BMW R100RS for sale

The time has come to part with an old friend. Not sure it is the right move, I've owned BMW airheads for the last twenty years or so and every time I sell one I just buy another, and this one is a good one...

Anyway, too many bikes, not enough space or money and the urge for a change drive me to offer the old faithful Bimmer for sale after 9 years of adventures.

The price I'm looking for is GBP 4,500, at the same time it is on ebay so we'll see how it goes.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124897911280

All details are on the fleabay listing except for the emptiness I will feel when it has gone!! There's even a very poor quality walk around video.

New, unused 1908 FN 4

New, unused 1908 FN.

Without doubt one of the most remarkable motorcycles I've ever seen for sale. A 1908 FN 4, never run, all original and excellently preserved. Apparently it was owned by the FN factory museum from new and sold to an employee in the 80s. It's not often that I think a motorcycle is better off in a museum, but please let this amazing artefact be preserved and on public display.

The FN is offered by HD-Classic in Belgium, more details here.

Speed King ladies bicycle

I have to confess that I bought this lovely ladies cycle as a donor for another project, a Royal Enfield Bullet cycle that I had bought as a bare frame. In all honesty this was a perfect donor, all the parts were quite appropriate and it looked right. However I couldn't look at the Enfield without getting the nagging feeling that I had ripped apart a perfectly nice and rare cycle. So, over the course of a year I found alternative parts for the Enfield and have just recently re-assembled this Speed King as it was.

Speed King were a small brand which, as far as I know, were marketed by an entrepreneur by the name of J G Graves. Graves also for a few years sold motor cycles under the same brand name. The identification as Speed King is purely from the chap I got the cycle from but I have no reason to believe it is not a correct prognosis though there are no identifying marks on the frame.

The Speed King is slightly a cut above other ladies cycles of the same era. The quality is good and Sturmey Archer drum brakes are fitted, the rear hub being a 3 speed KB6. The hub  dates the cycle as 1937. I suspect that Graves had little to do with the actual manufacturing of bicycles and just had machines made by others and then sold them under his own brand. The frame bears a certain passing resemblance to a Hercules, and Hercules certainly did manufacture bicycles for other companies. There are however a few nice little individual touches such as the oval cutaways in the lugs.

Now, being too sentimental to use the Speed King as a donor and certainly not needing another vintage ladies cycle I need to pass the old girl on. So if you feel in need of a nicely patinated, unusual 1930s ladies cycle of good quality in fully working condition then for the princely sum of £140 the Speed King is all yours. I will even box it up and post it for a small consideration. If interested comment with your email address or mail me direct.

Goodies for sale

A minor clear out and a few odds and sods up for sale on fleabay, a taster of which below. Need to raise some pennies to maintain my habit....

Just search for user reddevilmotors2 or click here.

 

 

Velos for sale-os

The bicycles in my workshop have gotten a bit out of hand of late so I've decided that perhaps several of them need new homes. I could consider posting them but would far rather they were collected. Any enquiries just email - address to the right.

CWS (Co-Operative Society) ladies single speed loop frame.
Probably thirties. Very nice and original, all working though
could really do with some new tyres. £95

Elswick Hopper Lincoln Imp. Built this one up a few years
ago and have used it a fair old bit. A great fun ride.  GB stem,
flat bars, Sturmey Steelite 3 speed with drum brakes, Alessi
aero rims. £275

Jack Hearne road bike. Very small frame with 27" wheels.
GB bars and stem, Campag hubs and gears, Mafac Racer
brakes. £250

Amazing Collection of Early French Motorcycles up for Auction

Coming up for auction at Retromobile Paris early next month is a quite extraordinary collection of early and rare French motorcycles (with the odd foreign interloper thrown in).

The calibre of the machines offered is such that many of them are unique examples and from the very dawn of motorcycling. The collection was the work of one man, a Monsieur Guélon, who fortuitously came across a pile of disassembled early motorcycles in a scrapyard in 1972. The pile was swapped for a large weight of scrap cutlery, formed the genesis of the collection, and was slowly assembled over the following 40 years. Another job lot from the same original source materialised in 1986 and enabled many of the machines to be completed.

Arcturial is the auction house handling the collection. The online catalogue can be found here, there are some very stunning motor cars offered before the bikes, but if you want to get straight there head to lot 201.

All of the machines offered have been standing for a long time and are projects. Whilst one hopes that the new owners preserve the patina of the machines and don't ruin them with a shiny restoration it would also be nice to think that many of them will get sympathetically renovated so that other enthusiasts can see them and experience them as more than static exhibits.

Lot 249, c1906 Anzani v3 race machine.

Lot 244, c1906 Werner parallel twin.

Lot 243, c1907 Rochet Type MG inline parallel twin.

Berini Super Sport 3 or sale

Classic Moped Spares posted a comment on the Berini Super Sport ad that I posted last year. They've got a very tidy one in stock and the price seems to me to be very fair. What a weird and wonderful machine, can't imagine you would see another one on the road in the UK!

I would be tempted myself but for a combination of too little free cash and a full garage....

Here's the direct link. http://www.classicmopedspares.com/bikes-for-sale/bikes-for-sale/super-rare-1964-berini-super-sport-3-with-v5c-documents-please-see-description.html

Jack Hearne Cycle for sale

The minor clear out continues. Having now parted with a couple of motorcycles and one cycle frame with only one small twenties scooter incoming to take their place I am rediscovering the joys of being able to move around my workshop unrestricted once more.

Latest in the cull is my late sixties / early seventies Jack Hearne. I bought it originally as frame only out of nostalgia as I used to work for Jack a few years back. Jack Hearne is a name that has popped up in this blog a few times, for more related posts follow this link. Jack was a prolific frame builder through the sixties and seventies in Southern England; he was noted for a very fine finish on his frames, the frames themselves are of high quality but no nonsense generally being without signature fancy lug work or unorthodox design. The frame on this cycle is 19.5", given that I am over six foot tall I've decided that having had fun building the cycle up it is perhaps time for it to move on....

Condition is fair and rideable. There are a few chips on the paintwork but at least it is original, the handlebars and stem have a few scratches, the chainset has a few dots of rust but really it is fairly tidy though definitely not a show bike. It hasn't been used much since being built up, I had a lot of trouble with the chain jumping off, I've just recently fitted a fresh chainset, bottom bracket axle and chain. Turns out that most of the problem was with a cheap ebay chain, I fitted something of better quality and now it runs smoothly and skip free. Lesson learnt.

Spec as follows:

• GB handlebars and stem
• Nervar fluted cottered crankset
• Wolber Model 58 rims (27 x 1 1/4) with new Schwalbe tyres
• Campag hubs (slightly more recent vintage than the frame)
• Mafac 'Racer' brake set
• Campag Nuovo Record rear mech and six speed block
• Recent leather saddle, Selle Italia perhaps? Looks nice, not particularly comfortable (for me at least!)
• Frame material unknown, Jack normally built with 531 so this is a fair guess. Quite nice fancy Nervex lugs. Frame number 5165

Price: £375

I am happy to post it, round about £20 for most of the UK. Massively expensive everywhere else.

Having said I am having a clear out I am always happy to entertain proposals of swaps and part exchanges. My tastes are eclectic. Try me.

Two wheeled goodness for sale

Since a sidecar has come in to my life I've been finding my garage very very crowded. Of course so the saying goes n+1 is the right number of bikes for a chap to own. Problem is a sidecar is n+2 space-wise so I need n+2(-1) to maintain equilibrium...

Anyways the finger of doom has pointed at my Royal Enfield J2. Or could this be a great opportunity for the bike to find a more loving and dedicated owner who will lavish more time and attention that I am able to what with my motorcycle lovin' being spread so thinly.

Also I did not know that bicycles are related to rabbits. Behind my back they have been multiplying furiously. At least one needs to go. The one that represents the biggest input in time and all for a cycle that will be too small for me to actually sensible ride is my (probably) Jo Routens.

Both of these gems have just now been anchored at the bay of e and can be found right here:

Royal Enfield J2

Jo Routens frame

1929 La Mondiale for sale

NOW SOLD

La Mondiale was a Belgian marque in business from 1923 to 1934 that used a variety of proprietory motors. This particular bike has a rather nice 500cc JAP motor fitted, dates from 1929 and is offered for sale in the Czech Republic. A machine like this is hard to value, this particular one was offered for sale on ebay in the US a bit over a year ago where it didn't find a buyer. The bike then made its way over to Europe in a deal outside of ebay and is now offered on the market again. The seller is looking for around 12,500 euro. It's a rare bike but there's no formula that says rare is equal to strong money. A few months ago the price would have seemed a lot better to a sterling buyer! I'd expect an on the road equivalent British machine like a Cotton with the same motor to be around the £14k mark. As they say, it's all down to supply and demand and just how much you want something. Make your own mind up as to value and speak direct to the seller.

The La Mondiale is unquestionably a very rare bike and any machine fitted with a 500 ohv JAP of the vintage era is instantly desirable. I personally am a big fan of the late twenties and thirties pressed steel framed machines, there's something very Art Deco and stylish about them though the design was seldom used on a sporting mount like this. There's certainly work needs to be done on this example, by the looks of it ideally a full restoration or be it a very straightforward one. I would be surprised if the bike was not supplied with lights from new, the handlebar levers are definitely of a later period and would need to be replaced, there's something wrong looking about the exhausts too but all in these are fairly minor issues. I would guess that the petrol tank panel originally held at least a speedometer and probably a switch for the lights too, replicating this part properly might be a slightly tougher task. I've seen a picture however of a racing La Mondiale which has no lights or speedo and there's a chance that the example in question here was originally built for the track.

The sale is in no way connected to this site, the owner has simply gotten in touch and I've posted up pictures as it is a fascinating bike. If you are interested I can put you in touch with the vendor via his email address. As with anything sold over the internet best to make sure 100% you are happy with the deal and have ideally met the seller and seen the bike in person before parting with any cash. Caveat emptor and all that.

1929 La Mondiale.

Overall not bad looking. Clutch and brake levers are wrong,
the twist grip probably too.

That tank panel may have held a speedo and light switch or it
could just be that this is a race bike.

I'm not 100% on my JAP engine numbers but I think KOZ
denotes a 500cc (K) ohv (O) dry sump (Z) and the next letter is
either a H which means 1931 or  R which is either 1935 or race.
JAP engine numbers have a set pattern but every so often they
seem to throw in a few off the wall variations just so you don't
get complacent.

Gearbox number seems right for a late '28 or '29 Sturmey LS.

Bikes and bits for sale

I've decided it's time to have a bit of a change around in the shed. There's couple of machines I know of for sale at the moment I'm interested in and a decided lack of money in the pocket so here we go. If you are interested in anything just get in touch and send me a mail or Facebook message.

1914 Wall Autowheel - SOLD

It's a genuine 1914 machine, not a restamped later BSA made engine! Comes with a Pioneer Certificate and an entry in to this year's Pioneer Run. I was planning on selling it after the Run but annoyingly I'm now going to miss it because of work so it seems like a good idea to let someone else have a go.

This is frankly a terrible picture of it but it is all I have at the moment as I am away from home. The bike will come prepared and ready to use. It is, depending on how you look at it, either a very cheap pioneer machine or a very expensive cyclemotor. The bicycle is a rather desirable Raleigh Cross Frame. I've also got a Royal Enfield Girder Frame that the Wall would go on nicely should you so choose or you could take it with a BSA Ladies All Weather that needs a little work for a discount on the price. 

The Wall is unrestored but all original, it has done three successful Pioneers in recent years. I've had it around ten years and it is on an age related plate.

1914 Wall Autowheel for sale. Wheel now solidly attached!

1904 Quadrant Forecar engine
Not many of these out there. Needs a little work and there are a few missing parts. I bought a similar engine for my '04 Quadrant motorcycle for £750 so that seems like a fair price for the forecar motor.

Meddings Pillar Drill - SOLD
I've recently replaced the Meddings with a Kerry, not so sure why, I just liked the Kerry a little bit more.

BSA B31 / B33 / A7 / A10 / Gold Star swinging arm gearbox
Came out of a running bike, worked fine but is not inspected. Very clean. Standard ratios. £250

Sturmey Archer CS gearbox - no longer available
Currently in pieces for inspection but complete and in sound condition. Cases matching. Earlier fine gear type a la Triumph H.

Elswick Hopper Lincoln Imp bicycle
Original paint, frame 23 inch size. Fitted with Sturmey Archer Steelite hub brakes and three speed. Ready to ride. Nice. £375

Elswick Hopper Lincoln Imp for sale.

Norton Dominator 99SS 1961 - no longer available. Decided to keep it!
I've owned this bike six or seven years and it's had plenty of use. A first kick starter and so far faultlessly reliable. Quite honestly the best British bike I've ever had. A very good example of a fine motorycle. The 600 Norton represents British motorcycle engineering at its peak. Plenty of power, not overstretched and vibratory, really sweet and well mannered with superb handling. Very original condition and rather rare. The 99SS was a one year model built when Norton realised that they needed a sports model but before they had developed the 650ss. Differs from the standard Dommie in having twin carbs (currently running on single but I have the twin set up to go with the bike), a siamese exhaust, sports cam and rev counter. This example has featured in The Classic Motorcycle Magazine 'Authentic and Unrestored' series.
I've taken it on many long runs with no bother at all, most memorably to the Vintage Revival at Montlhery, a day return trip to Founders Day (nearly 400 miles in one day) and on the Moto Piston Picos tour in Spain a couple of years ago. It can potter along on a Sunday run or cruise 75 to 80 in comfort.
The bike is fitted with a high output alternator, halogen bulbs, a stainless exhaust down pipe, a Bob Newby belt drive and clutch, Doherty alloy racing levers and throttle.
Now I write it all down, not too sure why I am selling it or even if I want to! The money I am asking is high end for a Dominator but it is less than for a 650SS for a rarer bike and it really is good. You could spend a grand less and get something not half as good. You pays your money you takes your choice....

Norton Dominator 99SS.

Royal Enfield J2 1940
I originally imported this J2 from India a bit over 10 years ago. It went to a friend shortly after coming in to the country and then around five years ago I bought it back. It was originally sold via a dealer in Liverpool and as far as I know went straight to India. It must have been one of the last civilian bikes sold during the war. It is a bit of a scruff but solid and on the road. I've been slowly improving it in my ownership and it is now fairly sorted. Could probably do with new valve guides as folks following have reported a slight haze. It had a new piston quite recently. A set of new rims would tart it up considerably. I've fitted the J2 with an Esway prop stand which is a boon as this is a very heavy beast. In fact it is a large bike overall, the experience isn't disimilar from riding a v-twin of the era. The handle bars are original but it could do with pulled back ones to make it a little bit less of a stretch. I've just recently put sealant in the petrol tank and new ethanol proof petrol taps in. It is ready to use though can be treated as a rolling project. I suspect the upswept exhausts are not right as they interfere with the toolboxes, look great though! Not absolutely sure of what it is worth, in a dealers in better condition it would be an £8,000 bike but I am not a dealer and this J2 is no show machine. £Offers.

1940 Royal Enfield J2.

1997 Bullet 500 for sale

- Now Sold -

The time has come to part ways with a faithful friend. This Bullet has been with me since it was six months old. It was bought in India then ridden home via Pakistan, Iran and Turkey on a year long trip. Since then it has been down to the Sahara and across in to Europe many times. It had a sidecar fixed to it for a short while and has completed several long distance trials. That's not to say it is worn out, it has always been looked after mechanically and few parts are the same as when it left the factory. It is registered as a 350 though is currently running a 500 motor which has something like 10,000 miles on it.

Here's the spec with a list of different from standard parts:

- 21 inch front wheel with alloy rim and stainless spokes

- 18 inch rear wheel with alloy rim and stainless spokes

- high output 3 phase alternator with boyer powerbox

- boyer micro-digital electronic ignition

- amal carb and k & n filter

- leather pan type saddle

- rear carrier

- alloy front mudguard

- stainless rear mudguard

- stainless rear wheel trim

- stainless pilot light rims

- stainless headlight peak

- Lucas type rear light

- British bullet petrol tank

- Smiths repro speedo

- Lucas repro ammeter

- Hitchcocks stainless toolbox lid screw conversion

- Hitchcocks fibreglass electrics cover

- Hitchcocks alloy points cover

- Samrat rockers

- Samrat tappet cover

- old style battery carrier with rubber battery dummy case and new battery inside

- led rear bulb, halogen front

- bullet type indicators

The bike rides well and is ready to use. Though it had a sidecar for a few months it tracks straight and will ride hands off. Should be good for green laning, touring or just cruising the back roads. Pretty much ready straight away to head off on a big adventure should the mood take you..

Will be a bit sad to see it go but have too many bikes and too many projects on.

I'm in Southern England, send a message via the blog if interested.