield Qaudricycle.

One more view of the Enfield Quadricycle.

Also brought along by Royal Enfield was this Flying
Flea in original  drop cage.

This Norton single looked like a proper old bike.

Novel use for a baccy tin lid on the Norton.

AJS big port awaiting some love.

The show at Founders Day is equally in the car park,
this is the end of the day so a little sparse with a cute
little, if rather lonely, LE Velocette.

This immaculate but very well used Matchless combo
was ridden up from Bath for the day.

My choice for bike of the show (and indeed it won the
best bike award at the end of the day), the 1914 TT Scott.

The '14 TT Scott features a rotary valve engine.

Here's the cheese to the TT Scott's chalk on the Scott
Owner's Club stand, a Cycauto.

Also on the SOC stand, this unusual Scott trials iron.

There was an ABC stand with a great turn out of the
marque, more than I have ever seen in one place before.

Cute little Ducati 50.

A Cymota on the NACC stand.

A lovely 1927 Raleigh Model 6, 350cc clubmans racer
 on the Raleigh stand.

Full view of the Raleigh.

Rare and unusual 500c Dunelt supercharged
two stroke. The owner was generous enough to
give us a full explanation of the machine's workings
and failings. A fascinating device but the low survival
rate is perhaps understandable now knowing the machines
various weaknesses and foibles!

Another ABC, this 1913 Brooklands racer.

Detail on an unrestored 1921 New Imperial.

The New Imperial's JAP power unit.

Saxon forks on the New Imperial.

One last view of the New Imp.

This beast was eye catching on the Ariel Owner's Club
stand. A very professionally executed 350 Red Hunter
based v-twin.

Full view of the Ariel V twin.

And a close up of the Ariel 'VNH' motor.

Gorgeous cammy Norton. A CS1 I believe.

Another equally desirable cammy Norton.

On the OHC theme, a KTT Velocette.

Villiers Services' brilliant Ford Thames van.

Incredibly rare Dunkley S65 scooter on offer in the autojumble.

Also in the jumble this Excelsior Manxman.

Cushman scooter on offer. Awful and wonderful
at the same time.

1934 250 ohc Benelli. Very very nice.

Harley XR1000.

Zenith 680

The Zenith 680 was amongst the most stylish machines of the vintage era and one of the few British v-twins to be designed with solo riding in mind as opposed to lugging a sidecar.

A pity the full machine isn't in this photo but the focus and detail is excellent.