Getting back to working on my bicycles again is wonderful and as a result I'm feeling a lot more well in myself. I guess it's a bit odd to start working at around 6.00pm when the daylight Summer temperature and humidity has cooled and then continue through to around 2.00 or 3.00pm before going to bed, but it works for me.
A short while ago I saw some vintage pre-AMC Matchless decals in a recent post on the forum and I made the comment that I should do a tribute build. I owned a 1954 Matchless some years ago, but I always liked the round tank Matchless motorcycles from around 1910-1914 or so. Owning a real one would be the stuff of dreams only as they cost serious money even when in distressed condition.
But then I discovered that someone in the surrounding rural area is selling an old as yet unidentified English bicycle frame that could make a great basis for a tribute build. (I treat cities as if they are dangerous zones full of folk with an infectious form of madness so I now only bid on rural auctions for bicycles that have to be collected).
Then I discovered that Matchless did make a Villiers engined bike during the vintage period and having discovered that I didn't really need any further encouragement. The pictures are of the later flat tank model, but otherwise it's all good.
For a long while now I've had a late 1920s-early 1930s Villiers engine with a separate 3speed Albion gearbox and this would do very nicely for a tribute build. It's single port rather than a twin port and it doesn't have a separate magneto, but the more familiar Villiers brass flywheel magneto instead, so it will be more about capturing the spirit of the bike than being any attempt at a true replica. As it happens I do have a twin port fixed head cylinder barrel, but I don't think it will fit the later single port crankcase.
While I've been busy with cleaning up my workshop I've come to the conclusion that the best way to make sure all my nice old vintage parts and bits don't get lost or damaged is to actually build bikes that will make use of them.
Oh and by the way all my Villiers engines are now tagged to planned builds so none of them are for sale.
Because they are my Precious ............ oh um.... sorry i don't know what came over me for a moment there
Once the Rudge is completed I'll start on the Matchless and work on the Wall Autowheel replica in between. Though my daughter has asked me if I would properly assemble and service a full suspension mountain bike that she's just purchased, - so that should make a wee bit of a change. She's talking about putting an electric motor on it too which should prove interesting.
A short while ago I saw some vintage pre-AMC Matchless decals in a recent post on the forum and I made the comment that I should do a tribute build. I owned a 1954 Matchless some years ago, but I always liked the round tank Matchless motorcycles from around 1910-1914 or so. Owning a real one would be the stuff of dreams only as they cost serious money even when in distressed condition.
But then I discovered that someone in the surrounding rural area is selling an old as yet unidentified English bicycle frame that could make a great basis for a tribute build. (I treat cities as if they are dangerous zones full of folk with an infectious form of madness so I now only bid on rural auctions for bicycles that have to be collected).
Then I discovered that Matchless did make a Villiers engined bike during the vintage period and having discovered that I didn't really need any further encouragement. The pictures are of the later flat tank model, but otherwise it's all good.
For a long while now I've had a late 1920s-early 1930s Villiers engine with a separate 3speed Albion gearbox and this would do very nicely for a tribute build. It's single port rather than a twin port and it doesn't have a separate magneto, but the more familiar Villiers brass flywheel magneto instead, so it will be more about capturing the spirit of the bike than being any attempt at a true replica. As it happens I do have a twin port fixed head cylinder barrel, but I don't think it will fit the later single port crankcase.
While I've been busy with cleaning up my workshop I've come to the conclusion that the best way to make sure all my nice old vintage parts and bits don't get lost or damaged is to actually build bikes that will make use of them.
Oh and by the way all my Villiers engines are now tagged to planned builds so none of them are for sale.
Because they are my Precious ............ oh um.... sorry i don't know what came over me for a moment there
Once the Rudge is completed I'll start on the Matchless and work on the Wall Autowheel replica in between. Though my daughter has asked me if I would properly assemble and service a full suspension mountain bike that she's just purchased, - so that should make a wee bit of a change. She's talking about putting an electric motor on it too which should prove interesting.
Attachments
Last edited:
