Getting ready for the Pioneer Run

1914 Sun. 10 miles is possibly the furthest journey this bike
has undertaken for some fifty years.

A lot of icy and snowy weather of late but it has warmed up the last few days and a few heavy downpours of rain have washed the salt away from the roads. Today it seemed like a good idea to take the 1914 Sun out for a quick shake down ride.

At the moment the device is a bit of a pig to start and won't do much without some easystart (ether spray) and a plug clean. Once warm though it only takes a short paddle off to get it going, which is just as well when there is no clutch.

The good news on the short ten mile run was that the bike was basically sound, no problems at all from the motor just a few things to tighten up - a saddle that moved when you hit a sharp bump, loose head bearings and a carb that blew off its flange when the bike backfired. Easy fixes and nothing to stress about.

Lever for the two speed crash gearbox is on the tank. The bike
runs on pre-mix two stroke oil but there is the option to give a
squirt of oil direct to the bore from the separate oil tank if under
heavy load. With modern two stroke oils this seems to be a
redundant feature.

When warmed up the little Sun purrs along nicely. It takes a while to get used to the clutchless crash gearbox but the ratios are ideal, at a guess cruising speed is somewhere around 25mph, the motor is nice and flexible and takes inclines in its stride. Brakes are predictably feeble but overall it is a very simple bike to ride. Once the air and mag levers are set up pretty much all you need to do is to operate the throttle. The skill comes in timing junctions so that you don't have to come to a stop and then re-start the engine.

So now, some fettling to be done, more test rides and then Epsom Downs here we come...

The Sun is Brighton bound.

1914 Sun Villiers first ride

1914 Sun Villiers.

The stars seem to be slowly aligning for an entry in the 2019 Pioneer Run. This is the planned for steed that I am kindly being lent by my father, a 1914 Sun. Having sold my Wall Autowheel two or three years back and singularly not managed to rustle up enough money to buy a new veteran I am relying on others' generosity to get a Pioneer ride.

The restoration of the Sun was completed several years back but for one reason or another it has not been used since, so time for some fettling to see if we had a viable ride or not.

The Sun has a 269cc Villiers motor mated up to a two speed clutchless crash gearbox. It has taken a couple of short sessions to get the bike running right.

First session we managed a few pops and bangs to accompany our experimentation with all permutations of throttle and ignition settings. Day two the ignition was further advanced and after much pushing we managed to get it going, snicked it in to neutral and had it running on the stand quite sweetly. It took a wide open throttle for the initial fire up but thereafter was content with just a whisper.

Next up time for the first ride, after some pushing and paddling along with the bike not willing to pick up we remembered that first gear was forward and not aft. Once in the correct gear the bike is now an easy starter!

Only a short test run so far but the Sun is a pleasant ride. Not far off in characteristics from a late thirties or forties autocycle. The engine is light and smooth, gear changes take a bit of getting used to but overall it is a sweet little bike. Time for some more fettling and test runs and then get that Pioneer Run entry sent off....

Sun Motorcycles 1952 brochure

Here's the range of Villiers powered Sun lightweights for 1952. Not much information available about Suns on the web. They started off with bicycles components in 1885, moved on to complete cycles by 1906 and then extended to motorcycles in 1911 or 12. Sun was eventually absorbed by Raleigh in 1960. Sun motorcycles were always seen as being of quality and had a certain individuality in the design even if they were producing lightweights with bought-in engines.

1952 Sun Motorcycles brochure front cover.

1952 Sun Motorcycles brochure centre spread pt 1.

1952 Sun Motorcycles brochure centre spread pt 2.

1952 Sun Motorcycles brochure rear cover.