Royal Enfield full range catalogue 1924

Here's the very fine Royal Enfield range for 1924. Two strokes to the fore, then the 350s and a jump to the big v-twins. The 350 Enfields of the era are particularly nice machines, I've had the luck to put in a few miles on the side valve model and it is really charming. The ohv ones get good reports too.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 1.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 2.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 3.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 4.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 5.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 6.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 7.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 8.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 9.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 10.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 11.

1924 Royal Enfield model range page 12.

1924 Royal Enfield price list.

Matchless M3 combo 1925

As the years passed Matchless got more and more of a reputation as a solid, dependable ride to work kind of a bike despite their racing efforts and illustrious history. In the flat tank era however Matchless were slightly more glamorous and innovative machines.

The below snaps are of what I believe to be a M3 model from 1925. A rather tasty big v-twin, normally used as a sidecar tug and with quite early electric lighting.

Glamorous v twin 1925 Matchless combo
in a street of terraced houses.

'Taken in our backyard, July, 1926'

Shiny new BSA B31

This rigid framed BSA B31 is so shiny that it's got to be a new purchase. Lucky chap too managing to buy a machine like this brand new in post war Britain where pretty much all output went to export and very little was released to the home market.

I checked the details and sadly JYH 495
is not around any more.

Lovely bike but the control cable routing is awful. Hard to
believe that it would leave the BSA factory like that.

And happy new owner well togged up
for bad weather.

Poole Quay Bike Night June 2018

My first ride to Poole Quay of the year, the first Tuesday of grey weather following two scorchers so turn out was not massive. There were still a number of interesting bikes to have a gawp at though...

Modern classic. Not a big fan of the graphics though.

Yamaha SRX. Sweet looking bike, you used to
see a few of these around but they've gone to
ground of late.

Marina eye candy. A pair of Rivas.

Indians seem to be selling well locally, suddenly there are a lot
of them around, mainly Scouts. Many are getting modified
too. This one isn't 100% to my personal taste (about
which I'm sure the owner gives not a s***, and why should he
or she) but there are some interesting and well executed mods
to be seen on it.

Overall slightly steam punk.

Some nice engraving.

Very clean oil behind that glass fronted tank.

A stripped down Norton Dominator and Greeves
Scottish make for unusual riding companions.

Tiger on tour

A blurry photo but at least it is one of Triumph's best looking motorcycle, the rigid framed Tiger 100. The rider looks well prepped for touring with a Midland pannier set but the shirt and jacket seem a bit incongruous with his riding boots.

Rigid framed Triumph Tiger 100.

Dupi bicycle suspension stem

The original Flexstem?

Suspension stems had a revival early nineties with the Girvin Flexstem and others and the concept has reared it head again recently but here is possibly the original. The Dupi (PIerre DUmas of St Etienne) stem hails from France and dates from the late forties.

The Dupi is a nicely made piece of kit though a bit heavy despite the dural construction. I haven't yet ridden with it so can't comment on performance though I suspect it is perhaps suspect. The downfall seems to be that there is no damping at all on the rebound and it just returns with a metal on metal clash.

In my mind flex stems are just a gimmick and seem to get marketed on a cyclical basis with just enough time in between for people to forget how useless they really are and for nostalgia to kick in. Overall if you want a bit of cushioning to the wrists there are three decent options - front suspension, soft bar tape / grips or handlebars with a bit of flex engineered in.

The bolt that goes down through the top of the Dupi stem does nothing where it is in the pictures but is the optional lock out bolt - you can unscrew it and fit it through the horizontal hole.

The Dupi is perfect for my Etoile Phantomesque project. I'm still on the hunt for more eccentricly designed thirties and forties components to fit so if you have anything appropriate going spare please get in touch... 

Dupi stem by PIerre DUmas of St Etienne.

The key to riding comfort, possibly...

And here is what it will be fitted to. Etoile Phantomesque.

Another Dupi stem.This image lifted
from the Forum Tonton Velo site.

Tropical Douglas

The machine is unmistakably a Douglas, early to mid twenties, but the location a mystery. Definitely not the home counties! Probably somewhere out in the old British Empire, for me there's a sense of South East Asia, perhaps Malaya as it was formerly known?

Flat tank Douglas somewhere warm and exotic.

A Constellation amongst ponies

Just an old snap of a Royal Enfield Constellation on tour taken at Princetown, Dartmoor in 1958.

Royal Enfield Constellation and ponies roam free in Dartmoor.

Vintage Cars at the Cock and Bottle

First Monday evening of the month through the summer is a vintage car meet at local pub, The Cock and Bottle. Given fair weather there is a decent turn out of interesting cars and normally a few bikes too. Below a few select snaps from the evening...

Simply gorgeous Invicta S Type with 4.5 litre Meadows engine.

The Invicta again.

Underneath the bonnet of the Invicta.

Scott two speeder.

Late twenties Douglas.

Hillman Aero Minx with a cracking mascot.

Hillman Aero Minx, Riley RME and Alvis Grey Lady.

Morgans old and new(ish).

Austin 7 special.

Dog is bored and sleepy despite illustrious company.

Loved this car. A rare bird indeed - a 1937 Triumph 14/60
Southern Cross Special.

Nudey mascot on a Sunbeam.

And the above-mentioned Sunbeam.

'Smokers Companion' on a Morris Cowley dashboard. 

And a panned out view of the Morris' dash.

AC Auto Carrier circa 1910

From these humble beginnings came forth the mighty Cobra. AC is the initials for Auto Carriers as that is what the company started with, despite their t head sidevalve motor and wonky epicyclic two speed hub gear the Auto Carrier was surprisingly popular back in the day. They were also manufactured (under license?) as the Warrick Auto Carrier.

This great photo of an Auto Carrier (or possibly Warrick for they are virtually identical) was taken in Northampton and 'Uncle Albert'  is written on the reverse.

More about AC Sociables (the passenger carrying model) and Auto Carriers at the AC Sociable website: http://www.acsociable.byethost4.com/wordpress/

Uncle Albert and friend with his Auto Carrier c1910.