1930 Sunbeam Model 90 factory racer lives again

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Dodson

I was very pleased to receive a phone call from VMCC OEC and Blackburne Marque Specialist Martin Shelley telling me that John Rooney’s Sunbeam Model 90 was up and running!

There’s more information about this wonderful and possibly unique machine in an earlier post that you can view here. But since then, Chris Odling has worked his magic on the engine whilst Martin and John have worked on the rest of the bike. The guys have resisted the temptation to “restore” the bike and instead have strived to keep as much of the bike in as-found condition as possible. With original factory finish on many parts and many of the correct factory fasteners this bike could become a Rosetta Stone for the vintage Sunbeam enthusiast.

After evicting the mice and filling a few holes, even the original exhausts that are stamped with IOM ’30 S in reference to the 1930 Senior TT have been repaired and re-fitted.

There’s a short video here where you can see and hear the bike running. It does sound very different to my own 1930 Model 90 and seems to respond quicker to throttle and with less flywheel effect on the overrun. I just can’t wait to see and hear the bike “in the metal”.

Buell-Norton becomes The Burton

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Dodson

Here we have the latest pictures of the Buell-Norton hybrid that is slowly becoming known as The Burton. After Paul had the new tank made and fitted the fuel pump / header tank the bike was ready for collection from the Norley workshop at Aberystwyth. There’s a lot of work yet to be done but as we wheeled the bike into the van it quickly became obvious that the look and proportions of the bike were “just right”.

The capacity of the hand-crafted aluminium tank is necessarily somewhat restricted by the air filter and fuel pump arrangements but it blends well with the seat unit and rest of the bike. And with the head-down, backside up riding position I’m guessing that regular fuel stops might well be a blessing.

With Nigel being keen to keep development moving forward at a pace, we spent the evening at the pub preparing a (s)hit-list for ace-restorer John Phizacklea to take a look at. Early the next morning we headed up to John’s well equipped workshop where my own ’28 Sunbeam is currently on the bench awaiting a few finishing touches.

John usually specialises in considerably earlier bikes from the vintage and veteran eras so this American-British conglomeration should provide an interesting diversion. And all his imperial spanners will fit too, which is very handy indeed as there’s an awful lot of work to be done before the bike is complete. From guards to wiring, exhausts to paintwork the job is really just beginning and in the next photo we can see Nigel showing John the height of the pile of cash that he thinks will be needed.

Norley there…

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Dodson

Last week Nigel and I had another trip in glorious sunshine across the Welsh hills to check out the latest progress on the Norley framed Buell XB Lightning. And she’s looking good…

Nigel and Paul Brewster of Norley framekits have been developing this individual, unique and one-time only amalgamation of the classic Norton featherbed frame with the engine and running gear from a Buell XB12S Lightning. Norley originally made frame kits to suit Harley engines and their replica featherbed frames are made in-house to exacting standards and quality. These rather special café racers are, in many ways, a Norvin or Ogri bike for the lucky few, if not the masses.

Fitting the XB motor proved more of a challenge than usual as not only is it a stressed member of the original Buell frame but also it was important for Nigel to retain the fat Buell back wheel and tyre. Fortunately, these guys have the experience and technology to address the 1001 issues that are inevitable with any such special build. Their workshop is well kitted with a comprehensive range of lathes, milling machines, jigs, welding and bending equipment. The sort of gear that take a lifetime to amass and an eternity to learn how to use.

Interestingly, Norley also produce frames for other classic recreation companies and are willing to take on, perhaps, even more esoteric frame-engine combinations than Nigel’s own. A featherbed framed JAP anyone? Japton…. Norap… perhaps

Slowly but surely the bike has been taking shape over recent months to the point where it is now ready for exhausts and petrol tank to be manufactured and so, after a cup of tea, the bike was ready to be despatched to the petrol tank guys. The tank will need to be constructed to ensure airflow to the top-mounted airfilter and also provide sufficient clearance for fuel pump, header tank, coils etc. As mentioned before, capacity could well be in pints rather than gallons!

Stafford Classic Motorcycle Show 2014

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Dodson

Another year, another great Stafford show and the ’28 Model 90 makes her first appearance in polite society.

It went to the wire but John Phizacklea pulled out all the stops to get the bike ready in time for the 2014 Stafford Classic Motorcycle show. After abandoning the grid-locked M6, John faced a tortuous 3 hour cross-country journey that coincidentally took him right past the Wolverhampton Sunbeamland factory. Perhaps fitting that the first journey of the newly rebuilt bike should include the place where it was first constructed. Finally arriving at 6pm we quickly unloaded the bike and set it up in the private entries area from where, after a final polish, we were shortly ejected.

We are incredibly pleased with the final result and hope that the bike is a fitting testament to the skills of the “holy trinity” who made this possible.

Of course Peter Woodward must take massive credit for the bike and he is responsible for the detail, accuracy and authenticity of the majority of the components and engineering on the bike. Not withstanding the quality of the major elements of the bike Peter’s touches are everywhere that you look from the ’28 only angular profile of the silencers to the double-curvature mudguard washers to the English Lever toolbox lock.

The crank and cases in particular needed serious attention and without Chris Odling’s vast engineering skills and experience we would have been in some serious trouble. Chris must have the patience of a saint to put up with my constant badgering but despite this, he found the time to put together an engine and gearbox package that should last another 80 years.

And finally, John Phizacklea despite suffering my interminable phone calls, perhaps even more than Chris, has pulled it all together. The wheel building alone was a mammoth exercise as the spoke nipples are individually hand turned to match the profile of the original Sunbeam items. Not only does John have the engineering background, experience and capability to do the 1001 jobs needed on a project such as this but the bike is topped off with a coat of John’s trademark, deep black liquid gloss paintwork.

Thanks guys.

Norley Lightning progress

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Dodson

Rapid progress has been made by the guys at Norley and the rolling chassis is looking good and actually nearing completion.

One of the next challenges is the petrol tank which needs to accommodate the air filter and leave space for the electrical systems needed for the fuel injected motor. The idea is to have vents at the front of the tank that will force-feed air under pressure to the intake. Fuel tank capacity is likely to be measured in pints rather than gallons!

Quality rear-sets from a 70s Kawasaki have been “adjusted” to fit and certainly are in keeping with the bike whilst an offset rear-sprocket takes care of the chain aligment.

Replica 1920-1930s Pennant Vintage tax disk / tax disc holders

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Dodson

The latest project coming to fruition is a limited edition run of 50 Pennant replica tax disk or tax disc holders. They are UK made from solid brass using a beautiful original Pennant as a pattern and feature the Pennant logo on the rear of the holder. Be warned, they are a seriously weighty item!

As we’re all worried about global warming and the resulting floods, the holder is bang up-to-date with the tax disk sealed from the elements in its own rubber pouch. Available in nickel, chrome or un-plated brass they will come complete with a bracket and stainless fasteners.

Please contact us for prices or visit the shop more information.

The gear masher

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Dodson

Can you tell what’s going on here? Never a Sunbeam’s strongest point, a total of 4 missing teeth from this CT layshaft were located in the bottom of the gearbox housing. So that’s the 1930 M90 off the road until we can find a replacement set of cogs. It’s hard to tell what has gone wrong with this remanufactured set but a backfire whilst bump-starting the bike seems to have been the final straw for this particular old donkey.

Rich beyond the dreams of avarice

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Dodson

What a lash up!!! Just in case anyone was wondering how the carburation was developing on the 1930 M90 I thought I’d post this picture of the steps taken to check and correct the float height on the Amac 10MDY currently fitted to the bike. It’s the wrong carb for the year and I’d like a later Amal 29/001 if anyone can help but “we are where we are” on this one…

The Amal twin floats are most likely 15 degree items that have been machined to operate on the level so to speak. But they were clearly never designed to operate with the Amac. After making up a new, elongated float chamber holding bolt complete with a spigot for some clear plastic pipe it was easy to see that the float level was some 6mm too high. Adding the aluminium spacer drops the level back downwards and this setup should help with fine tuning once back on the bike. I’ll make up a proper brass spacer and new banjo bolt once the correct dimensions are established as the existing one is too short to work with the spacer.

All this is yet another example of how much time can be spent trying to get groups of disparate components from different eras to work together with some degree of harmony.

Norley meets Buell Lightning

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Dodson

To paraphrase Robert M. Pirsig “it is better for a good idea to destroy a motorcycle than for an owner’s club to destroy a good idea”. Sometimes a chap has to stand upright in the face of those without clear vision and those who would seek to maintain the “status quo”. Nigel O’Connell is just such a man and, close to the Welsh seaside town of Aberystwyth, he found Paul and the guys at Norley frame kits were willing and able to turn his wet dream into cold steel.

Norley have been making Manx Norton frames for 40 years and also produce frames for other high-profile companies involved in the re-creation of iconic motorcycles. The café-racer things has always appealed and whilst everyone wants an Ogri-bike few can afford the Vincent technology to power it. After spotting this gap in the market a few evenings were spent with beer mats in the pub and the Harley/Buell engine’d Norley frame was born. Weighing in at 15.5kg including swinging arm it shares its geometry with the original Manx Norton featherbed design.

Nigel’s project began with a perfectly good Buell XB12 that was a nice, but not quite mint, example. The sort of bike you’d be happy to ride in all weathers and not have to worry about cleaning nano-seconds afterwards. Yet smart enough to impress outside the pub.

Why not drive it down to Wales in the back of the van and completely dismantle it then? I confess to being initially sceptical but after the first visit and talking with Paul I began to see a chink of light. This is the first XB frame kit that Norley have produced and so the first job was to take the bike apart and build a new jig using the original frame. The motor is suspended from the beam frame in the donor bike and this means some lateral thinking when moving the lump across to its new home.

The concept of the new bike is a not-so subtle blend of new and old that retains the essential characteristics of the classic café-racer and the Buell Lightning. To Nigel, this means keeping the original Buell wheels and especially the unique rim-mounted disc brake. A conversion to chain drive is unavoidable and to retain the fat Buell rear wheel caused a number of alignment issues. One rear wheel was sacrificed to the cause and Nigel now has all different varieties of Buell front forks coming from his ears.

The amazing thing is that it all does fit together and looks in proportion to boot! I’m looking forward to our next visit and a chance to see the completed rolling chassis. There’s a lot of work to do yet of course but this will be a massive step forward and I’ll publish some photos as the project develops.

The Search(er) for Needles & Pins

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Dodson

Nothing is as simple as it seems and when working on old stuff without a point of reference life can get pretty complicated quite rapidly indeed. To cut to the chase… the Amac 10MDY needle jet adapter looks good and puts the new Amal 29 jet in the right place within the jet block but what needle should I use? The original idea was to use an Amal 29 needle along with the 29 needle jet. I’m sure this would work and probably work well but is it “correct”? Whatever correct means….

For me it is all about setting a new datum from which to work when fine tuning the carburation. If the different parts and systems of the carburettor are working in approximately the right regions then changes and adjustments on the bike start to make sense. After all, there’s little point fitting a weaker slide to compensate for an oversized or worn needle. Even the enrichment device might finally start to have some effect – there was no way it could have made any difference with the original settings and state of the carb. An obsession with this comes from hours and cash invested on the dyno with racing two-strokes that are hyper-sensitive to these issues. Even my Triumph Bonnie gained a healthy bhp increase after some careful tweaking from its original “standard” settings to compensate for the fuel that is available today.

So, a quick study of needles and tapers revealed that fitting an Amal 29 needle in the 3rd clip would mean that the bike would be running on the tapered section of the needle after the throttle was opened only one or two mm which is where the slide cutaway and pilot jet should be in charge of the charge. Unable to Google anything concrete, the best I came up with was that the parallel straight portion of the needle should be down the needle jet until maybe 1/4 throttle after which it should start to richen up on the taper. I found a D needle from a monobloc carb in the dartboard and this seemed to have a very similar taper to that of the 29 but was conveniently much longer. After a few hours with the Emco mini-lathe making up some collets, bushes and super-slim parting tool we produced the shortened needle shown below. The 5 needle clip positions are now adjusted to put the start of taper in what could be the “correct” position.

Will it work? I have no idea.

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